Speaking of Batman as the classic fascistic icon, what better example than the self-funded billionaire vigilante taking umbrage at an illegal alien who shows up just wanting to make a positive difference in this world? Creators and fans alike love pitting the Dark Knight and Man Of Steel against each other, the latter being a sort of underdog figure in the fights. After all, hes just a man. An incredibly well-equipped, well-trained man, but a man nonetheless. Superman is more akin to a god. Theres a degree of self-insert fanfic about whenever Batman beats him up, then, with readers imagining that humanity could, one day, punch a god in the face too. Thing is, he cheats every time. In the Dark Knight Returns, he needs the juice of all of Gotham City to power his robot suit, and Green Arrow has to blast him with a Kryptonite bolt. Batman puts the bright green achilles heel in a ring, which allows him to punch out a Poison Ivy-controlled Superman during Hush. If the pair actually had a fight? Batman would be dead in, like, two seconds. The difference is that Superman wouldnt fight him, or choose to kill him, because he isnt a total jerk.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
