Episode 16: Essay: Superman Is More "Human" Than Batman

"But Mr. Hardy, Superman is from another planet. He isn't even a human." Of course I know that. But in a fictional world full of aliens, robots, spectres, and super-powered humans as well as other beings, there is more to being human than being a biological human, an Earth being.

    I'm gonna write a whole essay for this blog, because this topic has been in my head for a while now. In this essay, I will make the point that Superman is more human than Batman is, despite not even being an actual human. I will go into several different points as to why I think Superman is more human, and hopefully by the end I have you agreeing with me. 

    First of all, I would like to talk about their upbringing. Let's look at Superman's upbringing first. Sure, Clark was born on another world, but he was sent away from that doomed planet as a baby. He has no memory of Krypton, and had to find out that he wasn't born on Earth. He was raised in a small Kansas town by a middle-class American couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent. Clark's life growing up was a typical American story, one that most of us can relate to more than Batman's. So, what was Batman's? Bruce Wayne was born into wealth, the son of billionaires. Even after his parents were murdered, Bruce was looked after by his butler, Alfred, and other people who would tend to his every need and desire. Bruce Wayne has never had to worry about money or making an honest living, because he already is set for life because of his company. Whereas Clark works as a journalist for the Daily Planet and lives in a normal home in Metropolis. This alone makes Superman somewhat more human than Batman, because he is already much more relatable. 

    Next, I would like to discuss their separate lifestyles. Clark is married to Lois Lane, and they have had children in various interations. Clark has been in other romantic relationships, but none nearly as major as his with Lois. Bruce, however, is a playboy. He is rarely shown in a serious romantic relationship, as he would rather use his fame and money to sleep around with models. His one biological child (Damian) was an accident from having sex with a villain's daughter. His other adopted children were just adopted by him so he could make them Robins. But I will give it to him that there was probably more to it - he gave his adopted children a life of luxury. But isn't Clark's situation more human, more common-man?

     Now, let's take a look at their powers/abilities. This is another point that may seem to be in Bruce's favor. Clark has everything from super-strength to super-speed and flight to even freeze-breath. Bruce, on the other hand, is just a man. Bruce relies on his intelligence, fighting ability, and technology to fight evil. But Bruce isn't your average man. He has above genius-level intellect, is in peak human physical shape, and his company (thanks, Lucius Fox) provides him all the tools he could ever need. The vast majority of people cannot relate to Bruce's situation. Most of us have an average intelligence, an average or poor shape, and don't have all the tools we would like given to us on a silver platter. Of course, that's not to say Clark's situation in this regard is relatable. No one really has superpowers. I just included this paragraph to dissuade the notion that Superman having powers makes him less human, and that Bruce's fortunes and physical prowess make him not much like your average human. 

     If you wanna see very explicit portrayals of how human these characters are, watch Smallville and Gotham. In Smallville, you'll see a homegrown Kansas boy just making his way through life. In Gotham, you'll see a rich kid learning how to use his wealth for justice. 

    In conclusion, please don't think I'm knocking on Batman. I love Batman. In fact, I love him even more than Superman in some ways. This is just an interesting concept to me; that in many ways a character who isn't even a biological human can be considered more human than a character who is a biological human. Hopefully I've changed your mind, or at least gotten you to think about it.

See you next week!