10 Things About Batman That Make No Sense

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Batman is one of the most iconic comic book heroes of all time. There is no doubt about his influence on the comic book medium and pop culture as a whole — but his long history has also provided readers with tons of examples of Batman as a character making absolutely no sense. With hundreds of writers and artists tackling the character over the decades, Batman’s stories are full of inconsistencies, confusing character motivations, and baffling continuity.

Although many of Batman’s best stories are simple crime tales set in Gotham City, there’s still plenty of nonsensical content even within those stories. Sure, comic book worlds are inherently silly, but even the DC Universe has to make some sense, and Batman so often defies that notion.

10

Batman Distrusts Fellow Heroes Almost As Much As His Villains

The Dark Knight’s Paranoia Towards His Fellow Heroes Is Confusing to Many Fans

Batman exists in a world where super-powered heroes and villains flood the skies and the streets on a daily basis. Major threats from the cosmos are as common as street thugs committing violent muggings. A character like Batman, being completely without superpowers of his own, is primed to be paranoid about the powerful individuals surrounding his day-to-day life. However, after so many years of working with super-powered heroes, Batman still remains distrustful of his allies.

It makes sense for the Dark Knight to have his misgivings about the super-powered community in his early years as a crimefighter, but to have Batman still consistently coming from a place of mistrust and paranoia surrounding members of the Justice League and other super-groups just doesn’t make sense. Having plans to take them down if they ever come under mind control is one thing, but to actively plan for a genuine betrayal from his closest allies is utterly baffling.

9

Batman Doesn’t Seem to Age

His Sidekicks Have Aged Out of Their Roles, but Batman Stays the Same Age

One unavoidable aspect of comic book storytelling, especially in a long-form story, is the fact that the characters don’t really age all that much. Batman has been around for over eighty years, and he is, of course, not actually in his eighties in the continuity of the books. The problem, however, is the fact that so many stories and pieces of continuity have happened over the years surrounding Batman and his allies that it becomes more and more unbelievable that he is still in his prime.

Considering the ages of his sidekicks, fans gain the best insight into the oddity that is Bruce Wayne’s age. Dick Grayson started out very young as Robin, aged out of the role, became Nightwing, and has been operating under that name for years. Jason Todd became Robin, died, stayed dead for years, returned as the Red Hood, and joined the Bat-family. Damian Wayne has grown up, Barbara Gordon has gone through constant change, and Tim Drake has taken on countless roles, but Batman seems to remain firmly in his mid-to-late thirties. It’s an odd fact of the Dark Knight’s continuity, and though it is basically unavoidable, it still confuses fans to this day.

8

Bruce Wayne’s Body Should Be Destroyed By Now

Years of Physical Damage Haven’t Taken a Toll on Batman

Similar to the question of his age, the logistical aspects of Batman’s constant war on crime have confused many readers. Batman has operated in Gotham City, within the confines of in-universe continuity, for many years, and still, he somehow remains mostly unscathed. Sure, he’s suffered major injuries from characters like Bane in the iconic Knightfall saga, but he always comes back as strong as ever.

Countless stab wounds, broken bones, gunshot wounds, and bruises would have left Bruce’s body in utter disrepair, but years as the world’s foremost human hero seem to have left the Dark Knight still in tip-top shape. Bruce Wayne is even able to go out in public and retain his billionaire playboy persona, despite his many physical wounds.

7

Who’s Building Batman’s Gadgets and Vehicles?

The Dark Knight Tools and Vehicles Couldn’t Stay a Secret from the World

Over the years, many Batman creators have attempted to explain how Batman is able to develop and utilize high-tech equipment and vehicles without the world noticing, but none have been particularly successful. Again, readers engaging with the DC Comics hero are, of course, going to have to take the silly universe’s rules with a grain of salt, but suspension of disbelief can only go so far.

Characters like Alfred Pennyworth and Harold Allnut have been utilized to explain Batman’s arsenal of vehicles and gadgets, and Bruce Wayne himself has been known to work on creating his own arsenal of tools and toys; however, this still doesn’t completely add up for many readers. Bruce Wayne has countless resources at his disposal, but there’s no way he could keep everything a secret.

6

Batman Constantly Puts Children In Danger

Batman’s Sidekicks Are Almost Always Underage Kids In Over Their Heads

Batman’s history is so much more richly developed when he is accompanied by one of his many sidekicks, but fans remain confused by many of those characters’ existences and the morality associated with them. Dick Grayson, the original Robin, joined the Batman in his crusade on crime when he was incredibly young, and the subsequent Robins have been of a similar age.

For someone who holds human life so precious, Batman is shockingly careless about who he is putting in danger. There have been many stories over the years trying to explain why Batman includes children in his war on crime, but none have alleviated the concerns and confusion of the vast majority of fans. Batman has continued to put children in danger even after Robins have seemingly died, which is a baffling decision.

5

Someone Would Have Killed the Joker By Now

If Not Batman, Someone Would Have Put the Joker Down By Now

The Joker is one of the most sadistic villains in comic book history. Having done more evil things against the heroes of the DC Universe than any other foe, the Joker is a major threat to anyone and everyone he comes into contact with. Though Batman’s no-kill rule makes his crusade all the more compelling and emotionally interesting, not every character in Gotham shares his moral compass.

With the horror that the Joker has unleashed on the people of Gotham, it makes absolutely no sense that somebody hasn’t killed him by now. A rogue cop, angry family member of a victim, or a hero with less strict rules about murder would have taken the Clown Prince of Crime’s life by now, and fans remain a little irritated by the complete lack of logic at play here.

4

Batman Is a Major Justice Leaguer Despite Being Powerless

Batman Shouldn’t Lead a Team of Heroes Who Surpass His Abilities

Although Batman is one of the most powerful humans in the DC Universe, his lack of any superpowers makes him an odd choice to be a major player on the Justice League, a team comprised of major powerhouses. The Justice League has had some incredibly powerful members over the years, and Batman is not one of them.

His mental prowess and strategic mind can only take Batman so far in battles against major cosmic threats that the Justice League would ordinarily tackle. Despite the fact that he has proven himself again and again, it still remains illogical that Batman would be a pillar of such a team. It would be one thing if Batman provided advice from behind the scenes, but he joins other heroes in battle, which stretches the boundaries of credulity.

Plot-Armor Has Made Batman Annoyingly Overpowered

When fans discuss pitting fictional characters against each other, Batman’s placement in a match-up is so often predicated on whether he has “prep time” or not. It has become common for many readers to believe that the Dark Knight could take on any character in any universe if he simply took the time to plan and prepare first.

While preparation and planning are some of Batman’s greatest assets, it is ridiculous to believe that he could take on anyone with the right amount of planning. It makes the character dull and uninteresting, and creators leaning into his overpowered nature have taken away much of Batman’s engaging complexity.

Batman’s Real Identity Is One of the Worst-Kept Secrets in DC Comics

Over the years, many characters have discovered Batman’s true identity, and it is remarkable that his secret has never reached the public consciousness. Only someone super-rich could afford to be Batman, and anyone paying attention would realize this. Bruce Wayne has had a connection to Batman many times over the years, but the public remains shockingly unaware.

Many of his allies and enemies have discovered his identity, and though they’ve kept his secret, it’s incredibly improbable that it would stay quiet for very long. All fans have to do is look to Marvel Comics and Daredevil to see how easily a secret identity can be revealed to the world. Batman’ secret is obvious, and fans constantly have to pretend that it’s not.

1

The Claim That Bruce Wayne Is a Mask Is Missing the Point

Neither Bruce Wayne Nor Batman Is a True Mask

Bruce Wayne is Batman. Batman is Bruce Wayne. Neither one is his true self, but neither one is entirely fake. Batman is both Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight. He isn’t entirely putting on a performance as a billionaire member of Gotham’s elite, and he isn’t disguising himself as some violent vigilante prowling the night.

Bruce Wayne is a hero in every sense. He uses his public identity for good in ways that he can’t as Batman, and vice versa. To say that either identity is false is completely missing the point of Batman as a character. He is both Batman and Bruce Wayne in equal measure. They come together to make up the whole. Batman is far more complex and engaging than many casual fans believe, and it’s a shame that it has become so confusing to readers.

“}]] Despite being beloved, Batman as a character is one of DC Comics most illogical and nonsensical heroes, with many facets of his history baffling fans.  Read More