paper

Andy Brown
October 8, 2008
English 1101
Comparison / Contrast
Super Differences
Every month, young adolescent boys would scurry down to their local corner stores, pockets full of change, eager for the new issue of their favorite comic book series. An all-American hero, Superman flew threw the skies fighting crime and evil to keep peace in the world. At night, the streets of Gotham city would crawl with evil. Whatever were the citizens to do without the Batman? The man of steel and the dark knight are similar in the sense that they both fight evil and keep crime off the street, but are more different in their backgrounds and origins.
“The man of tomorrow,” “the man of steel,” and “the last son of Krypton,” are all titles held by the great Superman. Originally written in 1938, after the end of World War II, the superman comic series spanned almost a thousand issues.
When trouble calls, Superman can hear it. He quickly ducks into the nearest phone booth and changes. When not in costume, he is known simply as Clark Kent, a middle class reporter for “The Daily Bugle.” He is really an alien from the planet “Krypton,” a dying planet, wrecked by Lex Luthor. Superman draws his powers from the Earth’s sun and has the abilities of super strength, super speed, super stamina, super senses, freezing breath, heat vision, x-ray vision, and flight. His main love interest is a woman named Lois Lane. Lane is a rival reporter to Kent, and madly in love Superman. Only toward the end of the series does she become aware of his true identity.
Written in 1939, a year after the Superman series started, the epic tale of the dark knight began. The Batman comic series spanned almost a thousand issues, as well as a few hundred featuring guest characters (Superman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, etc.).
When not in costume, Bruce Wayne is Gotham’s notorious playboy. At a young age, Wayne inherits a great wealth from his parents (monetarily and also a booming real estate company). He uses his wealth to have gadgets and suits especially made for him so that when the signal is used, he is ready.
Batman does have a couple noticeable differences from Superman. Batman does have a “sidekick,” Robin, boy wonder, that stays with him for the majority of the series. Another noticeable difference is that Wayne has no main love interest in the series. Finally, Batman is summoned by the Police Commissioner by a massive light that projects the image of a bat in the night sky.
Though there are noticeable differences between the two, it is impossible to determine which is better. Even though they have their differences, Superman and Batman had their own comic book series together that lasted over three hundred issues. Whatever the preference is, they are the two most well known superheroes in the world.