2. George Clooney V Brandon Routh: Dusk of Objectivity
George Clooney was the ideal candidate to be a great Batman. But then Batman and Robin happened. I wonder if Clooney and Val Kilmer have ever shared a scotch and a shuddering conversation about Joel Schumacher. Before this version even considered tackling Gotham’s worst villains, Batman needed to go to some local city council meetings, and make a motion to get rid of all the stupid motorcycle races and finish building those roads, nix the neon color pallet, and personally assemble a task force designed to take. Down. Puns.
Brandon Routh’s turn in Superman Returns doesn’t fare much better, in the grand scheme of things. Oh, of course Superman gets the Advantage in this round, because Bat Nipples, but this version of Superman is pretty damn selfish. Metropolis loved him, even though he’s been gone for five years. The only thing Superman cared about was winning Lois Lane back. I can’t really fault him for that, but I can, because he’s supposed to care about the greater good rather than worry about his upcoming appearance on The Maury Show.
1. Michael Keaton V Christopher Reeve: Night of Righteousness
After the dusk came… the night. A clash of titans indeed. Michael Keaton unintentionally became a somewhat real-life version of Batman, minus the dead parents and billions of dollars; he’ll just have to survive on his millions. The vast majority of fans didn’t believe in him, would have rather he disappeared into the night. But he had a select few who knew he was capable of delivering a dramatic performance, He gave us a brooding and complex hero worthy of the Bat-Signal in Batman and Batman Returns.
On the other hand… Christopher Reeve is the epitome of Superman, with that adorable, boyish curl. I mean, my God, he saved a cat from a tree! Your local fire department won’t even do that anymore. Who cares if he turned back time to save Lois Lane? He still went for the cat. This pains me to say this, but the deciding factor is his: Keaton knew when to hang up his cape. And only half of Reeve’s Superman films were any good, and including Superman’s own “Franchise Killer” Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Batman for the win.
Think my undying loyalty to Batman and unwarranted dislike of Henry Cavill too obvious? Ever thought Joel Schumacher was on to something brilliant? You should keep that one to yourself, but all others, comment below or on AP2HYC’s Twitter!
