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Stephen Robinson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5835
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 2:49pm | IP Logged | 1
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This has been the subject of some debate with fellow fans. The Batman who
appears in the Justice League (from the comics to the Super Friends and
recent JL cartoons and movies) is often depicted as being a
scientific/engineering genius on the level of Tony Stark or Reed Richards.
Narratively, I understand why this is done. It allows him to serve a key role
alongside his super-powered teammates but is it technically true to the
character?
I was watching an episode of the Timm JLU cartoon where Batman *briefly*
examines Chronos's time belt and later is able to write a program to disable
it. Frankly, that's even beyond what I'd imagine a "modern-day" Sherlock
Holmes (the world's greatest detective of his time) would be capable of
doing. Another Justice League movie revealed Batman as responsible for
the JL teleporters.
I confess to enjoying Batman as the "caped crusader scientist" who can
reprogram robots and build jetpacks that let him fly but does this make him
a vastly different character from the Dark Knight Detective?
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Robert Cosgrove
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1710
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 3:23pm | IP Logged | 2
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Yes.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 3:36pm | IP Logged | 3
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Scientist is one of those comicbook terms that doesn't quite exist in the real world. Out here, one can be a scientist, but usually in a specific field. Not like Hank Pym, who we've joked about having a degree in Science. A friend (Hi, Paul!) summed it up best when he said Batman is SECOND BEST AT EVERYTHING. Pick a field, there will be someone better than Batman. But add together all those seconds bests, and we get THE WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE.
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Eric Smearman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 5823
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 4:14pm | IP Logged | 4
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I see Batman as the world's greatest detective and a master strategist.
Yeah, he's displayed "scientist" and "inventor" traits. I've seen stories
where he's consulted by Superman on some kind of scientific issue that
I would think the Man of Steel would more appropriately go to Ray
Palmer, Professor Hamilton or John Henry Irons for.
I like JB's "second-best at everything" deal, though.
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Ray Brady
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3740
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 6:50pm | IP Logged | 5
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I think Batman has a broad enough understanding of all the natural sciences that he'll be familiar with any concept that comes up. I don't see him as being on the vanguard of discovery and invention, like Reed Richards or Tony Stark. That's not to say that he couldn't be; he's just got other priorities. He can use any science that exists, but he's too busy rounding up ne'er do wells to invent new science.
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Kevin Hagerman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 15 April 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 18024
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 7:59pm | IP Logged | 6
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I wish I had the skill to write a team-up between Reed Richards and Batman. I think they'd be very impressed with each other.
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Eric Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2364
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 8:33pm | IP Logged | 7
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When they wrote Batman being responsible for the OMACs (are they still "One Man Army Corps" if there's a thousand of them?) and the computer a.i. behind them, I thought it was the stupidest thing and I stopped buying DC. Making him the inventor of the Justice League teleporters is even worse.
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Mike Norris
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4274
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 8:57pm | IP Logged | 8
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Batman's skills should revolve around solving crimes. Forensics and deductive reasoning.
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Greg Kirkman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 May 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 15775
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| Posted: 04 April 2016 at 9:49pm | IP Logged | 9
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This seems pretty conclusive.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?
v=AcMEckOyoaM
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Lars Sandmark
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 05 October 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 3144
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| Posted: 05 April 2016 at 1:01am | IP Logged | 10
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FIRST thing I thought of when I read the title of this thread!
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Joseph Greathouse
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 August 2015
Location: United States
Posts: 591
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| Posted: 05 April 2016 at 1:20am | IP Logged | 11
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We hire scientists, lots of them. There are a few different types we look for. We will hire specialists, such as chemists, agronomists, or microbiology. We also hire those that have a specific specialization, such as fermentation, monograstrics, ruminants, etc. But those at the top of our ladder are the generalists. These are the scientists that conect multiple fields from those listed above, and more. Their title is "scientist", because they don't specialize in a single area. We need those that cross over their fields of study. They are our research scientists, and R&D leaders, and our executives. As another example, I have a friend who ownes his own brewery. To succeed, he studied as a chemist, a food scientist, and a fermentologist. He is qualified to do any of those specific jobs with us. But he is a scientist in another industry (one of my favorites!)
I would consider Batman a generalist, or scientist. If he applied for a job with us, he would be qualified and titled as such. But, he too has a specific industry in which he already works. So Batman is probably the world's greatest scientist...in his industry.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
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| Posted: 05 April 2016 at 5:51am | IP Logged | 12
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I wish I had the skill to write a team-up between Reed Richards and Batman. I think they'd be very impressed with each other.•• Back in the days of SPIDEY SUPER STORIES, Roger Stern used to grumble that this book that was supposedly intended for SESAME STREET "graduates" was dumbed down so much. He joked he wanted to do SPIDEY INTELLECTUAL STORIES, which would feature Our Hero using in intelligence to talk the bad guys into jail. Sounds like you've just described something very much like that!
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Topic Closed)
