Batman Deserves Your Respect!
OK, maybe not THIS Batman! ;P
*Deep breath* Ok, I’m hearing talk out there that Batman is not a Super Hero because he does not possess super powers.
*Exhale*
As calmly as I can, please allow me to put this argument to bed.
Batman is the one super hero you could actually be. You’ll never be rocketed to Earth from Krypton. You’ll never happen to be standing by certain chemicals when they’re struck by lightning. You’ll never be given a ring that projects your will. You won’t be bitten by a radioactive/bio-engineered spider. As far as we know, Gamma radiation just causes cancer. In some instances, Gamma can be used to treat cancer, but it’s also the deadliest radiation released from atomic bombs. So forget all that.
Ah, that's better!
You could, however, buy an armored car, go through intense physical training, put on a mask and fight crime. You could. Right now.
Why Batman is Important
Batman is one of the very few self-made super heroes. He had to build himself from the ground up in order to achieve his goals. He is a role-model that you can look up to. He is the epitome of ‘You should be the change you want to see in the world.’ -Ghandi
Batman sees a need and does what he feels he should to right the wrongs of Gotham City. It is often argued that he brings some of Gotham’s torment on himself. Would there be a Joker if there wasn’t a Batman? Probably not. But before the Batman, the police force was corrupt, organized crime ran the city. People were afraid to step outside and felt that there was no one out there looking out for them. Batman inspired men like James Gordon and Harvey Dent (pre Two-Face) to stand up and take their city back. Gangs were brought down. OK, you got your Jokers and Scarecrows out of the deal, but people suddenly found themselves not as scared to step out of their homes.
Batman can hang out with the Justice League not because he was the victim of some genetic experiment gone wrong, but because he EARNED it. 
Who else can hang with or even go toe to toe with Superman without the benefit of super powers, hm?
My point is this: Batman is one of the few fictional characters that I can say that I’ve truly looked up to my entire life. And it’s because he shows us that we can be whatever we set our minds to be. He’s just as important to expose to kids as Elmo or Dora, in my opinion. Some parents worry about the violence, but I think with proper guidance, and episode choosiness (i.e. I’m not going to show my two-year old The Dark Knight, but I did let her watch ‘I’ve Got Batman In My Basement’ from Batman: TAS) a child can really grow to understand the importance of hard work and determination to achieve your dreams.
And all this comes from a Super Hero without super powers! 
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