Persuassive Essay: Superman vs Batman

Since the dawn of time, or more specifically the late 1930's, mankind has struggled to settle the seemingly everlasting question that will change the face of the spandex covered muscular heroism industry forever. It was the year 1938 and 1939, when the world was first introduced to, Superman and Batman, and ever since, the issue of settling upon the superior spandex covered muscular hero, now commonly known as ‘Superhero’, has claimed the responsibility of countless bar fights and nerdy debates. As for me, there is no dispute to my answer to this age old question, because as of today, Batman is clearly the superior superhero.

Much of what we as a community envision as a ‘hero’, defines us as a community in general. This is why there has always been a fickle aspect to the relative popularity of Superman and Batman. In fact, when these two heroes were first introduced in 1938 and 1939, Superman was clearly the superior hero. America in the late 1930’s was still under the toils of the Great Depression. The mighty Superman was portrayed as a hero of the working-class, more often than not, he would be rescuing workers from the dangers of the coal mines, and other disasters created by the greed and negligence of their evil employers. Keep in mind that the Batman character was a billionaire, which in does days were not severely liked. Batman was at the height of popularity in the 1960’s, during America’s ‘Age of Affluence’, a time when prosperity was relatable. Today, it is more common to find the face of the masked vigilante of Gotham City as opposed to the daring face of the ‘Man of Steele’. This is largely thanks to the recent portrayal of the ‘Dark Knight’ saga, which emphasized the character’s status as a martyr under more cynical circumstances. The recent saga certainly cleaned up the mess of the ‘Batman’ film of 1989, where Batman was nothing more than a rich man with an assortment of tools on his belt. Many would agree that the ‘Batman’ film was a theatrical catastrophe. Under trying times, Batman is clearly the more superior hero.

Personally I see Batman as a better character and superhero in general. Superman is what many would consider the primal superhero, everyone knows who he is, yet today, Batman has a larger fan base. Because Superman was built upon rugged masculinism, he is virtually indestructible, with the sole weakness of Kryptonite, and women. While his feature creates a great iconic figure which would last for a very long time, it does not make for good stories. The many comic strips of Superman have always come to the same conclusion, fly fast and punch hard. This is not the same for Batman who uses his ingenuity and intellect to overcome problems. Since Superman’s powers are so superior, the writers were often forced to use gimmicky plots such as blocking out the sun to make the comic strip interesting. Batman’s stories are always more down to Earth, and relatable, because he doesn’t rely on sheer bulk to punch himself a solution. We are at a point where the smarts are more appreciated than the muscles. I mean, the reaction of the people when learning of Mohammad Ali’s increasing illness was nothing compared to their reaction upon learning of Steve Job’s illness. People get bored of punching after 904 episodes.

All in all, it is clear that Batman is the better spandex covered muscular hero. And when you look at it often enough, the fact that a grown man is wearing spandex also grows on you. This question has been debated and discussed for far too long and far too much. While the question itself may not be at an end, as of today, Batman beats Superman down to the last detail.

If you wish to voice your own opinions on the matter, visit these links to learn more.

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php
http://legionsofgotham.org/