I was away on business last week and didn't see the “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” trailer until today:

Here's what I like about it: They‘re following the original line of thought David S. Goyer had when he came up with the concept for “Man of Steel”: If a super-powered alien actually came to Earth, people would freak. 

Here are some of the things we hear from people in the beginning of the trailer. It’s a lot of back-and-forth, in which, in the end, the detractors drown out more reasoned arguments:

• Charlie Rose: Is it really surprising that the most powerful man in the world should be a figure of controversy?
• We as a population on this planet have been looking for a savior.
• Neil DeGrasse Tyson: We‘re talking about a being whose very existence challenges our own sense of priorities in the universe. (Background: They’re not telling us the truth.) (Chant: Our planet!)
• Lex Luthor: Human beings have a horrible track record of following people with great power.
• Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. 
• Maybe he's just a guy trying to do the right thing. (Background: We know better now, don't we?)
• Lex Luthor: Devils don't come from hell ... They come from the sky.
• Chant: Go home! Go home! Go home!

All of which leads to a confrontation between Superman, floating, and Batman, armored up, with Batman saying, “Tell me: Do you bleed?” And then, “You will.”

That confrontation is very “The Dark Knight Returns,” but the reasoning behind it has been updated. Frank Miller portrayed Superman as a tool of Big Government while this movie, or at least this trailer, portrays Batman as a dupe of a Fox-News-like propaganda campaign against Superman. In a way, Superman is like Pres. Obama here. He's doing good and being called the anti-Christ for it. I wouldn't be surprised if someone asks for Supes' birth certificate.

The thing is still in the hands of Zack Snyder, though, so most likely it‘ll be dumbed down by the time it arrives in theaters. Which, oddly, is next March. March? Isn’t that a month for lesser films? And why does Batman get top billing? I'm also amused by the use of “v” for “vs” or “versus.” It's as if they‘re suing each other in court.  

Savior: In the real world, this can’t end well.