Okay, listen. I love Batman and the Batfamily as much as the next person, but can we stop putting down the JL to push the bats onto a pedestal?
Like- Hal Jordan. He's an Air Force Academy Graduate, was in the Air Force, and is a Test Pilot. You don't do that while being 'dumb'. He differs from Bruce because he trusts his instincts rather than data. He's impulsive where Bruce is calculated, and it's what makes him thrive in chaos where Bruce does with control. Not to mention, alien politics can NOT be an easy thing.
From what i've seen, people like to put Barry Allen in a 'dumb' light too. Which, couldn't be more wrong. He's a forensic scientist, a good one at that, and it's not an easy job. If anything, I'd like to see him conversing with Bruce on the topic more within fan-made media. It would probably be a joy for Barry to talk to someone who understands his work without him having to simplify or explain everything. And I've also seen people putting him down as 'weak' for his compassion, which...really..?
Then we got Arthur Curry.. He's a king, you guys. King of Atlantis? Protector of the Seas? He's royalty and a warrior, and has the diplomacy and instincts to back it up. His kingdom trusts him despite likely still not trusting those on the surface, and from what I can tell and assume, he's the main mediator between those of the ocean and those on land. He's impulsive, which is always seen as a weakness, but he's also passionate and very loyal to his people.
Oliver Queen? Let me start by saying he is a master archer, but Bruce is not. Bruce is not going to be able to correct him or talk as if Oliver is just..not shooting arrows correctly. Oliver has run for mayor of Star City and used his platform to challenge systemic inequality. Not to say Bruce hasn't, but they do it in very different ways. And with that, unlike Bruce, who often remains emotionally closed off, Oliver evolves. His relationships—with Dinah Lance, Roy Harper, Connor Hawke, and likely others that I can't name for the life of me—are messy but deeply human. He’s made mistakes, owned them, and grown from them. I believe people tend to forget how much Oliver has grown and changed throughout everything. Bruce is not the only human walking alongside gods and metas.
There are MANY others that we could bring up; feel free to do so. But the point is, Bruce is not the best. He has weaknesses just like the others. I know that it's hard as hell to write a story where they all have a place to fit in and have a part to play that is independent from the others, and I know it's easiest to focus on one character to progress. But I did just kind of want to acknowledge this. And please, feel free to correct anything I said if needed, perhaps I mischaracterized someone in my attempt not to, but that's because I, like them, have weaknesses alongside my strengths.
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