Homework

The definition of a “hero” varies from one person to the next. Most of the time such a definition depends more on perception rather than concrete facts. This is to be expected. Heroes come to us through stories when we are little. Figures such as Superman or Batman or Spiderman infiltrate our imaginations from an early age. We tend to pick our favorites based on simple personal preference. There is no legitimate reason by Batman is better than Superman or vice versa other than it is believed to be the case. It is interesting then that such opinions stay with us. They might even, it can be argued, help to formulate our own personal views of heroism. Heroism is faulty and real and destructible and yet persistent. It is Batman who exudes all of these characteristics. He, not Superman, is the better hero because my perception of what a hero is has not changed over the years. Batman is the better hero because he is flawed and therefore more realistic. Batman is the better hero because he is human. He is the better hero because he must develop himself in order to accomplish his goals.

In Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, the audience is given Batman’s origin story. After the fateful death of his parents, Bruce Wayne leaves for over a decade seeking to become physically, and perhaps mentally, capable of avenging their deaths. Yet, as Batman, Wayne is not ready from the start. Marise Williams states that “Batman’s first attempts at crime fighting are far from confident. Miller’s Batman is fallible and lucky, continuously questioning his own ability” (Williams 2012). Batman must actually work to become the hero he intends to be. Success is not a given. In fact, failure is seen throughout Miller’s origin story. Time and time again, Batman is injured and even in some cases humiliated. He has to take these setbacks, learn from them, and finally grow to become the Batman that audiences love. Throughout the story, the audience is given a glimpse of a type of heroic nature. It is one that goes beyond the typical superhero definition that is so often seen from Superman, among others. Batman is human. In order to become a hero, he must first fail. His flaws, therefore, are key to ultimately learning to become a better hero.

Superman, on the other hand, wins each time because of his superpowers and not because he has learned something new. He doesn’t grow as an individual. Superman has no flaws. According to Ben Saunders, Superman was:

…simply too powerful. In the comics of the 1970s, there seemed no limit to his abilities, making it difficult for writers and artists to generate much in the way of dramatic tension. What’s more, his powers defined the notion of bathos, running the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous. Flight? Wonderful. Great strength and speed? Of course. Bulletproof skin? Sounds useful. X-ray vision? I can go with that. Heat vision? Telescopic vision? Microscopic vision? Ok, you are starting to tread on even my threshold of disbelief. (Saunders 2011)

In other words, Superman is unbelievable. As a hero, he is too good, too skilled, too much. There is never any doubt about whether or not he will be triumphant. Because of this fact, Superman does not give his audience a means to connect with him. And so he fails in the only way he can. He fails in terms of being the better hero because he is unrealistic.

And yet must a hero be realistic? According to my own perspective, yes. Flaws denote humanity. If a person, either human or superhero, is to truly exude heroism, he or she must be able to connect to or understand those being saved. Heroism ultimately takes empathy. Such empathy comes from experience, and experience typically derives its meaning from mistakes and the knowledge gained from them. Batman encompasses all of these qualities in his very being. He is flawed. He makes mistakes. He learns from them. He understands the heroic capacity of empathy and therefore connects to all he interacts with including his villains. Superman, unfortunately, would never be able to connect in such a way. He will never understand the power of humanity because of its flaws as opposed to in spite of them. While Superman may have the better track record in terms of wins against villains, Batman is the better hero because he understands the implications of his own, as well as everyone else’s, actions. He is the reason as to why we can all exude some type of heroic characteristic. His humanity gives us all the chance to be the better hero.