Since the early 1930s, readers of comic strips and comic books have been entertained by cartoons depicting heroic characters such as Dick Tracy, Buck Rogers, and, of course, Batman and Superman. With improvements in mass communication, exposure to heroic values represented in make-believe people with extraordinary abilities reached out to millions of fans world-wide. Boys and girls of all ages identified with the struggles of these heroes as they battled evil villains and monsters, relating to their human shortcomings and needs. Perhaps the two most famous of the fictional superheroes are Batman and Superman.
The fictional superhero Superman was created in 1933 for DC Comics by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster (“Superman”). The character of Batman came into being in Detective Comics six years later through the talent of writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane (DC Comics). In the decades since, their personalities, histories, villainous enemies, and storylines have continued to grow. In the recently released movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the two heroes go to battle against each other and then common foes (IMDb). In the course of the film, comparisons are drawn between the two characters in a number of different areas and the question is asked, “Who is the better superhero, Batman or Superman?”. While there are strong arguments on both sides, the superior example is clearly Batman.
Before weighing the strengths and weaknesses of Batman and Superman in meeting the definition of a “superhero”, it is necessary to determine the criteria. A “superhero” is a fictional character with powers that are more than those of a usual human, as in Superman’s ability to fly; the definition also is simply “a very heroic person” (Merriam-Webster.com). Therefore, Batman does fall into the category of a superhero even though he is still only a human being who has trained himself to high standards of strength and skill.
It is the differences between Batman and Superman that fuel the debate as to which is the better hero figure. First, Superman really does not appear to be super-intelligent. Granted, he came from genius parents, but he was raised by farmers in a rural school system. On the other hand, Batman came from wealth and apparently not only received the best education, but continued to actively pursue knowledge his entire life. Superman was given his superpowers without any personal effort, but Bruce Wayne (Batman’s secret identity) trained himself at great personal sacrifice to achieve his peak fighting abilities and combat skills. Batman had to maintain personal discipline to maintain his superhero abilities while Superman could do so with no effort at all. In addition, Bruce Wayne had access to large amounts of capital for the development and manufacturing of supplemental equipment, vehicles, and aircraft, but he had to invent them himself. Since Batman always operated in the shadows and was even perceived as a criminal himself, he is the darkness compared to the perception of Superman as an almost God-like creature; in fact, in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman is referred to several times as being revered as a god (IMDb).
Heroic qualities do not necessary refer to strength. In this department, Superman obviously has the advantage. However, in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman uses kryptonite to briefly strip Superman of his powers and appears to be able to take him in a fair fight (IMDb). It is true that many, if not most, heroes dating from classical times committed murder in the name of justice or patriotism and Batman is no exception; he has even been seen to use a gun. However, in the words of another famous movie character, his victims “ were all bad”. Superman only appears to cause innocent others to die as collateral damage. It seems Batman is able to avoid this consequence in his battles.
There are some areas where Superman has the upper hand as far as values. Batman fights crime out of a personal vendetta for his murdered parents while Superman performs acts of heroism to protect people. While Superman was given his powers, he had to learn how to use them, generally by trial and error, and as an adult moved to the city where he worked diligently at a low-paying job without taking monetary appreciation for his acts of heroism. Superman works within the parameters of the law, but Batman does whatever is necessary to get his job done. Clark Kent is the “all-American boy”, loyal to one woman, adores his mother (paying frequent visits both in and out of the caped uniform), never displaying the need for wealth, and rarely being shown as rising to anger. Superman may be a space alien, but he accepts Earth as his adoptive planet in the same manner as he accepted his adoptive parents. Batman fights crime because he wants revenge for the death of his parents, but Clark Kent had no childhood trauma and protects all the inhabitants of Earth just because it’s the right thing to do. Batman, on the other hand, is emotionally damaged (Dantzler 2). He broods excessively. Bruce Wayne has no family members and his closest friend appears to be his butler. He is obsessed with either fighting crime or getting ready to fight crime. In the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he even started torturing his captured criminals by branding them with his logo (IMDb). Superman doesn’t brand his enemies.
There are some similarities between Batman and Superman. For instance, they are both “good guys”, fighting for the same principles although they go about it in completely different ways. They each had loving parents, although Bruce lost his as a young boy to a murderer and Clark Kent (aka Superman) was raised by an adoptive couple. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are both superheroes on a part-time basis; Bruce has a reputation as a playboy and philanthropist to maintain while running a multi-billion dollar corporation and Clark works as a reporter for a newspaper. Despite Superman’s ultimate powers and Batman’s wealth, neither hero allows their advantages to corrupt their values or alter their purpose. They both use their abilities whenever needed without expecting praise or reward.
In conclusion, Batman and Superman act as classical heroes did in that they teach lessons and inspire their fans to aspire to something higher than themselves by promoting values such as bravery, selflessness, sacrifice, and inner strength. When people look for a hero, they identify with one who overcomes adversity (Cates 833). Superman has the occasional enemy with the ability to make things a tad uncomfortable for him, but Batman operates with the psychological baggage of being orphaned at a young age, enduring isolation throughout his life although it was generally self-imposed, and continually struggling with a public perception that he was not a hero, but actually a criminal. Batman may be slightly warped psychologically, but Superman is more than a little bland. An audience is not drawn toward bland. When a person looks for a hero, he doesn’t look for a Superman with powers he can never hope to claim, but to a Batman who applies himself to his goals, functions for the good of others, and consistently achieves successful results with only the assistance of a few billion dollars worth of high-tech gadgets. With the assistance of a winning lottery ticket or a surprise inheritance, the implication is that anyone can be a superhero. The qualities Batman displays make him more reliable, trustworthy, and ultimately the best superhero.
Works Cited
Cates, I. "On the Literary Use 0f Superheroes; Or, Batman And Superman Fistfight In Heaven".
American Literature 83.4 (2011): 831-857. Web.
Dantzler, Perry Dupre. "Static, Yet Fluctuating: The Evolution of Batman and His Audiences".
Masters. Georgia State University, 2009. Print.
DC Comics. "Batman". DC Comics. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 May 2016.
IMDb. "Batman V Superman:Dawn of Justice (2016)". IMDb. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 May
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Merriam-Webster.com. "Definition of SUPERHERO". Merriam-Webster.com. N.p., 2016. Web.
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