Superman Just Proved Revealing His Secret Identity Made Him a Worse Hero
Superman has proved that by revealing his secret identity as Clark Kent to the world, he has become a worse hero - especially in contrast to Batman.
Warning! Spoilers for Future State: Batman/Superman #1
Superman has proven that by revealing his secret identity as Clark Kent to the world, he has become an overall worse hero. As the Man of Steel goes on a mission alongside Batman, there is a lot of contrast between their crimefighting methods.
Their adventures as the World’s Finest continue in Future State, which finds them in desperate circumstances while the Magistrate has taken over Gotham City with tyrannical force. Future State: Batman/Superman #1 is written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Ben Oliver. The two heroes go to the trenches of Gotham to find who is behind a drug that can morph people’s faces into those of animals. Although their individual strengths tend to balance out their partnership, this time it’s a detriment.
Ever since Superman made his true identity known to the public, he has become careless with announcing himself wherever he goes. In this instance, Batman has to continually remind his super friend to keep discreet as the Magistrate could easily detect them. Batman notes that Superman’s bright costume doesn’t help, and neither does his constant introduction in a new setting. Almost immediately as the Dark Knight shows Clark the shadowy underbelly of the city, Superman generously lights a trashcan on fire for a homeless man who isn’t able to light a match. In contrast to Batman, it’s clear that Superman isn’t concerned with who might be aware of his presence.
Although there are several reasons that Superman doesn’t typically need to worry about discretion in Metropolis, his lack of a low profile in Gotham feels directly related to his identity now being public knowledge. Ironically, Superman’s friendliness to strangers and openness to the world that adopted him has always been an important part of his characterization. With the Magistrate in charge of Gotham, Clark is becoming too comfortable and needlessly puts himself in danger, naively assuming that whoever is behind the drugs wouldn't be too much of a threat. Back when Superman gave away his secret to the world, Batman was similarly pessimistic about it being a good idea. All of this time later, the Dark Knight has yet again had his concerns validated.
Superman’s dismissal of Bruce’s worries leads him to be captured and experimented on, in part because he has become overly confident in his abilities. Theoretically, it makes sense for Clark to have his guard down in a city that has been largely taken care of by a man dressed in a bat suit who doesn’t have any super powers. As Superman clumsily puts himself into a vulnerable position, this issue emphasizes Batman’s strengths, specifically his skill to be discreet and hang back quietly in the shadows. Clark’s inability to be sneaky compromises an edge that Bruce has learned to leverage during his nightly patrols of the city.