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Superman vs. Batman Project
143
Daily Planet Review:
"What We Talk about When We Talk about Batman and Superman" by Abraham Riesman
Presented by Carly Consor
and Peter Kovach
Introduction
Intro
Batman and Superman have been selling comics since the late 1930s. While they originally appeared only in separate comic series, the two finally joined in print in the 1952 comic Superman No. 76.
The portrayals of these heroes quickly mirrored the culture of the time, and evolved over the decades to match the evolving needs of that culture.
Superheroes in our Culture
Together at Last
First Meeting
While the two had been featured on covers before, this was their first written adventure together.
First meeting - cover of Superman No. 76
Evolution of Roles
Shifting
Portrayals
In the earliest portrayals, Superman was a "Bully for Justice", while Batman was a good-natured sidekick
Writers quickly realized that a moral code was needed for their superheroes, and Superman became the lovable, all-American hero for the age, while a tamed Batman often acted as a sidekick to the "real" hero.
The Man of Steel
Superman
Superman is a visible creation of his early years in the 1940s and 1950s, an icon of "American confidence and social order." (Riesman pg. 318)
Superman was clearly the more popular hero through the 1960s, and reflected the American culture and optimism, hope, faith, and belief in the institutions of America.
In the 1970s, while Batman emerged as a cultural icon, Superman also changed, gaining some of the angst and cynicism of his fellow hero.
Modern Superman reflects the mistrust of power clear in our culture, and can often serve as a stand-in for the United States symbolically.
The Man of Steel
Timeline
1938 - "Bully for Justice"
1940s - All-American Hero
1952 - First meeting of Batman in print
1970s - Questioning of virtues
1978 - Superman: The Movie
1986 - Defeated by Batman in The Dark Knight Returns
1992 - Superman dies in the comics
2006 - Superman Returns (Film)
2013 - Man of Steel (Film)
2016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The Dark Knight
Batman
After his beginnings as a "weird figure of the dark", Batman was quickly pushed "out of the shadows making him brighter and poppier." (Riesman 318) At this point in time, "The Batman and Superman brands were more or less in sync” (Riesman 318).
It wasn't until the 1970s that Batman began to evolve, in "the era of American malaise and urban decay, using cynicism as a weapon for good and training his sights on a Gotham City so broken it often looked like a war zone" (Riesman 316).
It is this Batman that quickly took center stage in an increasingly skeptical and cynical culture. And where in the early days the two had been in sync, now conflict between them defined them both.
The Dark Knight
Timeline
1939 - First appearance
1940s - Lighter-hearted detective
1952 - First meeting of Superman in print
1970s - Redefine of morals
1986 - Defeated Superman in The Dark Knight Returns
1989 - Tim Burton's Batman
2005 - Batman Begins
2008 - The Dark Knight
2012 - The Dark Knight Rises
2016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Summary
Summary
Heroic Conflict
The early days of Superman and Batman saw two characters with the same ideals. "They complete each other and accentuate each other's different power-sets while having the same squeaky-clean tone and goals." (Riesman 319)
It was the 1970s reinvention of Batman that changed the relationship between the two. Batman mirrored the cynical, mistrustful public of the day, while Superman maintained much of his early image, standing for law and order.
The conflict was inevitable, "god versus man" and "dark versus light", but also order versus anarchy and conservative versus radical. The on-screen portrayal only mirrored the battle in the minds of society.
Loser
While the battle continues on in our modern world, the clear loser for now is the Man of Steel.
No longer a symbol of society, he has come to stand for the institutions and power that society mistrusts.
In box office results, in popularity, and in physical altercations, Superman is on the losing end.
Winner
While the battle continues on in our modern world, the clear winner for now is the Dark Knight.
No longer cautious and bright, the modern Batman has taken on the attributes of the society he morphed from - cynical and doubting, older and harder.
In box office results, in popularity, and in physical altercations, Batman is the frontrunner... for now.
External Links
External
Links
The cultural impact of Batman and Superman is not difficult to observe or find examples for.
Check out the links to the right for some insightful popular culture examples relating to the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel.
More to Study
The Justice League
With Superman dead at the end of the last battle between Batman and Superman, some thought it would be some time before the two would battle again. Zack Snyder thought differently.
One of many lines from the film that directly relates to this study: "The world needs Superman... the team needs Clark. He's more human than I am. He lived in this world, fell in love, had a job. In spite of all that power."
The Justice League (2017)
IMDB link to the film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974015/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt
Batman vs. Superman Returns Soul to Superheroes
This article by Armond White delves into the first modern film battle between Superman and Batman.
While White is clearly a fan of director Zack Snyder, he also makes some excellent observations about the culture surrounding these two comic book legends.
Batman vs. Superman returns soul to superheroes
https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/03/batman-v-superman-culture-war-gets-mythic/
'These men are bad role models': will my son get over his superhero obsession?
A mother's perspective of superheroes, by British journalist Tanya Gold. In an interesting take, Gold compares the superhero obsession with a religion.
'These men are bad role models'
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/10/superman-batman-iron-man-bad-role-models-tanya-gold
‘Batman v. Superman’: Are both superhero icons inherently fascist?
This MSNBC article by Adam Howard discusses the peculiar idea of Batman and Superman as fascists?
This discussion of cultural politics in this article is extremely relevant.
Are both superhero icons inherently fascist?
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/batman-vs-superman-are-both-superhero-icons-inherently-fascist