Why are Superman and Batman so popular?

[Carrieattheprom]

We are talking about superheros so famous that people who have never picked up a comic book(or watched any of the t.v. shows) know who these guys are. They've had plently of t.v. series and movies. Why are these guys so popular? I love Batman, and I like Superman, I just don't understand why they're so popular.

[Bird Boy]

They've had plently of t.v. series and movies.

You answered your own question.

Batman and Superman have, more than any other superhero, been in the public eye more. You ask someone to name a superhero and chances are they'll say Superman, Batman or Spider-Man, as they get the maximum exposure.

-BB

[Knight]

You answered your own question.

Batman and Superman have, more than any other superhero, been in the public eye more. You ask someone to name a superhero and chances are they'll say Superman, Batman or Spider-Man, as they get the maximum exposure.

-BB

Yeap its all about exposure and they have had tons of it over the decades (tv, shows, cartoons, movies, toys) so its hard to find anyone who doesnt know of them at all. Some way somehow most people have been exposed to them. They are icons.

[Ruseri]

Plus there's the fact that Superman and Batman were the first two superheroes on the scene (even though, at that time, Batman was only known as a detective).

[Rurouni Kenshin]

Probably because they have the most movies and T.V shows. I mean the only DC cartoon I can think of that was not about Batman or Superman was static, and they still had both of these guys guest star on it.

[Fone Bone]

Because they wear their underwear on the outside of the rest of their clothing. People love rebels.

[MonkeyFunk]

Because they wear their underwear on the outside of the rest of their clothing. People love rebels.

So why isn't Astro Boy more popular outside Japan?

[Phantasm]

Because they wear their underwear on the outside of the rest of their clothing. People love rebels.

LOL!

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

So why isn't Astro Boy more popular outside Japan?

'Cause all he's wearing is underwear. If you wear your underwear on the outside of your clothing, you're a rebel. If you're only wearing underwear, then you're a flasher, but Astro Boy is a kid, so it's mostly OK.

This also explains why Wonder Woman isn't as popular as Superman or Batman, since her costume looks suspiciously like she's only wearing underwear with boots. Not that there's anything WRONG with that, of course.

-- Ed/Ace

[Nekoris]

Well they're "Batman" & "Superman." What else is there? I do agree they much the most air time in the public eye though. And we aren't the only country in the world to take heart to them. There's a lot of other countries out there who likes them too. Enough said.

[Carrieattheprom]

But why have they gotten so much exposure? Why not the Flash? What about Green Arrow? How come Batman and Superman have been in all these movies and t.v. shows? What makes them so appealing?

[TimTwoFace]

Why were these two so popular to begin with, though?

Batman's popularity is rooted in the characterization he and his supporting cast recieves, the fact that he's "just a man", and the fact that he represents a darker side of humanity.

Superman...I know why he was popular initially - but if someone like him were brand new today, I don't know if people would love him nearly as much. He's a great character, don't get me wrong - but I think a lot of the reason Superman is still popular was just beause he was once popular in the past. He's not as intriguing as other heroes, nor is his supporting cast. Maybe I just think most of society has "grown up" from the kiddie comics, and that's why people tend to gravitate towards the darker-themed characters, as they're seen as more mature.

-Tim

[Casey Mack]

Superman was well the first "Superhero" and his character is the basis for countless other "superheroes" that exist in comics/movies/Tv today. He introduced the hole secret identity thing, and hence movies and shows have made him an Icon among modern Pop culture. Same as Batman, but he didn't become iconic until he was remolded into an even dark character in the 1980s by Frank Millar and company.

Superman and Batmans popularity is older then any of us here today.
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[Carrieattheprom]

From what I understand, the comics were in danger of being ceancelled and the Adam West show made the comics popular again.

[Anthonynotes]

Why they're popular?

Superman: the original superhero, and setting the template for all other heroes to come. In the early 40's, a plethora of superheroes came down the pike, but Superman was still quite popular.

Superman was unique in 1938 (his debut year)---kids didn't get to see guys who could lift and smash automobiles every day, and demanded to see more and more of this character. By 1940, Superman had gotten his own balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a newspaper comic strip (when comic strips were read by virtually everyone and got plenty of attention), as well as a radio show (which remained popular through the 40's). By 1943, Superman was popular enough to be parodied plenty (such as in the Bugs Bunny cartoon of that year, "Super-Rabbit"); he also was appearing regularly in three comics by this point ("Superman", "Action Comics", and solo stories in "World's Finest Comics").

Superman's popularity peaked in the 50's and 60's---when the Baby Boomer generation was growing up. The 50's live-action TV show and 60's saturday morning cartoons, along with the various spinoff Superman comics ("Lois Lane" used to be a top seller at DC), probably helped cement his popularity.

Superman's popularity also helps in that he represents, well, the ultimate power fantasies: who doesn't want the ability to fly, or be invulnerable to harm, especially with the cruelties of the world against us? Superman also appeals to people's idealism, I imagine... that of wanting to make the world a better place because we *can*, and using our talents to do so.

Batman:
Batman, created in 1939, early on reflected the pulp characters of the day he was drawn from (along with comic strip characters like the Phantom). The idea of an ordinary human doing superheroic feats struck a chord presumably with readers, all through the 40's (even when the stories were lightened up after the first year of Batman comics, with Robin's 1940 introduction) and even up to today---this is probably Batman's main and biggest source of appeal IMO (not whether he's "realistic" [which he's not] or "dark" or whatever). Who wouldn't want to be able to use all sorts of cool gadgets, detective skills and fighting ability against a goofy, appealing Dick Tracy-esque rogue's gallery? *And*, of course, being fabulously wealthy to boot?

Batman's first media spinoff IIRC was appearing in the Superman radio show whenever Superman was being held prisoner somewhere by someone with kryptonite (real life reason: the actor of his voice, Bud Collyer, was on vacation and they needed a way to write Superman off for a few weeks); IIRC, Batman would usually spend time trying to take up the case Superman was on and/or try to find who's holding Supes prisoner. Batman also had a movie serial in the late 40's/early 50's, by which point he was appearing in three monthly comics ("Batman", "World's Finest Comics" solo stories, and "Detective Comics"), while Robin appeared in a solo series in "Star Spangled Comics" at that time.

Batman's lowest sales point came in the late 50's---when they figured aping Superman's titles by introducing sci-fi elements would be worth a shot. Hence, Ace the Bat-Hound, Bat-Mite, and various goofy space aliens. When Julius Schwartz took over the books in 1964, he ditched this goofiness and made Bats a more grounded hero again. While Bat-books' sales were pretty strong afterwards, the live-action TV show's popularity cemented Batman in the public's mind as an icon (despite that even the comic writers of the day weren't too thrilled with the show), and Batman's stayed strongly in the public's eye ever since. (For what it's worth, during the show's run, DC would often put Batman in prominent roles in JLA stories of the era, including the covers; I'd assume Batman's comics first outsold Superman's at this point in time...).

-B.

[RAINMAN]

So in other words it really just the big two and WW is throw in there just to be there? To draw in females to read comic? Or she was the first super heroine?

[Trevor Balena]

So in other words it really just the big two and WW is throw in there just to be there? To draw in females to read comic? Or she was the first super heroine?

Wonder Woman is pretty important, too... some would say equally important. The only reason nobody's mentioned her yet is because the original question didn't ask about her.

Wonder Woman is, for all intents and purposes, indeed the first superheroine (excluding the first Red Tornado, who was mainly a humour character). She was created not only to draw more female readers into comics, but also (perhaps mainly) to "teach" boys about how wonderful women were, and how much better they were at solving problems than men. Her creator, William Moultan Marsdon, while obviously being a man, was still one of the very early feminists, by modern definition.

[Prism]

Batman and Superman are so popular because somehow they embody everything about superheroes. They weren't the first costumed crimefighters, The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician precede them, it isn't their unique origins just about every superhero/swashbuckler/crimefighter has one and it isn't because they were well written, half the time their living cliches. But they are iconic, they are always in the public eye and along with Spiderman and Wolverine have come to represent crimefighters in general.

[Anthonynotes]

Batman and Superman are so popular because somehow they embody everything about superheroes. They weren't the first costumed crimefighters, The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician precede them, it isn't their unique origins just about every superhero/swashbuckler/crimefighter has one and it isn't because they were well written, half the time their living cliches. But they are iconic, they are always in the public eye and along with Spiderman and Wolverine have come to represent crimefighters in general.

Spider-Man, sure. Wolverine? Popular, but not at Superman's level of icon-ness (I'm sure my grandmother would know who Superman or Batman is if I showed her pictures of them, but not Wolverine...).

[TimTwoFace]

The name and image of Wonder Woman are certainly very popular, and have been for the past 60 years - but I wouldn't put her at the same level of iconic status that Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man have enjoyed since the 60's (and before).

Most of the public don't really know much about Wonder Woman, beyond the fact she's a female superhero with traits similar to Superman that has been around since the 40's. With Superman and Batman, more of their characteristics are well known, as are a number of key parts of their history (such as their origins and supporting cast). That's how I make the difference.

-Tim