Comparing the Batman.

Contents 1 Comics 1.1 Golden Age 1.1.1 Personality 1.1.2 Batman 1.1.3 Mentor 1.2 Silver Age 1.2.1 Personality 1.2.2 Batman 1.2.3 Mentor 1.3 Modern Age 1.3.1 Personality 1.3.2 Batman 1.3.3 Mentor 1.4 New 52 1.4.1 Personality 1.4.2 Batman 1.4.3 Mentor 2 Martinsonverse 2.1 Personality 2.2 Batman 2.3 Mentor 3 Super Friends 3.1 Personality 3.2 Batman 3.3 Mentor 4 Burtonverse 4.1 Personality 4.2 Batman 4.3 Mentor 5 DC Animated Universe 5.1 Personality 5.2 Batman 5.3 Mentor 6 Smallville 6.1 Personality 6.2 Batman 6.3 Mentor 7 Birds of Prey 7.1 Personality 7.2 Batman 7.3 Mentor 8 The Batman 8.1 Personality 8.2 Batman 8.3 Mentor 9 Nolanverse 9.1 Personality 9.2 Batman 9.3 Mentor 10 Justice League: The New Frontier 10.1 Personality 10.2 Batman 10.3 Mentor 11 Arkhamverse 11.1 Personality 11.2 Batman 11.3 Mentor 12 Superman/Batman 12.1 Personality 12.2 Batman 12.3 Mentor 13 Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths 13.1 Personality 13.2 Batman 13.3 Mentor 14 Under the Red Hood 14.1 Personality 14.2 Batman 14.3 Mentor 15 Young Justice 15.1 Personality 15.2 Batman 15.3 Mentor 16 Batman: Year One 16.1 Personality 16.2 Batman 16.3 Mentor 17 Justice League: Doom 17.1 Personality 17.2 Batman 17.3 Mentor 18 My personal favorite 18.1 Personality 18.1.1 Main Choices 18.1.1.1 Winner 18.2 Batman 18.2.1 Main Choices 18.2.1.1 Winner 18.3 Mentor 18.3.1 Main Choices 18.3.1.1 Winner 18.4 Winner

Comics

Golden Age

Personality

Bruce Wayne is much more of a calm person without any playboy activity, even becoming a police commissioner. His motivations for being Batman are the same however.

Batman

Bruce makes a much more violent Batman, even using a gun in his earlier appearances and killing. He does however lighten up when he takes Robin as his sidekick and also his daughter with Catwoman, Huntress. He eventually retires the role.

Mentor

Bruce makes a decent mentor, but the relationship is heavily improved upon in later versions.

Silver Age

Personality

Bruce Wayne is a more light-hearted version of the Golden Age Batman. He also hangs out with Robin a lot more and is perfectly accepting of him becoming Nightwing. He is also far more intelligent and like a Detective.

Batman

Batman is much more light-hearted than the preceding Golden Age Batman and the proceeding Modern Age Batman.

Mentor

Bruce makes a decent mentor like before, and he's perfectly willing to let Dick Grayson become Nightwing. And he's also taken Jason Todd as the second Robin before the Infinite Crisis. He also gets help from Batgirl.

Modern Age

Personality

Batman is very dark and brooding, though he does have friends, like Superman and Wonder Woman. He also disapproves of Robin's membership with the Titans, firing him as the Boy Wonder when he refuses to quit and only making up a short while after the death of Jason Todd. His friendship with Superman also grows.

Batman

Batman is very aggressive but never kills and works his hardest to make Gotham safe for people. After his supposed death, Bruce returns due to help from Superman, and afterwords starts a worldwide team of Batmen called Batman Incorporated.

Mentor

Batman is stern but caring, firing Dick from Robin when he refuses to leave the Teen Titans, making him Nightwing. He also blames himself for Jason Todd's death and only takes Tim on as Robin after he proves himself and realizes that Batman needs Robin. He also gets help from Batgirl and several other successors.

New 52

Personality

Batman's the same as the Modern Age.

Batman

Batman remains the only Batman in this series.

Mentor

Batman remains with the previous list of proteges, as well as his son Damian, in the Modern Age partnered with Dick Grayson.

Martinsonverse

Personality

Batman is given a campy caricature of himself as well as all other characters. The only time his tragic backstory is mentioned is during the series pilot. His genius is played down as everyone else has been made stupid.

Batman

Batman is a very kid friendly Batman, acting more like an absurdly dressed Sherlock Holmes or James Bond. He's also much more willing to work with Robin and Batgirl, and in most cases has to save them.

Mentor

Batman is a caring mentor, for example, never letting Robin drive the Batmobile as he's under age and having Alfred do it while he can't. He also respects the fact that Batgirl has a secret identity when she arrives and treats her just as well as he does Robin.

Super Friends

Personality

This Batman is a more serious version of his Martinsonverse self. He's also much more friendly, as not only does he willingly work with Robin and Batgirl, but even with Scooby-Doo and the gang as well as several other super heroes to make the Super Friends.

Batman

Batman is still a kid friendly Batman, but his intelligence is returned to what people are used to, solving many of the super villains schemes with his mind and working with the Super Friends to defeat villains like the Legion of Doom.

Mentor

Batman usually works with Robin and the two seem to operate as equals.

Burtonverse

Personality

Batman's character is changed every time his actor does. In the first two films, he's brooding and barely does a thing except date the love interest of the film until the Bat-Symbol comes on. In the third film, Bruce's emotional pain of losing his parents is brought to the forefront. However, in Batman & Robin, the character is just barley more serious than in the original series, but he does refer to Dick as a partner and a brother.

Batman

Like the personality, Batman is changed also. While still serious and threatening, this Batman also kills like the Golden Age, though only every now and then in situations that could be interpreted differently. In Batman & Robin, he's much more like the Super Friends Batman, cracking jokes.

Mentor

In Batman Forever, Bruce is realistically reluctant to let Batman become Robin until the third act when Batman manages to get over the pain of causing his parents' death. In Batman & Robin, he does have Robin make various drills to learn from his mistakes and confesses that he needs Robin's help. He's also reluctant to let Batgirl join until Robin points out that he never wins this fight.

DC Animated Universe

Personality

Batman's character is grim but overall hopeful. He takes in Dick Grayson and lets him become Robin and is willing to thank Zatanna for help when Wonder Woman is turned into a pig. He can get extremely threatening and obsessed with a case. As a loner, he only becomes a part-time member of the Justice League. Even in old age, he is very grim and barely lightens up, even around his successor, Terry, though he does care for him.

Batman

Batman is very obsessed with a case, though he is willing to work with people like Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, or the Justice League if the situations demand it. He's also willing to help people as well, trying to reach out to villains like Clayface and Two-Face, especially after they were first created. He also of course hates guns, quitting being Batman when he threatens a punk with a gun in his 50s.

Mentor

Batman is still a caring mentor but keeps it to himself, nearly killing the Joker when he makes Tim Drake into a cruel caricature of himself. He is hurt when Dick leaves, and he blames himself for the incident with Tim. When Terry becomes Batman, he primarily becomes a mentor, and he treats Terry like Dick or Tim at first until Terry proves his worth as the Batman.

Smallville

Personality

This Bruce Wayne is very similar to his DCAU and Nolanverse counterpart in not killing but keeping his existence a secret. He also has a sense of humor like The Batman as shown during his talks with Barbara Gordon and Clark Kent.

Batman

As Batman, Bruce is very aggressive and seldom works with others, having only recently taken in Nightwing and just having started working with heroes like Superman and Martian Manhunter. As such, he is very suspicious of them at first but eventually makes friends with them, connecting to Clark through their shared family experiences and the fact that they have saved each other's lives during a hunt for Joe Chill.

Mentor

Batman seems relatively new to mentoring, though he is still very good at it. Also, his relationship with Barbara is more like that of a brother and sister as shown through their conversations.

Birds of Prey

Personality

As Batman hasn't officially appeared, his personality is hard to discern, though he does care about Barbara and Selina since Joker's shooting of Barbara, and the death of Selina has caused Batman to leave.

Batman

Batman is a strong opponent, able to ultimately defeat Joker in their final confrontation and to fight evenly with Catwoman.

Mentor

While it's known that Robin and Batgirl have existed, it's unclear what kind of mentor he was, though Barbara and Alfred speak highly of him.

The Batman

Personality

While still serious, this Bruce can smile and take and give a joke every now and then, seeming like a meeting between the Super Friends Batman and the DCAU Batman. As he grows, he does get a bit hardened, mainly by 2027, but he can still quip with Nightwing before the fight, showing that they're still good friends.

Batman

As Batman, he utilizes his technology, whits, and intelligence to deal with enemies, taking Batgirl and Robin under his wing to help them fight crime, and with Robin, deal with the loss of family. He also joins the Justice League and helps them with various missions, while still making defenses in case any of them go bad, especially after Lex temporarily takes control of Superman.

Mentor

Batman is a good mentor, having Batgirl and Robin go through training and even being able to take a give jokes with them. He's also much more comfortable with working with teams. He also listens to the two when they have something to say.

Nolanverse

Personality

This is one of the darker interpretations of Batman. Anger and vengeance drive him throughout the first few stages of his journey until he calms himself down and focuses on justice and saving Gotham from the corrupt. Once Rachel dies, he ends up in a funk that isn't lifted until the arrival of Bane. He finally moves on once he saves Gotham and covertly moves to Italy with Selina and begins a relationship with her.

Batman

Batman is incredibly stealthy and ninja-like with incredibly technology provided by Lucius Fox. He seems to lose himself in Batman as after the Dent Act and Bruce retires, he becomes secluded and doesn't even leave the Mansion. Upon becoming Batman, mainly after he escapes the Pit, he mentally becomes Batman again and gives a few quick lessons to John Blake before giving up the Batman persona after stopping Bane and Talia, and giving the Batcave to John Blake, who's legal first name is Robin.

Mentor

As a mentor, Batman only uses this in The Dark Knight Rises where he gives advice on righting wrongs during his last appearances and subtly making John Blake ready to become the next defender of Gotham.

Justice League: The New Frontier

Personality

Batman is grim, serious, and always thinking. However, to better help children in distress, Bruce alters his costume to make it less frightening for children as he explains to Superman, as well as taking in Dick Grayson, Robin.

Batman

Batman is stealthy and easily prepared in case Superman or Martian Manhunter go rogue. He's also an expert pilot as shown during the attack on the USA.

Mentor

Batman is a fatherly mentor, not letting Robin help with investigations until he finishes his homework.

Arkhamverse

Personality

Batman is factual, detail oriented, strategic, and incredibly strong. During his stays at Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, Batman never gives into the madness around him and continues on. However, when Joker dies, he is obviously shaken, becoming more aggressive. Even possibly blaming himself for Joker's death.

Batman

As Batman, Bruce is well trained in detective work and martial arts, able to take down even huge behemoths created by the Titan Formula. He also works mainly alone in this universe only relying on help from the likes of Catwoman and Robin when absolutely necessary. He can also easily find ways around hostage situations without much effort.

Mentor

Batman has been known to mentor Oracle when she was still Batgirl and also Robin. Batman is confident enough in Robin's training that he leaves Gotham in Robin's care while he deals with Arkham City and gets saved by him. He also cares deeply for his allies, shown when Robin seems to have died and mourning him until Robin arrives, completely fine.

Superman/Batman

Personality

Batman is as grim as usual but much more friendly with Superman. He's also quick acting, disabling Bane's Venom rubes in a second and risking his life to pilot a ship to stop a Kryptonite Meteor. He is distrustful of Kara however since, even unknowingly, she could be a spy on Superman. He does learn to trust her by the end, however.

Batman

Batman is stealthy and quick as shown when he and Superman alone overpower not just numerous supervillains but even members of the Justice League. He's also more comfortable working at night than in the daylight, but makes exceptions when working with Superman.

Mentor

Not much is known from the Superman/Batman films how Batman acts as a mentor.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

Personality

Batman is more optimistic when compared to Owlman, and is also more interested in protecting his own Earth.

Batman

As Batman, Bruce is offensive and even able to over power Owlman, at least for a moment or two and finally defeat him.

Mentor

Not much is seen of Batman as a mentor.

Under the Red Hood

Personality

Batman is very dark, leaving Joker in a body cast for six months after the death of Jason Todd. He also blames himself for Jason's death. However, he refuses to kill Joker, much to Jason's anger. He is also a quick thinker, able to stop Jason from shooting a gun almost an instant before it fires.

Batman

Batman is always thinking and acts quickly. He also utilizes detective work and rough interrogation to find out how Jason returned and also fights his way through various forces easily. He can also be diplomatic, asking Jason to let him help after realizing who the Red Hood was.

Mentor

Batman's mentoring is shown especially. While acting more like an adviser while dealing with Nightwing, he had to be harder with Jason due to his aggressive nature and blaming himself for Jason's death when Joker kills him, with that still being a sore spot even after five years.

Young Justice

Personality

While still gruff and grim, Batman is more willing to work with others and less hard on younger heroes. He chews the team out for a disastrous mission, but he also compliments them when they do well. He also leads the Justice League and encourages the Young Justice Team to help them out with missions.

Batman

Batman is highly intelligent and strong. He also works well with Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin. He also leads the Justice League, elected by the League itself. He also encourages Superman to try and accept Superboy.

Mentor

Batman makes a good mentor, making a point to take time out of his day to hang out with Dick and treating him like a partner as Robin and as an equal once Robin becomes Nightwing. He also works well with Batgirl and Robin, though those relationships have yet to be fully established.

Batman: Year One

Personality

This Bruce is intelligent and fit, but he's not as much as he will be later. He also is less experienced than most interpretations.

Batman

As Batman, he's fit, but he's more beleagued than before, though he's able to avoid the police and various others.

Mentor

As Batman's just starting out, he has yet to be a mentor to anybody.

Justice League: Doom

Personality

This Bruce Wayne is incredibly strategic, having plans in case any member of the Justice League go rogue. He's also at least a little humble since the precaution if he goes rogue is the Justice League. He's also willing to do what Alfred says, mostly because Alfred almost never gives him an alternative.

Batman

As Batman, he's incredibly strong, even able to coordinate the League's attacks on the Legion of Doom. He also fights the Royal Flush Gang, only getting one card stuck in his outfit afterwords. He also resigns from the League rather than hear their vote.

Mentor

It's hard to tell how Batman acts as a mentor as neither Robin or Batgirl appear in the film.

My personal favorite

Now it's time for me to say which version I prefer.

Personality

This category is which Bruce just seems like the better character over-all based on what I can gleam from their personalities.

Main Choices

• Modern Age
• DC Animated Universe
• The Batman
• Nolanverse
• Arkhamverse
• Under the Red Hood
• Young Justice

Winner

I'll go with the Arkhamverse one as, playing as Batman, helps us see through his eyes, and this Bruce's psyche is amazing.

Batman

This category shows which Batman is the best.

Main Choices

• Modern Age
• New 52
• DC Animated Universe
• The Batman
• Nolanverse
• Arkhamverse
• Under the Red Hood
• Young Justice

Winner

Again, I'll go with Arkhamverse since he's so incredible and personifies every aspect of being Batman.

Mentor

This category shows which Batman makes the best mentor.

Main Choices

• Modern Age
• DC Animated Universe
• The Batman
• Arkhamverse
• Under the Red Hood
• Young Justice

Winner

The Young Justice Bruce is the winner. He just seems to care and support Dick, Tim, and Barbara the most.

Winner

And the winner is the Arkhamverse Batman. He has the right personality and makes the best Batman.

And that's my preference. Feel free to say what yours is.