Who is the ultimate detective L or Near?

[Demon_Lord_Sesshomaru5]

This is an impportant debate topic. Most would think Near would be smarter just cause he found a hole in the balloon of Light's plans, but we all truely know the truth. L is truly smarter and more educated than Near could ever be. I mean 4 pete sake Near was raised 2 be lik L in the 1st place. So com and place ur thoughts plz, im very interested in ur thoughts.  

[AlmostRulingTheWorld]

I think they are both smart in different ways. They have different techniques in the ways they go about solving cases. Near just happened to catch Light, but we don't really know that L wouldn't have been able to if he hadn't died. Also, L has a lot more experience to show than Near so I couldn't say which one of them is better for sure.
Hopefully I explained that clearly...  

[Demon_Lord_Sesshomaru5]

u jst covered all bases of y L is more entelligent stare  

[Akiko-infinity]

You, sir, are biased. stare  

[Dynaswhore]

I dont think this is a fair comparison. sweatdrop
1 has more experience than the other, N was raised and groomed to become the next L. N wouldn't have exactly solved the case without some clues dropped by M.
M+N= L so Near is only half of L, two halves make a whole. Thats comparing a half to a whole. Plus Near said "together they can surpass L." So alone...i dont think Near could have done it.

EDIT: however I admire near because he wasn't foolish enough to get himself killed, in the end when he wore the mask to protect himself, some people could say that's selfish, however I think its smart, he was just looking out for himself. That gives him the advantage compared to the other wammys who gave their life.  

[DomaDoma]

If a shinigami had found it necessary to kill Near, Near would be just as screwed... or, alternately, given Mello's information, spend a whole hell of a longer time trying to trap Light using less juicy bait than his own life. Which makes Near's edge over L the product of his hermitish lifestyle and Sidoh's big mouth. If you need a dumb blabbermouth like Sidoh to give you an edge, you didn't get the edge legitimately.