On Tue, 6 Apr 1999, Disruptor wrote:

Damien Hailey wrote:

   1.. Spotting Batman: This one I have to agree with Hitomi-san.

Anyone with decent experience in martial arts, especially one who
trained or trained with Wayne, will be able to spot that a mile away.
Even if he uses stealth to hide it, one fight and it�ll be broadcast.
Why do you think Wayne never gets into a fight in his civvies, to the
point of getting beat up?

In the Animated Series, Didn't Batman say something about how the ninja,
who's name I can't spell, was able to find out about his identity
because he had fought him as both Batman and Bruce Wayne?  He said
something bout how fighting styles were like fingerprints, no two are
alike.

That's correct.  Heck all that needs to be done to make Batman and Ranma on
the same level is give Bruce the personality of the TV series version and
the skills of the comic book version.  There was a joke on the DC newsgroup
that the comic book version of Batman can beat the rest of the JLA(Superman
& Captian Marvel included) with both hands tied behind his back.  DC has
gone a little overboard with making Batman the premier martial artist.
There are the top 10 Martial Artists in the world and right above them is
the Batman, he's no longer considered a human martial artist.

It is sad when we take comic book characters and overinflate
their abilities in order for them to "beat" other characters.
I mean, in one of the Justice League trade paper backs,
it had Batman beating up three martians all by himself, and
they have the ability to shapeshift, fire beams out
of their eyes and read minds.  I admit, in order for Batman
to be anywhere near Ranma's skill level, we'd have to either 
suspend the laws of gravity for Batman like they are for
Ranma, or bring Ranma back down to earth.  This would
not be a very realistic fight.

As for Batman being the best martial artist, that's also
a misstatement, as the current best martial artist in 
the DC Universe and all around Champeen is Lady Shiva,
followed by Connor Hawke.  (see the Brotherhood of
the Monkey fists storyline).  She's the best because
she has no morals and will use any blow necessary to
finish off her prey, whereas the good guys only want
to incapacitate.  Heck, Lady Shiva'd even be able
to take on Terry Bogard and Andy and win, with both
pinkys tied behind her back.

Am I biased much???  Nah........  ;)


Trisha L. Sebastian
tls@thekeep.org
Proud Member of the BML Productions Crew

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OVERHEARD:
Two more glasses of scotch, and I'll recite 
Shakespeare in Islamic pentameter.
"Forsooth, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is...not veiled? Stone her! STONE HER!!"
			--Matt Nute

She sang, of course, "M'ama!" and not "he loves 
me," since an unalterable and unquestioned law
of the musical world required that the German 
text of French operas sung by Swedish artists
should be translated into Italian for the clearer 
understanding of English-speaking audiences.
		--Edith Wharton

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