Bruce Wayne has fared a lot better than Clark Kent over the years, at least in film. I'd even argue, that Batman is the more popular of the two. The Caped Crusader is arguably on par, with recognizable characters such as James Bond, Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes, if he hasn't outright surpassed them. Regarding Superman, it's fun to imagine ourselves with that much power, but it's also much harder to believe.
Classic Movie Trailers: Batman (1989)
I'm not a huge Batman fan, but I do love what he represents. If you separate the character from the other DC Heroes, such as Superman and Wonder Woman, and just looked at his entourage and his main rogues gallery, nothing there is unbelievable. It's not necessarily realistic, to assume that one man could do as Wayne does and survive even one year at it, but Batman doesn't ask that you throw logic out of the window. He asks that you suspend disbelief.
Instead of frequently crossing the line into fantasy, Batman spends most of his time in a world that, though fantastic, is conceivably possible. As a kid I understood this, and it made the fiction so much more accessible and enjoyable. There was also a level of authenticity to the character, and to Gotham, that couldn't be overlooked. Most of The Dark Knight's adventures were not "kiddie-fare"; regardless of the medium, you took the stories seriously.
In 1989, Hollywood was in a different place, than it is today. Superhero blockbusters were not on the regular menu, and they certainly weren't mass produced to such an extent, that multiple films of the genre would be seen within a year. Taken on its own however, "Batman" is not a superhero film. It is a film of over-the-top characters and amazing situations, but it keeps itself grounded, with a very plausible story.
Bruce Wayne is depicted as a real man, with a real history, real motivations and shortcomings. Since the subject of the picture is treated with such respect, we are treated to a film, that lets us see it as truth. There have been Batman movies released since, that did not have the same gravitas, and were not as deserving of our admiration. However, you could argue that similar films emerged later, with the same tone, and that they yielded better results; but even if that's so, all of those films owe their existence to this one.
"Batman" proved that the genre could work. It proved that such a production could be revered, as much as it revered its characters. More importantly, it showed that, at least during the running time, both man and child could stare with the same wild-eyed amazement. The Batman was real, and we all believed it.
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