The Creation of Icons
Batman and Spider-Man are arguably the most popular for their respective companies. Spider-Man being created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for Marvel, and Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger for DC. Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman way back in 1939, when the 27th issue of Detective Comics was released. Spider-Man debuted in Amazing Fantasy 15 back in 1962. Spider-Man was so popular that he got his own series dedicated to himself moving forward.
Marvel and DC two powerhouses of the comic world have similar ideas but manage to create their own unique characters and storylines. Many argue which character for each company is the best, however in terms of household name two outshine the rest. Creating huge success for both brands, Batman and Spidey are still figureheads for their respective company.
“With Great Power Comes...
...Great Responsibility” which could be applied to anyone in everyday life. Spider-Man, doing good deeds for others not because you will receive a reward or praise but because it is the right thing to do. Relating to these morals and traits makes reading comics more enriching and meaningful. Spider-Man is a teenager, broke, stressed, and is on his own is more relatable. Still, these characters do have traits that the reader can relate too, which lends itself too why he's so successful.
Arguments have been made that the more recent storylines authors do not understand the characters. Especially when it comes to Spider-Man; Joe Kelly's comic run now is gaining traction, but Zeb Wells arguably does not understand the web-slinger. Spider-Man is doing better on the digital media tv and movie side, hopefully print making a comeback.
The Amazing Spider-Man by Zeb Wells
The Amazing Spider-Man by Joe Kelly
The Dark Knight
Batman, an orphaned child, with a trust fund and billion-dollar company, is hard for most people to relate to. Like Spider-Man with the desire to do the right thing, he has morals and a mission. In almost all iterations of the character, his no kill rule allows his relationship with his rogues to be deeper than “the good guy beats the bad guy”.
His commitment to never giving up and looking out for his allies and friends is what makes him relatable. With each character having different personalities and traits, being the best person, you can be is still their goal. Considering his sales, Batman is doing very well both in print media and digital media.
Swinging and Gliding through the Years
Spider-Man and Batman have seen many changes throughout the years since their debut. Numerous origin tales for both characters, soft reboots, multiversal doppelgängers, even death. The demand for the Dark Knight and Webslinger does not change.
In more recent years, the comic runs that each character has dwindled. With their best stuff in the late 80s up to the early 2010s, especially with the dawn of the digital age. Which allows reading comics to be that much easier. Marvel and DC both have their own apps for comics and subscription-based services. Where Batman and Spider-Man comics can be found, downloaded, and read. Best part is that these databases have every single one of the characters comics going back to their debut.
A potential reasoning behind the negative reviews for the bad runs could be superhero fatigue as well. The market is oversaturated with storylines; there are always multiple runs going on while they are not connected. So many new readers struggle to begin reading as they do not know where to start. Fatigue comes from every form of media that pumps out superhero content constantly. Marvel had movies and tv shows coming own faster than the writers could make them. Which in turn led to an oversaturation in content fans did not want to consume anymore.
Reading comic books is very gratifying in many ways, as it allows the reader to connect. While a lot are stories are of grandeur and good versus evil, it genuinely comes down to the characters involved. Regardless, both of the characters are household names for both brands and regardless of the negative reviews or slump, everyone still knows who they are and what each of them stands for.