To answer this we do need to take into consideration some variables, when I say "better" I don't mean who could win in a fight, I'm talking about who is the better character however I will be talking about a fight between them because it is definitely a factor in this question. Lets get to it then!
Who would win in a fight
Your probably thinking "this is a no-brainer" is it? yes Superman has all the strengths and powers one being dreams of but remember his morals, like batman he is against killing so he will not kill batman but he could. Superman could kill batman but it wouldn't be that straight forward, Batman is very trained and well equipped just look at stories such as "The Dark knight returns" with the help of some Kryptonite, Batman beats Superman before having a heart attack; do not underestimate the dark knight.
But in reality if you got rid of their morals, Superman would win. Superman has strength, speed, awesome powers so yes the Man of Steel would beat Batman in a fight but this doesn't mean that he is better, oh no! we are far from that answer yet!
Why is Superman better?
To tackle this, I thought I would do a section on each character stating their good points. A lot of us like Superman because of his raw strength and abilities, they are amazing! he can fly, he can crush most objects on this earth and can freeze anything with his ice breath, who doesn't love that! But the problem with Superman is that he is TOO good, there aren't many things that can beat him. Kryptonite can kill him, Doomsday can as well but a bullet to the head would do nothing. So in many respects that may make his stories tedious and quite repetitive however all the comics I have read have been a lot of fun to read. Superman's origin story is also important to his character and its one of the main things I love about Superman, he has a great story. An orphan alien lands on a farm and is adopted by a couple, he is raised in a life of confusion until everything becomes clear and he is transformed into a patriotic symbol for hope and prosperity. It's the little things such as an origin which make him the famous character he is and the fact he has been around for 76 years. What you must also think about is Superman's heroic capabilities, he can and has saved the earth dozens of times which makes him the god of all heroes.
So lets sum the Man of Steel up
Good
- Awesome powers
- A great origin story
- His costume
- His meaning- he is the perfect symbol for hope
- He is an inspirational figure
- Can save a planet
- The juxtaposition between Superman and his true identity Clark Kent (Kal-El)
Bad
- Possibility of tedious stories however being around for 76 years hasn't stopped him so I could be wrong about that.
- Too powerful- but it does create an awesome comic or movie
- Early years he spent his life as a cheesy character (The same can be said about Batman)
- His weakness is a space rock- yes its an interesting twist instead of a loved one but its a rock
Why is Batman better?
I have been a huge fan of the dark knight for a while now and I've read a lot of comics and I've even gone into depth about the philosophy of Batman and why he has had such a big impact. Like superman he has been around for a long time, he was created in 1939 and is still kicking ass better than before and I think it may be because he has been portrayed better in the media. He has starred in 8 live action films, has had 3 (4 including Arkham Knight) games based around him and probably thousands of comics released. In many respects I think it was easier to create a Batman film and game compared to Superman because of the technology required to create superman. So his appearances definitely impact the character itself because like Superman he is recognisable worldwide but there is something special about Batman, something that makes him the better hero.
Batman is human, he doesn't have any superpowers and he wasn't born on an alien planet. This makes him better because as a human I think we favour him more and like any human he can be hurt. Unlike superman he has many weaknesses, Illness, poisons, guns and other natural deaths; he can't escape all of them. One of the most recognisable things about Batman (apart from his costume) is his origin and morals. He has such a tragic past, watching his parents being gunned down must have been traumatising and it was that day that he swore he would fight against crime. A few years a go I said I would join a gym, the closest I got was walking past it! the fact he kept his promise is amazing, the fact he has turned a fear into a strength is unbelievable and the fact he has been training most of his life to protect his city is honourable. Batman doesn't have superman's strength to save an entire city but its his determination which creates the best stories. I also think he has a better costume! what separates him from other DC characters is his dark and brooding attitude towards life and crime, comparing him to Superman I don't see him as an inspirational figure because he is such a dark and distraught character. So lets sum the dark knight up like I did with superman, there will be a few extra points.
Good
- He is an absolute genius! he creates his own tools and is without a doubt the worlds greatest detective
- His skills are awesome, he has trained himself to physical perfection without the help of yellow sun rays
- A tragic past has made him an incredible character who we sympathise with.
- His story encourages good
- Batman has limits, this allows creators to publish an interesting story that tests the dark knight
- He's human
- An awesome costume
- Alfred
- The juxtaposition between Batman and his true identity, Bruce Wayne
- He is known for appearing in some of the greatest comic books ever
- memorable villains
- He has limits, the fact he has these limits makes his stories less spectacular but still very interesting!
- He can save a street, not the world (may be considered a good think?)
- His past was very cheesy (thank you Adam west)
- He can't get rid of a bomb (1966)
So... What's my final verdict? well it goes down to what I believe and what you believe. I personally prefer Batman because I find him interesting, his films are awesome, the games are amazing and his stories are fantastic and his origin is... tragically brilliant. As well as the media side to Batman, he is human but as a human he has done so much like master many fighting styles and build things that will help him protect Gotham, Superman doesn't do any of that because he has the tools he needs like impenetrable skin and x-ray vision!
But... Superman is still awesome! there's no doubt about it.
I want to know what you think as well!
I realised I've written a lot so thank you for reading it all (or trying) I salute the people who got to this point.
I hope you enjoyed :)
Until Next time.
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