Most of you have heard my frequently voiced opinion that Superman is a liberal and that Batman is a conservative. I believe that this opinion is consistently backed by the portrayal of both heroes throughout time, and not simply an instance of me projecting my own ideology onto my favorite character.
Demographically, both characters fit neatly into the stereotypical left/right categories. Clark Kent is not only a big city journalist, but is married to one as well. Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, comes from wealth and is the head of a large corporation that makes money from defense contracting. Superman's best friend, Jimmy Olson, is also a member of the news media, while Batman's is a cop (Jim Gordon). Lex Luthor, Superman's archenemy, is a corrupt businessman with an innate hatred of foreigners (hence his feelings towards the Kryptonian). Batman's rogues gallery, however, includes two environmentalists (Poison Ivy and Ra's al Ghul), a psychologist (Hugo Strange), and a college professor (The Scarecrow).
The personalities of each hero also support these labels. Batman believes first and foremost that criminals should be punished, and he never trusts a villain who claims he has reformed. Though he frequently works with the police, Batman neglects to follow any of the civil rights-based restraints that bind the arms of the boys in blue. Batman willingly uses physical violence to intimidate and extract information from a suspect, and doesn't concern himself with probable cause when conducting a search.
Conversely, Superman sees himself primarily as an inspiration to humanity, even to those on the wrong side of the law. While he has put his fair share of bad guys behind bars, he would rather forgive than incarcerate. Though it can be debated whether or not it presented an accurate vision of Superman, the movie Superman IV shows the Man of Steel unilaterally disarming the nuclear capabilities of the Cold War superpowers. Superman is an advocate of multiculturalism, preserving the remnants of his Kryptonian heritage in the Fortress of Solitude, despite the fact that he has never technically set foot on Krypton. (The modern version of Superman was "born" in the United States, once his ship opened up on Earth.)
Does all of this mean that Superman cannot be enjoyed by a conservative like myself? Even at his worst, Superman mostly embodies the good side of liberalism, and the universe he occupies is basically a vision of what the world would be if liberals were right. My argument does, however, lend further validity to the notion that Batman is the superior character, and that he, like most conservatives facing liberals, could probably defeat Superman in a fight.
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9 comments:
Batman could beat Superman, ya right. Also, conservatives are morally corrupt idiots who don't care about their fellow man. They're obsessed with doing God's work (which isn't what He intended anyways) or trying to keep the rich rich and the poor poor. The world is becoming more and more liberal everyday as old corrupt traditions fade away.
Good analysis but interestingly enough, Superman is presented as a tool of a right-wing future government in Frank Miller's landmark "Dark Knight Returns" miniseries, whereas Batman is the upstart revolutionary. And yes, Batman DOES in fact defeat Superman in the inevitable conflict that follows.
ACUTUALLY..... its the liberal democratic party who keeps the poor poor so that they must rely on the government. And I love how you say "old corrupt traditions fade away". Yes, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are so very corrupt. What were we thinking??? Liberal viewpoints make me laugh.
Very well written, and I do concur that Batman is perhaps the unconscious epitome of what a conservative superhero is without delving too much into extreme caricature (the Punisher, for example). As one poster already noted, Frank Miller's Batman has taken on and defeated Superman on more than one occasion. In The Dark Knight Returns, Superman is the tool of a right-wing government gone to its farcical extreme. But Frank Miller does not seem to be commenting that conservatism is inherently bad, since Batman is, as argued, a conservative hero: Frank Miller seems to be stating that big government, whether it be liberal or conservative, is bad. Miller's various essays and comments, such as the NPR interview, seem to confirm that he takes a more conservative, black-and-white approach to his characters and seems to hold that view in reality as well.
Good article.
There's been a recent surge in interest of this old blog post, as it has turned up on Google searches (apparently I'm #1 for the search terms "Batman conservative") and been linked to by Occasional Superheroine.
http://occasionalsuperheroine.blogspot.com/2008/07/superman-is.html
I also noticed a similar article (the #2 "Batman conservative") that predates mine by 3 years with a similar set of arguments and conclusions. It's worth mentioning that despite the similarities between the two, my article was comprised of my own thoughts and no intentional plagiarism took place.
http://www.carolinajournal.com/jhdailyjournal/display_jhdailyjournal.html?id=429
superman or even batman these are famous superheroes and they have different style but both work for the good
Hey, is there any way you could please delete the 1st anonymous quote from this blog? I wanted to share this link on my brother's page (he is conservative like Batman) but the 1st comment is what shows up with the thumbnail. That is the first thing my brother would read. Since it calls those who disagree with the anonymous tagger offensive names (i.e. "corrupt idiots'), not only might it offend, but would disincline people from reading your delightful post... especially were it shared by someone known to be liberal like Superman, as I am. Wish people could say what they think without flinging insults:)
This is why Batman is so much cooler than Superman.
No superhero is as cool as Superman. That's why he's Superman.
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