Popular Heros are numerous, but not always recognized. Firefighters are extremely courageous and it's sometimes not realized until one's own life is saved by one of those men or women. Some may think the only reason a person becomes a firefighter is because of the pay and I'm sure that's true for some firefighters, but most certainly not all of them. To be able to run into a burning building with nothing but a few layers of clothing and oxygen tank to keep them alive takes a special type of person. They go into work fully knowing the severe risk that they are taking, but they do it anyway. When they run into a burning building I imagine them not thinking I might die, but rather I might just save someone's life. Firefighters define what it is to be a true hero.
Literary Heros usually have some sort of superhuman ability that is desired by the audience. Batman; however, does not have such traits. Bruce is just a normal guy (extreme wealth, buffness, and cat-like reflexes put aside) who attempts to save the lives of the innocent people of Gotham City from a wide array of ridiculously dressed psychopaths. What makes Batman stand out is the fact that he isn't destined to protect the people because he has a superpower that would qualify him as a freak if he wasn't a superhero; he does it because it's simply the right thing to do. He may say, "Gotham NEEDS Batman," but that's really just a cover up for "I like protecting the well-being and overall safety of the people of Gotham and really deep down inside, behind my fake manly voice, I'm just a soft-hearted guy". Somehow that dialogue didn't fit so well into the Batman script. In other words, Batman is selfless and genuinely cares about the people in his beloved Gotham City.
