It’s not that I’m against the Man of Steel. My son even has a toy of him. Well, he calls him “Robin” because every now and then Batman lets him tagalong on a case. But, at the end of the day, he’s an alien not a human.

Now, before you get defensive about why ____(insert your favorite character)____ is better, let me be clear. Whether DC or Marvel, I love all superheroes. Their origin stories, concepts, villains – every one of them are fun and creative. When it comes to my favorite, though, the Dark Knight has no peers. Here’s why:

1. He is a real person. There was no accident in a lab or spider bite or foreign planet that gave him superpowers. He didn’t even earn his fortune by being brilliant. Bruce Wayne was a kid who experienced a tragedy that turned into a passion for justice. He just leveraged the resources around him to channel it into Batman.
2. Those villains. Think about it- The Joker, Riddler, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, Penguin, Catwoman…they’re all so iconic.
   

   Batman: The Animated Series

3. He is a detective. It’s not about flying around buildings and punching weird outer-space warlords. Yes, Batman wants to protect Gotham from the next evil scoundrel, but it’s through smart detective work. I think it makes for a better story.

There are probably deeper (maybe even spiritual) reasons why I’m drawn to Batman more than the others. I’d like to chase down that rabbit trail one day. Until then, I’ll stick with watching the cartoons on Saturday mornings with my kids.