The following blog post finished 2nd in our recent contest for a free autographed copy of our Heroes book. Each week we have been posting a hero profile from the top 5. Next week we will post the winning entry. Congratulations to all five of these excellent submissions. — Scott Allison and George Goethals
By Mila Buckner
Batman is one of the world's most famous and beloved superheroes, and he is also one of the most unusual. Appearing in comics, television, and major motion pictures, Batman hides behind the identity of Bruce Wayne, a playboy billionaire and industrial tycoon. As a child, Wayne witnessed the murder of both his parents and vowed to avenge their deaths by fighting crime. Undergoing a quest for both physical and mental excellence, Wayne transformed himself into the dark hooded and caped Batman. Batman's transformation into a hero is as unique as it is purely self-motivated.
Unlike Spiderman, who was bitten by a radioactive spider, or Superman who was secretly an alien from another planet, Batman is a regular human being whose personal drive and rigorous mental and physical conditioning allow him to achieve superhero power. Batman's foremost qualities include wealth, physical strength, intelligence, and obsessive passion for justice. Void of fantasy circumstances or characteristics, Batman is a hero worthy of our admiration, inspiration, and identification; he is a man at his greatest. As quoted in the 2005 film Batman Begins, "If you make yourself more then just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become something else entirely."
In addition to his exceptional strength and intelligence, Batman is a superhero because of his unwavering moral compass. Batman lives in the fictional American town of Gotham city, a metropolis plagued by crime, greed, and corruption. Within Gotham, Batman fights crime by combating menacing criminals such as the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, and the Penguin. More importantly, however, Batman fights crime by standing as a symbol of hope for ordinary citizens 
who need not show fear in the face of danger. As noted by Joseph Campbell in his classic book A Hero with a Thousand Faces, individuals who refuse their call to adventure or heroism do so out of fear. As an ordinary man who chooses to step up and fight crime, Batman overcomes this fear at an individual level, and his example encourages other members of society to do the same. As a superhero, Batman continues to be as unique as he is a very mysterious figure.
Often referred to as a masked vigilantly, Batman is frightening and intimidating in the manner befitting a villain. Batman is accused of being a criminal himself by the citizens of Gotham because he is not afraid to break the law in minor ways to achieve a higher goal. As depicted in the film The Dark Knight, Batman also allows himself to be hated by the society he serves. Foregoing all self-aggrandizement, Batman does not look for the love and admiration given most super heroes. Instead he claims that by not being a hero he can be something more. Living like an outcast, Batman is the €˜Watchful Protector', a benevolent godlike force looking out for society.
Unconcerned with glory or recognition, Batman is purely motivated to bestow a boon on his fellow man. Batman believes society is capable of justice and this motivates him to fight crime. When Gotham is overrun with corruption and greed, Batman still sees the potential for good in people and refuses to let society consume itself. Ideally, society sees the good in the hero, but with Batman, he sees the good in society. Batman symbolizes a hero's most important role: the ability to believe in others when they have stopped believing in themselves, and the faith to inspire them for change.
Below is the trailer for the last Batman movie The Dark Knight (2008):
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/xxKJgOZXEho" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
This was a nice summary of The Batman’s unique nature. He is indeed a self-made man (though that aspect is a bit diluted in the movies). His physical strength, his detective skills and his incredible variety of crime-fighting tools, from the Batcave to the Batarang, are all derived from his indomitable will. As has been said, give The Batman enough time to prepare and he can defeat anybody. 8)
Batman is a different hereo. When someone says a super hero you immediatly think super powers, which Batman has none. Batman has bravery and courage, and uses that to his advantage. He has the strength of any other man, and yet he does in human things. He protects everyone from evil and never gives into his pain.
I think Batman could be the most righteous hero in comic books. Unlike almost every other superhero, Batman is a normal human being. He fights crime because he believes it should be fought, not because he has an advantage over villains. Batman looks to make Gotham City a safer place, and people still want him arrested. Batman’s courage and selflessness make him my personal favorite “super”hero
I think the point that Batman becomes a hero by personal drive is very important. He is not like spiderman or superman, who have unuasual abilities. He is a human being fighting with crime through his own effort. For the reader, it’s the kind of hero that more close to life and easier to acheive. That’s also the reason why people love him more.
I really like the fact that batman is just an ordinary man who has pushed himself to do extraordinary things. He is so well-loved because of this. People can relate to him, and maybe, just maybe, aspire to be like him, even though a reality check would still reveal that it’s not like. It’s still much more likely than being bitten by a radioactive spider and developing spider-like skills.
Batman is one of those superheroes that growing up everyone loves. He is a ordinary man that has the physical and moral courage to do whatever it takes to help others. In my opinion Batman is different from every other superhero because he doesnt contain the superpowers that everyone else has. Yes he has gadgets but doesnt have flying abilities or super human strength he only has what God blessed him with.
The reason Batman stands out so broadly as mine and many others favorite hero is mainly that he is an ordinary man without any supernatural powers or abilities. But the piece that really sets him above all others is his self sacrifice in saving his society by turning himself into a symbol that will eventually overcome any amount of greed or corruption.
Let the super man win the next
As a child, Bruce Wayne is a deep fear and trauma of seeing his parents, Dr.. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, was murdered by robbers in front of his eyes. This is what made him promise to eradicate all crime in the city of Gotham as Batman figure.
Just seen this movie. Great ending to the trilogy