Who is more interesting as a character: Batman? or Superman?

[mrbrklyn]

nevermind, not worth debating

[Fergus]

Superman if we are looking at the individual character alone. If we are looking at their world and cast [the elements that make up the franchise] then Batman. Batman's supporting cast is one my favourite things in comics.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I think both characters are interesting but writers tend to have an easier time grasping Batman than Superman.

[pageturner]

Batman is my pick

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

I like both, and both have their appeal, but I personally think Superman's a far more dynamic, complex character. Batman is fun, but he's relatively shallow (easily the thinnest character of the Trinity)

Thing is, though, I don't know if most people would agree there, Ascended. I mean, I've seen actual scholarly articles written on the character flaws and traits of Bruce Wayne. Superman of course has received similar attention, but I would not say Batman as a character is at all shallow.

Personally, I'd say Superman and Batman are equally interesting as characters, but for vastly different reasons. Batman is a protagonist who is more compelling because of his obvious mental issues and crippling loneliness and aversion to happiness. Superman is compelling because he is a veritable god among men who views himself as a part of human society, either as their savior or as their equal.

[Fergus]

Of course, working outside the law is not intrinsic to either the Superman or Batman concept. There have been times when both characters have been vigilantes, subject to arrest for their activities. And there have been times when they were part of law enforcement. Batman maybe more than Superman--as the Man of Steel doesn't have to abide by the law, because what government could stop him--in his case, it's probably that governments have decided to get along with him rather than defy him. Batman working outside the law never made sense to me, because then he has no authority to arrest any criminals and the case against these crooks would be inadmissable in court. In fact, Batman probably destroys any chance that law enforecement has of making a charge stick when he interferes with the investigation.

Hello Injustice.
The idea of the world's governments living in fear of defying Superman isn't one I like.

[Ascended]

Thing is, though, I don't know if most people would agree there, Ascended. I mean, I've seen actual scholarly articles written on the character flaws and traits of Bruce Wayne. Superman of course has received similar attention, but I would not say Batman as a character is at all shallow.

I don't think Bruce is a thin character, I just think he's a thinner character than Clark and Diana.

Bruce does have a laundry list of interesting quirks, traits, flaws, inner contradictions and psychoses, but many of those are all within a similar range of issues and he doesn't have quite as much variety in his characterization as Clark and Diana do (fewer contradictions too, which might actually make him the most honest of the three, in a way).

[Jabare]

The back issue market shows that Batman, at this time, is more interesting. That is likely to change again at some point.

likely to change based on what?