# How realistic is Batman's physical prowess?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-is-batmans-physical-prowess/592201>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 10, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-is-batmans-physical-prowess/592201 "2011-08-10T15:18:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-is-batmans-physical-prowess/592201/61 "2011-08-13T03:34:03Z")

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> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#):
>
> Arguing both sides, as always..
> 
> How is Batman any more unrealistic than Superman?

Eh, whatever dude.

I can suspend disbelief with Superman because I first buy into the fact that he’s an alien. As such, he can do whatever he likes. Batman not so much. Even with Sherlock Holmes I tended to lose interest when his feats bordered on the super human.

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**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-is-batmans-physical-prowess/592201/62 "2011-08-13T04:43:03Z")

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I doubt Batman could win the Tour de France. He has too much upper body mass to be a good mountain climber, throwing off his power to weight ratio. He could probably win a sprint though. Superman could likely win. Even without steroids.

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**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-is-batmans-physical-prowess/592201/63 "2011-08-13T05:59:33Z")

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> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#):
>
> Silly as the Silver (and even Bronze) Ages often were, I liked it better when Batman had more human limitations. He didn’t design or build the Batmobile himself; he hired it done. He was sometimes intimidated by his fellow JLAers–not just the demigods like Clark, Diana, and Barry, but by Ray Palmer’s scientific genius.
> 
> All comic books are unbelievable, of course. But I’d say the Uber-Bat is bad storytelling. He’s as invincible as Silver-Age Superman, and even more inconsistent.

Meh, it’s the fans’ own fault. The comic books with a massive badass owning everyone’s ass sell well (might even say Image got its start based on that). Look at Wolverine at Marvel, frankly he was more interesting when he was the outcast of the X-Men and sometimes revealed himself as an ace-in-the-hole. Having boosted all his powers, and made him a sexy beast, the character is Marvel’s own Mary Sue.

The fans are more to blame on this than even the writers or the comic book publishers.

> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#):
>
> I doubt Batman could win the Tour de France. He has too much upper body mass to be a good mountain climber, throwing off his power to weight ratio. He could probably win a sprint though. Superman could likely win. Even without steroids.

Batman’s got batarangs. The other riders do not. That’ll teach them to come…prepared.

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