From the very beginning, the billionaire Bruce Wayne donned the cape and cowl of Batman to avenge the death of his parents. Bruce Wayne has had more than a few successors over the years, but the two that seem to be the most popular are the original Robin Dick Grayson and the Batman of the future, Terry McGinnis.
These two are great Caped Crusaders in their own right, but which one is the better Gotham Defender? Bruce Wayne will forever be the Batman, but, when he hangs up the cape, who is the rightful heir to the cowl?
Dick Grayson Was Trained By Bruce In His Prime
Arguably the biggest advantage Dick has over Terry is that he trained directly under Batman when he was at his peak. Bruce is famously not an easy mentor, but, thanks to his strict training, Dick was pushed to his limits and was skilled enough to eventually become his own hero and protect the city of Bludhaven.
By the time Dick took on the mantle of Batman, he knew exactly what the cowl stood for, and he was more than worthy of wearing it. Bruce's strict nature eventually drove Dick away, but he never forgot the hands-on training Terry could never receive.
Terry Has An Advanced Batsuit
While not as skilled physically as Dick Grayson, Terry enjoys a highly advanced Batsuit that more than makes up for it. The suit was designed by Bruce when he realized his body wasn't what it used to be. Unfortunately, even the new suit couldn't help the aging hero, forcing him to retire.
Terry adopted the suit as his own during his first night as Batman, giving him an advantage that not even Bruce had during his first outing. The suit amplifies the user's strength and agility and can even fly for short distances. Terry eventually learns various skills on his own terms, but having a nearly indestructible suit certainly helps.
Dick Has Experience As A Vigilante
Dick Grayson trained under Bruce Wayne as the first Robin from a very young age. Depending on the writer, he was anywhere from eight years old to in his early teens when he became Robin. He was usually in his mid-twenties when he transitioned into Nightwing, meaning he had no less than a decade of experience when he later took over as Batman.
This experience gives Dick a large leg up over Terry, who became Batman at 16 with no training. Dick Grayson easily slipped into his new role as Batman, with the only thing unfamiliar to him being the costume itself. Years of training and fighting crime make him a natural at vigilantism, and this helps him fit the role of Batman much smoother.
Terry Has Constant Guidance From Bruce
While Dick fought alongside Bruce, Terry literally had his voice in his ear at all times. While Terry was in the field, Bruce was stationed at the Batcomputer, speaking to him through comms in his cowl. Bruce was preoccupied with his own battles while with Dick, but, with Terry, he can focus all of his attention on his protege, giving him helpful guidance and useful information.
While still as brooding as ever, Bruce giving more attention to Terry in the heat of battle is a huge advantage over Dick, who was usually just berated and scolded his Robins during combat.
Dick Was An Acrobat From An Early Age
While Terry can fly with his suit, there is little he can do without it. Dick Grayson, on the other hand, was an acrobat as a child, teaching him skills he uses to traverse the rooftops of Gotham with ease. Dick's parents were world-famous acrobats.
His parents taught the young boy the art of being an acrobat, an art he showed much promise in. Dick could have eventually carried on his parent's legacy if not for their tragic demise. His acrobatic training already gave him skills he could use in crime-fighting, skills Bruce Wayne made sure to improve upon.
Terry Skipped The Sidekick Phase
One of the most unique things about Terry compared to his fellow students of Bruce Wayne is that he jumped straight into the cowl. All of Bruce's other proteges had to serve alongside him in his war on crime, oftentimes feeling overshadowed by the Bat. Terry McGinnis, however, went straight into becoming Batman, giving him a unique advantage.
Most of Bruce's other students grew to resent him for keeping them out of the spotlight and feeling as if he was treating them like children, while Terry was able to enjoy the spotlight out of the gate. The other members of the Bat-Family grew to respect Bruce, but Terry did practically from day one.
Dick Has The Bat Family
A major advantage for Dick is that he has the support of the entire Bat-family. Over the years, Batman has recruited some of the best young people Gotham City has to offer to aid him in his fight for justice. In addition to the several Robins, most with new titles of their own, Batman also has the support of the likes of Batgirl, Catwoman, and, of course, Alfred, just to name a few.
The team is dysfunctional, as is most families, but they will not hesitate to help each other and ensure the people of Gotham has a safe place to live. Dick Grayson doesn't have to look far for help, while most of them are retired or deceased by the time Terry takes up the mantle.
Terry Served A Hopeless Gotham
When Bruce Wayne gave up the life of a crime fighter, Gotham City fell into disarray. The futuristic Gotham was run by corrupt officials and bloodthirsty gangs, similar to the way it was before Batman. The people of Gotham saw Batman as nothing more than a legend. So, when Terry emerged from the shadows, those who remembered the past were suddenly more hopeful than ever.
Gotham City accepted Batman more than they ever have, as he was the only thing that could bring light back into the city. Every Batman previously had to deal with the ridicule of much of the city, something Terry was able to do without.
Dick Fought For Gotham At Its Worst
At the height of Batman's war on crime, Gotham City was nothing short of dystopian; gangs ruled the streets, supervillains showed up every day, carnage was everywhere, and young Dick Grayson was in the middle of it all.
Being used to the crime of Gotham City from a young age helped harden Grayson. By the time he took over the cowl, he was used to the worst the City had to offer. Bruce Wayne taught him to use his own darkness against the scum of the city, and this is what helped him stare crime in the face and fight back with everything he had.
Terry Learns From The Experience Of Others
By the time Terry becomes Batman, most of the bat family has moved on. Those who have stuck around provide him with the knowledge they learned in decades of crime-fighting—knowledge Dick had to learn on his own.
Besides an aging Bruce Wayne, Terry also has Barbara Gordon, the woman who was once Batgirl and is now following in her father's footsteps as commissioner of the GCPD. Terry has the upper hand over Dick because he can use the experience of others to better his own crime-fighting skills, and Gotham is all the better for it.