It goes without saying that Batman is one of the most popular characters from DC Comics. That being said, Batman’s personality may have a few flaws here and there. Digging a little deeper may make these character traits more clear.
One thing that is hard to argue against Batman’s personality is his insecurity compared to Superman. In essence, he is jealous. He has expressed that if he had Superman’s powers, he would make much better use of them. Since Batman is a perfectionist, he prevents anything from slipping through the cracks. Since he can’t be everywhere at once he makes up for it using technology. However if his genius mind were to be combined with Superman’s physical abilities there would be no stopping him.
Batman has the kind of personality where he won’t give up and won’t settle for mistakes. This could be attributed to witnessing his parents being murdered. Such a deep flaw in the justice system of Gotham is the rampant crime that escalates but never ends. To give up on crime would mean to give up on his parents. As Batman pointed out in The Dark Knight Returns, guns are loud and clumsy. He despises the weapon used to gun down his parents in front of his very eyes. The symbolism of a gun and its association with murder and crime is enough to convince him that it is a archaic tool never to be used, or at least according to Batman’s personality.
He has what is called “Alpha Male Syndrome”. Alpha males (in humans) are so scared of failure that they overcompensate in everything. By staying stern and not flexible, they destroy relationships and trust with other people. To trust someone would mean to allow a situation that he cannot control. Beside being insecure as previously mentioned, a major Batman character trait and Achilles’ heel is that he pushes himself too much. This can be seen the most during the Knightfall saga. Batman had worn himself out so much that he was no match against the character Bane. It was no surprise when Bane picked him up and snapped his back like a Slim Jim.
Does Batman’s personality have any positive traits? Of course. Batman, surprisingly, has a big heart and his compassion is both his strength and his weakness. When Robin gets injured (or killed) he takes it personally. When Robin (Dick Grayson) was shot by the Joker, Batman blamed himself for leading a child into a dangerous situation. At one point he revealed to Black Canary that he had a secret love.
If you are interested in Batman’s personality and character, you should check out Batman Hush. Leave a comment below with your thoughts.