Warning! Contains spoilers for Batman #150!

There are tons of different ways people have referred to Batman over the years, from the Dark Knight to the Caped Crusader, but one low-level criminal has just given Batman a title that perfectly sums up what he is. While everyone else may consider Batman to be the Dark Knight, one criminal knows he's more of a "nice-guy monster."

In a scene from Batman #150 by Chip Zdarsky and Denys Cowan, readers are given the perfect new title for Batman. During a discussion about Batman's secret identity, one criminal refers to the Dark Knight as a "nice-guy monster." While everyone else views Batman as some terrifying monster, this one woman knows that Batman isn't nearly as scary as he tries to be.

One man knows Batman's secret identity and is trying to sell the information, but he's absolutely terrified of retribution from Batman, especially given the possibility that Batman might kill him. While Batman certainly gives off a terrifying aura to make people think they're truly in danger, the low-level criminal, Belle, knows that Batman really isn't that scary and wouldn't ever hurt someone that badly.

Batman's Terrifying Reputation Only Goes So Far

Batman Is Only Scary to Certain People

Batman carefully cultivated his reputation to make him seem like an unholy monster who could appear from any shadow. This use of fear is what keeps Batman's criminals in line. After all, Batman can't be everywhere in Gotham at once, so making criminals afraid of him helps keep them from committing crimes, even when Batman isn't around to actually stop them. But this fear should really only be applied to criminals. If Batman was also terrifying to civilians, then he wouldn't really be accomplishing anything. While Batman is a terrifying figure, both citizens and lesser criminals know he isn't that bad.

Having this reputation of fear is what helps Batman be effective at his job, but he's also careful to make sure he never comes off as terrifying to innocent people.

As part of his war on crime, Batman often has to save civilians, and this wouldn't be possible if they were terrified of him. If he has to get a child out of a burning building, it would be difficult to have the child cooperate if they thought he was a true monster. This is why, as terrifying as Batman tries to present himself, he also has to show the softer side of himself sometimes. This allows citizens and children to avoid being terrified of him, and certain criminals have also picked up on this. After Belle was knocked off a building by an actual Gotham villain, Batman saved her life, showing how he isn't a true monster.

Batman Isn't Scary To Normal Civilians - Especially Kids

Panels from Batman: Turning Points #5 by Greg Rucka, Paul Pope, Claude St. Aubin, Trish Mulvihill, and Willie Schubert

A lot of people have said that Batman is overly brutal when he deals with criminals, but that isn't exactly the case. Batman is terrifying and brutal to the people who need to be stopped. Some people just want to harm others, and Batman is there to stop that. Having this reputation of fear is what helps Batman be effective at his job, but he's also careful to make sure he never comes off as terrifying to innocent people. That's why while Batman will always have other iconic nicknames, the "nice-guy monster" name might just be Batman's most accurate title.

Batman #150 is available now from DC Comics!