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What We Talk About When We Talk About Batman and Superman
Each society and country has its mythical heroes and believes that these heroes are there to protect them from bad people and dark power. Both Batman and Superman were created in comical imagery as heroes who fought for human rights and used their superpowers in saving the world. They are both full of powers and have a lot of strength to save the earth and serve justice. The two superheroes are not enemies and have similarities as they are both famous worldwide and are readily available to provide help whenever the need arises. However, Batman and Superman are quite different in their personalities, costumes, and superpowers.
When we talk about Batman and Superman, we majorly focus on their relationship and how they perceive each other. Even though they are not enemies, there are facts about their relationship that we should know. There is a film titled The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller that presents them as enemies who lived in a dystopian kind of future. They were not chummy friends. Therefore, in this paper, I focus on the things about their relationship that made no sense. Batman is a pessimist whose childhood experiences make him believe that there is nothing good in the world and that the only way criminals can reform is by scaring them. On the contrary, Superman is an optimist who believes that the world is good and that leading by example, and inspiration can make criminals change their ways. This difference comes in because they come from different backgrounds, and the life experiences in those backgrounds have shaped their ways of viewing things.
When Batman lost his parents when he was a young boy, he realized early that the world was not a smooth and feeling place. He learned that it would be better for him to have fewer or no emotional attachments and be self-reliant. This was because the emotional attachments would be a tool for breaking his spirit. However, Superman did not give him a point to end his grief in being an isolated loner. Superman was a hypocrite because he ridiculed Batman’s trust issues and was also the first to present him with a kryptonite ring as he did not trust himself not to be taken as an evil’s weapon. Superman would be equally mistrustful as Batman, but he hid it out.
Casual fans may believe that Batman and Superman fight a lot, but it isn’t. They do not fight that much. The Dark Knight film only captures the best of their ego and presents it as an infinite crisis. They are presented as if they cannot reconcile on their different ideologies about the world. Batman and Superman have mutual respect, which is evident in the different storylines where they are shown as best friends who have no animosity.
The friendship between Batman and Superman was a result of the Silver and Gold comics’ age. This was when Batman was a Caped Crusader while Superman was a smiling do-gooder, with their common objective being to fight crime. They were shown as the best friends of the days. This was until the 1940s’ post-war pep fell on the 1970s’ urban decay, and readers of comics demanded grittier storylines. After the comic The Dark Knight Returns, Batman’s wish was to end Superman because he was a puppet of the government who tried to curtail vigilante spree against the Gotham dystopian chaos. It was after this when their animosity intensified.
Although Batman and Superman do not share backgrounds, most of their life experiences are similar. This makes them walk on parallel and divergent paths. Batman’s parents died when he was a young boy, which makes him jealous that Superman has grown with parental affection and love. On the other hand, Superman has incredible abilities, which makes him jealous that Batman became a superhero on his own merit even though he did not have the privileges of superpowers. Even though none of them would admit it, Batman and Superman are jealous of each other and what they have or do not have. The jealousy has made them scared of one another when they have to be bonding over what they have in common and celebrating their differences.
The Dark Knight Returns is one of the most known comic films. This comic has helped in laying the groundwork for the brooding and dark Batman take enjoyed today. The storyline of this comic also features Superman as a lackey, a dystopian future leader, who was very frightened by Batman’s vigilante justice brand that he sent Superman to fish him. This comic also inspired Batman v Superman’s storyline, but in the film, it is Lex Luthor who pits Superman against Batman. Superman accepts fighting against Batman as Luthor will kill his mother while Batman fights Superman as he believes he is not responsible for the powers he has.
Even though it is interesting to read on superheroes who save the world, their repeated winning and success by these beings can become dull and repetitive. And with a large number of superheroes from which readers can choose, they begin wondering who would be on top if it were a competition. Because Batman began his career to fight against crime as a depowered Superman, it was like he could not compete with the Steel Man. But publishers of comic books realized that they sold more issues when they showed two heroes who seemed to be fighting on book covers, so they fabricated their storylines to draw brutal covers and attract readers to wanting to know if Batman would one day be on top. In the Silver and Gold Ages, when Batman and Superman were known as the finest team of the world, Action Comics perceived them in several adventures. Even though they acted united, it was not frequent, and they both had guest spots in one another’s storylines rather than the partnership levels they had before. Currently, Batman and Superman enjoy mutual friendship and respect, but in the recent past, writers held that their egos, which were hypertrophied, would not allow them to unite.
Overall, even though both Batman and Superman are superheroes, there are particular differences between them in terms of personality, superpowers, and appearance. Different groups of people may like or dislike either of them due to these differences. However, they are both superheroes and were created to serve justice and truth. They have a significant role in the culture of the world. They act as role models to teach about justice. They reveal the fact that dark enemies will always be defeated by truth and justice.
Works Cited
Abraham Riesman. What We Talk About When We Talk About Batman and Superman. www.vulture.com/2016/03/batman-v-superman-c-v-r.html Accessed August 11, 2020.