“Lex Luthor may be a criminal mastermind, but you just can’t argue with the low, low rates and reliable wireless network!”

Punisher: “I am a man with a big gun.”
Dr. Generic Supervillain: “I have the ability to shoot lasers out of my head and teleport from a different dimension!”

Punisher: “I am a man with a big gun.”

I question how the public mistrusts Metamorpho, Katana, or J’Onn anymore than Black Adam, or even Red Arrow (ugh.)

I’m beginning to think that the real reason he never shares his plans with anybody is because he has no idea what the hell he’s doing.

Amen, brotha. The trick with writing Batman is, apparently, to create a situation where the heroes are painted into the corner and have him whip out some magic trick. Back in the day, it was the infinitely filled and perfectly provisioned utility belt (”Quick, Robin! The Bat-Shark-Repellent.”) now it’s the infinite and perfectly provisioned foreknowledge (”I’m quite sure the party will be coming to me…”)

Same trick, different decade. It’s also why I reject any notion that Batman doesn’t have powers. Perhaps he doesn’t have super-strength, but I’d call peak human strength, a keen mind, a bottomless checkbook, and the complicity of the writer in making you look perfect abilities far beyond mortal men and women… Doesn’t make him any less of an interesting character, but it can make his stories a bit predictable.

brisey

Batman doesn’t want people to mistrust superheroes, so he has recruited heroes that the public already mistrusts to do the dirty work that the Justice League cannot do.