History Characters / BatmanTheCharacter

** Creator/ChipZdarsky took it further in his [[ComicBook/BatmanChipZdarsky run]] by having Zur-En-Arrh refer to his sidekicks not as his adoptive/surrogate children, but rather soldiers in his war on crime. This treatment of the people Bruce literally raised does ''not'' make Bruce happy.

* ActionHero: Batman is involved in plenty of action. He is a top martial artist who is trained in a variety fighting styles like Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Boxing. Batman can take on numerous people simultaneously, and even superhumans like Deathstroke and Superman (when mind controlled).

* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Part of what makes Batman such a great detective is how thorough he is in his investigations. From the smell of paint thinner to images that seem to flash randomly when he boots up the Batcomputer, there's no detail he won't examine to solve the case.

* CrazyPrepared: A good thing for the most part. Batman's got a plan for almost anything which makes sense considering he's a non-superhuman in world full of superhumans villains and other types of criminal geniuses.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: His parents were murdered in front of him as a child.

* DarkIsNotEvil: He is often one of the best barometers of what the writer wants you to think is morally acceptable in all of comicdom, despite his black clothing, bat-motif, and fear-based methods.

* TookALevelInKindness: Silver Age Batman is definitely this, becoming nicer and outright heroic. Likewise, the New 52 did this with Batman as well, at least for a while.

* MyGreatestFailure: Batman has an overbearing sense of responsibility in general, especially regarding innocent lives.

** Normally, Bruce is filled with extreme guilt and sadness over [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily Jason Todd's death]], being affected by it as much (if not moreso) as his parents' demise.

* NoSenseOfHumor: Batman is sometimes depicted as this, DependingOnTheWriter. Though even when he does have a sense of humor, it tends to be of such a very dry variety that people InUniverse have difficulty parsing it.

** In a battle of pure martial arts, he rivaled Bronze Tiger[[note]]in ''Detective Comics #485''[[/note]], outfought Lady Shiva[[note]]in ''Batman #427'' (Partly via a distraction) & ''Superman/Batman #3'' (Shiva claimed she purposely lost)[[/note]], and stalemated Richard Dragon[[note]]''in Brave and the Bold #132''[[/note]].

** In a match of hand-to-hand combat, Batman has been defeated by Dick Grayson and Lady Shiva. He has also acknowledged Cassandra Cain to be above him. To be fair, this was something established in [[WorfEffect more recent comics.]] Notably, prior to ''Flashpoint'', Batman outfought Lady Shiva twice (partly via a distraction), as well as stalemated the likes of Richard Dragon and Captain America.

** In a battle of pure martial arts, he rivaled Bronze Tiger[[note]]in ''Detective Comics #485''[[/note]], outfought Lady Shiva (partly via a distraction)[[note]]in ''Batman #427''[[/note]], and stalemated Richard Dragon[[note]]''in Brave and the Bold #132''[[/note]].

* EveryoneHasStandards: DependingOnTheWriter. Even when written as manipulative and selfish, Batman may show remorse when he goes too far.

* AbusiveParents: It must be stressed that this depends on the writer, but Batman is sometimes depicted as a poor father-figure (for an example, his manipulative actions toward [[Characters/{{Batgirl}} Steph]] and [[Characters/{{Robin}} Tim]]).

** While somewhat circumstantial, Bruce can still be really cruel to Jason in modern age comics. He has: made Jason relive his painful death and resurrection, clobbered Jason to near-death in anger, and once banned him from Gotham completely. Even worse is how certain writers downplay Bruce's guilt for Jason's death, to the point of victim blaming. Jarringly, almost no one acknowledges such behavior.

** While Batman is one of the smartest people on Earth, others have outsmarted him from time to time. For instance, Barbara Gordon is better at computing than Batman, while Veronica Cale and her assistant easily bypassed his security devices. Moreover, Batman has admitted that Ted Cord is a better inventor, despite having built armored suits strong enough to fight Superman and Darkseid.
** In Rebirth, Cassandra Cain and Lady Shiva are explicitly better martial artists than Batman. Modified warriors such as Bane, Deathstroke, and Talon are stronger as well, partly due to having no qualms killing. Making up for this is Batman's cunningness, determination, and field experience.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Following the Silver Age, Batman and his stories had more emphasis on fear, alongside an insanely violent RoguesGallery. The turning point of this was around the 1980s, where Batman was written as a harshly brutal figure, bordering onto cruel and insane. Shades of this still remain prominently in modern comics. Despite this, [[DarkIsNotEvil his strong moral integrity remains one of the most consistent in comics.]]

* {{Flanderization}}: Bruce Wayne was originally depicted as merely [[IdleRich Comfortably Well-Off]]. Now, he's one of the two richest men in Franchise/TheDCU. Batman himself has become increasingly ultra-competent and infallible in the past few decades. The flanderization of Batman was necessary to keep him interesting in the context of the Justice League. He's one of the few characters without a true superpower, so the question of why they keep him around (aside from maybe his money) needs answering. Having him be the World's Greatest Detective and greatest strategist in existence gives him a purpose and a reason for being one of the guys in charge.

** Bruce's tendencies to lash out badly when faced with a personal loss have gone through this in recent years. Usually, when something like that happened, he acted harsher and more controlling and manipulative than usual, but he never did anything that could be considered unforgiveable and there were moments that showed that he still cared. Now, he's abandoned his first son, beaten the hell out of the second, smacked the third, and is basically neglecting the fourth, because [[spoiler:Selina left him at the altar]]. What makes it worse is that he's acting like this is worse than when he lost his second son, and later his fourth, which (no doubt contrary to the writers' intentions), makes him look self-centered and abusive. It makes one wonder why the rest of the Bat-Family sticks by him at all.

* HeroWorshipper: Downplayed because Batman has a "jerkassery act" to keep up, alongside his tendency to shoulder burdens alone, but Bruce genuinely looks up to heroes like Clark/Superman, Diana/Wonderwoman, and Barry/Flash, despite clashing with them from time to time. The feelings are mutual.

* HonestCorporateExecutive: His Bruce persona is generally portrayed this way. Some stories will give him potential tax evasion troubles, but for the most part Bruce Wayne is portrayed as giving chariably even when it does not produce good public relations.
* HonorBeforeReason: He takes this trope to extremes. Most notably is his refusal to kill even ComicBook/TheJoker, if partly because he is aware of the potential ramifications. When Joker then goes on to [[spoiler:kill Jason Todd, the second Robin]], Batman comes ''damn close'' to breaking his rule, but didn't in the end. Unfortunately, when [[ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis Superboy-Prime's]] CosmicRetcon [[spoiler:resurrected Jason]], Batman's decision causes [[spoiler: him to assume the mantle of Red Hood, an AntiVillain who opposes Batman's no-kill ideology, thus pitting the two of them against each other.]] Batman takes this to another extreme when his alter ego becomes a juror at the trial of someone captured by him. When asked if there's any reason he shouldn't be a juror, Bruce Wayne tells the judge that [[CassandraTruth he's Batman]]. He later tells Tim that he had to tell because he was under oath.
* HopeBringer: Even in the darkest and most cynical stories and adaptations, Batman is always portrayed as a symbol of hope to the people of Gotham.

* InformedKindness: Partly caused by his DependingOnTheWriter status. Bruce is certainly not ''without'' his moments of care and empathy, but a lot of heroes (and even writers) often tend to exaggerate his nobleness... even when readers fail to see it for themselves. This can extend to Batman at his campiest and goofiest.

* JackOfAllTrades: As stated above in AlwaysSecondBest, Bruce isn't the ''best'' in many of the fields he covers. However, being ''really good'' at such a wide composite of skills more than makes up for this.

* LethalChef: Bruce is usually depicted as an absolutely ''awful'' chef - he even screws up ''tuna sandwiches''. On the rare occasion he does cook something edible, he is typically shown having turned the kitchen into a disaster area.

* MyGreatestFailure: Batman's overbearing sense of responsibility often leads to this, most infamously [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily Jason Todd's death]]. Likewise, darker incarnations sometimes show him playing a significant role in creating supervillains, such as ComicBook/TheJoker; [[ComicBook/TheLongHalloween Two-Face]]; [[ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis Brother Eye]], the last of which led to the death of [[ComicBook/BlueBeetle Ted Kord]].

*** Batman writer Creator/GrantMorrison himself stated that Bruce actually does have superpowers. What is his superpower? Being Batman. Heck, Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheCapedCrusader'' explains that Batman's reward for his crusade is to eventually be reborn again as Batman in another universe. This means death and the laws of creation themselves won't stop him from stopping crime.

* TookALevelInJerkass: And how! Bronze Age Batman, despite the darker storylines, was still a good man and team-player. Around the late 1980s, creators like Frank Miller wrote him as a brutally insane figure, being downright cruel to his "friends". Following this are stories such as the "Tower of Babel" arc and ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004''.

* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Part of what makes Batman such a great detective is how thorough he is in investigating, with no clue unexamined. He will even check something as small as the smell of paint thinner to the images that flash when he sifts through files on the Batcomputer.

* WorldsBestWarrior: Among non-metahumans, Batman was a strong candidate for this in the DCU until Flashpoint. By Rebirth, writers often portray him as a peg below, at least for hand-to-hand combat.

* MyGreatestFailure: Several, because he believes that every failure he encounters is his fault. The top five are (in chronological order): The "creation" of ComicBook/TheJoker; [[ComicBook/TheLongHalloween Harvey Dent's transformation into Two-Face]]; [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily Jason Todd's death]]; losing control of Gotham's gangs during ''War Games'', which led to the torture of Stephanie Brown and her near-death; and [[ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis allowing his suspicions of his fellow supers to overcome him and building Brother Eye]], which then hi-jacked by Max Lord and led to the death of [[ComicBook/BlueBeetle Ted Kord]]. And, more recently, [[spoiler:Damian's death]].

* NeverMyFault: Varies. Sometimes Batman will show no regret or shame when causing an issue, refusing to apologize at people he wronged. Yet, countless stories instead show him as overwhelmed with responsibility, with others urging him not to shoulder their burdens and mistakes.

* ShrineToTheFallen: Batman keeps Jason Todd's costume on display in the Batcave. Later, he does the same for Damian and then Tim Drake after both were "killed." Dying and getting better seems to be a habit of Robins

* TookALevelInJerkass: And how! Bronze Age Batman, despite the darker storylines, was still a good man and team-player. Around the Dark Age, creators like Frank Miller wrote him as a brutally insane figure, being outright antagonistic and Machiavellian to his "friends". Following this are stories such as the "Tower of Babel" arc and ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004''.
* TookALevelInKindness: Silver Age Batman is definitely this, being nicer and unwilling to commit murder or maiming. Likewise, the New 52 did this with Batman as well, at least for a while.

* WhatTheHellHero: Whenever written as more flawed, he gets this a lot from others. For one particular instance, when Damian ''temporary'' died, Bruce's progressive SanitySlippage caused every single member of his family to call him out.
* WorldsBestWarrior: Excluding metahumans, Batman was arguably written as this until Flashpoint. By Rebirth, he is often portrayed as a peg below this, at least in hand-to-hand combat.

** In a battle of pure martial arts, he rivaled Bronze Tiger[[note]]in ''Detective Comics #485''[[/note]], outfought Lady Shiva (partly via a distraction) [[note]]in ''Batman #427''[[/note]], and stalemated Richard Dragon in [[note]]''Brave and the Bold #132''[[/note]].
** Combined with cunningness and determination, Batman's skills were enough to match Captain America [[note]]in ''DC vs Marvel #3''[[/note]], narrowly defeat the Sensei [[note]]in ''Batman #671''[[/note]], and technically outmaneuver Karate Kid[[note]]''Justice League Of America Volume 2 #8''.

** In a battle of pure martial arts, he rivaled Bronze Tiger ''Detective Comics #485'', outfought Lady Shiva (partly via a distraction) ''Batman #427'', and stalemated Richard Dragon ''Brave and the Bold #132''.
** Combined with cunningness and determination, Batman's skills were enough to match Captain America ''DC vs Marvel #3'', narrowly defeat the Sensei ''Batman #671'', and outwit Karate Kid ''Justice League Of America Volume 2 #8''.

** In pure combat instinct, Cassandra Cain has more potential than Batman, given her combined photographic memory and ability to read body movement. Similarly, modified warriors such as Bane, Deathstroke, and William Cobb are stronger as well, if partly because they have no qualms killing foes. Making up for this is Batman's cunningness, determination, and field experience, which allow him to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Captain America, the Sensei, and Karate kid himself.

* SmallStepsHero: He spends a vast, billion-dollar fortune to punch out one criminal at a time. Though he ''also'' invests an incredible amount of money into infrastructure, social service programs, and technological advancements through Wayne Industries' various subsidies and departments to try and remedy some of Gotham's rampant crime and corruption.

* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Can struggle against scraggy thugs or be strong enough to casually lift heavy objects. Likewise, some writers depict Batman being one-shotted by individuals such as Bronze Tiger and Lady Shiva, while other times he can fight metahumans like Captain America, Hawkgirl, and Aquaman.

* WhatTheHellHero: Whenever written as more flawed, he gets this a lot from others. For one particular instance, with [[spoiler:Damian's death]], his progressive SanitySlippage and the fact that he TookALevelInJerkass have led to this from each member of the family in "Batman and Robin" volume 2, starting with issue 19.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Originally, he was very supportive of Robin, acting as a good father-figure.
Nowadays, Bruce usually only praises his kids when they've been ''perfect''.

* TookALevelInKindess: Silver Age Batman is definitely this, being nicer and unwilling to commit murder or maiming. Likewise, the New 52 did this with Batman as well, at least for a while.

* WellDoneSonGuy: He ''does'' say it. It's just that he only says it when you've been ''perfect''.

** While somewhat circumstantial, Bruce can still be really cruel to Jason at times. He has: made Jason relive his painful death and resurrection, clobbered Jason to near-death in anger, and once banned him from Gotham completely. Even worse is how certain writers downplay Bruce's guilt for Jason's death, to the point of victim blaming. Jarringly, almost no one acknowledges such behavior.

* AlwaysABiggerFish: Though the pinnacle of humanity, Batman isn't always number 1 at everything. Given how stories would be less interesting if it were the case, this can be excused.

* AmbiguouslyChristian: Oh boy, where to begin? His WASP origins? His dozen or so stories revolving solely around Christmas? Hanging out by the giant cross headstones of his parents? That one story where he becomes a Catholic priest? Him being the Caped CRUSADER? While many modern day writers option for the SecularHero approach, many like Frank Miller outright confirm that Batman was raised a Catholic/Christian/some denomination along those lines. Even when no mention of his religion is made, Batman’s connection to gothic Christian imagery is as undeniable as the bat on his chest.

* BadassCape: He wore his cape this way long before it was popular. Still does!
** That, and Batman's cape lets him glide in some versions.
** Batman's cape is so awesome that it actually has the ability to change size. When he's investigating for clues inside, the cape comes down to his knees, but when posing on a rooftop dramatically, it grows longer than his whole body. Now that's badass!

** Even godlike beings acknowledge Batman's prowess.{{Elseworld}} Spectre has described him as "the zenith of human fortitude and ambition", while an in canon Superman described him more simply as "the most dangerous man on the planet".[[MysteriousWaif Harbringer]] also once referred to him as "the Scourge of all Evil."

** Also, with Superman. Examined in the World's Finest maxiseries; the first time they meet with the explicit purpose of working together, they're at a function as Bruce and Clark when the guest of honor, a world-famous plastic surgeon is kidnapped. They split up and both go after the kidnapper, which so spooks the hostage that he runs out into the street and gets himself killed. When they compare notes they both observe that this happened because they didn't work together. The rest of the series is about their annual meetings to honor their failure and learn to work together until they're working as a well-oiled machine. [[spoiler: Some of their guilt is mitigated when they learn at the end of the maxiseries that said hostage was actually the surgeon's body double who had kidnapped and replaced the real man after giving him amnesia in an attempt to steal his fortune. The real reason he was so spooked was because he was afraid that Batman and Superman would expose his scheme.]]
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: TropeNamer. Batman does this in one of the early issues of ''Justice League International'' [[spoiler:(granted, it was due to the New Genesis-created training satellite's programming directive to not actually harm its opponents, thus causing it to create an artificial atmosphere when Bats's space helmet gets broken, but all the same)]]. One issue of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' showed Batman training himself, not to be able to breathe in space, but to at least survive the vacuum of space for a couple of seconds. The ComicBook/MartianManhunter helps while wondering if he should.

* BecomingTheMask: Bruce Wayne adopted the identity of Batman as a means to fight injustice. As with most Batman tropes, this is the dark version. It's not that he loves being Batman so much he doesn't want to go back to being Bruce Wayne. It's that he IS Batman because he has to be even when dressed and acting like Bruce Wayne. It's a strong contrast to the modern version of Superman, who always thinks of himself as Clark Kent regardless of the costume.
** He is the mask to the point that, when holding the Lasso of Truth and saying his name, he says he is Batman.

** Sometimes happens between Batman and Talia Al Ghul, his on-and-off-again LoveInterest and mother of his son, Damian. They are genuinely attracted to each other, but constantly oppose each other on principle as a ThouShaltNotKill vigilante and the daughter of the head of the world's largest terrorist organization. How much this translates into their relationship at any given time is a matter of DependingOnTheWriter.
* BenevolentBoss: Bruce Wayne supplies Wayne Industries' employees with top tier pay and benefits, frequently interacts with his workers and helps them out with their problems, personally ensures that there's no unethical behavior or practices going on in his offices and factories, and refuses to lay off anyone during economic downturns. He's also known to buy failing or abusive businesses in order to make sure that their employees are treated fairly and continue to receive steady pay.
* BestFriend: ComicBook/{{Superman}}'s to be precise. The two have a long rooted history with each other and they are some of the founders for the Justice League. Despite how much of polar opposites they are to each other, Bruce and Clark have deep respect and admiration for one another and work ''extremely well'' together.

* BigGood: To the Bat Family, Gotham, and the DC Universe with Superman and Wonder Woman as a triumvirate. In plot when the Justice League goes rogue or gets corrupted like Injustice, Batman usually becomes an even more important Big Good for the DC Universe. Though Superman is the Chairman and public face of the League, Batman is his NumberTwo behind the scenes and technically is the real leader of the JL as Batman more often than not calls the shots and provides the brains (and money) to their operations.

** He and Superman may have a lot of disagreements (since the 80s), but they both respect each other for the same reason. Clark had all the power to go anywhere or even take over the world. Bruce had a fortune that he could squander forever in a life of luxury. But despite every other opportunity presented to them, both of them chose to become heroes instead, and it is this shared trait that they deeply admire in the other, and allows them both to be best friends.
* BloodKnight: Loathe as he is to admit it, there's a big part of Bruce Wayne that really, really enjoys the violence that comes with being Batman. It's also strongly implied that he uses this enjoyment of fighting as an anger release outlet so that he doesn't snap and kill someone.

* BrokenAce: While Batman stands head and shoulders above the greater majority of heroes in the DCU, it's fairly obvious that in doing so he's not the most well-adjusted or emotionally mature individual, has great difficulty forming close relationships, and frequently experiences friction with people whom he is close to. This is also occasionally [[LampshadeHanging acknowledged]] by Bruce himself; in one instance, Nightwing laments over the belief that he can never match up to Bruce, who assures him that despite living a very similar life in the same line of work Dick hadn't allowed it to mess him up as much, having a much more positive personality and maintaining a good relationship with every fellow hero he knows, and as such was already better than him.
* BroughtDownToNormal: There are a number of stories where Batman is deprived of his fantastical gear and/or his money willingly or unwillingly, forcing him to be more thrifty or do things the old way.
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: He may be a shadow in the dark who breaks criminals and sows terror, but when it comes to the victims of criminals (especially the children), he won't hesitate to drop the tough act and be very gentle and kind to them. And that's not getting into the times when he lets down his guard amongst his friends and family.

* ByronicHero: He is incredibly charismatic, handsome, rich, and extremely competent. He also routinely acts outside of the law, creates weapons designed to incapacitate or kill his best friends should they go rogue, and is a ManChild who can't get over the trauma of his parents' death. He can also be rude and demanding of his own family and is completely fixated on his crusade, being willing to die for it despite the impact it would have on his loved ones.

** At the end of Catwoman's first story, he deliberately lets her escape, and jokes with Robin that it was purely because he thought she was hot. This even though she was implied to cold-bloodedly kill a security guard in the story[[note]]Which is itself itself a bit of characterization marching on, as Selina these days is not typically depicted as a killer[[/note]].

* ControlFreak: A very common complaint from fans about how Batman's character tends to be written, with his CrazyPrepared actions doing them no favors.

** He apparently spends most of his time devising contingency plans to use in the event that he has to fight a given individual, to the point that it's widely said that Batman can [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny beat anyone or anything "if he's prepared"]]. For example, he carries [[spoiler:a chunk of Kryptonite]] on his utility belt at all times, "just in case". He also prepares himself to an unhealthy extent, regularly injecting himself with antitoxins in the off chance a poison wielding villain might attack him, and training most of his day. There are some thing you just can't ever see coming, like [[TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}} zombie Abraham Lincoln]] [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny armed with an assault rifle]].
** Scott Snyder's Heavy Metal storyline reveals that he's built a cloning machnine and memory implanting machine to create replacements of himself in case he ever gets killed. He ends up using the memory implanting machine to regain his skills to fight Mr. Bloom.

* CruelToBeKind: His pessimism, along with being an anti-social, paranoid, brooding, and highly distrusting {{Jerkass}} often results in many of his allies slowly and eventually distancing themselves from him in many incarnations. However, the only reason he even keeps people at arm’s length is that he can’t bear the thought of seeing someone he cares about dying in front of him, especially if he’s directly, or indirectly, at fault for it. He does get called out on this method many times however.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Following the Silver Age, Batman became (and still is) one of the grittiest heroes you could find with an emphasis on fear and a brutal fighting style, most of what he does stemming from what he views as his failures and an insanely violent RoguesGallery. Despite this, [[DarkIsNotEvil his strong moral integrity remains one of the most consistent in comics.]]

* DoesntLikeGuns: Post [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]]. Missiles, lasers, and other things, particularly weapons systems mounted on his vehicles, seem to be fair game, as long as they don't resemble pistols. He'll also pick up a gun under extremely dire circumstances, [[spoiler:such as shooting Darkseid in order to save the universe]]. The reasons vary from writer to writer. Originally, the idea that Batman hates guns was linked to his parents' murder when he was a child. There are practical and legal reasons, too--self-awareness that he's a vigilante and the knowledge that in being so he has no business killing, while guns make it much too easy to kill and much too hard to be nonlethal. In his original Detective Comic appearances, he frequently used firearms and lethal force against villains. The creators only removed his use of firearms when they worried that it would make him resemble the Shadow too closely. Today, most depictions have Batman bending enough to arm his vehicles to either disable other vehicles or remove obstacles. It's amazing how strict some Batman adaptations are about this, even when you'd think they'd ditch it. In ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', Batman hospitalizes countless {{mooks}}, snaps the Joker's spine (paralyzing but not killing him), and has machine guns on his car. When he uses the guns, he internal monologues to the reader, "Rubber Bullets. Honest." In general though, Bruce usually only holds himself and the Batfamily to the rule, accepting that people without the training they have (such as the GCPD and Gordon) need them.

* FreudianExcuse: He battles crime because his parents were murdered by a criminal. In ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', Alfred recalls a moment in Bruce's childhood where he was read a story that involved a criminal, and he wouldn't sleep until he was reassured that the criminal was swiftly punished.

* HisOwnWorstEnemy: In several continuities, he genuinely believes that he doesn't deserve to be happy since the reason he and his parents were in Crime Alley in the first place was his desire to see a movie.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Even while rude, Batman usually makes a good point. For example, the "[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmericaTowerOfBabel Tower of Babel]]" arc has him pointing out that there needs to be contingencies if a superhero goes rogue (and considering brainwashing schemes happen pretty often, the others grudgingly agree with this). Too bad he didn't tell his teammates about these plans beforehand, nor apologize for what he indirectly caused.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: His typical portrayal. Even when written as a paranoid ControlFreak, Batman can show deep compassion; with many of his worst moments leaning towards CruelToBeKind.

** Batman is frequently depicted a paranoiac; with a grim attitude, ControlFreak tendencies, use of terror and excessive violence to solve problems. Some stories even imply that his vigilantism is just an excuse to vent out frustration. He also has a [[JadeColoredGlasses grim view of society]]- [[CrapsackWorld not that the DC universe is a utopia, especially Gotham City]]. However, other times, he is fundamentally an idealist that trusts allies [[ProperlyParanoid (if aware of significant dangers)]] and is overall noble in nature.

* PsychologicalProjection: Part of Bruce Wayne's drive to be Batman in the ''DC Rebirth'' continuity is that Bruce Wayne believes everyone who experiences what he did will become as grim, humorless, vengeful and mistrusting as he is. His vigilante streak is two fold, both to help prevent as many people from becoming like him and keeping as many people who already are out of harm's way by taking vengeance for them. In ''Whatever Happened To The Warrior Of Truth'' Wonder Woman tells Batman that everyone who witnessed the murder of their parents as a child does ''not'' dream about it every night without fail for the rest of their lives, but stops just short of telling him this reoccurence is unhealthy, [[ItMakesSenseInContext given she'll be forced to keep experiencing his trauma with him until he starts feeling better]].

* TechnicalPacifist: He's more than happy to beat villains within an inch of their life, but it takes a lot to get him to cross the line and outright ''kill'' someone.

** One popular depiction of Batman is that he no longer sees himself as Bruce Wayne, who, according to him, [[InnocenceLost died along with his parents]]. In ''Wonder Woman Annual'' #1, when he and Superman grab the Lasso of Truth, he claims his true name is Batman. Another quote comes from a new 52 issue where he says, "I'm Batman with or without Bruce Wayne." In recent years, Bruce is typically shown that Batman and the millionaire playboy persona are not actually the real man. The real Bruce is when he's with the people he's closest too like his family (Alfred, the Robins, Batgirls, Leslie Thompkins etc.) or close friends (Diana, Clark, etc.) who know who he really is and Bruce is with them in a private casual setting like the manor or at a dinner. The real Bruce only comes out when he doesn't have to put on either facade in an environment he's comfortable with. (Like Clark, Jon, Damian and himself going out to cut down a Christmas tree privately and getting ready for a Christmas celebration)

* TrueLoveIsBoring: One of the major reasons why Bruce will probably never settle down.

* UnclePennybags: At his friendliest, Bruce has had quite a few moments of this.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Matches attempted to protect his brother Carver's reputation after Carver killed himself by making it look like Carver was murdered, but did such a good job that he essentially ended up framing ''himself'' for his brother's death. Bruce's own impersonation of Matches led to the real Matches coming back to Gotham because of the resulting rumors of "Matches" rating out people, leading to Matches's murder by Scarface.

* DrivenToSuicide: Not Matches himself, but his brother, Carver, shot himself in the head over the guilt of the two accidentally killing a homeless man.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Matches attempted to protect his brother Carver's reputation after Carver killed himself by making it look like Carver was murdered, but did such a good job that he essentially ended up framing ''himself'' for his brother's death. Bruce's own impersonation o Matches led to the real Matches coming back to Gotham because of the rumors of "Matches" rating out people, leading to Matches's murder by Scarface.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Matches attempted to protect his brother Carver's reputation after Carver killed himself by making it look like Carver was murdered, but did such a good job that he essentially ended up framing ''himself'' for his brother's death.

* TheAce: Batman is feared and renowned throughout the DC Universe from both heroes and villains, with good reason, even earning the respect of beings as powerful as Superman and Darkseid. He's one of the DC Universe's top superheroes who uses his detective skills, scientific knowledge and martial arts to take on superhuman threats for justice.

* AlwaysSecondBest: Not precisely, but Batman isn't always number 1 at everything. Given how stories would be less interesting if it were the case, this can be excused.

** Dick Grayson states that Azrael is physically superior than every member of the Batfamily, including Batman himself. To note though, Azrael has been modified to become a non-metahuman.
** Batman admits that Ted Cord is a better inventor than himself, and Post Crisis, Batman was able to build "The Hellbat" mech that could fight Darkseid! With help from her assistant Adrianna Anderson in DC Rebirth, Veronica Cale was able to easily bypass Bruce Wayne's security and surveilliance devices.
** In pure combat instinct, Cassandra Cain has more potential than Batman, given her combined photographic memory and ability to read body movement. Similarly, modified warriors such as Deathstroke are stronger as well, if partly because they have no qualms killing foes. Making up for this is Batman's cunningness, determination, and field experience, which allow him to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Captain America, the Sensei, and Karate kid himself.

* NeverMyFault: Part of the [[SuperDickery Batdickery]] issue above.

* TheChessmaster: Genius level intellect and an utterly brilliant tactician, matching and sometimes exceeding the likes of the most intelligent characters like Lex Luthor. More often than not it's Batman that's calling the shots for the Justice League. The man is so brilliant he has superheroes following his orders and supervillains respecting and fearing him just for his genius, including demi-god powered beings like Superman, Darkseid, etc.

* ChickMagnet: Bruce Wayne personifies this trope. Over the years he's had at least 23 girlfriends and kissed at least 60 different women. His most prominent exes include Julie Madison, Vicki Vale, Selina Kyle (Catwoman), Talia Al Ghul, and Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy).
* ChosenConceptionPartner: Talia Al-Ghul is very keen on having children with Bruce. She was partially successful with Damian, although that didn't turn out as she wanted.

** He ''does'' have two rules: [[DoesntLikeGuns no guns]], [[ThouShaltNotKill no killing]]. Everything else is fair game.

* ControlFreak: A very common complaints is that Batman's CrazyPrepared nature also makes him have a desire to control people around him in either subtle or obvious ways, part of his relationship with Selina may be because of just how she refuses to give into him no matter what he says.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:''ComicBook/DCRebirth'', in the appropriately named "I am Suicide" story arc, reveals that young Bruce attempted to slit his wrists after his parents died. When that didn’t pan out, he dedicated himself to fight crime, using his suicide attempt to justify the end of Bruce Wayne and from that moment forward, Batman would be all there was to him.]]

* InformedKindness: If partly from his DependingOnTheWriter status, this happens a lot. Bruce is certainly not ''without'' his moments of care and empathy, but a lot of heroes (and writers) often tend to exaggerate his nobleness...despite how even at his campiest and goofiest, Batman tends to have quite a few moments of Jerkassery.

* InsufferableGenius: He's almost uniformly depicted as brilliant, but regularly shown as taciturn, short on social graces and prone to blunt speaking, if not downright rude. Even--sometimes especially--to his allies. Particularly when he's in the cowl.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Even while being rude, Batman usually makes a good point. For example, the "[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmericaTowerOfBabel Tower of Babel]]" arc has him pointing out that there needs to be failsafes if a Justice League member goes rogue (and considering brainwashing schemes happen pretty often, the League grudgingly agree with this). Too bad he didn't tell his teammates about these plans beforehand, nor apologized for what happened because of them.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: His typical portrayal. Even when written as a paranoid ControlFreak who struggles to open up, he does everything he does out of a deep compassion, his worst moments tend to be more CruelToBeKind, and - especially in the comics - he becomes very close with his loved ones(in his own way of course).

* ManChild: [[DownplayedTrope A rather subtle version, believe it or not]]. Never mind the fact that dressing up as a giant bat and swearing to exterminate crime seems like a rather childish thing to do, Bruce's emotional development was stunted the moment his parents died. Add to the fact that he seems to relate to young people (re: the Robins and Batgirls) better than he does adults and many stories also make note of the fact that while all criminals fear Batman, [[FriendToAllChildren children do not]]. This was {{Lampshaded}} in a Marvel/DC crossover with ComicBook/ThePunisher, where the Joker muses that Batman must have had a similar tragedy to that of Frank Castle, but Batman's tragedy must have happened when he was a child -- dressing up in a costume and nifty gadgets are more a child's ideas than Castle's skull motifs and machine guns. In Flashpoint, this is made more apparent. The Batman of that universe exists from essentially the same tragedy, but with [[spoiler:Bruce dying instead of his parents.]] Nonetheless, Batman is surprisingly extremely mature and down-to-earth [[BunnyEarsLawyer since, despite all these quirks and childilke qualities, he's incredibly competent]], [[HiddenHeartOfGold is compassionate to his allies]], treats his duties dead-seriously and with utmost responsibility (unlike his arch-nemesis [[PsychopathicManchild The Joker]]), [[ParentsAsPeople acts like a true father to his sidekicks as well as his son most of the time]] and is always [[TheStrategist making up the best plans he can think of in order to defeat]] his RoguesGallery.

** Bruce Wayne has often been compared to Literature/JamesBond, both in-universe and out (ironic, considering he predates Bond by a number of years), for being the man that guys want to be and that girls want to be with. He's frequently depicted as being the absolute peak male specimen, both physically and mentally. He's strong, athletic, intelligent, rich, he's one of the world's best fighters in every discipline, he has all the best cars and gadgets, he has a handsome face with a rugged Adonis physique, and he has a brooding, aloof demeanour as icing on the sexy cake. And, of course, he dresses up as a bat to fight crime. Can't get manlier than that. Even in his foppish civilian identity, Wayne is known throughout Gotham as the upper class's most eligible bachelor.

* MiseryBuildsCharacter: Batman envelopes the very heart of this trope.

* NeverMyFault: Will almost never admit to being wrong in an argument. It's partly why so many people have difficulty establishing any kind of relationship with him.

* ParentsAsPeople: While he loves his family, he isn't always the best at showing it. For reference, Bruce missed Damian's thirteenth birthday from working, leaving him alone with only Alfred as company. Combined with aloofness, Bruce can somewhat stimulate his children's angst and need for approval, recieving Alfred's chastisement on several occasions.

* SoProudOfYou: Despite how he is usually depicted, Bruce genuinely feels proud of every sidekick that worked with him. Even Jason, despite his former villany, was noted by Alfred to ''never'' have disappointed Bruce. Not once.
* SpiritedCompetitor: Is well-known for not backing down easily. Nonetheless, Batman will be proud of anyone who outdoes him as a hero, seeing it as another challenge to become better. Also, a number of writers tone down this aspect, with one issue showing Batman nonchalantly admitting that he would lose to Cassandra Cain in a fight.

* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Can struggle against scraggy thugs or be strong enough to casually lift heavy objects. Likewise, some writers depict Batman being one-shotted by individuals such as Bronze Tiger and Lady Shiva, while other times he can fight metahumans like Captain America, Aquaman, and somehow even Lobo.

* SugarAndIcePersonality: He can be extremely icy, to the point that he's among the least approachable member of the Justice League. He acts nicer to children and those in need though. Also, once you earn his trust, Batman will


like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Black Canary. He only completely shows his sweet side with his own family, but even then such moments are far and few in-between unless Alfred steps in to make Bruce act like a father for once.

* ThouShaltNotKill: '''The poster boy for this.''' Not only is he adamant about not killing his enemies, but he makes it known he despises killing of any kind when he's around. A very good way to piss him off is to end someone's life with him around, even if it was self-defense. Nearly every version has this, while others may not ''try'' to kill the villain, but also has no problems with their deaths. WhatMeasureIsANonHuman is in full effect.
** Other exceptions include anyone who is truly immortal, such as Solomon Grundy or Clayface. Lethal force is necessary against them, but they can come back from even the worst of blows. And when Batman does have to exchange blows with Darkseid, you can damn well bet that Batman is doing his absolute best to hurt the bastard, he's even willing to pick up a gun and [[BatmanGrabsAGun threaten him with it.]]

* VagueAge: For a while, when DC attempted to make Bruce younger. It's always been possible to vaguely guess at Bruce's age, especially post-''Crisis'', where he explicitly became Batman when he was 26-years-old, though from then on it becomes a bit difficult, but still possible to guess at a vague age (by the end of the post-''Crisis'' continuity, he was clearly in his 40s). However, post-''Flashpoint'', this has varied. He was made YoungerAndHipper but his age was never stated, only that he'd been Batman for 6 years at the start of the ''New 52'', but never when he ''started'' being Batman or how long he trained for. ''Rebirth'' allowed him to be older, with Damian Wayne being explicitly 13-years-old, and this would place him somewhere in his 30s or early 40s. Finally, once ''Year One'' was brought back into canon, his age became much more apparent -- Bruce is now clearly in his 40s ''at youngest'' and there's no attempt to paint him as young anymore.

* WhatTheHellHero: With [[spoiler:Damian's death]], his progressive SanitySlippage and the fact that he TookALevelInJerkass have led to this from each member of the family in "Batman and Robin" volume 2, starting with issue 19.
** Batman [[MadScientist experiments on]] FrankensteinsMonster in Victor Frankenstein's own castle to see what makes him tick so that he can learn a secret to resurrection. Tim is horrified, and Frankenstein also calls him out in a somewhat more calm fashion.
** Batman brings Jason to the place where he first died [[spoiler:in the hopes of jogging Jason's memory to remember how he was brought back to life]]. Needless to say, he's none too pleased with Bruce's idea.
** Barbara gets so fed up that she decides that if he ''needs'' [[spoiler:a Robin]], she'll take up the role as a ReplacementGoldfish, just to shut him up.
** In ''[[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC Rebirth's]]'' ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague'', ComicBook/LoisLane chews him out when she discovers that he was developing weapons designed to incapacitate or even kill the members of the Justice League and their associates should they go rogue. ''Then'' there's the fact that [[spoiler:a future version of ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} had broken into the Batcave and stolen these weapons to take down the Justice League one-by-one]]. It's bad enough that some of these weapons are targeted at [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} her husband]], but the fact that they were also targeted at her own [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} ten-year old son]] horrified her.
--->'''Lois:''' You're keeping things-- '''making''' things that can hurt, could ''kill'' Clark? Could ''kill'' [[KidHero Jon?]] Bruce, when whatever this is, is over, we're going to have a conversation. Right now, go and ''find my husband.''
* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: From his family fortune. An analysis on the history of said wonderful toys can be found [[http://www.comics101.com/comics101//?mode=project&action=view&project=Comics%20101&chapter=53 here.]]

** The staff at Arkham Asylum seem to have ''some'' understanding of Batman's issues and follow either written or well-known-but-unwritten-rules about how to deal with him. Some of these rules seem to be: 1) Only one person should speak to him, either the most senior staff member present or whomever he came to see. 2) Don't start a conversation or try to engage in small talk. 3) Batman has very defined boundaries that he does ''not'' like anyone invading, so keep more than an arm's length of distance. 4) Stay in front of him. He does not allow anyone to walk behind him. 5) If he tells you to do something, no matter what it is, ''do it immediately.'' Particularly if he tells you to leave the area or leave him alone with someone. 6) Batman has extensive knowledge of medical procedures, psychiatric principles, and pharmacology, so no need to explain in layman's terms. 7) If you are under duress from one of the patients, he'll know immediately. 8) Batman is regarded as staff, and personal and confidential information about the patients can be discussed with him.

* ObfuscatingStupidity: His guise as Bruce Wayne demands it. DependingOnTheWriter, Bruce Wayne is still a well-respected philanthropist and (occasionally) scientist. It's just he's also an international playboy.

* OneTrueLove: There are only two women that Batman has ever truly loved, according to ''Gotham City Sirens'': Catwoman and Talia al Ghul. [[spoiler:With Batman's AnguishedDeclarationOfLove (see above), it becomes clear that the love of his life is Catwoman -- but since TrueLoveIsBoring, a lasting and stable relationship just isn't possible]].

* PapaWolf: Don't hurt his sidekicks or his actual, biological son. [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown He'll make you pay for it]].
* PacifismBackfire: This is one of his biggest problems. His ThouShallNotKill attitude and stubborn refusal to kill major criminals, especially the Joker, end up indirectly causing more casualties and/or injuries in the long run. [[DependingOnTheWriter Exactly how big said problem is depends on the writer, though]].

** Batman is frequently accused of being a paranoiac; how much this is true is a case of DependingOnTheWriter, but he certainly demonstrated many paranoid traits, including a grim attitude, ControlFreak tendencies, and a habit of resorting to violence to solve his problems, with some stories going so far as to imply that being the Batman is simply an excuse for Bruce to take revenge for the murder of his parents by beating the crap out of criminals every night. He also has a [[JadeColoredGlasses grim and bleak view of the society he lives in]]- mostly because that society is [[CrapsackWorld Gotham City]], and his explicit reason for choosing a Bat as his gimmick is to scare the hell out of his enemies. However, most stories portray him as fundamentally an idealist, who actually does trust his allies (just brutally aware that he lives in a world where MindControl, DemonicPossession, and exposed secret identities are all very real dangers) and who is actually an extremely humble man who has decided to sacrifice his life to the cause of saving others from the evil that took his family away from him. Nevertheless, considering the WretchedHive that is Gotham, this is [[ProperlyParanoid certainly]] [[JustifiedTrope justified]].
** The staff at Arkham Asylum (which is a place where either Batman fits in seamlessly, or is the absolute worst place he should be, depending on the writer) seem to have ''some'' understanding of Batman's issues and follow either written or well-known-but-unwritten-rules about how to deal with him when he shows up. And he shows up pretty damn often, either because he needs to talk to one of the patients or because he's responding to an incident. Some of these rules seem to be: 1) Only one person should speak to him, either the most senior staff member present or whomever he came to see. 2) Do not attempt to start a conversation with him or try to engage in small talk. 3) Keep your distance. More than an arm's length is absolutely essential. Batman has very defined boundaries that he does ''not'' like anyone invading. 4) Stay in front of him. He keeps his back to a wall at all times. When walking, he does not allow anyone to walk behind him. 5) If he tells you to do something, no matter what it is, ''do it immediately.'' This is particularly true if he tells you to leave the area or leave him alone with someone. 6) Batman has extensive knowledge of medical procedures, psychiatric principles, and pharmacology. Things do not need to be expressed or explained in layman's terms. 7) If you are under duress from one of the patients, he'll know immediately. 8) Batman is regarded as staff, and personal and confidential information about the patients can be discussed with him.

* ParentsAsPeople: While he clearly loves his kids, he isn't always the best at showing it due to his crusade against crime, resulting in his aloof and sometimes militaristic relationship to Dick, Jason, Tim, Cassandra, and Damian. For reference, he couldn't make enough time in the day to be there for Damian's thirteenth birthday, leaving him alone with only Alfred as company. This is particularly pronounced with Damian, whose abrasiveness and arrogance can at least be partially attributed to his desire to be loved and considered special, which Bruce still has trouble showing him at times. Alfred chastises Bruce for this frequently, saying that Bruce needs to be the emotional pillar that the family needs him to be.
* ParentalFavouritism: He tries to hide it, but it's no secret that Dick Grayson is his favourite Robin. He's the only one Bruce treats like an equal, the one Bruce trusts the most, and the one he's proudest of. Heck, in ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', when the Golden Age Superman asks Bruce to help him recreate his own Earth, Bruce's one and only question? Is Dick a better person on that Earth? Even Brother Eye knows that Dick is Bruce's favorite ''and Bruce programmed Brother Eye!''
* ParentalSubstitute:
** You may be sensing a theme here. Bruce is this to primarily all of the Robins and Batgirls. Bruce is a substitute father to all of the Robins and has adopted them all: Dick, Tim and Jason with the exception of Damian, because Damian is Bruce's biological son. He has also been a substitute parent/father to all of the Batgirls including Stephanie Brown, Helena Bertinelli and Cassandra Cain, whom he has adopted.
** Also, Alfred and Leslie Thompkins are both parental substitutes for him. In his biggest moments of honesty, Bruce has explicitly said that Alfred and Leslie, more than anyone, are the ones who've kept him from going over the edge.
* PimpedOutCape: In some continuities where his cape has some gadgets built in. Virtually all of the most recent iterations of the cape are bullet-resistant, fireproof, and double as makeshift hang gliders to silently descend on villains from above while generating the intimidating silhouette of a giant bat.
* PlotArmor: Batman tends to find himself in a situation where his skills can be considered negligible due to being surrounded by many a PhysicalGod who outdo him in basically every category, and are no particular slouches in the brains department, as many DC Heroes are a GeniusBruiser, when it comes to Justice League that he's a part of. So that would leave Batman as TheSmartGuy that would provide support to other heroes right? Wrong. Batman often is given the spotlight in situations where he shouldn't, which involves making him tougher than he has any right to be so he isn't swatted like a fly, or subsequently makes everyone else around him dumber so that he can be the one to show his intellect. Case in point, in most crossovers, a member of the Justice League would struggle to keep up with Batman's foes, but Batman very rarely struggles to keep up with foes that are out of his League.

* SexGod: Has been described as this by a couple of his lovers. Selina admits he's great in bed, Talia has described him as "magnificent" and Silver St. Cloud claimed he have her ''eleven'' orgasms on their first night together.

* SociallyAwkwardHero: Social skills isn't one of his strong points. He doesn't seem to know how to behave like an IdleRich man as Bruce Wayne.
* SoProudOfYou: While Bruce may not openly state this to his sidekicks, but despite the militeristic attitude and aloof personality to the Batgirls and Robins, he is legitimately proud of them and all that they do. Even Jason, who opposed him and defied Bruce's moral code in an attempt to get him to do the same, is noted by Alfred to ''never'' have disappointed Bruce. Not once.
* SpiritedCompetitor: While Bruce always attempts to be the very best he can possibly be, it does ''not'' mean he's deluded himself to think that he's the best at everything ever. Granted, his pride seems to dictate that he knows what's right, but if a hero (or the occasional AntiVillain) legitimately outperform him, he's never mad, but is impressed with the feat, and seeks to improve that area as well. Case in point, when he questioned about his chances of beating Cassandra Cain, he outright says she'll win, without a hint of annoyance. Her martial skill rising above his own doesn't make him any less protective of her.

* StarCrossedLovers: Bruce just can't seem to hold a stable relationship with any of his {{love interest}}s and whenever he attempts to get married as seen in ''Batman'' #85. The most obvious answer is that crime-fighting comes first. Sometimes it's just complications of his penchant for [[DatingCatwoman dating villainess]] like Selina and Talia, but even his relationship with civilian {{love interest}}s don't last usually because TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife.
* StealthExpert: Frequently sneaks up and vanishes on Superman, despite the latter's extremely refined SuperSenses.

* SugarAndIcePersonality: He's extremely icy towards almost everyone and while doing business, to the point that he's possibly the least approachable member of the Justice League. He shows more of his sweet side to those closer to him, like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Black Canary. He only completely shows his sweet side with his own family, but even then such moments are far and few in-between unless Alfred steps in to make Bruce act like a father for once.