Batman vs Superman has come to theaters and was back on DVD in the middle of the year. What did I make of Batman vs Superman as an idea, before seeing the movie?
I saw a man wearing a tee-shirt with ‘Batman’ scrawled over it. It seemed to me that he identified with Batman rather than Superman.
Remember being asked: do you like Batman or Superman? Well, the man with the tee-shirt was in the Batman camp.
Sometimes, we like both. So, we put them in an order from 1 to 2. And Spider-Man makes it three.
Then there’s Iron Man, Wolverine, etc, etc.
Batman vs. Superman is the classic one, though.
This year, it was Batman vs. Superman at the movies, but without reviewing that movie, or commenting on it, let me venture to say that Batman and Superman aren’t in competition. They still have separate identities, but they are similar.
Batman is supposed to be different to Superman, but Batman holds “baddies” to account like Superman does.
The symbol of the Batman is good like the symbol of Superman is good.
And does Batman and Superman need people?
Batman needs help from Commissioner Gordon, the Gotham police, and his butler, and of course, Robin. He needs co-workers.
There’s the scene in the original Superman (1978) where the man of steel delivers two criminals to the penitentiary, one of them is Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman).
The warden tells Superman, “This country is safe again, Superman. Thanks to you.”
Superman says, “No, sir. Don’t thank me warden, we’re all part of the same team.”
This is still probably Superman the Savior-figure, Superman, the guide, and Superman, the light. It is also Superman saying let’s do the good stuff together. Perhaps the point is that while Superman does his thing, the people do theirs, working together.