And the Best Superhero Is...

Who is the best?

As an active member of the comic book community, I see people arguing about who the best superhero is. People compare Batman and Superman. Green Lantern and the Flash. They even voted for this during the Injustice: Gods Among Us game promos! Now, I am here to tell you that the best superhero is…

All of them. You may say, “Hey, you can only choose one!” but honestly, it’s hard to judge because to everyone, it’s different. You can’t measure the “best” hero on his or her power because each hero has strengths and weaknesses. No hero is unstoppable and every hero has made mistakes. I say that each individual person’s hero is the best because it’s true.

For me, my favorite superhero is Superman. Before you roll your eyes and mutter under your breath, “Of course he is… He’s everyone’s…” I will tell you exactly why: Because I have had a personal experience with Superman. No, I have never met the Man of Steel. However, the first time I had personally encountered Superman was through Smallville in early 2012 when I was a sophomore in High School. Long story short, I had a falling out with a friend that summer and I was able to relate to Clark in the show. The feeling of loneliness… I didn’t fit in and I felt like everyone I cared about was going to leave me. These fears were the story of my life. They still are from time to time. I had moved to 6 different schools and had to start over every time. I suppose I began to develop abandonment issues as every year, my previous friends forgot about me.

The show was the most personal television show I had ever watched. Most people first encounter Superman as Superman. I didn’t. I came to know Clark Kent. I watched as he overcame his insecurities and struggles to become the superhero we know and love today. That’s why Superman is my favorite superhero. My first encounter with Superman was watching the boy (who was like me) become the man (who became role model of others).

My point is that the best Superheroes are the ones we make the best in our minds. To me, it’s Clark Kent the outsider (who became The Man of Steel). To others, it’s Bruce Wayne the orphan (who became The Dark Knight). To some, it’s Barry Allen the forensic scientist (who became The Fastest Man Alive). And the list goes on. In reality, there is no “one best Superhero.” For each person it’s different because every person goes through different struggles and every hero has helped pull them out in some way or given them an ideal to strive towards. The best Superhero… lives in every one of us.