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Top 10 Things That Superman's Been Missing

Other than phone booths, of course

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By Ryan Thomas Mitchell - 5/15/2012
If you're anything like me, you've been a little disappointed by every Superman movie so far. Yes, even the Christopher Reeve ones. (Blasphemy!) I grew up on Superman comics, and I always related to the character, rooted for the character, and thought of him as a bad-ass with a heart of gold. (That makes Batman the bad-ass with a heart of stone.) Sadly, the Supes in my head has never made it to the big screen. To make a truly successful comic-to-theater transition, a modern Superman movie should have these 10 key attributes:


10. A Decent Fight



Kevin Smith famously bashed Superman Returns for the fact that the big guy never threw a punch. While I believe that the best Superman tales have more drama than action, Bryan Singer's film was a little too sleepy for my taste. And if I (the kid who brought Superman valentines to school) felt that way, imagine how non-fans felt watching it! Nolan's Batman films are successful because they carefully blend comic book action with realistic, dimensional characters. Supes needs to follow suit if he's going to survive in theaters.


9. More Jimmy



I loved Jimmy Olsen in Superman Returns, but I wanted more. The Jimmy/Supes relationship has never been fully portrayed in film. The young photographer's humorous idolization of Superman could easily be more prominent... and where's the friggin' signal watch? Plus Clark needs a guy friend to balance his time with Lois. Jimmy deserves a chance to shine!


8. An Interesting Lois



Supes could really use a more interesting girlfriend. Frankly, I found Margot Kidder to be strange and annoying, and Kate Bosworth was so bland in Superman Returns. What ever happened to the strong, smart, and sexy woman we know Lois Lane to be? Smallville's Erica Durance fit the bill more than any Lois before her, but when you get down to it, the big screen is all that matters when it comes to a character's public awareness. On that note, I'm a bit nervous about Amy Adams' casting in the upcoming Man of Steel. Generally speaking, she plays such innocent, introverted characters. Let's hope she can pull off the bossy general's daughter, too.


7. The Kents (Done Right)



Smallville handled the Kents perfectly. Perfectly! And while the films have touched upon Clark's family ties, we've never really seen the Kent dynamic at work. Luckily, the upcoming Man of Steel will give us Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Clark's loving parents, and I couldn't think of better casting choices. I just hope these beloved characters get the screen time they deserve.


6. Superman as the Disguise



It's hard to care at all about Clark Kent when his Daily Planet persona is completely an act. Several comic book stories, as well as the Lois & Clark show, have solved this dilemma by making Clark more average than dull, more quiet than dorky. In other words, a real person. I've always preferred Clark when his social awkwardness was (at least in part) a reflection of his true personality. After all, he grew up as an adopted kid in a small town, and even if he wanted to, he really couldn't allow himself to get too close to anyone. That would take a toll on any person. A slightly awkward Clark makes for a far more relatable character --- and it makes his deeds as Superman all the more super.


5. A Modern Origin



If I had a nickel for every time someone said the following, I'd have six dollars and twenty-five cents: "We don't need another origin story. Everyone already knows about Superman!"

This line of thought is why the average young person today knows zilch about the Man of Steel. I'm twenty-three years old, and I can tell you that any time Superman was brought up in conversation during my high school or college years, I was amazed to find that my peers seemed to know absolutely nothing about him. They didn't know he was an alien, or that he was raised on a farm, or that he gets his powers from the sun. Nothing. I could've told them that Superman can make himself invisible and they would've believed me (especially if they had seen Superman II).


4. Superman as Earth's Protector



I have a big beef with Superman II and Superman Returns. In Superman II, Clark gives up his powers to spend his life with Lois. Not only is this a completely moronic idea; it's out of character. Clark can struggle with these kinds of dilemmas, sure. But he's never supposed to actually make the selfish decision. In Superman Returns, he leaves the planet behind for years (without saying goodbye to Lois, I might add) so that he can investigate some Kryptonian space debris.

Really?

If Superman is anything, he's selfless. No matter what temptations come his way, he knows his role as Earth's protector. And though his resolve might waver at times, he knows he wouldn't give up that burden if he had the chance. Clark's self-doubt is necessary for him to be a relatable character, but there's nothing Supermanly about a hero who abandons his people. Earth will always be Clark's true home, just as Jonathan and Martha Kent are his real parents.


3. Clark the Journalist



I realize that most incarnations of the character show Clark pursuing a career in journalism only because it makes him the first to know of any disasters that arise. While that's noble, I prefer Mark Waid's approach. He gave us Clark the traveler, Clark the writer, Clark the investigator. In my opinion, this makes him far more interesting. Without writing, Clark really doesn't have anything else to be passionate about (aside from primary colors and Lois Lane). The movies still haven't given us an exciting scandal or controversy for Lois and Clark to uncover together. The television show made it work for four seasons. Surely it could propel one movie.


2. A Menacing Lex Luthor



I believe that a touch of humor is necessary for any story's success, but I've never been a fan of the jokey, real-estate-obsessed Lex Luthor of the films. There's a truly demented side to the bald guy that no movie has tapped into yet. Smallville did a wonderful job in developing his character, but the public at large doesn't watch CW television shows, and let's face it: movies are all that matters. It's time for the charming, wealthy sociopath to grace the big screen.


1. No Kryptonite!



The little green rock has its purposes, but at its core, it's really just a cheap plot device. Give Clark a villain who's physically strong enough --- or a dilemma that's impossible enough --- and there's no need for it. Kryptonite is overdone and non-fans roll their eyes at Superman's Achille's Heel, anyway.


Well, there you have it! We already know that Man of Steel isn't going to check all of these items off the list, but it seems that many of them will be handled in some shape or form. In any case, odds are that Zack Snyder's take on the beloved character will at least be better than DC's past efforts. Fingers crossed!
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29 Comments
Mystery - 5/15/2012, 8:54 PM
Nice write up. I think we will be getting something new and fresh with MOS. Also, Zack Synder wants a more physical Supes, and likes Jim Lee's design of the Superman, which is also my favorite by far (he looks just like how Superman should look IMO). Have no fear my friend, this will be a true spectacular and the movie event Superman deserves!
Knightrider - 5/15/2012, 9:17 PM
Yeah new movie is shaping up well so far, obviously time will tell, but the vibes are good

In terms of Amy Adams, I would suggest (If you haven't seen it) watching the movie 'The Fighter' she is very good in the movie and plays anything, but the roles she is kinda associated with.

In terms of Jimmy, I prefer the route the New 52 Action Comics is taking with Jimmy being Clark's friend rather than Supe's.

Seem to be on the ball with everything else, and fingers crossed a teaser with TDKR would go down well, albeit i highly doubt we'd get any footage, just the logo with quotes,

Which brings me to a question, how do you feel about them losing the Superman theme for MoS? Me personally I am for it, it has to finally break away from the old and it can't do it with that music, sad to see it go yes, but time to move on.
Knightrider - 5/15/2012, 9:18 PM
Oh and from one Supe's fan to another (I assume your a Supe's fan and that is why you wrote the article) Great job, it is a great piece and well laid out.
RyanTM - 5/15/2012, 9:34 PM
Thank you, Knightrider. And I totally agree about the theme needing an update. I loved Tim Burton's Batman theme, but I'm so glad that Nolan went with different music.
pacemaker013 - 5/15/2012, 9:58 PM
You hit the bullseye with reason no.4! Superman is not what the guy was born as... he was born as Kal-El, and grew up as Clark Kent. Obviously he remembers zilch about his days on krypton. And Superman is just a way for him to help people without letting them know he is in reality. Clark Kent is the real deal. Superman only shows up in situations that Clark Kent cannot afford to handle.

For People who think Clark Kent's the disguise because he's pretending to be not having superpowers, it's important for them to look at Clark as some like a great athlete in a real world who can run really fast. But that wouldn't mean he would always be running faster in every walk of life. When Clark is, you know Clark Kent, he's just being normal. He's simply 'not running fast'.

I have always felt that Superman TAS and Mark Waid's Birthright are the best way to approach a superman origin story. John Byrne's Man of Steel was what grounded superman in reality for the first time and gave some superb characterizations for many characters, but it was largely a mini-series without a defined structure.... And speaking of 1986's Man of Steel miniseries, how many of you people feel that Henry Cavill in costume looks a hell of a lot like the Superman that John Byrne drew?
wedontdie - 5/16/2012, 7:24 AM
I just read Birthright and this totally seems like everything that the graphic novel has... though there were a few things that I didn't really like about Birthright. How His earth mom was so transfixed on Aliens, it just seemed a little silly to me... How superman became superman way to early. The idea of light waves was able to get Lex the pics of Krypton was kinda cool but it seemed like it was something that seems a little to crazy even for Lex. I actually have a trilogy idea for Superman and I'm going to have a physical superman. Both Earth One and Birthright have given me some great ideas...
smallstuff - 5/16/2012, 12:30 PM
This is a great write up!

I am not sold on MOS... I am a Superman fan from way back... reruns with George Reeves. I really am not a fan of the new costume, but DC needs to make new revenue. I am glad that Nolan will now have some post Batman time to sort out Supes prior to next year's release. Amy Adams as Lois Lane??-- they definitely could have done better. Rumor was that the studios were unsure about Sucker Punch and delayed it, but it went out mostly, if not all the way Zach Snyder wanted it. I'm going to hope for the best, but Zach Snyder has not been putting out the hits recently.

Wel this release is all based on the old DC/Superman estate licensing agreements and I am not sure how many things that the studio can and cannot use...

I would have loved to see Tom Welling do the role on the silver screen, even if it was not the Clark Kent/Superman of Smallville character he's used to. I also fine it ironic that he has not been announced for another major role as of yet. It's almost as though WB would like him out of sight out of mind until MOS comes out (Housing his production company on the WB lot). At this point in time, I would much rather see him as Cathing Fire's Finnick Odair.

The DC Comics folks have to be a little scared as the Avengers did so well recently in the theaters. Marvel has picked a great cast, not sure if DC is up to stuff yet, but good luck to them!
JM4Superman - 5/16/2012, 12:37 PM
Yes! Yes! YES! I agree with you.
Knightrider - 5/16/2012, 1:26 PM
@Smallstuff I highly doubt DC is scared of the Avengers success, if anything it has given them great optimism that there is still a market great first for (Good) CBM's.

As mentioned Amy Adams is a good actress, she is just thought of in those kid friendly roles she has done a lot of, but they would of had their idea for Lois and is she was the best match then I am fine with it, plus watch the Fighter she is great in that film.

Sucker Punch isn't really the best judge for Snyder, as he wrote that movie, which I think writing just isn't his thing.

I am a massive Supe's fan, have been for years, but the red underwear had to go, however the suit now being armor is a little daft.
SUPERBATSPIDERMAN - 5/16/2012, 2:37 PM
I think that Amy Adams will be great as Lois in the Man of Steel. She is a good actress and with the write director and writer she will be good.

I am 100% with ya when it comes to villain that is a physical match for Superman but I still want Lex to be in the movie. Rosenbaum as Lex is one of my favorite villains in any live action villain portrayals and I want Lex in the movies to be like that.

I think Zod will be great in The Man of Steel and I hate it when people say that we have already seen Zod when we saw him in a movie that was 30 years ago. I think Michael Shannon will make the character dark and completely bad ass.
Knightrider - 5/16/2012, 3:06 PM
@SuperBatSpiderman I find it odd that people are complaining about Zod being the villain again, when we had the Joker again and look how that turned out.

Besides as you mentioned it was 30 years ago, and what I love is, is the fact the people who say "Zod again, we've already had Zod" are the same people who were ok with Loki as the villain in the Avengers, when we saw him what, a year ago?!

Fact is like the comics these movies are based on, they get a number of interpretations, one person has a their iconic Superman another has theirs probably depending on when they were introduced to the character.
PeterParker1991 - 5/16/2012, 5:19 PM
Looking forward to a real Superman film... where I won't fall asleep
sikwon - 5/16/2012, 7:27 PM
super man is one of my least favorite comic book characters. i loved the first 2 superman movies, i even enjoyed Returns, but ive never even attempted to enjoy the comics, i would read one here and there. even with that im very much looking forward to MOS and i hope its great. i personaly loved sucker punch and that gives me high hopes for the movie. i think superman and zod fighting on screen could be amazing, something even bigger and better then the hulk v the abomination. it could really be huge. some one brought up the point of superman being the disguise as opposed to clark kent. thats clever and a way that i have never thought about the character. i once had a friends 16 year old daughter lose her mind on me because i refused to grasp the "dfepths" of supermans character. she was appaled that i failed to give the full weight of supermans expectations and responsability (that he has the weight of the world on his shoulders) and vreedence. lol i try, i really do. i just think hes to powerful. i mean really, he reversed time!! come on. i hope this is a great movie and to be honest i think that it will be.
wedontdie - 5/16/2012, 7:51 PM
@sikwon its true that superman does seem more like a disquise than clark kent because he was raised as clark kent but this is because he chooses who he wants to be in the end. In reality Superman is his true Identit and Clark Kent is always going to be the disquse... Read Superman Red Son or Superman Birthright. These are two great superman stories, but don't start reading these 2 thinking about how he is to powerful. Think about who he is as a character. He is the last son of a dying world. he is trying to be accepted by the people of earth. He wants to protect earth even if they think he is a monster or an alien or what have you... This is why Superman is my favorite superhero.
KNIGHT3000 - 5/16/2012, 9:18 PM
Love the list, but change 2 to Less Luthor. Not no Luthor, less.
SUPERBATSPIDERMAN - 5/17/2012, 2:23 PM
@Knightrider - I agree Zod will be great and a much different take than we saw in 30 years ago because when you watch that movie today Zod and his minions were kind of silly. Zod is a cool character in the comics so this could be awesome.
marvelguy - 5/17/2012, 5:41 PM
Good article.

Lois: Teri Hatcher was really good as she was attractive and charming versus Margot Kidder. It's unfortunate the show devolved in to both characters' whining about their life together.
Lex needs to not show up or just be in the background. He's so overdone, yet iconic, he doesn't need center stage. If he's in the sequel, it should be a two-pronged attack with his manipulating the city/culture, while Parasite/Bizarro or the like slug it out with Clark.

Origin: Marvel has proven with "The Incredible Hulk" and "Spider-Man 2," we don't need more than ten minutes or so to explain his arrival on Earth and maybe another ten to explain his life in Smallville. We are going to see Superman, not 'Becoming Superman.'
SuperWarrior - 5/19/2012, 10:55 AM
The article was great and made some wonderful points but I nevertheless enjoyed the first Superman movie very much.It's literally the measuring bar used by the other actors who play Superman in the films.Henry Cavill Man Of Steel movie will have plenty of action.We'll all probably be blown away by it all but in the end the film will be judged by how well Henry Cavill played Superman and the story itself.

He'll be compared to Christopher Reeve who was the perfect Superman, from the spit curl S with his hair,the great S shield and all the way down to his boots.Christopher Reeve literally embodied Superman's great confidence while he was on the big screen and Clark Kent's heart and love for his friends.

He made us laugh when playing the clumsy meek Clark Kent but at the end of the day we believed that a man could fly but I digress.

This new Superman is not the same Christopher Reeve version that we remembered but Dc comics alternate reality version.I just can't wait to see how the new movie plays out in the theaters.

We all have to remember that the only reason we're getting a Superman movie next year is because the family of his creators took Warner Bros to court and when the judge told WB that the family would be able to sue them if a Superman film was not made before 2011, the big studio not wanting to pay the family quickly went to work on getting this project started.

So we should thank the Siegel and Shuster family for lighting a match under Warner Bros butt into giving us a new Superman movie.

Again great article.
Alex2814 - 5/20/2012, 4:51 AM
Valid points all!
postmortem01 - 6/14/2012, 12:37 PM
I agree with everything above. Firstly, I would like to see them integrate other DC characters. I'm not talking about the Flash running through Metropolis or any interaction between them but maybe a news cast in the background with reference to the Gotham's vigilante and Central City's Flash, etc. Just establish that they are in the same universe for godsake.

Secondly, let's keep the cheese factor down. I understand that it's a comic book movie but dumb down his powers a tad...at least initially. He shouldn't be able to lift a chunk of earth the size of Manhattan into space.

Thirdly, give him an underlying villain story line that runs the entire duration of sequels...ala Sherlock Holmes vs. Moriarty. Also, see Justice League/JLU animated series for Cadmus. Smallville and the animated series did it, why can't the movies.

If they would consider longevity when writing these scripts, they would be able to pull together a Justice League movie in the future. Maybe treat Supes like Marvel treated Hulk. Just a thought...
jerryofthewest - 7/7/2012, 1:02 AM
Wonderful points. Someone like you should be in charge of film development. I totally agree that Superman needs to be presented in a more modern way, with more focus on the real Clark (not to mention Jimmy and Lois), a more serious Lex, etc. And I absolutely agree that Smallville, for all of its issues, did a fantastic job of portraying the Kents. I have long felt that Superman is far too anachronistic in his big-screen portrayals. I do have hope for the Man of Steel, based on what I have heard so far, but we will see.
ElectricLion - 7/17/2012, 9:09 PM
I sent this to WB after the first Smallville DVD set came out:

Previous incarnations of our man in blue have always glossed over a very tender subject. Even Lois & Clark managed to ignore it as often as possible. But this new version seems to be hitting it head on and it desperately needs a resolution. From the standpoint of an objective and uninformed observer, our boy is a pathological liar who doesn't understand such terms as punctuality, reliability, and honesty. The fact that he couldn't hold a job for more than a few days working for Lana is a perfect indication of this. With his record, how will he make it as an adult in modern society? As anyone who works in a corporate dungeon can attest, popping out to save the world when you should be at your desk doing your job just won't fly. The second time Clark vanishes with no valid explanation will see his workday ended with a pink slip. A few of those on his resume and he won't even be able to get a job working for his girlfriend at a coffee shop.

Seriously, you really, really need to fix this – or go back to glossing it over.

It's a good show that has been getting steadily better – and this from a 38-year-old who has been keeping up with our favorite Kryptonian since second grade. I even collected the comic for around 10 years starting in the early 80's and occasionally bat around a couple story ideas (nothing published or even finished, just for fun).

2. There's a bit too much teen angst and not enough Superman. There needs to be more of Clark being comfortable with his powers and having fun. I have Cerebral Palsy and, as a teen, wanted nothing more than to be normal and fit in. But there was more fun in my teen years than angst any day.

3. Do something with the kryptonite. Make 95% of it decay into dust. There's way too much of it.

4. Could Lana do something besides cry in every episode?
Sinamon - 7/18/2012, 10:18 AM
i don't know how some can say that superman is the disguise and in the same breath say that mark waid's version of superman (via birthright) is one of the best ways to illustrate supes' dual identities. personally, mark waid's interpretation is by far my favorite. yes, he was raised in a small town by the kents and filled with values from that upbringing, but, in the end, while other superheroes don costumes to become that persona, clark dons the costume which is made from the banner of krypton that came he wrapped in -- yes, he literally wears the flag of krypton as superman. if that ain't pride in being a kryptonian, i don't know what it.

he is forever the alien not only whom the kents (and we) adopted but who also adopted us as his family. but what sets him apart is that his "superness" is who he really is. when he is superman, he doesn't bumble or hesitate nor is he anything close to being "average." but when "...disguised as clark kent" (that comes straight from the creators), he must ACT average or like a dork, as previous incarnations have. but make no mistake, that is the mantle he must assume in order to fit in on an every day basis...but it's not who he really is. the juxtaposition and juggling between the two are what makes supes so interesting and endearing (well, that and his awesome powers) and is what makes him a little bit human and relatable. who hasn't had some issues with who they really are and trying to also fit in with what society finds "acceptable" or "normal"?

to find out more, i encourage you to read mark waid's foreword from BIRTHRIGHT. it may not necessarily change your mind about supes but it's still a helluva read. i am going to try and post at least the part about CLARK KENT from SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT right after this post. hopefully it takes...
Sinamon - 7/18/2012, 10:20 AM
CLARK KENT
"...who, disguised as Clark Kent..."

Don't look at me. I didn't make it up. Siegel and Shuster did. Superman's the real guy. Clark's the disguise, and that's one of the masterstrokes that made Superman unique and brilliant for so long. One crucial key to Superman is that when he's wearing the suit, when he's flying around, he's not playing a hero. This is who he is and who the Kents raised him to be - an angelic, unselfish champion who uses his gifts for the betterment of mankind. Wearing the suit simply means that he can act openly without fear of alienating others. "Metropolis Clark," on the other hand, is a fabrication that serves a critical purpose - no matter how old, how mature Superman gets, he'll never lose that basic human need to be accepted by his peers. Moreover, one of the fundamentals of the world's leading religions all throughout history is that despite our individuality, there exists on some level a connection between all the things in the universe and one cannot exist meaningfully while denying that connection. Superman's a smart and worldly man. He knows this.

Clark allows Superman to immerse himself in humanity and thus never lose sight of his calling. The Clark disguise includes, at Ma Kent's insistence, glasses that help take attention away from Superman's most distinctive facial characteristics: blue eyes that would put Paul Newman's to shame, that are almost otherworldly in the compassion and warmth they radiate.

The drawback of being Clark, of course, is that, it's during those times Kal-El has to be most careful. Above all, he wants to go unnoticed, to be one of those unremarkable, almost faceless guys in the office who no one thinks ill of but who you can never remember for sure whether or not he was at the office Christmas party. He has to be on guard 24/7 against making any sort of physical slip-up. He can't play pickup basketball. He can't volunteer to help you move next weekend. Most of all, he can never, ever be confrontational, and that's the behavior that easily gets misunderstood by the insensitive. Clark's not really a wimp; he's just mild-mannered, slightly aloof, and very TIGHTLY wrapped. When he screws up, people can die. Clark brings Kal-El so close to being human, so tantalizingly close...but never are we more "human" than when we make mistakes, and mistakes are the things Clark can least afford.

There's also another sad irony to Clark, and it's one that reached right to the heart of every adolescent out there: in order to have any sort of genuine relationship with people, Superman has to be someone he's not.

As much as I love Christopher Reeve's Clark, he was a cartoon and is too over the top for the purposes of this series. Clark doesn't have to an overblown drama queen, but neither can he be so super-successful he has the world in his pocket. We must not forget why he was created in the first place - to be a touchstone. To be the half of Superman which readers can actually relate to because we all (especially comic fans) want to believe that even though we may be put upon and bullied by the world from time to time, we know what those who pick on us or look down on us don't - that if they could see behind our glasses, they'd see a Superman.

Clark's the sob sister of the Daily Planet, if not all of Metropolis. Despite his attempts, to keep a low profile, compassion radiates from him, and people pick up on that almost unconsciously. Friends and total strangers alike constantly confess their plights and problems to poor Clark. They don't want advice. They just want someone to listen, and no one listens better than him. This aspect of his character naturally opens up the occasional avenue to the smaller human-interest story, which can be investigated by Clark the reporter.

The entirety of Superman: Birthright is built around the same thing the t.v series Smallville is built around, the same thing that all teenage lives are built around, the one bonding element we can count on our audience to find in common with this alien being who can fly: the search for identity. Clark, like all of us were (or are, or will be at one time or another), is desperately trying to figure out who he is and what his place is in this world. In Clark's case, obviously, his quest for identity is complicated by the fact that he's of TWO worlds. For the first 25 years of his life, Clark Kent has worked very very hard to assimilate - hiding his powers and trying to adjust reality to fit what his parents and his heart tells him -- that He's One of Us. But he's NOT. Clark was raised as an Earthman, but he isn't. And as he wanders the world in his jeans and plaid shirts or whatever and keeps stumbling into trouble spots where he's forced to be super, that's a lesson that's hammered into him time after time after time. Finally, in BIRTHRIGHT, he comes to the conclusion that maybe embracing his alien heritage rather than trying to run away from it may well be his destiny. Ultimately, how he gradually manages to carve out an identity that accommodates BOTH of the worlds he knows is our story.

--------------------------------------------------------

The above was written by Mark Waid, compiled in SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT, published by DC Comics, 2004. The original was published in 2003 in a series as SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT 1 -12.
Fly - 7/19/2012, 6:00 PM
I mostly agree with all been said, but I would add that Clark Kent, in order to keep people's eyes away from him, actually has to pretend to be the opposite of what Superman is.
He must make it nearly impossible to be recognized as the most powerful creature on Earth. So he has to exagerate all the aspects that make him barely noticeable to anyone, anonymous, pretending to be weak, shy, clumsy and nerdy enough to look very "normal", an average nobody.
And I think that Christopher Reeve really achieved that perfectly, by portraying a clumsy, yet funny, Clark Kent, that obviously looks very unlikely to be spotted as the alter ego of Superman.
But secretly he knows who he really is, and you can see that when (not seen) he changes back to his real behaviour, playing back and forth with his alter ego.
Having trouble at times by doing so, being tempted all the time to reveal his real indentity to his beloved Lois.
The struggle within, is part of what gives depth to the character, and makes it even more human, even more relatable.

About the use of his powers, well, I believe that the most interesting lesson we get from the latest stories, compared to oldest ones, is that having such powers doesn't mean to use violence as a result. Instead he's committed to be wiser than most of humanity, in order to guide them, and stimulate mankind to strive as a species. As a superior being, he understands the importance to advocate non violent solutions to the problems.
Therefore I wouldn't complain for him to try to avoid physical confrontation.
You can always get action by villains trying hard to provoc him and pushing him to use his powers to fight back, just to rescue and protect the people and the planet.
This kind of contrasts make it a very interesting character to me.
Djarumd - 7/26/2012, 1:51 AM
I'm a huge comic fan I have been for 23 years now, and I have to say Superman is one of my favorites. I recall the first Superman movie and I think they did great with that considering what they had to work with back then, that being said I have yet to see a Superman movie to top that. With all the technology we have now and special effects and "great writers" you would think they would have. Granted its hard to put a foe against the Superman character since after all he's super man and for the most part only Kryptonite, Red Sun and ironic enough Magic. The top 7 "Villains or Bad Guys" that I could think of to go toe to toe with him are Bizarro, DoomsDay, Brainiac, Darkseid, General Zod, Hank Henshaw and of course Lex Luthor. And we have already seen two of them seven in the movies they've done thus far.
I would love to see the movie makers and DC get together and write a good story line like Marvel has done with movies such as, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Man and even DC's Batman so they can get a nice franchise. I loved Smallville and was shocked they didn't end up doing a movie since it seemed like they was leading to that and had the ability to jump into a Justice League type deal. And as far as the Clark Kent and Superman deal about which one is his real identity well he's really Superman and Clark Kent is just the character he plays to fit in to kinda feel normal and not the outcast of being the Alien everyone wished they could be. Issue I have with that though is I don't care what kind of glasses Clark wears or how much of a "normal clumsy fool" he pretend to be, Superman is getting the news coverage and all kinds of pictures and Clark works at the paper that posts the most pictures of him and yet no one can realize Clark has the same Height, voice(even though he tries to hide it, but we all have watched any CGI film or animation and can tell which actor is doing the voice without having to read the credits no matter how they try to change it), Body and Eyes? There is a reason why all the other super heroes have masks. They need to come up with something that fits our times now, hell latex or something like that to disguise him when he's Clark. The Cast of "Man of Steel" Looks promising but if they don't write it well enough to have a sequel then we are going to be disappointed again because we are just waiting for who they decide to cast for the next flop of Superman the movie.
Rockstar96 - 8/2/2012, 12:49 PM
Great article! Superman is my favorite superhero of all time also. I have faith that Man of Steel is going to be a good movie, so don't worry. ;)
Eli53 - 8/3/2012, 10:16 PM
That MOS trailer is [frick]in badass. This movie will def b the best superman movie ever...hopefully sum JL cameos will b in it too.
stans5425 - 8/4/2012, 12:06 PM
@ RTM, First off, let me say that as a 44 yr old who has been an avid Superman fan for years, I wholeheartedly agree with every aspect of your article, especially when it comes to a confident, strong Lois Lane. And while I did enjoy Michael Rosenbaum's Lex on Smallville, it still didn't quite completely capture his essence as a true villain. I have plenty of beefs with the "Returns" movie, my main problem was his yelling, "I'm still Superman!" after getting his ass beat. Terrible. What a show of complete defeat and weakness!

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