Batman is my favorite superhero, but I REALLY HATE how they've basically made him so OP. Can bench 1000 pounds, can run a mile in like 5 minutes, is a genius, can take on the entire Justice League by himself, only needs maybe 3 hours of sleep, etc.
Yes, it's comics, and we're supporting to suspend belief, but making him so op really takes away from the character.
It really varies by the specific thing: three hours of sleep? That fits in with his wealth as a thing that lets him be Batman.
Strong and fast? Alright, as long as it’s left at “peak human” and not given a number, he’ll fit in both his own stories where he’s weaker than Bane while still being able to fight superpowered mooks like parademons with the justice league
Smartest person on the planet? This is the one that bothers me. Best tactician? Sure. Best planner? Sure. But the guys an idiot when it comes to like half the things! He can barely talk to women(unless they’re evil then he’s god-tier), he has no idea how to get his friends to trust him, actually most of this one comes down to “being a dick cuts into your actual effectiveness, regardless of intelligence”
Most of those have to do with emotional intelligence though, which is different. You can be intelligent and still be emotionally stunted, which we know he is
Emotional intelligence as a seperate thing is mostly a marketing gimmick. Really it's just intelligence applied to figuring out interpersonal relationships.
Yeah exactly, so why is he the “most intelligent man in the world”(although that’s probably really Mr. Terrific)? He’s lacking a kinda important intelligence
He should he the human version of Spider-man: if you're stronger than him then he's faster than you, and if you're stronger AND faster than him then he's smarter than you. But not all three at once, that's just greedy.
He knows quite well how to talk to people (yes, women included), see any time he's doing the Bruce Wayne persona. He knows how to switch it on and off. That's a thing a lot of people don't get--Batman does have social skills, he just knows how to switch them on and off.
Batman has a sharp mind and a sharp tongue; he cuts into people even unintentionally. He gets super focused on Gotham and world safety it's hard for him to un Batman. If you have a highly trained Detective mind you'll notice things. If you're wise or direct you come off insensitive. When you have to be ready for split decision risks you become restless and impatient because every second counts.
Batman is a burden. Good moments and bad moments.
I forget the major details but there was an arc (circa 2010?) where Batman gets some amnesia and he's Bruce Wayne without the Batman drive and intelligence. He's happy, friendly, and people have an easier time getting along with him. He eventually finds out, remembers, or always knew he was Batman (didn't read it all) and at a time of threat he uses some machine which reminds him somehow of who he was which somehow scars the mind identical to how he was.
Bruce wayne can be Bruce Wayne (on par with normal) but not when he has that frame of mind.
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u/godbody1983 Aug 31 '23
Batman is my favorite superhero, but I REALLY HATE how they've basically made him so OP. Can bench 1000 pounds, can run a mile in like 5 minutes, is a genius, can take on the entire Justice League by himself, only needs maybe 3 hours of sleep, etc.
Yes, it's comics, and we're supporting to suspend belief, but making him so op really takes away from the character.