Batman isn’t just one of the most popular heroes of all time; he’s also one of the greatest. Given he has everything from a cool costume and awesome gadgets to being an incredible martial artist, it’s not a surprise he’s developed fans across the globe. However, while he’s certainly one of the greatest heroes of all time, he’s not the very best.
Even within DC Comics, there’s still a small handful of heroes who can say they’re better than Batman. These are heroes with experience on the job as both solo heroes and leaders, while also not allowing the darkness of the job to consume them. While they might not be as popular, they absolutely deserve the respect of DC fans everywhere.
Wally West Managed To Develop A Family Without Constantly Pushing Them Away
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Originally Kid Flash, Wally West is one of the most tenured superheroes in the game. He trained under his mentor Barry Allen, but when Barry fell in battle during the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wally stepped up and took his place.
While Wally originally didn’t have near the speed of his uncle, in the years since then, he’s mastered the Speed Force like no one else and become the fastest speedster in the DC Universe.
However, it’s not Wally’s speed that places him above the Dark Knight. It’s that Wally has managed to build a family around him as a hero, and hasn’t pushed his wife and children away. Instead, it’s the love he has for his family that’s served as a lightning rod, allowing him to come back home no matter how dangerous his adventures are.
Cassandra Cain Is Already An Equal To Bruce
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Introduced during the No Man’s Land event, Cassandra Cain quickly became a major part of the Gotham landscape. The daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, Cassandra was raised to become the perfect fighter and assassin. However, rather than living up to what her parents wanted, she decided to become her own person. In the process, she became the next Batgirl.
While she isn’t nearly the detective that Batman is, Cassandra’s unique training makes her one of the few martial artists who can defeat Batman. In her earliest appearances, it was even directly mentioned that she was the superior fighter but lacked experience. As she continues to develop her skills as a crime fighter, she has one of the strongest claims to being the best in the Bat-Family.
Steel Works With The Super-Family Without Being Consumed By Jealousy
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Making his first appearance after the battle between Superman and Doomsday, John Henry Irons was the first of the “fake” Supermen to openly admit he wasn’t there to replace the Man of Steel. Instead, it was his goal to simply carry on and help other people the way Superman once saved him.
A genius engineer, Steel designed his armor personally, which grants him strength, flight, and durability enough to fight even some of Superman’s strongest enemies. Unlike Batman, Steel doesn’t seem to carry the same level of paranoia towards metahumans.
While Batman mostly trusts Superman, Steel has instead made himself a close ally to the entire Super-Family without ever feeling insecure in his own abilities. In fact, he works directly with them in Metropolis to help make the city as safe as possible, and he’s even created a Fortress of Solitude for Superman at one point.
Jay Garrick Uses His Speed To Stop Threats That Others Can’t
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The original Flash, Jay Garrick, has been part of DC Comics history almost since the beginning. Jay is one of the few speedsters who doesn’t rely on the Speed Force for his speed, though he has access to its power.
After spending years during the World War II era protecting the home front, Jay retired for several decades before he was brought out of retirement when he met Barry Allen.
Though Jay doesn’t need the Speed Force, his connection to it has allowed him to maintain a level of youth he shouldn’t otherwise have. He’s got decades more experience than Batman and has remained a mainstay in the superhero community since his return. He’s even helped stop threats even Batman couldn’t, like the One-Minute War.
Mr. Terrific Is One Of The Best Leaders In The DC Universe
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Inspired by the original Mr. Terrific, Terry Sloane, Michael Holt took over the role to find purpose in his life once again. The Justice Society of America gladly welcomed Michael into their ranks and even made him the team leader in short order. Described as the “third smartest person on Earth”, Terrific’s incredible intellect lets him figure a solution out of any situation.
Though Terrific has the same level of intelligence as Batman, his teammates don’t have as much of a problem with him because he leads with compassion and understanding. However, it’s not just his time with the Justice Society that makes him so impressive.
With the creation of The Terrifics, Michael has built a team that still trusts him, so much so that they gladly come to his aid whenever needed, even though they’ve been disbanded. When Batman built his own team of the Outsiders, they basically walked out on him because he was too controlling.
Alan Scott Protected Gotham For Decades Before Batman
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Before anyone knew what the Green Lantern Corps was on Earth, they knew of Green Lantern thanks to Alan Scott. Alan’s unique powers come from the Starheart, an incredible energy source of collected wild magic that landed on Earth thanks to the Guardians of the Universe.
With his ring fully charged, Alan wields the same limitless level of power as the Green Lanterns, though his energy looks like a green flame first. Long before Batman existed, Alan Scott was protecting Gotham City while running his own business.
Depending on the amount of power Alan draws from the Starheart, he could have the powers of a god, but still, he chooses to use his abilities to help others. Like his long-time friend Jay, he’s had decades of time on the job that Bruce has only been at for a few years, comparatively.
Wonder Woman Juggles Being An Ambassador And Superhero
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Introduced during the Golden Age just like Batman, Wonder Woman is another part of DC’s “Trinity”. Princess Diana of Themyscira lived a perfect life until she elected to become an ambassador to Patriarch’s World after pilot Steve Trevor crash-landed on their island.
Since leaving Themyscira, she’s been one of the best and brightest superheroes planet Earth has to offer. In the post-Infinite Frontier era, Wonder Woman is the strongest she’s been in a long time. She’s an immortal who trained under the Amazons, so it’s not surprising that she’s a better fighter than Batman.
At the same time, while Wonder Woman has been exposed to many of the same twisted supervillain minds, she remains an all-loving hero that the people can trust. She’s also doubling as an ambassador for Themyscira, meaning she has to be a perfect role model on top of everything else, while Batman barely spends time running his own company.
Martian Manhunter Protects The Entire Southern Hemisphere
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Alongside Barry Allen as the Flash, Martian Manhunter’s first appearance helped start the Silver Age era of the DC Universe. Trapped on Earth after being teleported from Mars, J’onn J’onzz is one of the most powerful superheroes in the DC Universe.
He doesn’t just wield the power of flight and super-strength, but invisibility, intangibility, psychic powers, and more, making him a one-man superhero team on his own. Even Batman acknowledges Martian Manhunter as a peer he truly respects, not just as a hero, but as a leader and ally.
While Batman can be somewhat flighty, abandoning the League when they don’t listen to him, J’onn has been the backbone of the team for decades. Plus, while Batman only guards Gotham City, Martian Manhunter guards the entire Southern hemisphere, protecting it from supervillains and disasters alike.
Nightwing Took Everything Bruce Taught Him And Improved
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Dick Grayson has been part of the DC Universe nearly as long as Batman has. After being taken in by Bruce Wayne, Dick received the best training in the world, allowing him to find a healthy outlet to channel his frustration and loss as Robin.
He’s one of the sidekicks that won fans over pretty much instantly, so much so that fans didn’t even have a problem seeing him replace Bruce Wayne for a time as Batman. Amusingly enough, even Bruce Wayne likely wouldn’t have a problem with someone saying Dick was better than he is, given that Bruce is the one who raised him.
Nightwing has the benefit of being trained by someone who already put together the knowledge necessary to be a crime-fighter, rather than having to assemble it himself. He has Bruce’s skill, but without the darkness and paranoia that comes with it, making him one of the most trusted heroes in the hero community.
Superman Continues To Be The Best Hero In The DC Universe
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Batman fans need to accept it: Superman is the better superhero. He’s stronger for sure, but that’s not what makes him better. There are multiple stories showing Superman without his powers is still “Super”, willing to fight for everyone else’s freedoms and having the intelligence and resourcefulness necessary to pull off a victory.
That said, Superman is defined by his power in one way: he’s never let it corrupt him. He always chooses to do the right thing with his abilities, even though he’s one of the strongest characters in the DC Universe.
Also, as much as people try to tout Gotham City as the city with the most dangerous villains, realistically, that’s not true at all. Metropolis, Superman’s city, is constantly overrun with enemies that could threaten someone with his level of power, from Mr. Mxyzptlk to Brainiac. Despite that, Metropolis is still one of the safest in the DC Universe.