Contrary to popular belief, but costumed crime fighters existed before Superman was first published. They weren't called superheroes, as that term was not coined yet, but they were instead called a few names. Crime fighters, mystery men, masked adventurers, the list goes on. Some even had what could be considered superpowers, though they were either magical or explained that they had trained to achieve them.

However Superman is the one that broke the mold and established the superhero. The clearly superhuman feats, the bright colorful costume, it all came from Superman.

However this leads me to the Pulp heroes, as they are called now. The original costumed crime fighters such as The Shadow

The Spider

The Green Hornet

The Lone Ranger and Zorro

Today the spirit of these characters live on. They live on in one of the more popular characters in comics............... Batman

Batman shares the same spirit with the pulp heroes of old. He wears dark colors like the Shadow, The Spider, and Zorro. Also like Zorro has a hideout under his home and like both The Shadow and Zorro passes himself off as an unassuming wealthy man. Like The Green Hornet and Lone Ranger he has an equally iconic crime fighting partner. Batman also uses gadgets, in a similar manner to Green Hornet who utilizes a gas gun. He also has an iconic mode of transportation very much like Lone Ranger, Zorro, and Green Hornet as well. Also his colorful rogues gallery is in fact almost entirely lifted from many Pulp heroes who also had unusual and sometimes downright vile enemies. In fact the very first Batman story published was a total replica of a Shadow story!

Batman also works in a more grounded reality, without the need for the supernatural or fantastic, something that many Pulp heroes are set in. Sure, they have SOME elements of the fantastical, but for Batman these small amounts work as well. So is Batman the last true Pulp hero or not?

2035681 Fun fact, they changed Batman so that he wouldn't rip off of the Shadow and so that Bob Kane and his partner who's name escaped wouldn't get sued.

And yes, I can totally see that

2035700 Yup. That's why they stopped Bats from using guns. Something tells me if they DIDN'T do that, we'd still see Bruce packing heat today. Though that doesn't stop some alternate universe Batmen set in the 30's from using them

2035681 yeah you could say that Batman is the last, and possibly greatest pulp hero. Just think about how long Batman has been around? Sure people still know about the Lone Ranger and Zorro and Green Hornet, but they have had only a fraction of the sheer pop culture immersion that Batman has had.