Batman or Spider-man?

[RedTom]

This has been a question that has plagued me for literally DECADES! I have asked so many people out there, and there are so many opinions on the matter. Almost every one of the people I meet are on one side or the other, but there are some who are met with the same question. Who is the better Comicbook hero? Spider-man or Batman?



Yes, you can make a case that Batman is for DC and Spider-man is for Marvel, but they are both my favorite of all time. Now, I know they are not the favorite for everyone, but even if they're not, people usually have an opinion on who is better. Yet, I cannot find anything that could sway my vote either way on the matter, and I have definitely tried.



Some would say that Spider-man is better because he actually has Super Powers, and Batman does not. Well, that's a silly reason to like Spider-man better. Batman not having super powers just endears him more because he's done many feats that Spider-man has, and without that one advantage. Many would say that Batman was better because he has been turned into a god. Well, that wouldn't even sway my vote, because, really, I've never liked God-Modding in any way shape or form. Plus, Spider-man has had cosmic energy at his disposal before in order to defeat extremely powerful bad guys.



There has just never been a deciding factor for me, and I still can't be clear. I love both of them, and their comic storylines have very seldom disappointed. I just wanted to ask you guys who you would pick out of the two. If you want, just tell me between the two, and tell me your favorite comicbook hero overall along with them, it's not a strict thread by any means.



So what'dya think, sirs?

[Torgo]

A better debate would be Squirrel Girl vs. Booster Gold.

[RedTom]

Dude, Squirrel Girl, definitely. Booster Gold's a prick.

[Mighty Jack]

Batman's cooler, but Spider-Man has the better personality (and because of that, his comics are generally better, more entertaining. For all of the hype surrounding his work, Frank Miller might have been the worst thing to happen to the Bat in comics. The guy has become grim, humorless and one dimensional. That didn't use to be the case, he used to be more well rounded in comics. Grim, sure, but with a personality)

Both costumes are iconic, the best in the biz.

[Afgncaap5]

Apr 17, 2016 18:49:04 GMT -5 Mighty Jack said:

Batman's cooler, but Spider-Man has the better personality (and because of that, his comics are generally better, more entertaining. For all of the hype surrounding his work, Frank Miller might have been the worst thing to happen to the Bat in comics. The guy has become grim, humorless and one dimensional. That didn't use to be the case, he used to be more well rounded in comics. Grim, sure, but with a personality)

Both costumes are iconic, the best in the biz.

I agree that if we look at Frank Miller's work and the modern movies, that's true for Batman. However, more recent comic stories are getting Batman back to his roots of the "grim facade" just being part of the act. For instance, Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated actually had a giddy Bruce Wayne, finally super excited to be taking his war on crime global instead of just stagnating in a single city all the time. And that's not even getting into how the recent The Brave & The Bold cartoon brought a few elements of Adam West back to the character (as opposed to the Batman '66 comic which was designed to give us Adam West through and through.)

And speaking of depressing things getting fun and enjoyable again... Spider-Man had a few really nice turns in his life a few years back. I know that, in costume, ol' webhead is pretty chipper, but in real life he's got problems. That's practically a defining trait for him, really... but a couple years ago (right before the whole Superior Spider-Man thing) he was actually using his chemistry and gadgetry know-how to land a job with a science firm, which let him get money by developing the kinds of mad science gear that he'd previously only used for crime fighting.

It's delight to live in an era when super heroes can start to just have fun being super heroes again.

...none of which actually helps to answer the question of the topic, does it? Um...

If you have to pick between the two, I guess I'd say pick your favorite kind of story, and figure out which of them is better suited for telling it? Batman's better at pulpy action and mystery stories while Spider-Man's better at gonzo horror and sci-fi, for instance. Not that the other *can't* work in the other genre well, but the characters tend to be better at drawing out those elements in the world around them, I'd say.

I'm a huge fan of 'em both, but I've gotta go with Batman because he's a *shade* more likely to have thoroughly human adversaries than superhuman adversaries, though they're both filled to the gills with both in their respective rogue galleries.