To start a compare and contrast essay, consider these steps:


Batman also represents the spirit of the law whereas Superman represents the letter of the law. Batman understands that the world is living through a broken system and that bad guys take advantage of the legal limitations that handcuff police, lawyers, politicians and leaders. Batman is a man who will confront the bad face-to-face because there is no other choice. He is in line with the classic motif encountered in all the old Westerns—the duel. Batman is the lone fighter who will defend the town no matter the force. He will be prepared and ready for action. Superman on the contrary is less prepared: he rides in on assumptions, thinking he knows the score, knows who is at fault, understands the situation, and knows exactly what to do. Anything that confronts him outside his legalistic mind frame is anathema. For this reason, he is ultimately overpowered by Batman: Batman has protected himself with an armored suit and developed a weapon that utilizes kryptonite to subdue Superman. Batman is smart—both book smart and street smart. Superman is naïve—the lackey of the government.


As Miller notes, he is always “rooting for Batman” because he is more man than Superman: he is more human, more vulnerable, is more easily related to (White, 2016). He embodies our virtues, our fears, our concerns and our ambitions. Superman is less familiar to us because he is not actually of our world: his abilities distance him from us; he appears cocky, smug. His sense of decency is also formed, in Miller’s eyes, by a corporatist mind set—one that wants truth, justice and liberty—but on the terms of the corporation and the government. Batman opposes the superficial heroism of Superman, knowing that the world needs a moral underpinning—and that is what Batman seeks to provide his followers at the end of the comic.

You’ve been looking over the different writing styles and noticed that MLA and APA format are similar. Staring at the citation page, you really can’t see a difference between the two. While MLA 8 and APA 7 do have a lot of similarities in the citation pages, there are a few distinct differences that you’ll notice if you really look at them.

Some examples of compare and contrast essay include:

In conclusion, Frank Miller’s Batman and Superman are two very different superheroes in The Dark Knight Returns. The former is violent but out of necessity; he conquers because he does not want his community to suffer from evil. Superman is less prominent in terms of human compassion; he is out of touch with the common man; he mingles with elites, rules from afar, has no sense of the good that is in what Batman does. While both are capable of superhuman feats, Miller clearly favors Batman.

Finally, if this hypothetical paper I’m talking about couldn't be taken as an academic essay, could it be deemed a long summary from multiple sources? Or would it just be a random, non-academic, plagiarized piece of writing that I just wrote without using my own ideas? In other words, a piece of writing produced following neither the academic essay nor the academic summary formats.

In The Dark Knight Returns, Batman is in his 50s. Superman is still, of course, youthful and strong. Superman is also in touch with the President of the United States and confers with the White House about what to do regarding the situation in Gotham City, where Batman has essentially become the unwitting leader of a vigilante mob. The President is concerned that Batman’s power is a threat to national security and so he enlists Superman to arrest Batman. Against this backdrop, Miller paints Batman as an older man who has come out of retirement to save his community from a gang called the Mutants: Batman is in this sense of a reluctant hero who nonetheless rises to the challenge and uses brain and brawn to subdue his adversary (and in doing so he wins the respect of the foe’s followers who now become devoted to Batman). Superman on the other hand is painted as a willing puppet of the President. He does not act out of compassion for his community the way Batman does. He lacks the social intelligence that Batman has. Superman represents the Establishment—a governmental form of the foe that Batman defeats. In this way, Miller pits the two superheroes against one another: Batman is the grassroots hero; Superman is the alien, governmental goon seeking to cut down anything that is not officially approved by the higher-ups.

If we examine this essay, we see that it works well for a number of reasons. First, it has a good, catchy title that represents what the essay will be about. Second, it uses a hook in the first line to grab the attention of the reader. Third, it neatly identifies the main idea of the paper in the thesis statement that comes at the end of the introduction. Fourth, the body of the paper supports the main idea by examining the two subjects on various levels. Finally, the conclusion succinctly summarizes the essay’s findings and returns the reader to the theme of the paper.


Compare and Contrast Essay MLA Format

Batman and Superman are two heroes in the DC Comics universe—but for one legendary comic booker creator, the two superheroes are not even in the same league. Frank Miller penned The Dark Knight Returns in 1986 and pitted Batman against Superman, with Batman representing a moral principle and Superman acting as a Fascist “government lackey” (Yogerst, 2013). This paper will compare and contrast Batman and Superman and show why in Frank Miller’s comic book universe, the Dark Knight reigns supreme.

Outline in Basic MLA Format for Comparison or Any Essay

Putting a "Works Cited" at the end without having any citations in the text would be inaccurate. If there are no citations, then how can you have any "works cited"? You could have a "Bibliography" or "List of Works Referenced", but I think most academic institutions would see this as evasive. Okay, you're acknowledging that you consulted these sources, but you're not giving any clue what information came from these sources.

Compare and Contrast Essay: Topics, Outline, Examples | EssayPro

A formal analysis is just what it sounds like – you need to analyze the form of the artwork. This includes the individual design elements – composition, color, line, texture, scale, contrast, etc. Questions to consider in a formal analysis is how do all these elements come together to create this work of art? Think of formal analysis in relation to literature – authors give descriptions of characters or places through the written word. How does an artist convey this same information?

Researching Compare and Contrast Essays

MLA (Modern Language Association) is for arts and humanities. It helps you to break down citing paintings, books, and other literature. APA (American Psychological Association) is designed for technical works found in social sciences. This format makes citing journals and a breeze.