Should Batman tangle with aliens more often?

Batman is one of the most iconic superheroes in the history of comic books. His his ability to take on and overcome villains of all kinds, despite his lack of traditional superpowers, creates a relatable hero.

While there have been no shortage of interesting showdowns between Batman and his foes throughout the series, there has been a lack of consistent interaction between Batman and aliens in the comic book runs.

As a result, it is worth asking whether Batman should take on aliens more frequently in Batman comics.

The case for more aliens

Right off the bat, the biggest reason to want more aliens in Batman comics is the fact that they open the door for creativity in how they are presented. With all of the different ways that aliens have been drawn and portrayed in pop culture over the years, artists could show them as something to be feared, or any other way they choose in service of the story they were telling.

Aliens have been used rarely in Batman comics, with the Haunted Gotham comic being one of the few instances where they have appeared.

Clashes with aliens in the Batman universe would also add a foe that is more difficult to take down than most in Batman’s world. Also the appeal of aliens in the comics would be undeniable, as many people fantasize about aliens living among us in the present day.

While aliens may not be on Earth as some think, they could present a more unpredictable foe for Batman in the future.

Some arguments in favour of more supernatural foes in the Batman universe are calling for aliens to bring powers into the series that are not seen in existing enemies. The ability to do things like levitate and move things with telekinesis would be more likely in the arsenal of an extra-terrestrial than they would the human that Batman has faced over the course of the existing comics. That kind of variety could make things more compelling to some.

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The case against more aliens

There are plenty of people who are opposed to aliens being added into the mix in future Batman comics. One of their biggest arguments against more aliens is the fact that they would take the focus of the Batman comics out of Gotham, making it less about the city and more about the origin of the aliens and where they came from.

Another argument against the inclusion of more alien-themed books is the fact that so many of the best Batman villains are just people. While some comic book series feature villains that are predominantly individuals with superpowers, a lot of the most dastardly villains in this series are just people with mean streaks, or who are otherwise warped in some way.

Alien life forms would lack the depth of a lot of those characters and would likely feature some sort of powers that would distract from the personalities of the villains themselves.

Finally, the way that Batman’s world interacts with other superheroes could be used in an argument to exclude aliens from the Batman series of comics. With many heroes living in the same universe and the occasional crossover comic or film taking place, it would be hard to justify including aliens in a Batman comic without then featuring them in other stories or comics featuring different main characters.

Of course, there are no right or wrong answers to whether someone should want aliens or other villains to be included in Batman comics in the future. After all, entertainment means different things to different people, which can result in different people having wildly different desires as far as what they want to see.

Regardless of whether a Batman fan wants to see aliens in future installments of the comics, all fans can agree that they want to see Batman overcome whatever challenges are put in front of him.