I love Superman. It's become a dangerous obsession of mine, in the last few years.
I didn't read comics or watch cartoons when I was younger. If you asked me about Superman I would know basics. I would know Krypton, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane. I wouldn't have known 'Kal El.' I saw Batman Begins, this erupted a sudden interest in DC comics that lead me to Smallville. Superman. I was hooked.
Since then it's been downhill. I watched Smallville, awaited and dressed up for Superman Returns (and saw it three times in theatres after. I still defend this movie, despite some flaws), watched the Christopher Reeve movies, bought all the Bruce Timm JLU and Superman series, and last winter, after two years of fandom, read my first Superman comic (graphic novel?) It was Superman Birthright, and after all the others I've read is still my likely favorite. Now I have a small alter to Superman in my room, with books and figures and buckets and lunch boxes: many were gifts from other people, but the collection grows.
So what's the problem with Superman?
Exactly what I've just pointed out. Superman is my hero. I love him, I try to be him, if I had a wish it would be to be Superman. I think, deep down, everybody's favorite hero is Superman. Even the people who claim Batman is their guy, somewhere in their subconscious there's Superman waiting to get out. The reason is his versatility. Everybody, like I have, makes him their own. They have in their minds the way he acts, the way he looks, the things he stands for, there own personal Superman.
Surfing through these forums I see argument after argument over what should be in the next movie. Should it have a Krypton, who should be the villain, what should his suit look like, was the Red in Superman Returns too dark or not? It is this tension that causes such problems in making a movie with the Man of Steel.
Clearly there are some things that shouldn't happen. His suit shouldn't be black, and the bad guy probably shouldn't be Mr. Mxylptlc (if I spelled that right I deserve a medal). But if fans and creators can't agree on something nothing will ever get done. Isn't it enough that Superman's suit is Red Blue and Yellow and that it has an S on the chest? I see people comparing different pictures of what they see Superman was, and I enjoy all of them, seeing the subtle differences in their creations. But they are all Superman and all of them would be fine on screen. In fact if we had a new Superman movie every year and they had different model costumes for each one I'd love it. I badly want a Superman movie with Darkseid, but I'd rather have Mongul than no movie at all.
Now we have Mark Millar talking about his planned story, Brian Singer still hasn't commented about his position in a reboot (maybe he can't), comic-book writers saying their stories would be the best movies, and if this keeps going on we're going to end in a developmental hell again, that kept Superman out of movies for twenty years and at one point had a script where he was in black fighting a giant spider. This cost money, and eventually cut into Superman Returns budget, thus making the movie less 'successful.' They had spent fifty MILLION dollars on Superman before Singer was even signed. I fear if this tug of war with Superman's red cape continues we will follow down that path once more.
Warner's just had a huge success with the Dark Knight. Come off that and fire out a good Superman movie that has bits and pieces of what most people want. And as fans, don't complain that the S wasn't big enough or that his neckline was too narrow, just be glad that his primary colors was in the mainstream again.
Make Superman your own, but accept that there are many ways to interpret the character, and that yours won't always be in the forefront. But hopefully if he gets enough public support, there will be enough screentime of Superman to fully please everyone.
I don't know why I wrote this. It was one of those moments where I felt compelled to say something, even if nobody would read it.
I didn't read comics or watch cartoons when I was younger. If you asked me about Superman I would know basics. I would know Krypton, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane. I wouldn't have known 'Kal El.' I saw Batman Begins, this erupted a sudden interest in DC comics that lead me to Smallville. Superman. I was hooked.
Since then it's been downhill. I watched Smallville, awaited and dressed up for Superman Returns (and saw it three times in theatres after. I still defend this movie, despite some flaws), watched the Christopher Reeve movies, bought all the Bruce Timm JLU and Superman series, and last winter, after two years of fandom, read my first Superman comic (graphic novel?) It was Superman Birthright, and after all the others I've read is still my likely favorite. Now I have a small alter to Superman in my room, with books and figures and buckets and lunch boxes: many were gifts from other people, but the collection grows.
So what's the problem with Superman?
Exactly what I've just pointed out. Superman is my hero. I love him, I try to be him, if I had a wish it would be to be Superman. I think, deep down, everybody's favorite hero is Superman. Even the people who claim Batman is their guy, somewhere in their subconscious there's Superman waiting to get out. The reason is his versatility. Everybody, like I have, makes him their own. They have in their minds the way he acts, the way he looks, the things he stands for, there own personal Superman.
Surfing through these forums I see argument after argument over what should be in the next movie. Should it have a Krypton, who should be the villain, what should his suit look like, was the Red in Superman Returns too dark or not? It is this tension that causes such problems in making a movie with the Man of Steel.
Clearly there are some things that shouldn't happen. His suit shouldn't be black, and the bad guy probably shouldn't be Mr. Mxylptlc (if I spelled that right I deserve a medal). But if fans and creators can't agree on something nothing will ever get done. Isn't it enough that Superman's suit is Red Blue and Yellow and that it has an S on the chest? I see people comparing different pictures of what they see Superman was, and I enjoy all of them, seeing the subtle differences in their creations. But they are all Superman and all of them would be fine on screen. In fact if we had a new Superman movie every year and they had different model costumes for each one I'd love it. I badly want a Superman movie with Darkseid, but I'd rather have Mongul than no movie at all.
Now we have Mark Millar talking about his planned story, Brian Singer still hasn't commented about his position in a reboot (maybe he can't), comic-book writers saying their stories would be the best movies, and if this keeps going on we're going to end in a developmental hell again, that kept Superman out of movies for twenty years and at one point had a script where he was in black fighting a giant spider. This cost money, and eventually cut into Superman Returns budget, thus making the movie less 'successful.' They had spent fifty MILLION dollars on Superman before Singer was even signed. I fear if this tug of war with Superman's red cape continues we will follow down that path once more.
Warner's just had a huge success with the Dark Knight. Come off that and fire out a good Superman movie that has bits and pieces of what most people want. And as fans, don't complain that the S wasn't big enough or that his neckline was too narrow, just be glad that his primary colors was in the mainstream again.
Make Superman your own, but accept that there are many ways to interpret the character, and that yours won't always be in the forefront. But hopefully if he gets enough public support, there will be enough screentime of Superman to fully please everyone.
I don't know why I wrote this. It was one of those moments where I felt compelled to say something, even if nobody would read it.
