Batman vs. Superman

Lots of "Batman vs. Superman"-discussions irritate me, because most of the time people can't differentiate between "Who would win in a fight" and "Who is the coolest character".

I like Batman too. I do get all of the reasons why people think that Batman is cooler than Superman. I just think that the idea of Superman is so interesting and exiting. That a man who has such great powers choose to use them to protect people, instead of for personal gain. There are good people in this world, believe it or not, they do exist. This one just happens to be from another planet. Most of the reasons I hear from the Batman camp is that they like Batman better because he is more realistic, and that they can't relate to Superman because he is too powerful. I see where they are coming from, but that's sort of the reason why I like Superman! It's all of the powers! I don't really need to feel like I'm an equal to the character, I'm just a fan of the mythology and the stories that can be told.

It's no secret what a big Superman fan I am, so I might be a bit biased. (But who isn't.) I don't think there's any point in asking the question about who would win at all. However clever Batman is, he's still a mortal, normal man with no superpowers. Superman is ... Well, he's Superman. Of course, Batman can use kryptonite against Superman, but that's sort of the only thing he can use, and then it's not really Batman beats him, but the kryptonite. So in my mind at least, there's no doubt who would win in an actual fight. Even the slightly weaker Superman in Superman the animated series would be able to kill Batman in the blink of an eye.

But! Had the question clearly been "Who do you think is the best super hero of Superman and Batman," or "Who do you like best", then I can understand the Batman-camp better. I really get that many think that Superman is "too invincible" and boring.

I like them both. I have nothing against any of them. Both are great characters. And Batman owns a piece of kryptonite, so he isn't completely useless against Superman. But from how I have seen it, they aren't best friends, but they respect each other. And Superman knows what could happen if he were to lose control, so he has given his ally the means to stop him if it happens. But without it, man against man, I really don't think he would stand a chance.

I guess I had a point about this. I think that this annoys me so much because many people say that Batman can beat Superman in a fight, just because they think Superman is a boring superhero, and because they like Batman better. They are entitled to their opinion of course, but I just don't think Batman could beat Superman! Here are some quotes from a collection of discussions I have stumbled upon, translated from Norwegian. The first from a Superman-fan:

Why on earth should a man like Superman have to take the trouble to be advanced? While Batman sneaks around and beats up people from behind, Superman can take the easy route. Because he can. Which Batman cannot. Because Batman is puny compared to Superman. I wince at the thought of what Bruce Wayne would had done if he had Superman's powers. The man isn't very mentally stable. The fact that Superman does not fall into the temptation to simply take over the world is an incredible force in itself. Superman surpasses Batman in both body and soul. But I love them both. :)
– [source]

Almost as if I had said it myself. Thank you very much. I feel like the Batman fans/Superman haters has the tendency to overlook the obvious in these kinds of situations. Superman would have won in 90% or 95% of all the cases. But, on the other hand...

"Would the outcome have been the same if this imaginary battle had taken place on a planet with red sun?"
"Irrelevant. Batman could never have traveled to a planet with red sun, ordinary people like him can barely go to the moon without risking certain death. But Superman without his powers would have had no chance against Batman. Kal-El isn't excactly a "kung fu Hustle" when it comes to martial arts. But Superman without powers is not Superman. He is only Man. This is not about Batman vs Man, it's about Batman vs. Superman. :P"
– [source]

He has a point, once again. Without his powers, Superman wouldn't stand a chance. I'll give Batman that. But of course (snicker), this isn't a debate about Batman vs. Man.

"Superpowers vs. regular guy with gadgets = mr. super wins." "It's going to take a little more than a piece of kryptonite to beat Superman. Superman can actually handle quite a bit of kryptonite before he's helpless! No, Mr. Super is superior!"
– [source]

Thank yew.

"Superman's absolute biggest weakness is his huge sense of morals. He is, and remains Mr. Boyscout. Although Batman is good in that sense (he shuns firearms for example), in drastic situations he is able to kill. This I don't think Superman is able to do... With the exception of Doomsday."
[source]

I agree with this one too. It's Superman's almost over the top sense of right and wrong that has made him who he is. And that's the reason why he fights so hard to protects the world and it's people, instead of trying to rule it.

"I can't really picture how Batman is supposed to get near Superman with this so-called kryptonite dagger, as Superman can hear everything, according to the man himself in Superman Returns."
[source]

This actually comes from a person that prefers Batman. I like it when people actually has the ability to say that the other part has some good points too. They can hate Superman if they want to, I won't try to convince anyone of anything. People are entitled to their opinions. Heck, I like Batman a lot too! If a Superman/Batman movie gets made, I'll die of exitement!

To add some more arguments, more forum-talk:

From the Batman camp:
- Batman is more cautious and has excellent analytical skills compared to Superman, e.g., like in the recent movie where Lex told Superman, "Didn't your father tell you to look before you leap?"
- Though Batman lacks superhuman abilities, he's able to compensate with cunning.

From the Superman camp:
- Batman doesn't stand a chance since Superman could literally throw the moon at him.
- One shot of Superman's heat vision and Batman would melt to death.

These are all valid, good points. Batman thinks a bit more about what he does, because he has to. Superman doesn't really have to make advanced strategies. On the other hand, Supes' brain has to be pretty quick. He has to be able to think fast enough to know where he's going and what he's doing when he's using super speed. So he has to be just as smart as Batman, but I guess he's just used to relying on his powers. So Lex' comment about "looking before you leap" was kind of fitting. The Smallville-version of Clark has demonstrated this on multiple occasions. He gets in trouble countless times because of this. But I guess that's just how he is.