Who Do You Want to Be?

A very good friend of mine is of the firm belief that Superman sucks. I'll say it again he says "Superman sucks!" Why? I'm not too sure. When people criticize Superman it usually has something to do with his power levels or he's thought to be unrealistic. The next question is why hasn't Lois figured out who he is he? The next criticism is his villains are stupid, Jimmy Olsen sucks and again how stupid is Lois? Other common complaints range from there's no real danger, to "oh he's a boy scout", and I am embarrassed to say that I started to get worn down and yes maybe started to doubt the Man of Tomorrow myself.

Now, I've never been a huge Superman fan, my taste fall more in the Batman camp, although in my later years, I've learned that I can like them both. Stories like "What's so funny about Truth, Justice and the American Way", which asks the question ; has Superman become outdated in this modern world? We are bombarded by anti-Superman characters like Apollo from the Authority, or Wolverine who challenge us with real world solutions to superhero problems. Hell my favorite show during the seventies was Starsky and Hutch--the bad boys of police dramas, fighting the man--authority figures, handing out justice; not the law, and being rewarded for it instead of being kicked off the force.

I'm currently reading the Krypton Chronicles by TwoMorrows publication, and loving it. There are candid interviews, fun stories and insightful looks at the Superman mythology. It's during my reading of this wonderful book and the Eliot S! Maggin interview (I'll get back to this in a moment) in particular that I realized all of these people who say Superman sucks, may be stuck on stupid. By the way, this book was a gift from my friend, who made the comment (who by the way is far from stupid).

Over the decades, we have been inundated with Superman lore: the powers at be struggled to find ways to keep Superman relevant and interesting during a time when comics were falling out of favor. The goal was to appeal to a younger audience and make the stories imaginative and fun. DC comics made a point to keep track of the type of stories that sold well and regurgitated them over and over again, thereby keeping the sells up and fortifying what some say is the creative renaissance of the Superman mythology. Therefore, we were introduced to the city of Kandor, Supergirl, the Fortress of Solitude, Bizaro, Krypto, too many Kryptonians, too many versions of kryptonite, and psyche me out romance stories and imaginary tales.

Conversely, Superman's powers and the world around him have made what many believe to be an unstoppable and unapproachable character. Then I stumbled upon the interview with Elliot Maggin. Mr. Maggin makes the statement that the common mistake readers and creators make with Superman is that too many people focus on the powers and not the man. It's about the ethical and moral choices a character makes. How do you have a character with the powers of a god and have interesting, exciting stories that convey a sense of danger? You make it about the man.

We as comic readers like to look at fictional characters from a realistic point of view. So if you had Superman's powers what would you do?

OK. Let's just assume you understand the structure of a story, and the business of comics. Therefore, it's not in your best interest to have the hero win in two pages. But, we also don't want contrived stories. How many of us look at movies and second guest the heroes choices forgetting we have knowledge that the character isn't privy to or we just think they are making stupid choices? Taking all of that into account, would you kill? Would you rule the world? Would you maim or disable? ...moral choices.

Now here is the rub...you have a man with the powers of a god and he has chosen to adapt a strict moral code, to abide by laws that should not apply to him. He has decided to set an example to the world; there is a right way to do things. Someone says "I will not abuse my power or your trust" and the only thing someone can say about him is he SUCKS!

I can understand the character not being your cup of tea. But come on, this is a character who teaches you to be the best person you can be. So maybe that's not what you are looking for or maybe that's not who you are. Another friend made the statement that if he had Superman's powers, he would rob banks and have all the money he ever wanted...REALLY?

Here's my thought, imagine you have all the powers of Superman, yet you believe in the law, civil rights and the Constitution, and an honor system and a moral code...then what will you do?

This character has been around since 1938 and is possibly the most recognizable fictional character in the world. Something must be working; we live in a time where Wolverine, the Punisher, Dirty Harry and they are what we want to be.

I maintain Superman is who we should be.