Superman Vs Batman
Lately I've become such a crazy Superman fan...mainly Superman and Lois, actually, but yeah...if I had time I'd definately waste it looking for comics and watching the old shows and everything.
And every week we have to do a (very small) argumentative essay on a topic with two opposing sources. So I did Superman vs Batman and everyone FLIPPED OUT and either loved it or hated it...but everyone thought it was good.
And I think it's funny and so
Among all the debates that rage through America, whether they be regarding politics, ethics, religion, or pop culture, one has withstood almost seventy years of debate and dissection. This exemplary debate is of superiority; specifically, which is better- Superman, or Batman? For reasons on the surface and easily understood as well as ulterior evidence, Superman is clearly the better superhero overall.
Both Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, as well as every other superhero in culture, made the similar choice to fight crime. The motivation for this decision is different for each hero, and when comparing Clark Kent’s decision to don the mantle of Superman with Bruce Wayne’s choice to put his inexorable wealth towards becoming Batman, this motivation is key. As a child, Bruce Wayne watched his parents’ murder at the hands of a mugger. This experience leads him to devote the rest of his life to combating crime, and thus “his motivation seems not to be protection of the citizens of Gotham so much as extending punishment to its criminals”. Although this situation clearly ends up positively and the souls Batman saves most likely couldn’t care less what leads their angst-filled savior to sweep up the criminals, Batman’s motivations are inferior to the inherent goodness in Superman’s motivation. Clark Kent grew up knowing he was not human and thus had no real pull towards protecting humanity, but his deeply instilled American values and moral code he learned on his own drew him to the notion that “humanity is to be served and protected from all of those who wish to do them harm”. This notion and creed makes Batman’s lust for vengeance, even with the best of results, seem sophomoric and heartless.
It is in the very etymology of superhero that these men both have something that make them truly super. These superpowers and abilities are what make Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent into the Batman and Superman they are known to be. These super abilities are the most basic of the differences between Batman and Superman. Superman’s abilities of flight, heat vision, superhuman strength, near-invulnerability, and super-speed all come from his heritage as a kryptonian. Batman, in opposition, is completely human; quite an exceptionally fit, wealthy, and genius human, but human nonetheless. Batman is renowned for his quick-thinking and prescience, met with his wealth always supporting his ingenious ideas. These exceptional human qualities of genius, power, and abounding wealth can be found in yet another comic book character by the name of Lex Luthor. This man has yet to destroy Superman in all his years of targeted efforts, even with kryptonite. Bruce Wayne is better suited to fight so-called super villains like mad clowns and burn victims and leave the truly world-threatening forces to the real Man of Steel.
These masked crime-fighters are only half of who the heroes truly are. Although Clark Kent is, for lack of a better word, a geek and Bruce Wayne is not exactly his social equal, the morality of the characters places our Superman once again triumphant. Batman has a finely tuned sense of right and wrong, but his cynical, black-and-white view of humanity leads him to have no emotional value in his friends. Bruce Wayne feasts on his own angst, letting both sides of his life thrive on the gothic traditions that keep him cynical. Bruce Wayne hardly lets anyone close to him at all, and in fact leads a love life that would be better suited for the playboy mansion than a child’s comic book. Conversely, Clark Kent and his alter-ego thrive on hope and Clark’s stubborn nature to do the right thing. While Superman literally soars above Batman in fields of superpowers, Clark Kent lives on a plane far more familiar and upstanding than Bruce Wayne. His American values and clear moral compass meet with his undying love for Lois Lane, unchanged and unquestioned since Superman’s beginnings, place him at a level of morality that is not only respectable but revered.
The dawn of Superman precedes that of Batman by only a year, but his legend and creed supersede him beyond that. Clark Kent is the man who a woman would marry and Superman is the hero who would save our children. He stands for American values better than most real citizens do, and does so proudly as his very costume is a reflection of his patriotic, honorable creed. With or without his cape, Superman is the hero that Batman could be, if he would get over his own angst-filled issues. But as that day has not come for the past seventy years, Superman remains the rock of America’s superheroes. He is a god of yesterday, a hero of today, and the man of tomorrow.
Now, I honestly do like Batman. I really do. I was more excited than almost any of my friends to see Dark Knight when it came out, I think his back story is quite rich and I honestly do prefer how most of his fights are intellectual and his villains are actually evil and often psychotic. I think that's awesome and he's definately the coolest superhero, imo. BUT I still love Superman more. :) even though mostly I love him 'cause of the Lois Lane thing.
BY THE WAY sources were here and here.