Batman is i of the nigh popular superheroes ever. He's starred in multiple movies and TV shows and is the star of more comic stories than one can shake a stick at. He faces down all of manner of dangerous villains and has proven to be clutch for the Justice League many times over the years. However, it wasn't always that mode.

Batman has been through a lot of changes over the years, with the graphic symbol morphing from what he was into something that many fans similar meliorate. However, that doesn't mean that all of these changes have been entirely beneficial- a double edged sword cuts both ways.

10 For Better: The Change In Tone Led To Better Stories

For a long time, Batman and his stories were kind of childish. The Argent Historic period was total of things that modern comic readers wouldn't relish very much and Batman was the exemplar of that. However, writers like Denny O'Neil came in and started to change that, a gradual procedure that would come to fruition with Frank Miller's The Nighttime Knight Returns.

This alter would prove to be beneficial to Batman in a lot of ways, making the graphic symbol more mature and opening him upwardly to all kinds of great story ideas that never would take been possible in the sillier days.

nine For Worse: Batman Stories Can Be Too Serious To The Point Of Parody

The Dark Knight Returns was a seminal moment in comics just that doesn't mean that everything it did was completely beneficial. In fact, every bit fourth dimension went on, people full-bodied besides much on the darker aspects of the character and nothing else. This led to Batman and his stories becoming way besides grimdark.

Darker Batman stories work very well but it started to go to the point of parody. His stories can go and then dark and gritty that they lose sight of the fact that Batman isn't just a vigilante, he'southward a superhero. At that place'due south no joy to his stories a lot of the time, just an unending quest that is pretty depressing.

8 For Better: Batman Is Taken Fashion More Seriously

The '60s Batman TV testify did a lot for the character's visibility but its camp tone as well hurt his reputation. Batman was completely and totally ridiculous to audiences at the time and it made Batman into a character people simply didn't take seriously.

Batman'southward stories changing over the years allowed people to take the character and his world style more seriously. The foundational story of Batman is pretty grave and the campy aesthetic of the character made people expect at Batman equally something for children just.

7 For Worse: It Stretched The Bounds Of How The Character Was Used Too Much

Batman beingness taken seriously is good. Withal, it's been taken to some bizarre and bluntly ridiculous places. For example, Batman can shell the Justice League. Sure, he tin can't only walk upwards to members of the team and just knock them out but the fact that Batman can beat the Justice League in any way is a bridge too far.

Due to his popularity, Batman is looked at every bit the best hero of them all and that view of him has made creators make some pretty strange choices with the character. Batman needs to be taken seriously but a Batman who tin can flawlessly defeat the most powerful heroes and villains of them all with prep time feels unrealistic fifty-fifty in the comic book world.

vi For Better: Being Batman Next Has Built A Lot Of Cool Characters

Batman's greater popularity has of form helped his sales but it'southward also helped the sales of lots of other characters. Batman and Batman-related characters have proven to exist big business over the years- characters like Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and the diverse Robins take benefited greatly from their association with Batman, getting their ain titles and spotlights.

Batman helped create an unabridged corner of the DC Universe that has proven quite popular with fans. So many beloved characters accept gotten their start through Batman, giving fans even more stuff to beloved.

5 For Worse: The Proliferation Of Batman-Like Characters Is A Trivial Much Sometimes

Batman's continued popularity and the popularity of Batman adjacent characters has led to a ascent in Batman-like characters that aren't always great. Take, for example, the evil Batman trope. Dark Knights Metallic took this to an extreme, introducing multiple evil Batmen, including the Batman Who Laughs. BWL would get the harbinger that broke the camel's back.

BWL was sold every bit the ultimate villain, taking all of the Batman tropes and adapting them to Batman as a villain. While an evil Batman tin can be fun to explore, BWL took it to an extreme.

4 For Better: His Relationship With Other Heroes Evolved

In the Silver Age, everybody was best friends, working together perfectly, with little to no conflict between them. This approach could be fun- seeing Batman and Superman as pals is always interesting- but information technology was also much too simplistic.

Batman's development created new dynamics with the heroes, transforming his relationships with them. This made the dynamics much more interesting and added to the storytelling elements. Modern Batman and his relationships are much more fun to read.

3 For Worse: The "Batman Fighting Everyone" Trope Was Born

Superheroes fighting other superheroes is a tale as old as time just it tin can get a footling ridiculous with Batman. Batman has fought simply about every member of the Justice League at one fourth dimension or another and it's honestly a very tired trope. Everyone likes to play "who can win", only Batman has taken it to another level.

Batman and Superman fighting used to be an interesting intellectual practice just it eventually became an entirely too played out trope every bit time went on. It stopped being interesting and became an almost annual plot device where readers were reminded about how Batman could beat a literal sun god using his smarts and tech.

ii For Better: Taking Him Out Of Gotham Opened Up New Stories For Him

Ane of the great things virtually Superman is that fifty-fifty though he defends Metropolis, his mandate is basically protecting all of the innocent people everywhere. Superman stories tin can take place anywhere. Batman was more limited for years; his solo stories more often than not took place in Gotham. However, as his popularity and utility increased, he was moved out of Gotham and this opened up all kinds of possibilities.

Batman could exist used in mode more than stories, from Earthbound ones to more than cosmic stuff. '50s Batman did sci-fi but it was strictly kids stuff. Modern Batman could practice any kind of story and this made him a better grapheme.

1 For Worse: He's Often Out Of His League

The worst Batman trope is known as "Batgod." Basically, it comes from the vaunted "with prep time, Batman tin can beat out anyone" idea that makes Batman experience a fleck overhyped. As he's been taken out of Gotham and put into more than kinds of stories, this trope has become a cornerstone of Batman stories and it's hurt the grapheme a lot.

Batman is taken out of his league a lot more nowadays. He tin fifty-fifty somehow survive battles with gods similar Darkseid. This feels unrealistic for a graphic symbol that has no powers of their ain and can really take readers out of the comic while reading.

Next: 8 Ways Batman Is A Bad Role Model

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About The Author

David Harth (1973 Articles Published)

David Harth has been reading comics for shut to 30 years. He writes for several websites, makes killer pizza, goes to Disney World more than his upkeep allows, and has the cutest girl in the earth. He tin can evidence it. Follow him on Twitter- https://www.twitter.com/harth_david.

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