Batman vs Spider-Man form guide

Born
Batman: 1939, Detective Comics
Spider-Man: 1962, Amazing Fantasy

Creators
Batman: Bob Kane (artist), Bill Finger (writer)
Spider-Man: Steve Ditko (artist), Stan Lee (writer)

Superpower
Batman: Extreme wealth
Spider-Man: Does whatever a spider can

Enemies
Batman: Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, Bane, Two-Face, Ra's al Ghul
Spider-Man: Green Goblin, the Lizard, Sandman, Dr Octopus, Venom

Top-price comic at auction
Batman: Debut issue, US$1.38m
Spider-Man: Debut issue, US$1.1m

Actors who've played him
Batman: Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale
Spider-Man: Nicholas Hammond, Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield

World box office to date
Batman: US$2.709bn
Spider-Man: US$2.496bn

Movie nadir
Batman & Robin (1997) – a camp and gaudy spectacle to make the Mardi Gras parade look like a Soviet military display

Spider-Man 3 (2007) – so crammed with villains they almost need a rollcall. Everybody gets short shrift.

Subtext
The Dark Knight (2008) dramatises the politics of the War on Terror, turning Gotham City into an Iraq-like combat zone in which the Joker’s malevolent deeds are a mirror to Batman’s arrogant vigilantism. Who’s the real terrorist?

In Spider-Man (2002), Spider-man’s mask represents a condom. Peter Parker’s previously childlike body develops glands that emit a potent serum that makes him feel invincible – but with great (sexual) power comes great responsibility.

The Amazing Spider-Man opens Jul 5. The Dark Knight Rises opens Jul 26.