BvS Batman or Superman: Which do you prefer?

[Tra-El]

And what's your point? Does that make him any less of a hero? I don't see how you can begrudge Batman of having toys when Superman was born with his nearly limitless power. Doesn't make sense to me at all.

I didn't say anything about Batman being a lesser hero. At all. Not sure where you read that. I'm actually making the point as the complete opposite of your post.

I don't get how one can begrudge Superman as being way too overpowered and limitless (but it makes sense from his alien origin) but skip the fact that Batman has toys that basically make him superhuman anyway and is portrayed as humanly indestructible. If there's anything that's unrelatable, as people hold against Superman, then I find Batman the most unrelatable in that regard since I see him written as a human BatGod while Superman is a God written as a human.

Fans can't relate to Superman because of his powers and his powers only. Pull that curtain back and you have a character that feels more human than any while pull the curtain back on Batman, he's a cold character separated from human existence that uses his luxery to be a superhero. It's pretty fascinating stuff. I just chuckle when people slam Superman in order to relate more to Batman when I just don't see that as the case.

 

[BatFan1979]

I didn't say anything about Batman being a lesser hero. At all. Not sure where you read that. I'm actually making the point as the complete opposite of your post.

I don't get how one can begrudge Superman as being way too overpowered and limitless (but it makes sense from his alien origin) but skip the fact that Batman has toys that basically make him superhuman anyway and is portrayed as humanly indestructible. If there's anything that's unrelatable, as people hold against Superman, then I find Batman the most unrelatable in that regard since I see him written as a human BatGod while Superman is a God written as a human.

Fans can't relate to Superman because of his powers and his powers only. Pull that curtain back and you have a character that feels more human than any while pull the curtain back on Batman, he's a cold character separated from human existence that uses his luxery to be a superhero. It's pretty fascinating stuff. I just chuckle when people slam Superman in order to relate more to Batman when I just don't see that as the case.

I find your point very interesting; its strange how even being an alien that is physically superior to humans in every way, Superman seems more human than other superheros. As apposed to Batman who, though human, lost a portion of that humanity when he lost his parents, and now is, as you say, "a cold character separated from human existence" by his vengeance and anger...at least in many of the comics anyway - the films have been a bit more mild version of that.

 

[Tra-El]

I find your point very interesting; its strange how even being an alien that is physically superior to humans in every way, Superman seems more human than other superheros. As apposed to Batman who, though human, lost a portion of that humanity when he lost his parents, and now is, as you say, "a cold character separated from human existence" by his vengeance and anger...at least in many of the comics anyway - the films have been a bit more mild version of that.

It really is fascinating stuff to me. These two characters are the BEST to breakdown if you have a sense of truly understanding them. That's the main problem in this debate of Batman V Superman IMO. Everybody, I feel, just GETS Batman but for some reason, doesn't get Superman. People call Superman boring, and that's a fair assessment but sometimes I think Superman, within all the layers of who he is as I dissected above, is one of the most interesting out of the bunch. In the end, it's his powerset people focus on at the end of the day and thus, label him boring and unrelatable.

I think fans get irritated with that for some reason, even though Superman is THEE definition of this comic book; superhero genre. When Superman hits supersonic speed in flight, people roll their eyes, but atleast it makes sense because of his alien inheritance. Batman on the other hand, can descend and glide in mid-air and speed around Gotham in his Batmobile and eject from it, glide in the air and defy gravity with his gadgets and people clap their heads off. It's interesting.

 

[BatFan1979]

It really is fascinating stuff to me. These two characters are the BEST to breakdown if you have a sense of truly understanding them. That's the main problem in this debate of Batman V Superman IMO. Everybody, I feel, just GETS Batman but for some reason, doesn't get Superman. People call Superman boring, and that's a fair assessment but sometimes I think Superman, within all the layers of who he is as I dissected above, is one of the most interesting out of the bunch. In the end, it's his powerset people focus on at the end of the day and thus, label him boring and unrelatable.

I think fans get irritated with that for some reason, even though Superman is THEE definition of this comic book; superhero genre. When Superman hits supersonic speed in flight, people roll their eyes, but atleast it makes sense because of his alien inheritance. Batman on the other hand, can descend and glide in mid-air and speed around Gotham in his Batmobile and eject from it, glide in the air and defy gravity with his gadgets and people clap their heads off. It's interesting.

Well, it's just that knowledge that Batman is a human that connects the viewer/player with him. Superman's powers are just out of the realm of possibility, so its easier for some to dismiss that character.

 

[Tra-El]

Well, it's just that knowledge that Batman is a human that connects the viewer/player with him. Superman's powers are just out of the realm of possibility, so its easier for some to dismiss that character.

Yeah, seems like that's mainly the case. Superman is basically being held against himself in this category for simply being alien while Batman can accomplish some crazy superheroic feats that rival the best of superheroes WITH superpowers but it's applauded BECAUSE he's human. I just see it as yes, Superman IS overpowered because of his origins, but I say "well, so is Batman...MORE-SO because you know, he's actually human that can do THAT?!"

Cool discussion.

 

[PacificBoy]

The distinction I make is that Batman became more than human to turn into a superhero, while Superman became the 'most human of us all' (in Batman's words) to turn into one.

 

[Superman_200]

Yeah, seems like that's mainly the case. Superman is basically being held against himself in this category for simply being alien while Batman can accomplish some crazy superheroic feats that rival the best of superheroes WITH superpowers but it's applauded BECAUSE he's human. I just see it as yes, Superman IS overpowered because of his origins, but I say "well, so is Batman...MORE-SO because you know, he's actually human that can do THAT?!"

Cool discussion.

I always liked Superman better because I always thought of it kind of like he is the McLaren F1 of superheroes. Batman is like the Ford Shelby GT500 SuperSnake. While the GT500 for the price, and everything is a terrific car, it is fast, it is stylish, powerful, etc. it is a car that someone with a good paycheck can afford. There are Shelby GT500s on the road relatively often. But, the McLaren is just above it in every way. It is faster, stronger, catches the eye more, it is a beautiful super power exotic beast that costs over $1,000,000 for starters. While he GT500 is the attainable cool car that is almost our of reach for the average middle class person, the McLaren is still better. They are great in their own class.

But, if I am just looking at which is the better car over all, (same as if I were just looking at which is the better superhero) I'd want the McLaren. Supermanto me is the McLaren of superheroes if that makes any sense.

 

[The Batman]

If you asked me "Batman or Superman?" before 1986, I probably would've had a tough time answering. Nowadays, I would definitely say Batman overall. Mainly because, ever since 1986, you can tell that on some level DC is constantly trying to apologize for Superman.

Whether it be Year One, Killing Joke, The Burton films,TAS, Nolan, The Arkham Games, etc, you can tell that DC/WB have faith in Batman as a concept.

Whereas I look at the MOS comic Book, much of his post crisis comics, Earth One, Superman Returns, The MOS movie, Smallville, etc...and I see versions of Superman that are, in some form or another, blatantly twisting Superman to fit some idea of what cool/modern heroes are. And it never really fits or feels right. And as a result, many of these Superman related products come off as bland or watered down in some way, IMO.

So yeah, as a character, the 1938-1986 Superman, the Superman who was undoubtedly the Best Superhero in the world, was on par with Modern Batman.

Most versions after that? Feels like a Superman pastiche rather than the real deal.

 

[Rorschach2012]

If you asked me "Batman or Superman?" before 1986, I probably would've had a tough time answering. Nowadays, I would definitely say Batman overall. Mainly because, ever since 1986, you can tell that on some level DC is constantly trying to apologize for Superman.

Whether it be Year One, Killing Joke, The Burton films,TAS, Nolan, The Arkham Games, etc, you can tell that DC/WB have faith in Batman as a concept.

Whereas I look at the MOS comic Book, much of his post crisis comics, Earth One, Superman Returns, The MOS movie, Smallville, etc...and I see versions of Superman that are, in some form or another, blatantly try twisting Superman to fit some idea of what cool/modern heroes are. And it never really fits or feels right. And as a result, many of these Superman related products come off as bland or watered down in some way, IMO.

So yeah, as a character, the 1938-1986 Superman, the Superman who was undoubtedly the Best Superhero in the world, was on par with Modern Batman.

Most versions after that? Feels like a Superman pastiche rather than the real deal.

Dude totally agreed.. great post. There are interpretations that come out every once and a while that are true to the character, All Star and STAS come to mind, but a lot of Superman material WB shows a clear lack of faith and confidence in the character. Just let Superman do his thing.

I hope they take Cavill's Superman into more of a Reeve direction. IMO with better special effects, a more sinister villain, and a better ending, Superman: The Movie would be the perfect Superman movie.

 

[The Batman]

IMO, in a perfect world, Cavill would act somewhat like Grant Morrison Superman, either All Star or the Superman from Grants Action Comics run

 

[hafizbat]

If you asked me "Batman or Superman?" before 1986, I probably would've had a tough time answering. Nowadays, I would definitely say Batman overall. Mainly because, ever since 1986, you can tell that on some level DC is constantly trying to apologize for Superman.

Whether it be Year One, Killing Joke, The Burton films,TAS, Nolan, The Arkham Games, etc, you can tell that DC/WB have faith in Batman as a concept.

Whereas I look at the MOS comic Book, much of his post crisis comics, Earth One, Superman Returns, The MOS movie, Smallville, etc...and I see versions of Superman that are, in some form or another, blatantly twisting Superman to fit some idea of what cool/modern heroes are. And it never really fits or feels right. And as a result, many of these Superman related products come off as bland or watered down in some way, IMO.

So yeah, as a character, the 1938-1986 Superman, the Superman who was undoubtedly the Best Superhero in the world, was on par with Modern Batman.

Most versions after that? Feels like a Superman pastiche rather than the real deal.

Great post. I'd like to see WB bring Superman into the modern world, without sacrificing the essence of the character.

Marvel has done just that with Captain America. Not only is he popular and appealing to today's audiences, they've done so without taking away his most important characteristics (sincerity, honesty, righteousness, humbleness, etc). The Winter Soldier was a stellar exploration into the character of Steve Rogers, and how he would deal with the issues we face today.

MoS, on the other hand, felt exactly how you described it- A watered down Superman twisted to look cool/modern. "Superman pastiche" as you aptly put it.

 

[Lencho01]

If you asked me "Batman or Superman?" before 1986, I probably would've had a tough time answering. Nowadays, I would definitely say Batman overall. Mainly because, ever since 1986, you can tell that on some level DC is constantly trying to apologize for Superman.

Whether it be Year One, Killing Joke, The Burton films,TAS, Nolan, The Arkham Games, etc, you can tell that DC/WB have faith in Batman as a concept.

Whereas I look at the MOS comic Book, much of his post crisis comics, Earth One, Superman Returns, The MOS movie, Smallville, etc...and I see versions of Superman that are, in some form or another, blatantly twisting Superman to fit some idea of what cool/modern heroes are. And it never really fits or feels right. And as a result, many of these Superman related products come off as bland or watered down in some way, IMO.

So yeah, as a character, the 1938-1986 Superman, the Superman who was undoubtedly the Best Superhero in the world, was on par with Modern Batman.

Most versions after that? Feels like a Superman pastiche rather than the real deal.

IMO, in a perfect world, Cavill would act somewhat like Grant Morrison Superman, either All Star or the Superman from Grants Action Comics run

Agreed.

And I think it would've been interesting to have seen a Superman (in a series of films) where he goes from the "brash social justice" kid at the start of Morrison's Action Comics run into the "mature champion of the people" man of All-Star. Best of both worlds.

 

[antonydelfini]

Both characters appeal to me greatly.

Batman appeals to me a lot because he experienced something negative/traumatic/tragic, and instead of letting that bad experience crush him, it made him stronger and used that as a drive to do something good and positive in the world.

Superman appeals to me a lot because he has the powers the rule the world/ become famous/ become rich/ have plenty of groupies/ do anything basically, but what does he do with his time and powers? Help/ save/ protect people. Both as Clark Kent and Superman. And why does he do it? Because it's what's right. Because despite his awesome physical powers, his greatest power is his heart of gold.

I find Superman more inspiring, so I voted for him.

 

[TheFirstAvenger]

Aren't Batman and Superman two sides of the same coin?
(That's no longer currency)

 

[The Batman]

Great post. I'd like to see WB bring Superman into the modern world, without sacrificing the essence of the character.

Marvel has done just that with Captain America. Not only is he popular and appealing to today's audiences, they've done so without taking away his most important characteristics (sincerity, honesty, righteousness, humbleness, etc). The Winter Soldier was a stellar exploration into the character of Steve Rogers, and how he would deal with the issues we face today.

MoS, on the other hand, felt exactly how you described it- A watered down Superman twisted to look cool/modern. "Superman pastiche" as you aptly put it.

Captain America was badass in TWS, and they didn't need to make his character "edgy" to do it. They took the characteristic of questioning the government right from the comics too.

Agreed.

And I think it would've been interesting to have seen a Superman (in a series of films) where he goes from the "brash social justice" kid at the start of Morrison's Action Comics run into the "mature champion of the people" man of All-Star. Best of both worlds.

That's the type of character arc I'd like to see in a Superman trilogy.

 

[hafizbat]

Captain America was badass in TWS, and they didn't need to make his character "edgy" to do it. They took the characteristic of questioning the government right from the comics too.

Precisely This might be a bit philosophical, but that film gave me real hope that this new generation doesn't need only "edgy", dark, and flawed heroes. Cap proved that the good ol' fashioned, actually-heroic hero isn't dead just yet. Ideally, a Superman film would give me the same hope.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Overall, I prefer Batman by an enormous margin. In my 30+ years of reading comics, I've only found a select few Superman stories to be palatable. Batman has always felt more natural and complex.

However, if we are comparing Cavill's Supes to Batfleck, I'll take Cavill in split second.

 

[Jekecy]

Overall, I prefer Batman by an enormous margin. In my 30+ years of reading comics, I've only found a select few Superman stories to be palatable. Batman has always felt more natural and complex.

However, if we are comparing Cavill's Supes to Batfleck, I'll take Cavill in split second.

Which, beyond your ability to time travel, is impossible at this point.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Which, beyond your ability to time travel, is impossible at this point.

That's only a technicality. There are numerous actors/actresses who I knew we ill-fitting for certain roles the moment they were cast and the execution was a foregone conclusion. With Affleck, we have a close template in Daredevil. The guy just doesn't have a Bruce Wayne presence.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Batman. He's my favorite character of all time. I still really love Superman though.

 

[Frodo]

When I was a child in the 80's , Superman all the way since we had Chris Reeve at his peak. Then in 1989 , that changed and I became obsessed with Batman thanks to Michael Keaton, and seeing that film in the theater with a packed audience opening week was amazing, and something I'll never forget. In my teens it was was Spider-man all the way. Lol.

Seriously, I love both of them for different reasons. Everytime I hear the John Williams theme it evokes all the myths and epiciness of this character from every version including Smallville, Lois and Clark, and MOS.

At the same time Batman is such a fascinating, mysterious, and operatic character with these amazing and Iconic characters in pop culture. He's just such a cool and badass character.

 

[CuppaJoe07]

Call me crazy, but I didn't think Superman was all that "Edgy" or that they sacrificed much of what he is at his core in MOS. I think the overall tone of the film was something that people weren't used to seeing in a Superman film, and that is completely understandable. I walked out of Man Of Steel still feeling like the Superman of that film was the inspiring, heroic, altruistic hero I've always loved. I know I'm definitely in the minority, but Man of Steel somehow struck me emotionally. I guess it's kind of difficult to explain, but I found it quite beautifully done.

 

[Boy Scout]

You're hardly in the minority.

 

[CuppaJoe07]

Really? I guess that's good to know. It doesn't feel like it though, given the overall opinion from commenters on articles and such.

 

[IncognitoWalrus]

I prefer Superman, but Batman's not that far off anyway.