Delivering Justice: Complexities of modern-day heroes

by Nickolas Maez

With the upcoming release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League on March 18, excitement and anticipation have filled the air around comic book fans. However, some fans are cautiously optimistic because of the director’s choices when it comes to writing these iconic characters.

Some have made some grievances like Superman has become too dark, or that Batman now kills. On the contrary, I believe that the choices made for these heroes like Superman and Batman, are actually for the best. 

Henry Cavill’s Superman portrayal is widely regarded as being one of the best to date, however some argue that his character has become too dark. In the comics, Superman is a beacon of hope and a symbol light in an otherwise grim world. He’s a boy scout; he follows rules and is out to save people, not seek vengeance and justice.

I think it’s interesting because we do see a bit of a more angry side to Superman, but it’s out of protection. A scene from Batman v Superman depicts Superman kneeling before Lex Luthor, the infamous arch rival of the man of steel. Lex is throwing pictures of Superman’s mother being tortured as he kneels to pick them up, but when he looks up his eyes glow red with heat vision ready to obliterate Lex on the spot.

Of course Superman can’t kill Lex because if he does his mother dies and so on, but I like to see that moment of unbridled anger. It makes for an interesting contrast because for a moment we see how terrifying he can be, despite how good and righteous he is. I think this is a moment that shows how much more human than alien he is, and I love that take on the character. He leads from the heart not the head. You give a man godlike abilities, but project all of your problems on him and expect him to fix them because of how messianic he is. He doesn’t want that though, not from one person, certainly not from 7.8 billion people. Superman’s story is about a god learning and trying to become human. 

Batman on the other hand, is quite controversial.

Suddenly we’ve been introduced to a Batman who’s abandoned his moral code; become a murderer. A lot of people detest this idea, but in a way it makes sense. Here is an old, beaten and broken man, fighting crime for nearly 20 years now. We know at some point that this Batman had a Robin, and that he was brutally slaughtered by the Joker. You can see the old Robin costume on display in the Batcave.

I believe that it was after that death that Batman realized he couldn’t control the criminal underworld anymore, that he couldn’t make them fear him. I believe that it was here that he abandoned his code to prevent the same thing from happening again. He became a loose cannon, unhinged and so efficient at killing he became a monster and a product of his own insanity. His obsession with taking down Superman comes from that same fear of powerlessness. That’s how it starts. The fever, the rage and the feeling of powerlessness that turned a once good man, cruel. He’s spent all of his time since the death of Robin trying to control all potential threats, and he sees Superman as the biggest one. 

I see the discrepancies in the characters, but I see growth and interesting takes on them because of it. I think that after Batman v Superman, Justice League has the potential to show us these heroes at their peak, at the best that they can be. I would love to see a redemption arc for Batman, and I can’t wait for the return of Superman.

Ultimately, regardless of all the critics nitpicking, Justice League and all of the “Snyderverse” has real potential to be something truly unique and special in the genre of superhero movies.