Batman and Superman...A Breakdown

I was once a comic book junkie. I loved any of them I could get my hands on. But there was always a love/hate scenario for me. I loved Batman and hated Superman. Batman was the detective, the human, the night. Superman was just that…super.

 

But as I got older, Batman and his complexities became simple, human, and easy to dissect. But Superman was becoming more and more complicated. He was and is evolving.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/video/2012/oct/24/supermans-clark-kent-quits-job-video?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fmedia%2Frss+(Media)

 

In the latest issue of the Superman comic book, which goes on sale on Wednesday, the caped hero's alter ego, Clark Kent, quits his job as a journalist at the Daily Planet. A staff member at a comic book store in New York City's Times Square says the superhero left the tabloid after voicing his disdain for the direction the newspaper is headed, lacking real journalism and real reporting

 

WOW!

 

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/28/135797875/superman-gives-up-his-u-s-citizenship

 

In Action Comics latest issue, Superman proclaims himself a citizen of the universe after clashing with the U.S. government. Which puts rather a dent in his longtime motto: Truth, justice and the American way.

 

Damn!

 

How does one reconcile with being an alien, with no one of his kind to relate to, all the while walking around with the restrictions of a Buddhist monk walking on rice paper?

 

That’s what Superman deals with EVERYDAY!

 

I unfortunately relate to that…

 

Someone once asked me do I feel alone a lot, I truly wanted to answer honestly and say…

“Only when I'm around people.” But I humbly responded with an appeasing…sometimes.

 

You see I don’t think I'm super…or an alien…ok maybe an alien…but I don’t think I'm better…I think I'm flawed and alone. How can one associate with a society of humans that is fearful of being humane? How can one associate with a species that has evolved above all others with communication, but can’t exist in a civilized manner?

 

I was dismissed the other day by a work associate that asked why I am always philosophizing. I wanted some much to show him something humane, emotional, and empathetic. But like so many people it would have been lost on them, so my flaw came out…

 

“Philosophy is the study of life, I am not just a student of it, but I do my damnedest to live it.” “It’s not enough to study and parse through theory, we must prove our humanity every damned day by executing applications of life or we are no better than the animals we foolishly look down on.”

 

He thinks I am crazy now…fool…he should have known that I am based on what we deem normal. I am damn sure not that.

Haven’t we changed the cliché of “no man is an island” by determining what makes a man beyond being humane? Money, penis size, love of god, love of country, or love of family has become some of our metrics for being a man. I don’t know if I even qualify as a man in many circles.

 

Real men don’t cry…wear pink…eat quiche…amongst other things…show emotion…
never let you see them sweat…etc…

 

Silly me…I thought being a man was all you needed to be real. These true and real labels just make a clear understanding faint.

 

Batman could never be a real man…in the comics he just is a man…Superman on the other hand…well…I guess we will have to stay tuned for that.