But it goes deeper than that. When one abstracts the two characters to their core differences, the key item is hope. Moore’s classic, The Killing Joke, explores the dichotomy between him and the Batman. In The Killing Joke, the story begins with Batman visiting Arkham Asylum, intending to work out his differences with the Joker. Unfortunately, he discovers to his dismay that the Joker had already escaped and had kidnapped Police Commissioner Gordon, tormenting him with the goal of breaking his spirit and causing insanity. Over the course of the plot the Joker’s own past is revealed, illustrating a portrait of an everyman pushed to madness from great tragedy: the loss of his wife and unborn son. In light of this, I contend that that the Joker’s
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The cast of fantastical characters with extravagant super powers in the DC Comics universe banded together to form the Justice League of America in 1960. The team sported one Jacob amongst the throng of Goliaths: The Batman. Not only was he the only member of the JLA without any powers, he’s one of the two iconic leaders of the group.
In the biblical book of Genesis, Isaac bears two sons, Esau and Jacob. Like Superman, the elder brother Esau was brave and strong, a fierce hunter, the classic alpha-male; like Batman, the younger brother Jacob was weak and soft-spoken by comparison, but very quick-witted. God prophesied that each son would represent a nation, one more powerful than the other. Isaac’s blessing originally belonged to Esau. However, Jacob’s intelligent forethought and planning secures the blessing from his elder brother’s fingertips, despite Esau’s apparent might and …show more content…
The Esau to Batman’s Jacob, Superman also exists to be a symbol: A symbol of safety and protection. Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! It’s a bird, it’s a plane! No, it’s Superman! The citizens of the utopian Metropolis have nothing to fear from crime, because they lie safely under Superman’s jurisdiction. It’s not unreasonable to compare the semi-omnipotent and omnipresent Superman to a god. The concept of Batman vs. Superman has existed since their characters first interacted within the JLA. In Frank Miller’s magnum opus, The Dark Knight Returns, an elderly Batman defeats Superman through careful foreplanning. It just so happens that a movie inspired by The Dark Knight Returns is slated to premiere in the summer of 2015. The fact that such an idea is even explored illustrates just how much Batman is respected as an icon of the human spirit, and triumph over immense obstacles. With enough planning and thought, Batman can stand up to, and even defeat, the god in blue. Coincidentally, Jacob later goes on to be given the name Israel, or “He who struggles with
The cast of fantastical characters with extravagant super powers in the DC Comics universe banded together to form the Justice League of America in 1960. The team sported one Jacob amongst the throng of Goliaths: The Batman. Not only was he the only member of the JLA without any powers, he’s one of the two iconic leaders of the group.
In the biblical book of Genesis, Isaac bears two sons, Esau and Jacob. Like Superman, the elder brother Esau was brave and strong, a fierce hunter, the classic alpha-male; like Batman, the younger brother Jacob was weak and soft-spoken by comparison, but very quick-witted. God prophesied that each son would represent a nation, one more powerful than the other. Isaac’s blessing originally belonged to Esau. However, Jacob’s intelligent forethought and planning secures the blessing from his elder brother’s fingertips, despite Esau’s apparent might and …show more content…
The Esau to Batman’s Jacob, Superman also exists to be a symbol: A symbol of safety and protection. Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! It’s a bird, it’s a plane! No, it’s Superman! The citizens of the utopian Metropolis have nothing to fear from crime, because they lie safely under Superman’s jurisdiction. It’s not unreasonable to compare the semi-omnipotent and omnipresent Superman to a god. The concept of Batman vs. Superman has existed since their characters first interacted within the JLA. In Frank Miller’s magnum opus, The Dark Knight Returns, an elderly Batman defeats Superman through careful foreplanning. It just so happens that a movie inspired by The Dark Knight Returns is slated to premiere in the summer of 2015. The fact that such an idea is even explored illustrates just how much Batman is respected as an icon of the human spirit, and triumph over immense obstacles. With enough planning and thought, Batman can stand up to, and even defeat, the god in blue. Coincidentally, Jacob later goes on to be given the name Israel, or “He who struggles with