Batman is one of DC’s coolest characters, without question. He’s cultivated a reputation as a vengeful creature of the night who strikes fear into the hearts of criminals, and as one of the greatest detectives and fighters the world will ever know. He’s a black-cloaked figure who could strike from every shadow. He’s taken down entire gangs on his own, both stealthily and with his endless arsenal. Batman is cool in a thousand different ways, and that is definitely a major contributing factor to his enduring popularity. Batman is awesome, and even though people might think of him as a loner, he’s taken plenty of partners to help in his epic crusade.
Batman has trained each of these sidekicks to be independent heroes of their own. Naturally, some of their lessons, intended or not, definitely taught the Bat-Family how to be just as cool as their Batriarch. The Batman Family is one of the coolest superhero families in comics. Individually, each of the heroes is one of the coolest people around, but which members command the most presence? We won’t know for certain until we dive into it and examine what makes each of Batman’s sidekicks cool. For simplicity’s sake, we’re only counting significant sidekicks from the main universe. With all that said, let’s brainstorm about the Bat-Family.
Tim might come in last on this list, but don’t let that convince you he isn’t cool. He figured out Batman and Robin’s identities from seeing Dick perform a specific acrobatic maneuver when he was a little kid. He’s an incredible detective and endlessly determined to be Batman’s best partner, but that is what keeps him out of the top running. Tim never wanted the spotlight and spent his entire career avoiding it except when necessary. He’s the guy to support everyone else before he supports himself, which does mean giving up a lot of cool developments to other characters. Tim has struck out on his own and grown numerous times, but right now, he’s stuck in a loop of regression that prevents him from showing his best self.
Steph burst onto the scene in an epic introduction, creating her Spoiler identity to take down her C-tier villain dad, Cluemaster. Steph is awesome because Batman was openly against her being a hero for the first several years, but she did it anyway. She was rough around the edges, but she kept fighting and training until she was as competent as every other hero in Gotham. She earned her place amongst the world’s best fighters and detectives with nothing more than sheer grit and determination, and that’s one of the coolest things that someone can do.
Damian is Batman’s son who was raised by the League of Assassins. That sentence alone proves how cool Damian is, but let’s really tackle the specifics. He was trained to one day become the world’s greatest killer and make the Batman mantle his own, but his father and brother taught him how to be his own person with his own destiny. Damian still wants to be Batman, but he’s also grown into so many other things. He’s a vegetarian and animal lover, and he volunteers at a hospital in his spare time. Damian is a miniature version of his dad, who has learned to be his own man, incorporating everything that makes Batman cool on a smaller scale and adding in some character growth and assassin training.
Duke was introduced as a child genius in “Zero Year,” and when he debuted in the modern day, he was a rebel fighting against the corruption in the city. He became a prominent member of the youth-run We Are Robin initiative, all before he became his own hero as the Signal. Seeing Batman recognize his talent and bring him into the fold was awesome, and Duke only got cooler when he developed his powers. He’s a master of light and darkness, being able to bend both to his will and combine them for epic attacks that are a colorist’s dream. Duke has demanded far more attention than he’s gotten in the past few years, and any character this cool deserves to be known far and wide.
Barbara is the first Batgirl, and she forged her identity all on her own. She saw the corruption and crime in her home and chose to make a difference by teaching herself how to be a hero just like the Dynamic Duo. She was so effective that she became a valued partner. Barbara is made from sheer determination, and not even being paralyzed stopped her. When she lost movement in her legs, she focused on her computer skills and became the connecting tissue for the entire superhero community. Barbara is the Bat-Family’s hidden mastermind and essential backbone. She holds them all together and directs their efforts, turning a group of heroes into a vigilante army. She’s arguably the Bat-Family’s most important member, and she doesn’t even need to leave her base to save the city.
Dick is the original sidekick, the one who helped solidify the concept. He was Batman’s first partner, and he grew from a talented acrobat to one of the most important heroes in DC. As Nightwing, Dick is the leader of his entire generation of heroes. He’s someone that literally everybody trusts and can turn to. He’s shown multiple times that, when the chips are down, he is the man to unite everyone and make a plan to save the day. Dick is just as skilled as Batman, arguably DC’s greatest leader, and still takes the time to smile and crack jokes. He’s an inspiration in every sense of the word, and perfectly combines what makes Batman and Superman such great heroes.
Jason’s character is all over the place on the best day, but there’s no denying that, when he’s on point, he is the coolest guy around. He’s literally Batman if he were mentally unstable, grew up on the streets, and used guns. Regardless of how you feel about him, that’s just an awesome concept. Half of Jason’s staying power is based solely on how cool he is, and his best moments are always him being absurdly awesome. I mean, he literally dug out of his own grave. Jason is a hard-boiled man who never hesitates to fling himself into a fight. He’s moody, gritty, and sarcastic, and those traits, added to his Batman-level training, make him insanely cool to see in action.
Cass is the daughter of Lady Shiva, one of the world’s greatest martial artists, and David Cain, one of the world’s deadliest assassins. She was taught to read movement as her first language, meaning that she can see people’s actions even before they do them. That understanding and her own training make her arguably the world’s best fighter. Alongside that, her costume is pure aura. Imagining someone wearing that leaping out from the shadows is nightmare fuel in the best way. She’s a wraith of pure darkness that silently punmels anyone, reacting to your attacks as you wind them up.
Beyond just looks and skills, the coolest part about Cass to me is her dedication to saving lives. She was raised to only know how to kill, but she turned all of that training towards helping instead of hurting. Watching someone is like she’s hearing a Shakespearean monologue about the pain. She took one life as a child and has since decided to ensure that nobody else dies on her watch, believing in Batman’s mission just as much as him. She’s a weapon who chooses to hug with hands that were literally made to choke, and that dichotomy is the coolest thing in the world.
Which Bat-Family member do you think is the coolest? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
