Bruce Wayne’s Batman is the undisputed king of Gotham – a dark vigilante who keeps the chaotic city together by sheer strength of will. Over the years, Bruce has recruited a veritable army of heroes to protect his city, however there are also crime-fighters in the dark metropolis who want nothing to do with him.

Here are the five best Gotham heroes who don’t respect Batman and never will, ranging from demons who would rather eat him to classic heroes who think he goes too far.

5

Etrigan, aka the Demon, aka Jason Blood

A literal demon from Hell, Etrigan doesn’t really respect any human, but making his home in Gotham has led to him clashing with Batman more often than any other hero.

An anarchic demon bound to the human host Jason Blood by Merlin, Etrigan is always happy to use fire and claw to slay his supernatural rivals, with Blood operating as a far more straightforward mystic investigator, always trying to wield Etrigan for good.

Etrigan has a dark sense of humor, and tends to mock Batman for attempting to embody the darkness and dread that he feels only demons can. While he finds it hard to care which mortals live and which die, Etrigan has expressed his affection for Batman in the past – though more in terms of finding him amusing than being actual allies.

Of course, Batman being Batman, Bruce Wayne has made it clear that should he ever need to, he has failsafes in place to bring down Etrigan.

4

Hitman, aka Tommy Monaghan

A mob assassin bitten by an alien parasite, Tommy Monaghan developed mild telepathy and X-ray vision, and began using his powers to market himself as Gotham’s premier hitman. Of course, while Hitman tends to only take down the deserving, Batman could never stomach a killer operating freely in his city.

The entire Hitman franchise is premised on the belief that superheroes are inherently silly (a sincere belief of writer Garth Ennis, who expanded upon it in later projects like The Boys.) But while Hitman allows Superman to be genuinely kind and Green Lantern to be relatably in over his head, Batman is depicted as a bad-tempered bully getting his kicks in a leather costume.

Batman and Hitman faced off several times, with Monaghan mocking and escaping the Dark Knight at every opportunity.

3

Mother Panic, aka Violet Paige

A vigilante hunting down the perpetrators of her abusive childhood, Mother Panic dislikes Batman for complex reasons, beyond the fact that he sometimes gets in her way.

First and foremost, his claim that Gotham is ‘his’ means very little to a Gotham native who was born, destroyed and born again in the city. Mother Panic does not follow Batman’s orders, and bitterly disdains that he’d ever expect her to.

However, some of Mother Panic’s anger seems to come from the fact that Batman never uncovered her treatment at the abusive boarding school Gather House. If Gotham’s hero couldn’t be there when she needed him, why should she listen to him now?

2

Anarky, aka Lonnie Machin

A misguided but heroic vigilante, Anarky is one of the few people who believes that Batman doesn’t go far enough. Lonnie sees the Dark Knight as an enforcer of the status quo, believing that Gotham’s citizens need to rise up in solidarity and take the city back from its corrupt leaders.

While Anarky is fully aware how capable Batman is, he believes that Bruce Wayne is wasting his time as a vigilante, accusing the Caped Crusader of fighting to control rather than uplift the populace.

The two have reluctantly worked together in emergencies, but Anarky always returns to the idea that Batman is simply fighting the wrong people in the wrong way.

1

Green Lantern, aka Alan Scott

The original Green Lantern and his magic ring protected Gotham a generation before the Dark Knight came along, and Alan Scott wasn’t thrilled when he first met his successor.

While Scott is all about illuminating the darkness and spreading hope, Batman is a creature of the night. At this point in comic history, Green Lantern has known Batman long enough to know he’s effective, but he’s never been able to fully make peace with his methods.

Alan’s caution regarding Batman is part of a larger grudge between pretty much every Green Lantern and Batman. Green Lanterns are chosen by their ability to resist fear, and Batman defines himself by weaponizing it. While there are valid disagreements between the Lanterns and Batman, they’re fundamentally opposed on how to make the world a better place, and have never truly been able to overcome that difference.

Those are the five Gotham heroes who will never respect Batman, whether because of his methods or due to major personal disagreements – let us know in the comments below who else belongs on this list, and what you think of our ranking.

Created By

Bob Kane, Bill Finger

Alias

Bruce Wayne

Alliance

Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family

Race

Human

Franchise

D.C.