It is going to be a battle that will define our time. Citizens will have to choose between a controversial figure who many see as a hero but some see as a monster, and another that taps into the groundswell of anger toward an alien menace. Resentment and vitriol will be the order of the day as these two fight to determine the direction of the country.
Of course we’re talking about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But before seeing this clash of the titans in tights, you may want to brush up on your Batman and Superman trivia. Don’t let a lack of knowledge be your kryptonite (or whatever the hell it is Batman hates–bunions maybe?) the next time you’re at Last Call Trivia.
Superman made his premiere in Action Comics #1 in June of 1938, after creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster unsuccessfully pitched the idea around New York as a comic strip. The Man Of Steel was born.
Batman hit the scene a little less than a year later on March 30, 1939. He was featured in Detective Comics #27’s “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate”, as gag cartoonist Bob Kane was asked to design a new kind of super hero.
Superman has had many iterations in media, with 16 different actors (and counting) donning the tights and cape throughout the years. The first was an actor named Ray Middleton, who showed up as Superman at the 1939 World’s Fair. Notable actors such as George Reeves and Christopher Reeve have made for memorable Supermen, while Henry Cavill is the current choice for the upcoming Superman v Batman film.
Batman hasn’t had as many actors to suit up as the caped crusader, with a total of 8 thus far. The first? Lewis G Wilson, for a 12-part Columbia serial in 1943. More popular names like Adam West, Michael Keaton and Christian Bale have also played the role of Batman, and the current choice for everybody’s favorite playboy crime fighter is Ben Affleck. Hold your applause, please.
Who wins the battle of the box office between Superman and Batman? It’s not even close. The Batman franchise has taken in a combined domestic unadjusted gross of $1.89 billion, with The Dark Knight leading the way with $533 million. Meanwhile the Superman films have a domestic gross of just $797 million, with Man Of Steel raking in $291 million.