Tag: superman and batman

Superman and Batman: Views on Humanity

Mar. 05 Characters no comments

Superman and Batman are as opposite as two crime fighters could possibly be. This series has explored some of the various ways in which the two characters differ in their perspectives on life. This article continues the series by exploring Superman’s view of humanity and comparing it to Batman’s view.

Superman and Batman

Superman and Batman

Superman’s View of Humanity

Kal-El believes humanity is a state of purity in the universe. He fights crime in order to preserve the innocence and ideal of humanity. His love for humanity has progressed to the point in which he has wished himself to be human. There have been a few instances in which he has obtained humanity for a short time only to realize his place in the universe is to preserve and to save humanity and not to every fully become part of it.

Batman’s View of Humanity

Batman tries to hide his own humanity under the caul of his batsuit. Humanness is a sign of weakness since humans feel pain and other emotions which get in the way of any goal. A bat does not feel love or sadness, it survives. Bruce Wayne pushes others aside because he does not want to intertwine with someone else’s humanity. It has been said that the night is not the place for a person. He strives in an environment which average people would shun. The darkness symbolizes a lack of humanity so it is the perfect place for the Dark Knight.

Superman sees humanity and humanness as a strength and as something which should be preserved for as long as possible. Batman sees humanity and humanness as something which should be shunned and avoided as much as possible. Complete opposites for sure. We should all expect this difference to be exploited in Batman/Superman when it comes out later this year.

Batman/Superman: Differences in Fighting Crime

Batman and Superman: DC’s Yin and Yang

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Batman/Superman: Differences in Fighting Crime

Feb. 26 Characters Comments Off on Batman/Superman: Differences in Fighting Crime

The release of Batman/Superman gets closer every day, and it makes sense to explore the characters differences before the launch of the new title. Superman and Batman are very different characters as one draws power from the sun while the other draws power from the darkness in his own heart. This series explores some of the ways that Bruce Wayne is the anti-Kal-El. This addition will explore why each character fights crime.

Superman and Batman

Superman and Batman

Superman

Superman wishes to preserve the sanctity of humanity, and his goal should be expected to carry over in Batman/Superman. Since he cannot become fully human himself, he attempts to preserve what he visualizes as the innocence of humanity. He is driven to make the world a better place for others and the easiest way to do so is to eliminate crime. Of course, he has gone off the deep end such as when he wanted to rid the world of nuclear devices – but we will not discuss that at length here since I don’t want to go off on a tangent about the stupidest movie in the original series or about how sad it was that the story carried over into the printed pages.

Batman

Batman is different from Superman in that he does not simply want to preserve the sanctity and innocence of humanity. Wayne’s alter ego wants to make criminals pay for the sins which they committed. Where Superman cares more for the victim, the victim of a crime is often insignificant to the Dark Knight when compared to the inner need to make a criminal pay. Fans should hope this difference becomes a cause for friction in Batman/Superman.

Which Side Drives You?

I remember reading an essay years ago in college in which a professor believed certain aspects about a student’s personality could be discerned by finding out if he or she related more to Batman or Superman. The explanation went through the idea of people who wanted to push for peace would identify more with Superman while people who believed criminals should pay their dues the hard way would identify with Batman. If I can ever dig up the essay, I will be sure to link it here. Then you could read the upcoming issues of Batman/Superman and see where you fall.

Batman/Superman

While Batman/Superman will not be the first mixing of Superman and Batman, it will be the first in the New 52. Read about my ideas on the title by following this link.

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Superman and Batman Title: Been There Before Batman/Superman

Feb. 22 Comics no comments

The mass media is picking up on DC’s announcement of a new pairing of Superman and Batman. The new series will focus on how the two iconic characters met in the New 52. I am sorry, but I cannot get excited about Batman/Superman.

Superman and Batman

Superman and Batman

Exclude This Reason

Some people who know me might automatically exclude my ideas about a Superman and Batman pairing in Batman/Superman because of the fact that I just don’t like Superman. Exclude this reasoning now because there are other reasons why I will not be reading.

Been There Done That

Granted, this will be the first title for Superman and Batman in the New 52, but so what? In the three decades I have been reading comics, I have lost track of the number of times the two characters have teamed up. I have lost track of the number of issues I have read in which the two disagree on the way to handle criminals. Even though some of the variables have changed in the New 52, the basis of how the two characters differ remains the same and will be nothing more than a regurgitation of the arguments we have read in the past.

WTF?

We are a matter of weeks away from DC’s WTF?. The goal of this new marker in the DC Universe is to shakeup the market in the hopes of bringing more of a market share to the publishing company which slipped into second place behind Marvel. DC will do anything to regain the lead and the plotlines in WTF should prove the point. This is change for the sake of change and it is not what the fans want. Fans want strong storylines and characters they can relate to and give a damn about. I see Batman/Superman as a twist on WTF?, and another attempt to snatch a little market share instead of giving the fans what they want.

How Many Titles Do Superman and Batman Need?

A large portion of my monthly pull list revolves around Batman and the Family but I do not see myself wanting to add another Bat-title to the list. DC needs to take a step back and look at the titles in the New 52 and how they are dominated by Batman, Superman, and the Green Lantern. Adding another title to any of these lines, especially to Superman and Batman, could easily cause a character’s bubble to pop. Now I am not saying that fans will give up on Superman or Batman when Batman/Superman comes out – but there will be ones that find they have to take a step back from some of the titles because of character inundation.

Why Now?

Oddly, this is the week in which Batwoman proposed to her girlfriend but few major media outlets picked up the story. DC was figuring on a media push so there is good reason to believe this announcement was pushed up to keep investors and the big wheels happy. Too bad I can’t get the Barenaked Ladies line out of my head, “It’s all been done before.” I guess it is time to dust off that CD.

Special Note:

Just because I will not be reading the new Superman and Batman title should not lead anyone to believe we will not carry Batman/Superman in the store. I don’t do the ordering – I just spread the word.

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Batman and Superman: DC’s Yin and Yang

Feb. 14 Characters no comments

Batman is often considered a polar opposite of Superman. Even though both fight for good, they go about doing so in opposite ways. Some even consider Dark Knight is the anti-Kal-El. The differences between the two can sometimes be as apparent as night and day. You could easily explain Batman and Superman as the Yin and the Yang of the DC Universe.

Superman and Batman

Superman and Batman

Superman’s Power

While the residents of Krypton are smarter than humans, the benefits of the now-dead civilization end at technology. Once Kal-El arrived on Earth, he was granted superpowers by the rays of our yellow sun. During instances in which he has left our plane of existence, he has lost the majority of his strength and superpowers.

This symbolizes how Superman is a hero of the light and has led to analogies between the character and messiah-like characters throughout human mythology. The sun is a life-giver to the Earth and it would make sense that a messiah character from the comics would gain “new life” through the power of the sun’s light.

Batman’s Power

Batman cannot fly on his own will and he cannot create tornadoes while running. He does not have super strength and does not have laser-shooting eyes. He is a man who can create interesting tools to help him avenge victims of crime. Instead of being a child of the sun, he is the son or darkness.

The shadows of Gotham match the darkness in Bruce Wayne’s heart. Just like his costume, Batman wears the darkness like a cloak. The darkness reminds criminals that the Dark Knight might be hiding around the next corner.

The Yin and the Yang

Superman is mostly good, but has displayed a dark side when Lois Lane or any other character he cares about is in trouble. Bruce Wayne is mostly a dark character but has a bit of light in his heart. It would be an easy analogy to state that the two characters are the Yin and the Yang of DC Comics. The two comics constantly balance the other with one being a positive story about bringing criminals to justice and the other being a darker story about giving criminals the beatings they deserve. At times, the two characters find themselves working together, but know it should never be a permanent endeavor.

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