While I did not think AzBats was all that great, he was not suposed to be.

The reader was not supposed to like him better than Bruce Wayne as Batman. Jean Paul filled a need for Chuck Dixon and was quickly demoted to sub-sidekick once Bruce won the mantle back (only give it over to Dick for a time after that).

Another comparison, that I feel you missed above, was that while Batman is very much a “Demon” of the night Azrael was the exact opposite in being an angel of the light (an assassin yes, but of the light).

Denny O Neil picked up Azrael’s own book for the remainder of its run but when he stopped there was no one else who understood the character like he did.