The debate between The Caped Crusader and The Man of Steel may be the only conceivable event in which Superman has always been the perpetual underdog. Just Google “Batman vs. Superman,” and countless articles will emerge listing the infinite reasons why Batman is cooler, more relatable and all-around better.
The discussion surrounding America’s favorite vigilantes can be framed in a variety of ways. Is it a question of who is more of a hero? Who kicks the most bad-guy butt? Who looks better in their too-tight costume of choice? Or is it ultimately about which superhero would win in a fight?
Since Zack Snyder’s “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” ultimately pits the two heroes against each other in what looks to be a pretty ruthless battle, I’m going to begin by focusing on the last question: If it came down to Batman against Superman, who would win?
The answer is, of course, Superman.
Let’s begin with a brief tally of Superman’s major powers. He can fly, has super-strength, super speed, X-ray vision, impenetrable skin, incredibly advanced hearing and eyesight and a jawline that lesser men only dream of.
Batman is effective against the small-time thugs of Gotham, but against The Man of Steel, he’d last approximately three seconds.
“He’s a billionaire martial artist with awesome gadgets and a genius intellect!” you say. True, but all the gadgets in the world, unless they were made of the super-rare Kryptonite, have no effect on Superman.
I don’t mean for this to turn into a Batman-bashing party, but consider: Bruce Wayne fights crime for a many reasons, but most of his actions are fueled by revenge.
By comparison, Superman fights crime for the greater good, in order to protect the citizens of earth.
Talk about foreign aid.
Ok, sure, Superman has a crippling weakness in Kryptonite, the green rock of planet Krypton, but it’s incredibly rare and only available in small quantities. Odds are good that in a fight, Batman would find a way to get some, but let’s be real — if Superman meant business, the Dark Knight would never even last long enough to use it.
I’m aware of the biggest argument against Superman: he’s boring. It’s no fun to root for the guy who always wins.
Even his movies and comics are often tedious, since the narrative follows roughly the same pattern: he’s invincible until someone whips out some Kryptonite, he’s temporarily beaten, and then he pulls himself up by his little red Spanx and saves the day anyway.
Although Superman is not the most relatable character in comic book history, there’s a reason why he is the most enduring.
Superman has abilities that would allow him to rule Earth as a god, but he chooses to live as a journalist, only using his powers when called upon.
He acts as Superman because he must, but his moral code and chosen way of life are incredibly human. Both heroes live, almost ironically, by a moral standard that distances them from their inherent physical nature.
It’s the heart of Superman that makes him a hero, not just his powers. He chooses to protect a planet that is not his own, while Batman fiercely fights to protect his own city from outsiders.
Bruce Wayne with Superman’s moral code is just a rich guy with a penchant for martial arts. Superman with Batman’s morality is the end of the world.
Comic book writer Jeph Loeb, in “Superman/Batman #3,” puts it better than I ever could:
“It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then ... he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him.”
