Batman vs Spider-man: Analyzing an Analogy: Updated

Batman vs Spider-man: Analyzing an Analogy: Updated

Between the poster boys of DC and Marvel, Batman and Spider-man, respectively, attest the same number of cartoons. Were you aware how similar those are? "You will."

Editorial Opinion
By the - May 25, 2015 04:05 PM EST
Filed Under: Animated Features
Source: An Animated Analogy: Batman, Spider-man

Either it's deliberate or coincidental, the fact is the following shows are comparable to an uncanny degree.
*Ordered chronologically through Batman*   


The late 60's

Essentially, amidst the "Adam West Era" of superhero television, these are what we, in the modern era, deem campy, cheesy, and the like. The sound effects, the action, the dialogue, the acting and the limited animation cemented that perception. Sixties' Spider-man retains relevance because the internet community made memes.

The late 70's / early 80's

Aside from being another set of shows beyond my time, both are cosmetic updates of their respective 60's predecessors. After managing to catch a clip or an ep, that might be where the parallels end. Spider-man '81 got more serious in tone, ex. Wizard isn't that hammy of a villain and does have a sensible scheme despite the looney endgame. The emotional drama is somewhat more believable with apt stakes. The New Adventures of Batman added a wacky side character and had a very telling production budget. Spider-man '81, on the other hand, had more animation and characters' faces could at least be more expressive transitioning between different moods.

*Spider-Woman had her own show at this time. There is no equivalent in Batman's adapted canon* 

The Critical Darlings

       

A decade later, the episodic Gothic Noir that is Batman: TAS graced our TV screens. The serialized action-comedy-drama thriller that is Spectacular Spider-man aired in the following decade. These two are what transcend the medium that has the misfortune of being labeled a genre. Bruce Timm became a recognizable figure in the animation industry & cbtv. Paul Dini conceived Harley Quinn (did not co-produce; credited for far less ep than I assumed). As Batman TAS was WBA's crowning achievement in more dramatic fare, Greg Weisman was Disney's answer to Timm with the advent of Gargoyles. What sheer coincidence that a Spider-man series would be developed by him and another talented director, Victor Cook (Hellboy Animated, The Legend of Tarzan, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command). Content-wise, not since Batman TAS and Spec Spidey has the writing been this sharp, the directing this pristine, the acting this top-notch, the art this stylized yet remarkable, the animation this fluid, and the cities of Gotham and NY this fleshed out. The ensemble cast of supporting characters and villains are well conceived and from a wide enough variety of perspectives that they're believable as people, first and foremost. Their development also plays greatly into the titular leads' strengths, weaknesses, and relationships. 

Team Centric

       

The above images and headline speak for themselves. Spider-man and his Amazing Friends is an extension of Spider-man '81 as much as The New Batman Adventures is an extension of Batman TAS. Spider-man got two new mutant companions and then, 2 decades later, Batman's family of caped crusaders fought alongside other heroes, whose origins premiered on this show.      

The Futuristic Spin-off

         

In the final solo Batman series within the DCAU, Batman Beyond, Bruce Wayne has retired and, after some convincing, oversees the new dark knight, Terry McGinnis. In Spider-man Unlimited, Peter Parker, now married to Mary Jane Watson, ends up in a different dimension while trying to stop Venom and Carnage from hijacking Col. Jameson's shuttle. McGinnis' Beyond suit is high-tech and visually reminiscent of Miguel O'Hara's Spider-man suit. He fights crime in a Blade Runner-esque Gotham with flying cars and other advanced machinery. Parker's nanotech suit exhibits similar abilities as McGinnis' such as cloaking, different vision modes, built-in electric shock, and enhanced physical prowess (built-in web-shooters may = built-in retractable glider). Parker fights crime on Counter-Earth, where a technologically advanced NYC is overrun by anthropomorphic animals whilst humans are the oppressed species. Inversely, the marginalized members of futuristic Gotham are mutants, most of whom are criminals. Some of the previously established characters on BTAS and Spider-man TAS are re-imagined or updated to fit the scope of the reality amongst newly devised heroes & villains. Both shows also premiered/aired during the same 3 years. This might be the most contrived comparison since Batman Beyond aired 9 months before Spider-man Unlimted and the latter only had a season of 13 episodes.

Edgy Commercial

Both are, for the most part, on the serious spectrum of Batman/Spider-man shows ('you've been had'), but executed in such a way to be just another drop in the Saturday morning kid's show bucket. The most quality-driven aspect - the relationship drama Wayne, Parker & their villains engage in has been fairly sensible and emotionally moving at times. The fact is the crime-fighting is repetitive ep after ep with some variance and few standouts; merely meandering to get to a major event. They're also the longest running shows within their franchises. 

*Rino Romano played Peter Parker/Spider-man in Spider-man Unlimited and then Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Batman*  

Campy Contemporary

Intentional format and deliberately or squarely aimed at a younger viewership. Are there "heart string pulling" or some "unironic, well-crafted fun to be had" moments? Well, there are far more in one than the other, but the point is a comical or pun-fueled action show is what's to be expected. Other expectations? frequent team-ups, multiple cameos, crossovers, and showcasing an extensive list of obscure heroes and villains. Ultimate Spider-man has the added bonus of being a modern 80's toon and not so subtly presenting the lesson of the day in relation to characters who have to repeatedly be taught the same lesson...Batman: the Brave and the Bold has a better grasp on the action comedy duality as it embraces and successfully satires its Silver Age roots. Oh. and Ultimate Spider-man loosely adapts comics here and there. US-M was supervised by Man of Action (Ben 10, Generator Rex).

That one time they went full 3D

Beware the Batman succumbed to the other hip new trend, 3D CG animation. Back in 2003, Sony Pictures Television entrusted Rainmaker Entertainment (Reboot, Beast Wars, Beast Machines) to craft the first ever 3D CG Spider-man show that reflected the Raimi flicks. Thus, Harry Osbourne was a rich playboy... Beware the Batman continued Batman: the Brave and the Bold's focus on obscure heroes/villains to the point where more notable villains didn't appear until half-way through the season. Spider-man The New Animated Series had a limited run, thus was given a far less pool of characters to utilize (not nearly as obscure). Beware the Batman had a more Earth One feel to it, but was very reminiscent of Batman The Animated Series. Spider-man TNAS was vaguely reminiscent of 90's Spider-man and the Raimi films, but went for a more mature tone since it premiered/aired on MTV.

*Neil Patrick Harris voiced Peter Parker/Spider-man in Spider-man The New Animated Series*
 

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

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HulkOnion
HulkOnion - 5/25/2015, 4:24 PM
What's the difference between Brave and the Bold and Ultimate Spider-Man thats right Ultimate Spiderman is shit I HATE THAT SHOW SO MUCH WTLDUTDFUD,FIYFM..YFKYfky
DeusExSponge
DeusExSponge - 5/25/2015, 4:56 PM
Batman: the Brave and the Bold did camp right, Ultimate Spider-Man on the other hand is an abomination and shows how inept Marvel is when it comes to cartoons.
MisterBatfleck
MisterBatfleck - 5/25/2015, 5:25 PM
Brave and the Bold knew that it was campy and played that to its advantage with the plethora of references to the Silver Age.

Ultimate Spider-Mockery is just shit. Spectacular is the only one!
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/25/2015, 5:56 PM
Interesting article @oMonRo.Never gave much thought to this, but it's an interesting comparison.
Batman and Spider-Man sure have had a lot of animated series though...
Bulldawg2014
Bulldawg2014 - 5/25/2015, 7:04 PM
@combatwombat not really shocking both are by far the most popular character at their respective company. Spider-Man because of how relatable he is and batman because of the every kid believes he could be batman if he had the resources
the
the - 5/25/2015, 9:21 PM
@BlackestKnight @DeusExSponge @MisterBatfleck
I did the best I could to not break into a rant.

@DrunkenMadNukem

@CombatWombat
Really cool facts: the longest gap between 2 Batman shows since Batman TAS is 3 years, every year since BTAS he's cameoed or starred in at least one show, and Beware the Batman is the first Batman show to end on one season.
It is what it is.
Would love to see more heroes get their own shows, but I look forward to the next regardless.

@Bulldawg2014 "Coincidence? I think...not!"
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/25/2015, 9:34 PM
Ohhhhhh, man.

I thought you were going to try and compare the films....then I would have a fit.

But I like this editorial. There are many comparisons with the different cartoons.
the
the - 5/25/2015, 10:46 PM
@MisterSuperior
Well...
Batman Begins & Spider-man are origin stories
with the big bad being someone close
TDK & Spider-man 2, arguably the best one
with tragic loss of sympathetic villain
TDKRises & Spider-man 3, worst one?

I'm sure there's more.
McGee
McGee - 5/26/2015, 8:13 AM
the
the - 5/26/2015, 9:55 AM
@McGee

MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/26/2015, 10:11 AM
@oMonRo

Again, see....that's where you make a huge mistake. TDKR is the best of the trilogy, Spider-Man 2, while the best of its trilogy, is not overrated as TDK is. The only thing there is is the first films being origin films.

Also, the tones are vastly different. You'd have better luck in trying to compare Batman '89 with Spider-Man(if you can).

I was also speaking of Webb's films and trying to compare those two films to BB and TDK since Webb and Sony basically tried to copy what Nolan did word for word.
the
the - 5/26/2015, 10:49 AM
@MisterSurperior It's rare to find someone who prefers TDKRises over TDK.
Anyways, I made those comparisons on the fly, but I stand by my villain observations:
Ra's (Bruce's mentor) ~ Goblin (Peter's best friend's dad)
Two-Face ~ Doc Ock (brilliant minded altruists turned psychopaths)

Yes, the Webb movies are very similar to Nolan's first 2.
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 5/26/2015, 1:46 PM
I would also love to see other characters get their own shows. Especially The Flash, or Shazam. Deadpool would make an awesome show on adult swim.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series was the shit.
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/26/2015, 3:34 PM
@oMonRo

"t's rare to find someone who prefers TDKRises over TDK."

On here, perhaps. My circle of friends are very much like-minded, so I know quite a few that find TDK to be overrated and prefer TDKR of the trilogy. BB is a close second.

"Anyways, I made those comparisons on the fly, but I stand by my villain observations:
Ra's (Bruce's mentor) ~ Goblin (Peter's best friend's dad)
Two-Face ~ Doc Ock (brilliant minded altruists turned psychopaths)"

Spider-Man 2 has more in common with TDKR plot with the whole nuclear fusion nonsense, but I feel that you need to have more in common besides just villains. Tone is a big thing, which is why I mentioned Webb's trash with BB and TDK. While Webb tried his best at camp with TAS-M 2, you can still feel like Webb still tried to grab unto what Nolan did in his trilogy.

Ironic, too, since while Nolan was inspired by Donner and his Superman film, there is more in common with the older Superman films and Raimi's trilogy. The comparisons between Superman III and Spider-Man 3 are quite astounding too.
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/26/2015, 3:35 PM
plotwise*
the
the - 5/26/2015, 3:45 PM
@MisterSuperior You should consider doing an editorial if you find the time.
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/26/2015, 4:08 PM
@oMonRo

I can never find the time, literally and just the time to actually focus on creating an editorial. I remember talking to @SauronsBANE about wanting to do some kind of editorial about The Dark Knight Trilogy but I'm just too lazy to put my thought on paper let alone on an article of sorts. That's why I like just commenting, lol. I write enough at work, haha.
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/26/2015, 4:10 PM
And this editorial of yours deserves more thumbs up too. Some of the silliest editorials gets put up on the main page, but something that actually takes thought like this does it.
the
the - 5/26/2015, 4:13 PM
@MisterSuperior
Thank You.
relentless1
relentless1 - 5/26/2015, 8:57 PM
Batman: TAS and Spider-Man (1994) should be the ones compared as they were out at the same time, they were the crown jewels of the saturday morning lineup in the 90s along with X Men (1992)
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 5/26/2015, 8:59 PM
@MisterSuperior Haha and I still think you should do it at some point!

@dethpillow You talking about AnnoDomini, right? Damn, I seriously miss that guy! Biggest TDKR defender I've ever seen, and he actually made incredibly well-thought-out points too. He made me reevaluate my own opinions about the movie, even though I've never liked it as much as he did.

Yeah, he left because of some kind of drama here. CBM's lost too many good people over the last few years!
the
the - 5/26/2015, 9:34 PM
@relentless1 I was waiting on someone to bring it up.
Simply put, 90s Spider-man doesn't hold up. I've seen the first 2 seasons.

@dethpillow I'd love to if I ever meet the guy under his new guise.
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/27/2015, 8:07 AM
@dethpillow @SauronsBANE @oMonRo

Lol.....you guys don't that I'm Keyser Soze, huh? Lol.

But it's been three years.....don't know if I'm still up for defending TDKR, haha.
the
the - 5/27/2015, 8:33 AM
@MisterSuperior You went by AnnoDomini at some point? Oh, that's cool.

Let me know if that passion burns.
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/27/2015, 8:40 AM
@oMonRo

I've seen the ugliness that is this site. I've gotten banned because someone called cry wolf to say I was "stalking" them and a mod banned me, which was completely silly just because that poster, who I believe doesn't even comment anymore, hated my comments on his/her's articles regarding The Amazing Spider-Man(so this was back in 2012).

I've gotten banned because I even reported Dexter's comments, which was weird....this has happened to...twice I believe? Dexter does get banned, but it's odd that I got banned too.

If you read any comments about me being a "troll" of getting banned, you know that they're lying. I've never done anything in a troll-ish manner, but as long as I know what's really up, it's all that matters to me.

So yes....the ugliness of CBM.com....it's truly heartbreaking at times, but I'll definitely let you know if that passion burns. I still love TDKR and the trilogy as a whole, but it's the same thing as TAS-M 2....with TAS-M 2, I'm just too tired of picking apart that film because while it's been only just a year, it always feels unnecessary to continue talking about it, haha.
the
the - 5/27/2015, 8:48 AM
@MisterSuperior fair enough.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 5/27/2015, 10:45 AM
@MisterSuperior Wait, what?! YOU'RE Anno??

MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/27/2015, 3:32 PM
@dethpillow @SauronsBANE



I didn't think it'd be that shocking now, haha.

The only thing's changed is I find Iron Man 3 to be an okay film rather than just really hating it as I did.

That, and I can actually stand the new Avenged Sevenfold, haha.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 5/27/2015, 4:28 PM
@MisterSuperior Haha it's just that I keep trying to think back to every interaction I've had here with MisterSuperior, and I try to re-contextualize it as just another of our conversations when you were Anno or AlphaAndDecima, and it's just like...whoa!



And as for this: "...I find Iron Man 3 to be an okay film rather than just really hating it as I did."

I hope that's from some of my influence haha. I've been a staunch defender of that movie for a while now, and it's led to some pretty epic comments on my part! =P
MisterSuperior
MisterSuperior - 5/27/2015, 5:49 PM
@SauronsBANE

Hahahaha.

Well, I hope I've had consistency even though I've had to change usernames thanks to this craptastic website, lol.

And yah, you played some part of it for sure for me enjoying Iron Man 3, but after a while, I just never found a problem with the film as I did before.
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