# If you were an 11 year old boy: Superman,Batman or Spiderman? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744 "2005-12-02T16:26:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/21 "2005-12-02T17:25:26Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > OKay, let’s discuss this rationally… Most of these books are pretty continuity-heavy, which means they feature storylines that have been continuing for months and even years, and new readers might be frustrated jumping into the series where they are now. Following that logic, you should NEVER START READING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE! I remember when somone got me a magazine subscription when I was a kid. It was way cool - it showed up every month with my name on the address label, which was a big deal at that age. It was the first thing that ever came in the mail just for me. I would reread each one for the rest of the month and anticipate the next. I’d check the mail every day when I got home from school first thing. Trust me, Shirley, he won’t care that he doesn’t understand the story. He’ll pick it up quickly enough - half of every monthly book is taken up with explaining the backstory anyway. If comics weren’t accessible like this, they’d go out of business fast. I think a subscription like this is a _great_ idea. Both Lois and Mary Jane is a great idea, too. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/22 "2005-12-02T17:32:30Z")
> [@Leviosaurus](#): > > Following that logic, you should NEVER START READING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE! > > Trust me, Shirley, he won’t care that he doesn’t understand the story. He’ll pick it up quickly enough - half of every monthly book is taken up with explaining the backstory anyway. If comics weren’t accessible like this, they’d go out of business fast. > [/SIZE] Trust me, **Shirley** , I’m sure he’s a smart kid, but the “Infinite Crisis” crossovers pervading the Superman and Batman books now are going to make them unintelligble for a while. And at some point soon, they’re all going to jump forward one year in time (within the stories themselves), with minimal explanation as to what happened or why, unless you read “Infinite Crisis” AND a 52-issue WEEKLY comic book series called “52.” It’s pretty ludicrous – an example of too many writers and editors with their fingers in too many pies – and the monthly comics are going to be an absolute MESS for the next half-year or so. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/23 "2005-12-02T17:35:50Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Trust me, **Shirley** , I’m sure he’s a smart kid, but the “Infinite Crisis” crossovers pervading the Superman and Batman books now are going to make them unintelligble for a while. And at some point soon, they’re all going to jump forward one year in time (within the stories themselves), with minimal explanation as to what happened or why, unless you read “Infinite Crisis” AND a 52-issue WEEKLY comic book series called “52.” It’s pretty ludicrous – an example of too many writers and editors with their fingers in too many pies – and the monthly comics are going to be an absolute MESS for the next half-year or so. Which can be interpreted as another vote for Spiderman - who presumably isn’t involved in any of these DC antics. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/24 "2005-12-02T21:29:28Z")
I know there is a “Teen Titans” show on TV now. My friend’s kids sometimes watch it. Is there a related comic publication on it? Because of the popularity of the movies, I’d say Spider-Man. My friend’s 7-YO really likes him (and Teen Titans, too). Why not give him something the size and shape of a comic book, but make it yourself to say, “One year subscription to one of these comics!” and let him decide? As for the Big Question: Mary Jane. Pros: Model, actress, lounges around the house in lingerie in every damn comic strip, redhead, knows my secret identity so I’m likely to get more sympathy for being beat up all the time. Cons: Always at the gym working on her figure and complaining about being too fat, red hair probably a dye job, knows my secret identity so I won’t get off the hook for doing heavy-lifting chores around the house. Lois Lane. Pros: Hot brunette, intelligent, inquisitive journalistic mind. Cons: I have to lie to her and fool her constantly about where I’ve been. Also, journalists are reputed to have jaded, dispassionate personalities, so I’d have to answer a lot of sharp questions all the time. Mary Jane for the win. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/25 "2005-12-02T21:41:52Z")
I’m leaning towards spiderman, but only because he was my favorite when I was that age. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/26 "2005-12-02T23:24:17Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > As for the Big Question: > Mary Jane. Pros: Model, actress, lounges around the house in lingerie in every damn comic strip, redhead, knows my secret identity so I’m likely to get more sympathy for being beat up all the time. Cons: Always at the gym working on her figure and complaining about being too fat, red hair probably a dye job, knows my secret identity so I won’t get off the hook for doing heavy-lifting chores around the house. > Lois Lane. Pros: Hot brunette, intelligent, inquisitive journalistic mind. Cons: I have to lie to her and fool her constantly about where I’ve been. Also, journalists are reputed to have jaded, dispassionate personalities, so I’d have to answer a lot of sharp questions all the time. > > Mary Jane for the win. Actually, Superman revealed his identity to Lois Lane several years ago, and later married her (as Clark Kent, of course). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/27 "2005-12-02T23:43:06Z")
None of the above. [Shonen Jump!](http://www.shonenjump.com/) ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/28 "2005-12-03T00:28:09Z")
I can’t believe I am not going to recomend Batman, but what with the whole infinite crisis thing I have to agree spidey is the better bet right now. If you want to be super duper awsome you can also include this TPB collection, ]this TPB collection (the one to get if you can only get one)and maybe [this one](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785107940/ref=cm_bg_d_21/002-7551846-8745647?v=glance&n=283155) and [this one](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785108009/ref=cm_bg_d_22/002-7551846-8745647?v=glance&n=283155). That way he has a little of the backstory, and some of the classic spidey comics to read while waiting for the next monthly. That first link is what I read (along with another TPB about the alien costume saga that I couldn’t find) when I was first introduced to spidey. The other two help fill in most (not all) of the rest of classic backstory. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/29 "2005-12-03T00:31:13Z")
preview is my friend. I will never again post without preview :smack: . Ok the three links in the post are the only three I intended to be there. There isn’t a missing 4th link, it just looks like there is. Also I will remember to proof read for grammer check in the future. :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/30 "2005-12-03T00:34:04Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Batman is the coolest. Spidey is a silly little boy compared to Batman, who is a Real Man ™. You sure do know how to hurt a man. 😛 Now for the issue(s) at hand. Spider Man is in the middle of a crossover involving all of his books. Get nephew a subscription to one book and he’s going to get about 1/4 of the story. It also sounds like the writers want to take Spidey in a new direction. :rolleyes: I love Spider Man to death, but now might not be the best time for a subscription to that mag. _In this case_, I’d have to go with the Batman. I have no idea what’s going on in the Batman book(s?), but it sounds like Spider writers are fixin to make a mess of the character. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/31 "2005-12-03T00:48:29Z")
As a former 11-year-old boy, I never liked reading comic books. Preferred animation, still do. And Batman had the best animated series, though the early 90s version of Spider-Man wasn’t bad either. Plus, Batman is inherently cooler. So, I’d say Batman, then Spider-Man, then Superman. Never liked Superman. But make sure the kid likes reading comic books and that you wouldn’t be better off getting him something like the first volume of _Batman: The Animated Series_. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744/32 "2005-12-03T13:57:02Z")
Superman is the classic. Go for it. Every kid that lived in the last 60 years has dreamed about putting on that red cape… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-an-11-year-old-boy-superman-batman-or-spiderman/333744.md?page=1)