Summary
Denny O’Neil wrote some of the greatestBatmanandSupermanstories of all time, but the legendary writer thinks having the two exist in the same universe was a huge mistake. While the two heroes will always be intrinsically tied together in the DC Universe, for the late O’Neil, pairing them together never made any sense.
Appearing on theWord Balloonpodcast in 2018,O’Neil explained to interviewer John Siuntres why he believed, “these characters have never belonged in the same universe,“and that bringing them together into ashared continuity shaped the trajectory of comic book storytelling.
“It’s an accident of publishing history that they are,” in the same narrative universe, O’Neil said, citing changes to the comic book medium in the mid-20th century that led to the two distinct characters being integrated into the earliest version of the DC Universe.
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For decades, [Superman and Batman] had existed in parallel, and it was only real-world practical concerns that brought them together.
The Late Denny O’Neil On The DCU
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
O’Neil elaborated further on the idea, pointing out the inherentdifferences between Batman and Superman:
“It’s not a good idea, ‘cause one guy juggles suns and one guy can bench-press probably 500 lbs…They’re not the same kind of character, the mythology is really different.”
O’Neil makes a valid point with his argument, and with his explanation of how Superman and Batman came to live in the same universe, the author offers a stark reminder of how these things have often come to be throughout the ages of comic book history. It is important to remember that the original creators of many of the superhero characters never set out to create a “universe” when telling their stories.
Batman and Superman wound up being paired together because they were DC/National’s most popular characters at the time, withWorld’s Finest Comicsfeaturing both charactersin separate stories. WhileWorld’s Finestwas initially 96 pages long, publishing cuts in the 1950s saw a reduction of the page count, lessening the amount of stories included per issue. That eventually led to Superman and Batman co-starring in the same story, starting with their first team-up inWorld’s Finest Comics#71 in 1954. For decades, they had existed in parallel, and it was only real-world practical concerns that brought them together.
Interestingly, many of these early stories saw Batman gaining superpowers to keep up with Superman - adding fuel to Denny O’Neil’s theory of the difficulty inherent in finding ways for the characters to interact, given their wildly different power-sets.
Despite their differences, many creators have used the “polar opposite” nature between Batman and Superman to great effect.
An “Accident of Publishing History” Led To Some Of Comics Greatest Stories
Batman & Superman Can Be Used Together Effectively
Of course, Batman and Superman have appear in many classic comics together in the decades since, leading to unforgettable stories that would transcend the medium likeThe Dark Knight Returns,Kingdom ComeandBatman: Hush. Despite their differences, many creators have used the “polar opposite” nature between Batman and Superman to great effect. There can’t be any shadow without light, after all, so the two characters complement each other by being opposites. All that said, it’s still interesting thatDenny O’Neil thought thatBatmanandSupermandidn’t belong in the same universe.
Source:Word Balloon
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
