Father/Son moments...

[GA1U5]

The problem Mr GA1U5 is that this death thing has been so OVERUSED that it became a cliche. Every goddamn story uses it nowadays. Just like every Marvel villain is a good guy turned bad. Im tired of this crap. I just want to see some bad guy because he is truly evil like, for example, the Joker in Dark Knight. That was much more interesting than, for example, Anakin in the prequels.

Superman can be different and he should be. He should not be a cliche and should point other ways to tell good stories. That's what has always been great about the character. Ok, he made the death mean something before any other character in the comics but now every hero copied him. But his story is so diverse and there are many ways to tell it that you can do something different. Superman should lead and not be a sheep.

The Kents death never made sense because Jonathan Kent isnt a mentor. He is his father. He raised him and thats it. Superman isnt a samurai or something. He was just raised right, as a normal kid. And thats what's so great. His parents raised him just like another kid. They didnt have prejudice because he was an alien or because he had this weird powers. He was just raised normally and right. And he turned out to be great because of this simplicity and the environment of Smallville. That's the message behind his upbringing. Its a parallel and critique of America of the 30's with segregation and all, the formation of the american spirit, etc.

That being said, Superman on his own, should say "look...I can use my powers for a greater good, because people need me around the world and I can make a difference". Once he sees the world beyond Smallville, because of his hability to fly and see beyond anything, then he becomes aware of his responsibilities and grows up to be Superman. No death is necessary. Just a turning point and it can be an outside natural source like the Tornado in Superman for all seasons:" I could've done more". Simple and effective. This, IMO, worked MUCH better than in STM with the death of Jonathan Kent or other pre-crisis Superman stories. He simply decides to leave Smallville to do good because he starts to realize people need him. Simple as that.

Kurosawa is just a purist and a suck up for old stories and cant see anything beyond that. Too bad you're like him.

Oooooooh. I was with you 100% until that last line. No cheap shots at me, please. Haha. (I actually never gave my personal opinion, just stated the tradition of myths).

But I will say this:

I'm not too proud to admit when a post that's intelligent and inspired really gets through to me. SuperDaniel, I agree with you completely. You really wrote a thoughtful, convincing post. After 70+ years of Superman, there are fresher, more inspiring plots out there. I love your tornado example from Superman For All Seasons. That's one of my favorite Superman books and it's incredibly relatable and human. If the new movie is anything like that, I'll be sitting in my apartment watching it over and over again

Great post. Kudos to you.

 

[SuperDaniel]

Glad I was able to shed a light! lol

But, yeah, i totally understand the tradition of myths. However, in many ways, this tradition became cliche, as I told you. So, its possible to find other ways to tell stories while at the same time honoring the essence of the character.

One cool scene would be Clark starting see beyond the world of Smallville with his great powers. Before, Clark is just an ordinary healthy boy, helping Jonathan with the farm, dating Lana. But then he starts to develop his powers. A tornado hits. He helps people but Smallville is destroyed. People are homeless. In need. This is a wake up call to his powers and after that, he starts to see wars around the world, robberies, natural disasters and realizes how he can make a difference. To cite from a great Superman story:

"I look upon my powers as a gift. Not mine alone but for everyone who needs them."

Clark is changed by this experience. He then realizes he has to leave Lana, his parents, his life in Smallvile to devote a life to fight for true, justice and the american way.

Superman is born.

No need for deaths.

 

[GA1U5]

Glad I was able to shed a light! lol

But, yeah, i totally understand the tradition of myths. However, in many ways, this tradition became cliche, as I told you. So, its possible to find other ways to tell stories while at the same time honoring the essence of the character.

One cool scene would be Clark starting see beyond the world of Smallville with his great powers. Before, Clark is just an ordinary healthy boy, helping Jonathan with the farm, dating Lana. But then he starts to develop his powers. A tornado hits. He helps people but Smallville is destroyed. People are homeless. In need. This is a wake up call to his powers and after that, he starts to see wars around the world, robberies, natural disasters and realizes how he can make a difference. To cite from a great Superman story:

"I look upon my powers as a gift. Not mine alone but for everyone who needs them."

Clark is changed by this experience. He then realizes he has to leave Lana, his parents, his life in Smallvile to devote a life to fight for true, justice and the american way.

Superman is born.

No need for deaths.

True. I like the death of Kobe Asuru in Birthright. He's a mentor-like figure and it adds to Clark's world/life experience and creates a great "wake-up call" for Clark's Kryptonian heritage and altruistic spirit.

 

[Kal-El.9859]

I don't think seeking advice makes a hero any less heroic