From the earliest years of childhood, children are fascinated with the ideas and images of superheroes. Today in modern times it is not unlikely to hear the voice of a child giving praise or looking up to a super hero idol such as Batman. Around the 700's, perhaps it was not too unusual then, to hear the voice of a child glorifying the character Beowulf. "Beowulf" is an epic poem, about a heroic character that saved the city of Harot. During the night Grendel would ambush townsmen in the mead-hall for fun and purely because of the fact that he was evil. Grendel would devour the men's bodies after rendering the men ripped to shreds. In haste, Beowulf is called upon to save the shattered spirit of the city. Using his awesome strength, Beowulf saves the city by killing the evil beast using his bare hands. Already a proclaimed hero, Beowulf is showered with honor and respect. However, this feat was not his most honorable. Later in the poem, Beowulf and a fellow companion slay a dragon that has been attacking his hometown. Sadly, Beowulf dies after being fatally wounded. Even while dying, Beowulf thinks of only his people; he served them honorably.
Unlike "Beowulf," which is an epic poem, Batman was written as a comic book. Setting in a fictional place and time, mild-mannered millionaire Bruce Wayne disguises himself as Batman. During the late hours of the night is the time when Bruce takes on the image of Batman, and routinely saves the city of Gotham from evil villains. Although Batman has a questionable character, he takes it upon himself the responsibility the well-being of the people of Gotham. When an evil villain strikes to do harm, Batman comes in the nick of time to save the day. No man can out manhandle the Manhandler himself. AKA Batman. Although different, in both their times, Batman and Beowulf have been looked at as examples of beings who are brave, beings who have superhuman abilities, and beings who are intelligent.
