You will post in the "Versus" forum and like it, Jake!
PLEASE be more specific.
In almost none of the stories that I've read did Superman have any REASON to prepare for Batman, only the opposite.
Have you considered that it's precisely BECAUSE Superman knows Batman that he gives little thought to Bruce as adversary?
Superman, arguably more than any hero this side of Spider-Man, knows responsibility comes with power -- and the potential to abuse it.
Superman's nightmare is himself out of control, shattering the lives of those he cares about. Not only has he several times TOLD Bruce that he's counting on him to prevent that, he's equipped his friend for the task. Remember that, in most mainstream tellings, Batman's kryptonite ring was actually SUPERMAN's kryptonite ring GIVEN to Batman.
Superman has purposeful DISincentive to arm himself against Batman. He WANTS his friend to be able to stop him should the need arise.
I have a feeling actually examining this point would lead you guys to a different conclusion
or reveal that special circumstances were in place to override the fact that they know each other.
Perhaps I can illustrate.
Here are the most famous instances Superman versus Batman encounters that I personally know of.
I understand that your list may vary, anyone who wishes is not only welcome but ENCOURAGED to present examples of what THEY mean.
(alphabetical order)
1. Brave and the Bold (Cartoon TV Show)
-- Superman knows Batman but is under the influence of Red Kryptonite
2. Dark Knight Returns
-- Superman has never fought Bruce before.
-- Has no idea Bruce found a way to synthesize kryptonite.
-- To my knowledge, never found any human opponent able to defeat him until the bomb was released;
has no reason to think the aging 50 year plus Bruce Wayne will be the first.
3. Dark Knight Strikes Again
-- Could have no clue Bruce would have essentially tripled his stock of kryptonite since their last meeting.
-- Has most of the fight knocked out of him by Bruce's remnant "Justice League" before he faces Bruce himself.
4. Hush
-- Under the influence of Poison Ivy's pheremones and synthetic kryptonite.
5. New Frontier (comics)
-- First time encounter
6. Red Son
-- First time encounter.
-- Has NO idea the special redlight floodlamps will take away his powers.
7. Sacrifice
-- Nearly completely under the influence of Max Lord.
-- Thinks he is fighting another opponent entirely.
8. Teen Titans (Issue #50, Volume 3)
-- Ambushed. Has no idea Batman is waiting to take him down.
-- Has no idea Batman in this case is Tim Drake, either.
And I don't think most of the "Batman takes on/down Superman" stories I've seen give much justification for saying this.
For most of them are either 1st time encounters or stories where one or the other hero is mentally compromised.
Here, let me search for what's in easy reach and illustrate.
#8 on my list. Batman takes down Superman in Teen Titans #50.
"Superman knows Batman just as well as Batman knows Superman"? Doesn't work here. Doesn't work at all. In fact, Superman scarcely realizes he's in a fight with Batman, which is over by the time he does.
Say, P.R., long as I got you here, let's see what your response to the following is.
For Darkseid, despite his evil, has a history of being a foe with honor as great as that of Dr. Doom, and, unless you want to say he's given to violent and rash outbursts, which to some extent I agree with, I don't, overall, understand why you think Darkseid would be trying to kill Batman in that "Return of Kara Zor-el" saga.
Understand that I am referring only to post-Crisis history now.
I don't know how Darkseid ranked against anyone before then.
Post-1985, however, even the first encounter between these 2 illustrated that Superman is only
a match for the Master of Apokolips because Darkseid allows that to be the case:
Source: Justice League of America #24, Volume 2
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Penciller: Ed Benes
Date: October 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Justice_Le...merica_Vol_2_24
I've gone through everything except Dark Knight Returns, New Frontier, which, unfortunately, I no longer have, and the Brave and the Bold showing. I'll post a few of the first and the clip of the last if my Internet holds out ...
... and this other image from Dark Knight Strikes Again, too, for I've seldom seen a more over-the-top beating than the one Miller has Batman administer here ...
To reiterate the point, though, nearly every encounter here has something that either disproves friendly familiarity with Batman's modus operandi, or some circumstance that overrides it.
Here, again, in Dark Knight Returns, Superman does not know that Bruce has now a weapon that can seriously hurt him. He never gave Bruce a kryptonite ring in this reality, and apparently the stuff is very hard to find. More than this, Bruce is a shell of his former self, physically, on the run from the law, and, save for the gang members that help him through Gotham's blackout, is not known to have any allies save the girl Robin.
Exactly how could he be expected to prepare for the following, then?
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Apr 17th, 2013 07:42 PM
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