Warning: spoilers for Superman: Red and Blue #3 by Jesse J. Holland, Laura Braga, Hi-Fi, and Dave Sharpe are ahead.
Being a superhero isn’t an easy job, and both Superman and Batman from DC Comics know this to be the case. As two heroes with secret identities, Superman and Batman often experience the stress of having to deal with personal commitments on top of more grandiose duties like saving the world. The split between private civilian life and public superhero life is a recurring theme in comics, and a new story from Superman: Red and Blue #3, entitled “Deadline,” explores this fully (written by Jesse J. Holland, art by Laura Braga, colors by Hi-Fi, letters by Dave Sharpe).
In the story, Clark Kent tries his best to balance meeting a deadline for The Daily Planet whilst also trying to make it on time to a dinner reservation he has with Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince. While he frets about his assignment and saves some innocent people on his way to the office, Bruce and Diana wonder if he is going to make either deadline. To Bruce, Clark should have no problem completing his Planet assignment with time to spare, because he’s Superman. But Diana offers a counterpoint by saying, “You would wrap up the bad guys in a Batrope or something and vanish into an alley… Not Clark. He’s… polite. He’s Superman. He belongs to everyone, so his time is not his own.” Just as expected, Superman takes the time to talk to the people he saved and pose for photos after rescuing them.
Wonder Woman’s observation about the difference between Superman and Batman speaks to the very different approaches that Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne have to balancing their public and private lives. As much as Bruce Wayne knows that Batman is a public persona, he is not well-equipped with handling his existence as a public figure. Clark Kent, on the other hand, is very good at the public side of being a superhero, because he understands how much significance Superman has to the people of Metropolis.
![DC Confirms Why Superman’s A Better Hero Than Batman](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/superman-red-blue-job-bills-late-featured.jpg)
This also comes down to the differing relationships that Superman and Batman have with the public. To the average person, Superman is a helper who always has the time to lend a hand when people need it most. In contrast, Batman is a figure whose persona relies on fear. In this sense, Superman is better than Batman at being a superhero, because he fulfills the role with a greater sense of comfort and ease. Superman understands that the public looks up to him as an aspirational figure, which is something Batman would never condone for himself. As Wonder Woman’s words demonstrate, the whole act of being a superhero is a public performance, and Superman understands how to shine in this role.
Part of what separates Superman and Batman as superheroes is how visible they are in society. Because Superman mostly operates during the daytime, he is a figure that many people see doing heroic acts. Additionally, Superman does not wear a mask, making him recognizable beyond just his costume. Batman on the other hand, mostly works at night, and everything about his methods and appearance is intended to blend in with the nighttime in Gotham City. In comparison to Superman, Batman is much more inaccessible to the average citizen, because he not only emerges at a more dangerous hour of the day, but his face is covered by a mask. Thus, Batman’s persona is not under public ownership the way that Superman’s is, because so much of his character’s mythos relies on being hidden.
Ultimately, what separates Superman and Batman as superheroes is that Superman understands that part of being a hero is leaving a positive impression in the mind of the average citizen. This is why he goes out of his way, even while under time constraints, to interact with the public. Batman simply is not interested in having such a relationship with the people of Gotham City, because existing as a symbol of fear is much more conducive to his methods. And while Superman may be better at being a superhero, it does not negate the fact that Batman has always been a compelling character due to the strained relationship he has with society.