Robert Kirkman Sparks Debate by Calling Batman 'Irrelevant'

6 days ago 15

Published Jul 16, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Patrik Walker is an Emmy Award–winning writer who covers all things Comics & Superheroes. His work can also be found at the Dallas Cowboys, The Sporting News, and CBS Sports, among other outlets. One of the most respected names in his field, he is also a diehard enthusiast of all things comics, anime, gaming and movies — thriving in spaces where discussions involving those or similar topics reign supreme.

This is a tough week for Batman. First, the world was given the unfortunate news that Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II will be delayed until 2028, meaning it will arrive six years (!!) after the original film. And now, continuing his campaign against the Big Two — Marvel Comics and DC Comics — Robert Kirkman just said the unthinkable.

The Invincible and The Walking Dead creator has been extremely vocal lately, and fairly relentless, in his criticism of iconic characters like Superman, Spider-Man and Batman. That said, though his criticisms have been scathing, they've not gone this far before.

Invincible Creator Says Batman Is Irrelevant — For Two Reasons

“I don’t like Batman as much as everyone does,” Kirkman told The Empire Escape Pod Podcast. “It’s just ridiculous. This character is just the bane of the comic book industry. It’s too much. DC publishes like 50 different Batmen. It’s like 90% of their line."

He continued: "Every creator I talk to is like, ‘I just want to do Batman. I just can’t wait to do Batman.’ And it’s like, oh my gosh, why is this character so popular? It just takes up so much oxygen."

Kirkman didn't stop there, though. He did at least halt his shade to give a nod to what's become an inconic anthology for DC Comics, Absolute Batman and the Absolute Universe as a whole, the former's popularity leading to a green light for an upcoming anime-based series from creator Scott Snyder.

"I mean, you put spikes on Batman, he’s got an axe, like yeah, I can’t argue with that," he said. "That’s cool, but do we need two Batmen? Get rid of the other Batman. We just need one Batman. This is too much Batman.”

... But Batman Hype Sits at an All-Time High, Actually

Needless to say, Kirkman is more than welcome to his opinion, and it's given credence by his status as a creative legend. Plus, hell, having a healthy debate over characters and arcs/storylines is one of the best parts about being a comic book nerd.

But it's also true that some opinions are truly out there, and while it could definitely be argued that there are lots of Batman variants, the same can be said of a plethora of others (and not all of them are exclusive to Marvel and DC) — so while the principle seems solid, singling out Batman feels a bit forced.

Many can agree that, from a cinematic standpoint, James Gunn and Matt Reeves need to come to terms on a single Batman, as opposed to one living in the DCU and another in DC Elseworlds, with neither being the bearer of any good news lately (Gunn's isn't even cast yet). Then again, the level of anticipation for the upcoming Batman: Knightfall trilogy is sky-high, so there is also that.

In the end, creativity is the spice of life, and one of Kirkman's main gripes with the Big Two is that the characters are stale, but considering Batman has so many variants and arcs, while remaining one of the most sought after superheroes by readers and audiences, doesn't that mean the character is anything but ... stale?

Hmm...