TMNT's Michelangelo is Scarier Than Batman, and Criminals Know It
While Batman is known for using fear to deter crime in Gotham City, even criminals know that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Michelangelo is scarier. This is undoubtedly a bold statement especially given that Michelangelo has never been looked at as even being the scariest Turtle in his group. However, the proof is in the pudding during a crossover event between TMNT and Batman, one that proves that Michelangelo is far more intimidating to the common criminal than ‘Vengeance’ himself.
In Batman - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1 by Matthew K. Manning and Jon Sommariva, a number of Batman’s villains have escaped from Arkham Asylum and have fled to New York City and thereby in the territory of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Before the Turtles encounter any of Batman’s rogues, however, they are patrolling the streets as they usually do, stopping street-level criminal activity. During one of these patrols, Michelangelo harnesses his inner Batman and even outshines the brooding vigilante.
After a crime is committed by a low-level thug, Michelangelo hunts him from the shadows until he decides to make himself known in the dark depths of a vacant ally. When he finally approaches the criminal, Michelangelo brings on the intimidation by screaming at the man, “I am vengeance! I am the night!” a phrase that usually ends with, “I am Batman!”, but this one is cut short due to the fact that the thug passed out in Michelangelo's arms. Michelangelo uses the exact same intimidation tactics as Batman, all the way down to uttering the same words fans have heard come from Batman’s mouth on more than one occasion. However, Michelangelo outdoes the Caped Crusader as he makes his perp pass out without throwing a single punch after putting more fear into him than Batman ever could.
To be fair, in terms of retaining Batman’s reputation, the reason the criminal Michelangelo so easily passed out is likely due to the fact that he was being screamed at by a giant talking turtle. Batman is in a menacing suit, but it is clear that he is just a man in a costume. Michelangelo, however, is literally a mutated turtle, something people aren’t used to seeing even more so than someone in a bat suit, assuredly making it easier for one to be so shocked that they lose consciousness.
The irony in this issue is that Michelangelo is one of the goofiest action stars in all of fiction, capable of amazing feats of heroism while also knowing how to have a good time akin to any other fun-loving teenager. If any one of the Turtles was going to outdo Batman in his own game, fans would likely assume that it would be Raphael, or perhaps even Leonardo, as those two are a bit more serious and hardcore of their other brothers. However, no matter how unlikely it may seem, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Michelangelo is scarier than Batman, and criminals know it.