SupermanandBatmanare, along with Wonder Woman, the most popular characters in DC Comics history, and are also among the most popular heroes in the world of comic books in general. Which has led the world to debate who is more beloved, the Dark Knight or the Man of Steel.
Although the Last Son of Krypton was the first great superhero, who represented the values of good and the American way, the arrival of Batman completely changed the conception that the world had about superheroes, presenting a much darker character.
Superman had his golden age, but then the Caped Crusader became extremely popular, and for years there were many more television projects, films, animated productions and even video games centered on the character created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. Something that has remained until now, although it is true that in recent years Superman has been experiencing a well-deserved resurgence.
But why does Batman seem to have managed to have a much bigger impact?My Adventures with Supermanproducer Josie Campbell tries to answer it. In an interview withThe Comic Cube, Campbell was asked why more Batman movies have been made than Superman, which led her to reflect on the history of both characters:
“I feel like it’s like the eternal question of just, ‘What makes something hit?’ And I think some of it is, we got into this area with Batman, especially in… the ’80s and ’90s, where I think the grittier, Frank Miller-inspired version of him hit, and we all liked that. And we got that Bruce Tim version, which is very inspired by that, and it’s that film Noir, and there’s this grittiness to him that differentiated him in a way… I love the ’60s Batman, but it’s completely different. It is like its own thing. So I think it took a while, but we as a culture were like, ‘This is fun. This is what we like.’ I think for Superman, Superman out the gate was popular. People love Superman. Superman was fun, Superman was funny, optimistic. And then we kind of hit the slew where people weren’t sure what to do with him. And I think it’s around the same time that you’ve got Batman rising and Superman falling.”
Writers Are Making Big Changes to Clark Kent and Superman, But Why?
Clark Kent is turning more into Superman every day. The difference is blurring, and it may just be a sign of the times.
Batman and Superman Will Play a Very Important Role in the New DCU
Just as Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill’s versions were the pillars on which theSnyderversewas built, the new Dark Knight andDavid Corenswet’s Last Son of Kryptonwill have an incredibly important role in the new universe that James Gunn is building.
2013’sMan of Steelwas the film thatstarted Zack Snyder’s franchise, andSuperman: Legacywill do the same for Gunn’s. However, the stories may be very different. While the hero presented by Snyder was much darker than previous versions, the newDCUseems to seek to present a version closer to the original personality of the character, a mix between innocence and strong moral values.
Not much is known about the Batman that Andy Muschietti will bring to the big screen, except that unlike Affleck, he will already be a father, sinceThe Brave and the Boldwill focus on the relationship between Bruce Wayne and his son Damian.
