Comments on: Superman: Our Ideals in a Cape

By: Bob Duffy

Bob Duffy — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:18:46 +0000

I like that point, he is in a world by himself. That sums him up pretty well. This makes for a good Sunday rant:-)
I think if you look at Superman as a story about a man with powers you are right, it’s all a bit too easy. But if you consider him an alogory for humanity then for me at least, it makes more sense. The battle he faces is to not letting the human race down. More is at stake than a man. You can also think of him something like Job & Data. Superman’s humanity is always tested, just as Job’s faith was. He could be like other supers and find moral loopholes, but he wants so much to be the a good human he is overcompensating because he is actually not human at all. That is the constant conflict, and the test is not of the man, but one of humanity each time he goes to battle.
When Doomsday killed Superman, it marked for DC universe a new paradigm, where the human spirit wasn’t just something that could be beat to the edge but ever resiliant and always come back. DC was now saying the human spirit and hope itself can be killed.
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By: Jeff Moriarty

Jeff Moriarty — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:48:19 +0000

Bob! Always good to hear from ya, Sir!

I think Superman’s movies struggle in part because he is so difficult to work with. Clark is what Superman wants to be – or tries to be – as part of his human upbringing, but will never quite reach. Pinocchio is not a bad analogy.

The challenge I see is that he find it all that hard to be so… super. It’s the struggle that makes for good stories, and while I love a good Superman battle, there’s rarely many shades of gray. I think it is in part why his death battling Doomsday was such a big deal. Many comic book heroes have died (and come back) but not Superman! He never faced anything like that before, just like he never really struggled with using his X-ray vision to peek at women, or his powers for any financial gain. Those are very human failings, but just not something Superman fights.

Superman almost lives in a world by himself, even among the heroes. His battles are always grander, bigger, and crazier, but I think when you gain that sort of “epicness” you have a tradeoff along the way.

By: Jeff Moriarty

Jeff Moriarty — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:29:11 +0000

I think you’re spot on with some of Superman’s anti-facist roots. He is the unyielding Individual, unwaveringly fair yet steadfast in his beliefs.

Kill Bill’s idea of Clark being the disguise is one of the ideas I was referring to. There’s an episode of Justice League Unlimited where Superman talks about the world looking like cardboard to him, and he can never really cut loose and push himself. It’s only that extreme human side of him that keeps his extreme power in check.

By: Bob Duffy

Bob Duffy — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:59:31 +0000

Nice post Jeff. Superman is my favorite is superhero. I like his comics. Movies are awful not because of the character because they are glossy effects on poor writing and acting.

I agree he is represents an idealized humanity. But I don’t square that with a poor character for story telling. I think what makes Superman the best superhero character are a few things.
- Clark Kent is the true hero – sacrificing his own desires to be human. He is a Pinocchio, wanting to just wants to be a real boy but he understands the responsibility he carries as Superman. For all that Superman gains, Clark losses out.
- Superman is a story of resolving humanities dark desires. Superman represents what we could be and how we fight to struggle to retain what is good in our souls. Each battle he faces is that struggle. There is no better framework for storytelling
- He kicks ass. His power is so beyond belief, and you just want to see him use it and kick Darkseid’s butt or outwit Luthor

Anyway, great post. I could chat all day about these characters. I look forward to your next post.

By: Stace

Stace — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:54:09 +0000

I always saw Superman as America’s response to fascism, communism, and other collectivist ideologies gone wrong. He was a way of teaching children that The Individual — through hard work and meticulous character — will triumph over evil.

Though I also rather liked Quentin Tarantino’s analysis of Superman at the end of Kill Bill — the only superhero who is a weakling in disguise to assimilate to us.
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