Batman 66 comic is no more

[The Dark Knight]

Batman and Superman share common values. Superman doesn't have exclusivity on caring for the little guy. Batman doesn't have exclusivity on being aggressive to his enemies. There's crossover between the two because they're both crime fighters on the same team. But generally speaking, this exchange in Superman #20 captures the characters rather succinctly:

Batman: Out in the world, the darkness is real and growing.
Superman: Then we need to shine brighter.

[thecolorsblend]

Pretty much.

I suppose if someone wanted to really analyze the differences between the two characters, to me the biggest one is success. The day will come when Superman's mission is accomplished. The day will never come when Batman succeeds though.

Superman's entire mission statement fits on a bumper sticker. "Never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American Way". He doesn't have a specific outcome in mind. He simply wants to make the world a better place. Depending on your standards, he achieved his mission the first time he saved someone's life. One life saved will, in theory, bring us one step closer to a cure for cancer. One step closer to space colonization. One step closer to world peace. Etc. Everything Superman achieves after saving that first life is cream cheese.

Batman's mission is harder to quantify and even harder to achieve. To whatever degree he has a mission statement, it's something like "I made a promise on the grave of my parents that I would rid this city of the evil that took their lives." That's a defined goal. Batman will either attain that goal or else he will not attain that goal. There is no middle ground and there is no degree of victory. If he's not completely successful in his mission then by his own definition he's a complete failure.

All I can say is "Yeah, good luck with that."

Batman's thinking is either too small or too big. It's a matter of perspective, I suppose. But Superman's agenda is a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way. Sooner or later, that will be achieved. It doesn't have to happen in Superman's lifetime. It doesn't have to be Superman who achieves it. And really, it's a set of ideals anyway. It's not a defined goal. It's an aspiration.

The never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way can only "end" (if there even is an end) in success. Batman's mission is doomed to failure because he's not addressing the root cause (eg, human nature) while Superman IS.

Batman will fail in his mission. Superman's mission isn't even necessarily his own, or at least not exclusively so and that's why it will inevitably succeed.

"They will race behind you. They will stumble. They will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."

[The Dark Knight]

There's a moment in Batman Rebirth's I AM SUICIDE arc which deals with these themes. Bruce has an internal monologue in which he admits the concept of a grown man dressing up every night to fight crime *is* laughable. He admits punching criminals in the face every night isn't really going to do anything in the long term. Bruce reasons that Batman is the vow of a young boy who chose to die. The comic says that Bruce couldn't bring himself to commit suicide, so he became Batman. Instead of mourning his parents properly he made that highly ambitious vow. And because he didn't want to betray their memory, he still adheres to that vow. Batman is someone who can't let go of the past. He refuses to.

[Silver Nemesis]

Regarding the comparisons between West and Clooney, I think there's one massive difference that needs to be emphasised: West's Batman didn't realise he was funny.

Obviously the actor Adam West did, but the character he was playing saw himself as a deadly serious crime fighter. He and Robin had no idea how absurd they were. That's what made them so hilarious. By contrast, Clooney's Batman was constantly winking to the audience and actually trying to be funny. And he failed miserably.

Take for example his line about Batgirl's name not being awfully PC. It's delivered in a very glib, self-aware manner. If West's Batman had said something like that, it would have been delivered in an earnest and heartfelt tone. As if he were genuinely afraid the name Batgirl might offend someone.

So I don't acknowledge the Schumacher Batman as the spiritual successor to the sixties TV series. If anything, I think Batman: The Brave and the Bold was a far more suitable heir to West's legacy.

[The Dark Knight]

Take for example his line about Batgirl's name not being awfully PC. It's delivered in a very glib, self-aware manner. If West's Batman had said something like that, it would have been delivered in an earnest and heartfelt tone. As if he were genuinely afraid the name Batgirl might offend someone.

Good comparison.

So I don't acknowledge the Schumacher Batman as the spiritual successor to the sixties TV series. If anything, I think Batman: The Brave and the Bold was a far more suitable heir to West's legacy.

Definitely agree. The Brave and the Bold's Batman is serious about his work and has the same wisdom as Adam West's version.