"Would there be a Joker if there wasn't a Batman before
Actually its "Would there be a Batman if there wasn't a Joker before" - it was the Joker who killed Bruces parents driving him to hide in that cave fill of bats that he was always having nightmares about.
The whole point of Batmans 'hero status' is that he is a flawed human who has overcome his fears and weaknesses to become 'super'
This is/was the complete opposite of Supermans 'hero status' was derives from his "Outsider"
nature. He is more than human, superior in everyway. The Messianic parallel was entirely acceptable in the past as it linked clearly with older mythoological traditions (as did Batmans)
In our post-post-modern era however with its emphasis on secular humanism Batmans has become the favoured tradition that of flawed humanity overcoming its weaknesses to become heroes.
Smallville has recently started screening here (episode 4 I missed last week) and from what I can tell it has followed the 'Batman' tradition in its remaking of Clark as a flawed character beset with teenage angst - of course Teenage angst was bound to feature in the DC Comics meets Dawsons Creek Show but...
ack ack barf!
It does
suffer from villain of the week syndrome - like the Lightning Boy and Pyro-Coach - when it could have had the far cooler villains of the Buffy ilk - oh well maybe next season
I like that young Lex and young Clark are friends (of a sort) - it makes the later rivalry or the more compelling
Overall Smallville is nothing great but being Supes I'll watch it.
Buffy still rules in the Cool Teen focussed shows for adults category though
ps Did you guys see the Batman cartoon episode in which Tarzan featured and discovered Bruces identity from his scent! - cool
(now Tarzan, Lord Greystoke - theres a real hero!)