I think Superman is more ''relatable'' than Batman

[Sutekh]

Agreed. There seems at least some percentage of the readership that has always reveled in the idea of heroes using their power to torment others (whether deservedly or not), perhaps finding wish fulfillment in what they'd like to do to select others, but lack the power to realize. It just sometimes feels as though that percentage has grown over the last couple of decades.

There is usually some sort of crappy behavior from the victim of the super-bullying to make it seem like they 'deserve it,' but yeah, it shows up in the first Spider-Man movie, where Peter ends up humiliating Flash in the hallway (oh, but Flash was a bully himself, so I guess it's okay to bully bullies?), or in Man of Steel where Clark mangles the logging-trucker's truck in 'get him back' for harassing a waitress ('cause gosh, them ladies can't stand up for themselves).

I don't really like scenes that make me want to be complicit in or approving of jerkish or bullying behavior.

(That said, I'm more tolerant of that sort of thing from people like Batman, the Punisher or Daredevil, who aren't super-strong or tough, and kind of need to inspire fear as part of their schtick. But then I also recognize that I am not the target audience for those characters, either. It's when Superman or Spider-Man or, my least favorite example, Ultimate Captain America, are portrayed as super-bullies. That's just tarnishing the silverware, IMO.)

[Alpha]

@Alpha you don't think Batman's successful at what he does?

I was just joking around, but of course Batman isn't successful. His mission is to protect the innocent. He has designed ways to take down the entire Justice League and created a satelite like Brother Eye, and yet he hasn't invested in Arkham Asylum to make sure his villains don't escape and continue to harm others. How the heck doesn't Bruce have a solution to keep the Joker in prison after all the people that he killed under Batman's watch.

I mean, we all know the reason why, but it doesn't make him less unsuccessful.

[Lightning Rider]

I was just joking around, but of course Batman isn't successful. His mission is to protect the innocent. He has designed ways to take down the entire Justice League and created a satelite like Brother Eye, and yet he hasn't invested in Arkham Asylum to make sure his villains don't escape and continue to harm others. How the heck doesn't Bruce have a solution to keep the Joker in prison after all the people that he killed under Batman's watch.

I mean, we all know the reason why, but it doesn't make him less unsuccessful.

I'd say he's at least successful in that he routinely stops the worst from happening.

[Robanker]

That's because he is. The two big complaints are "he's an alien," which is frankly xenophobic and "everything's easy for him but Batman has to earn his wins" which has long since been proven incorrect. They both deal with threats that scale to them and have resources that trivialize the things the layman struggles with.

Speaking of that, I'm curious as to why there is a spike in anti-Batman posts lately.

Frustration over how many Bat books there are while many favorites are missing in action mixed with some sour grapes. My best guess.

[lemonpeace]

Frankly, I relate to neither

[Midnight_v]

What? Do you actually believe that?

What...? You Don't?

Geez.


So... one of the primary and most base elements of being human is the "Fight or Flight Response" this guy has an alien physiology and there's zero reason to think that he
experiences things even remotely the same as a human.

From almost never having physical fear, to having a fortress of solitude filled with alien tech, to having personal resurrection protocols in place when he dies. Yeah.

Objectively... superman is an alien god.

[Lightning Rider]

What...? You Don't?
So... one of the primary and most base elements of being human is the "Fight or Flight Response" this guy has an alien physiology and there's zero reason to think that he
experiences things even remotely the same as a human.

I think he probably experiences that. If not for himself, then for others. He's constantly witnessing and experiencing close calls that could easily end in tragedy.

[Robanker]

What...? You Don't?

Geez.


So... one of the primary and most base elements of being human is the "Fight or Flight Response" this guy has an alien physiology and there's zero reason to think that he
experiences things even remotely the same as a human.

From almost never having physical fear, to having a fortress of solitude filled with alien tech, to having personal resurrection protocols in place when he dies. Yeah.

Objectively... superman is an alien god.

... Who wakes up in an apartment he struggles to afford and works a 9-to-5 job in the big city. Has a dog and lady he likes who (depending on the period) doesn't know he exists/reciprocates/marries him. He calls his parents when he has time and has another job volunteering in his city because he enjoys it. His greatest disdain comes from seeing those in power abuse their resources to take advantage of the disenfranchised. A good portion of his young adult life is learning about his heritage and how it informed his life as an immigrant. He eventually gets married and has a kid who is too much for him to handle but that kid looks up to him anyway because in his eyes he's, well, Superman.

He's a pretty normal, if unfailingly kind dude. Just dialed up to eleven, but the core of his life is just exaggerating the mundane into something interesting.

[Jabare]

he doesn't struggle to afford the apartment that's just for appearances

[Agent Z]

There is usually some sort of crappy behavior from the victim of the super-bullying to make it seem like they 'deserve it,' but yeah, it shows up in the first Spider-Man movie, where Peter ends up humiliating Flash in the hallway (oh, but Flash was a bully himself, so I guess it's okay to bully bullies?), or in Man of Steel where Clark mangles the logging-trucker's truck in 'get him back' for harassing a waitress ('cause gosh, them ladies can't stand up for themselves).

I don't really like scenes that make me want to be complicit in or approving of jerkish or bullying behavior.

(That said, I'm more tolerant of that sort of thing from people like Batman, the Punisher or Daredevil, who aren't super-strong or tough, and kind of need to inspire fear as part of their schtick. But then I also recognize that I am not the target audience for those characters, either. It's when Superman or Spider-Man or, my least favorite example, Ultimate Captain America, are portrayed as super-bullies. That's just tarnishing the silverware, IMO.)

Your two examples don't work.

Peter did not bully Flash, he was attacked and defended himself. He even specifically tells Flash he doesn't want to fight and MJ specifically tells Flash to leave Peter alone. Flash was humiliated because his victim had the means to fight him off.
Clark trashing that guy's truck is miniscule compared to the trucker's implied repeated sexual harassment of women (not to mention your implication that sexual harassment should go unpunished or ignored because the ladies should "stand up for themselves").

Are there examples of Superman and Spider-Man behaving like bullies? Yes. Examples of the former can easily he found in the Silver Age or arguably even the final scene of Superman 2, which I'm surprised you didn't mention. And excusing Batman and Daredevil betrays a double standard since using fear and intimidation to get what you want is far more the mark of a bully than self-defense or retribution for a victim. The examples you sited are not only inaccurate but they imply we should have more sympathy for the bullies as opposed to their victims.

[Midnight_v]

... Who wakes up in an apartment he struggles to afford and works a 9-to-5 job in the big city. Has a dog and lady he likes who (depending on the period) doesn't know he exists/reciprocates/marries him. He calls his parents when he has time and has another job volunteering in his city because he enjoys it. His greatest disdain comes from seeing those in power abuse their resources to take advantage of the disenfranchised. A good portion of his young adult life is learning about his heritage and how it informed his life as an immigrant. He eventually gets married and has a kid who is too much for him to handle but that kid looks up to him anyway because in his eyes he's, well, Superman.

He's a pretty normal, if unfailingly kind dude. Just dialed up to eleven, but the core of his life is just exaggerating the mundane into something interesting.

he doesn't struggle to afford the apartment that's just for appearances

<---- This.

Its all just for appearances.... Superman Isn't "A Guy" at all.

For reference, take The Martian Manhunter he has this line where its like "Two aliens come to earth and in the end you just chose the one that looks like you"

That's it. He "Looks" like you and so people identify w/him and give him this weird " identify cause he's going through the motions" but... really?

He's not human at all.

[9th.]

I don't really consider either to be relatable to be honest with you.

[Jim Kelly]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I think I connect with fictional characters on a primal level first. Then I try to rationalize why I feel that way about them. But it's that immediate connection that relates me to them--not the rationalizations.

I know exactly what I felt as a little boy when I saw Batman on the T.V. for the first time. It was more excitement than my little body could contain--I was near to bursting with the energy I felt inside me upon seeing this guy in cape, cowl and trunks. All at once I was overcome and in awe and knew I had found something that went deep into my soul. I have never forgotten that feeling.

[Lightning Rider]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I think I connect with fictional characters on a primal level first. Then I try to rationalize why I feel that way about them. But it's that immediate connection that relates me to them--not the rationalizations.

I know exactly what I felt as a little boy when I saw Batman on the T.V. for the first time. It was more excitement than my little body could contain--I was near to bursting with the energy I felt inside me upon seeing this guy in cape, cowl and trunks. All at once I was overcome and in awe and knew I had found something that went deep into my soul. I have never forgotten that feeling.

Well put, that visceral first reaction is very important. (And arguably parallels how we emotionally relate to the world at large.)

[CaptCleghorn]

Before you call me a fanboy just hear me out. I hear a lot of people say that Superman is unrelatable, and a lot of people also say that Batman is way more relatable. I am here to say that that is one of the most stupid thing I've ever heard, I will start my case with Superman.

Clark Kent grew up on a farm in West Kansas in a small town called "Smallville". He was raised as a normal american kid in a normal school with other kids like him. When he turns 18 he moves to a big city where he gets a job as a reporter at the Daily Planet and falls in love with Lois Lane who doesn't necessarily love him back at first. He becomes a Superhero named Superman, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, yada yada, and yet even while being able to do all these things he's still just a guy trying to make a living and figure stuff out. He doesn't do that because he has any ulterior motives, he just does it because he can, because he has the ability to.

Now, Batman. Bruce Wayne grew up as the son of the richest family in Gotham, he went to a private school. Most of his friends were rich, he was enjoying his life until a grim night as a boy when his parents were gunned down in an alley when they were making their way home from a movie. After that he had a goal, he studied every book he could, he learned everything he could, going to every one of the best schools he could for only a few weeks until he knew everything he needed to. When he was 18 he went on a journey around the world to learn every single martial art he could, studying with people and groups that even he thought were only legend. He learned techniques to lower his body heat by meditation and go into a manual coma by will alone. He returns to Gotham city to become the very personification of vengeance, he becomes the reason why some criminals decide not to commit a crime, he becomes the Batman. He's the world's greatest detective, he canonically speaks 23 languages, he knows 127 martial arts, his IQ is 192, he can battle over one hundred men at once and come out alive. He is a one man army that can't be stopped by anything but a teambuster villain. He's defeated the whole Justice League before, he has a second plan for every second plan's second plan. His love interest is a cat burglar who he can never marry, and he has 3 adopted sons and one biological son who have all been by his side in fighting crime as "Robin".

Look at both of those, read them carefully and think about them intensely. Now tell me Batman is more relatable than Superman. You probably won't, your parents weren't gunned down in an alley, you don't know 23 languages or 127 martial arts or have 192 IQ. You're not "The World's Best Detective", you're probably nothing close. We're all just trying to figure it out where as Batman knows what he wants to do and he does it no matter the cost. Now I'll leave this with one last thing. Haters gonna hate.

Not having read any posts preceding, I wanted to give you my personal impressions before seeing what others thought. Superman and Batman are both children of considerable privilege. Superman in a physical sense, while Batman's social and economic status add to his fairly good genes. Neither of these are that relatable to the common person. But Batman is dedicated, even obsessed. He is a perfectionist and honestly, most of us know a Batman type. Always getting it right. Finding a way. Superman, on the other hand, is a nice guy, wanting to be one of the crowd when not taking a moral stand. I think Superman's quest to be one of the crowd is probably the most relatable part of either character. If I had to pick one, I'd go with Clark.

But there are so many more characters in DC far more relatable than the World's Finest pair.