I always read about how Batman could beat anybody, given time to prepare. I think that the same argument could me made for Captain America in the Marvel Universe. Cap may not have as many gadgets as Batman, but his "never give up" attitude is unparalleled by any other superhero. Some of my favorite Captain America stories are where he is up against unfathomable power like Kang or The Cosmic Cube... and he still finds a way to win. Chris Evans has done well with this aspect of the character, you really believe this is a guy who could take anything thrown at him.
It's a Versus Thread discussion for the ages. Personally, I feel this is where Batman's versatility fails him. As a Dark Knight Detective, Batman has been clobbered by an awful lot of crooked but unexceptional schmoes to prolong a mystery or enhance the drama in the sort of generic caper Columbo could handle. Yes, he's taken out gods in his time, but usually with the help of powered heroes in a team setting, and that doesn't diminish the disparity when he's clowned by clowns.
ReplyDeleteAs a Super Soldier, Steve Rogers was conceived and has been consistently portrayed as a Human Fighting Machine who takes on as a matter of routine higher caliber threats than the Caped Crusader. Batman battles gangsters, where Cap faces armies. Batman tangles with lanky madmen over the fate of a city, where Cap routes genocidal tyrants acting on a national/global scale. Batman is a costumed cop who occasionally goes full-on John McClane, where Cap starts at that military grade level of conflict and then dials it to 11 as needed. At a purely conceptual level, Batman is about deduction and apprehension, while Cap is about marshal victory. Cap operates at a level of ridiculousness Batman shies away from. It's bringing a Batarang to an indestructible vibranium/steel shield fight.
I have started thinking that Captain America's real superpower is leadership.
ReplyDeleteWhat Frank said has merit, but Bats still beat Cap in DC Vs. Marvel.
ReplyDeleteAmalgam combined Captain America with Superman for Super-Soldier, and Batman with Wolverine for Dark Claw. I wonder, what would the result have been like to combine Batman with Captain America? American Knight?
IIRC, Batman and Captain America exchanged a few quick feints and jabs in Avengers vs. JLA, and Batman conceded Cap *might* beat him. When it comes to "all those wonderful toys", Batman mostly has Cap beat, BUT, if he needed to, Cap can call in help from SHIELD, Reed Richards, used to be Tony Stark but I don't know what the status is in the MU now, my knowledge of current comic book events sort of tapered off in 1995.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say that I love this. Just amazing.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite portion of this cover is the Thom Fleming painting of Firestorm. Let's see what Cap does when the nuclear man turns his shield into foam rubber.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like it would a very very expensive graphic book.
ReplyDelete....another one that should rank in the 10 TEN of your covers.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I remember all those Alex Ross portraits as full page ads, separate issue covers and even posters. Were they also assembled for an existing cover or splash page as they are here, or did you assemble them all individually yourself? That's a load of work, but it certainly paid off. The effect is perfect. One question, though: since the file with the Avengers icon is still labeled "candidates", is this really a 'vs.' situation? It looks like Cap is putting together the Impossible Mission force and thinking, "Well, you're no Martin Landau..."
ReplyDeleteAwesome, awesome cover! Easily one of my favorite, and the best of a huge list of great covers.
ReplyDeleteOh, and even Mark Waid, said Cap had that fight vs. Batman. He once said, "If Cap was a god, he'd be the god of winning." 'Nuff said:)
ReplyDeletezen intergalactic ninja and tmnt or iron fist
ReplyDeletepblsfda - I assembled them myself... and who says they aren't candidates for a star-spangled ass whuppin"?
ReplyDeletewot? no kal-el?
ReplyDeleteRoss, missed you, buddy. I just figured out how to get around the computer police here at the new job. Now I can enjoy STF again! It's better than I remember, Keep up the good work! All the best, Tommy Tomorrow
ReplyDeleteCool, Tommy! Stay tuned because the best is yet to come!
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with Cap or the JLA. I was just wondering if you would ever team up Firestorm and Nova? I haven't seen you put them together.
ReplyDeleteStay Tuned for issue #334, Rick!
ReplyDelete@anonymous--
ReplyDeleteKal-el is on the bottom, next to Hal. I thought it was Captain Marvel at first because his trademark forelock is done so subtly by Ross, but the 'S' is visible on his chest and cape.
The only photo I'm not certain of is the one poking out from the file, below the Hall Of Justice and Wonder Woman. I think the one laying on the file is the Atom and the one obscured by Cap's glove is Black Canary. The Hawks share a photo and Red Tornado is obscured by Aquaman. Everyone else is pretty clear, except for that triangular sliver above the file. The only usual suspect from the 1960's and 1970's line-ups not here would be Elongated Man, but it doesn't look like him. Well, Ross? Who or what is that? The Satellite?
Yup, the satellite.
ReplyDeleteWOW this is one of my all time favorite covers. You really did a bang up job on this one.
ReplyDeleteAnother really fantastic cover!
ReplyDeleteFrom the looks of the cover, Cap's curiosity is on Barry, which by personal interpretation, is researching the man taking on the Flash mantle. Since this' Earth-STF, it's safe to say Steve and Jay fought in the war before he became a 'Cap-sicle', and is judging the JLA's strength, comparing to the JSA.
ReplyDeleteNobody can out-contingency Batman. Not even Steve Rogers!
ReplyDeleteCased permanently closed.