Comments on League of Melbotis: So long, Superman!

Well, given that the writers, artists, editors and...

2009-12-17T15:28:51.931-06:00

Well, given that the writers, artists, editors and publishers of Superman were all Jewish for the first years of Superman's existence, I'd suspect that a "Christ" figure was probably not the first thing on anyone's mind. But given that the concept was sold from two 17 year olds who lifted extensively from other pulp and action heroes to form Superman, I'd say it sort of gets into a certain thematically iconic heroic storytelling that includes Moses, Jesus, and plenty of heroic stories which were pretty darn similar to what falls into the Judeo-Christian texts.

Absolutely the writers of Superman: The Movie leaned heavily on the Christ and Moses ideals, and that movie has been hugely influential on the public perception and subsequent interpretations of Superman. The comics have become very aware of the slippery slope and occasionally address it, but its rarely handled well.

@NTT actually I think that Superman was originally...

2009-12-17T11:42:44.055-06:00

@NTT actually I think that Superman was originally supposed to be an analog to Moses, not Jesus. Certainly as the character developed writers have brought in the messiah metaphor which could apply equally to Moses or Jesus.

This is not to say that Supes is Jewish. It has been clearly established that he was raised a Methodist. Which is another connection to Moses as he was born an Israelite but raised Egyptian.

Interesting times at DC. I believe that the "...

2009-12-17T10:29:59.803-06:00

Interesting times at DC. I believe that the "get Superman out of the picture so his comeback will have all the more meaning" spawned by WONK has gone on entirely too long and meandered too much, and seems tied to the fact that DC announced the series as being 12 issues without any particularly good reason WHY it would be 12 issues.

Not that I haven't enjoyed WONK. I have. But the long-picture view they're doing for us Superman collectors has led to a bit of straining of good will.

That's part of why I'm excited by the Earth One announcement and the OGN approach. Get Superman to an audience that comes to him with only a few basic ideas in mind, and then leave the collector's comics for all the continuity heavy stuff.

By the way, price was listed today at Amazon. HC will be $20, which means the SC will be $13- 15 for 128 pages. That SC sounds like the right format.

I think you both are right on with the character o...

2009-12-17T10:05:58.789-06:00

I think you both are right on with the character of Superman. He really is not the cosmic boy scout but the example of humanity at its best instead of its worst. The best portrayals of Superman have always been his struggles to not to form a perfect society as a protector but to know that despite his great powers, there is only so much he can do. But he does his best anyway because his greatest strength is not his powers but his empathy. He rejects the Nietzschean moral relativity even though he has no need to ever empathize with those who are not on his physical and mental level.

Superman works well with the metaphor of the Christian savior, that he is the Son given to humanity in its darkest times, an alien, an immigrant not of this world but embracing it anyway.

Writers need to keep those themes in mind and he will always be relevant and entertaining. Unfortunately, DC seems to like banishing him into other galaxies while keeping a title in his name.

Hey, if you do it, you need to cross-post at Comic...

2009-12-17T09:21:40.942-06:00

Hey, if you do it, you need to cross-post at Comic Fodder.

Thanks for the props guys. It makes me think I sh...

2009-12-17T08:35:50.243-06:00

Thanks for the props guys. It makes me think I should get off my ass and write up that series of "where do super heroes come from" posts that I keep thinking of. It would be a mix of the literary, pop culture and personal influences of the character.

For example: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde + Nuclear War + Anger Management = The Incredible Hulk

Elegantly put, Simon. And I could not agree more....

2009-12-16T16:52:24.726-06:00

Elegantly put, Simon. And I could not agree more.

Simon, that's possibly the best defense of the...

2009-12-16T15:58:42.277-06:00

Simon, that's possibly the best defense of the superman character that I've ever heard. Seriously.

While I am no where near a big a Superman fan as y...

2009-12-16T11:48:26.381-06:00

While I am no where near a big a Superman fan as you I have read the character on and off over the past 30 years. Most notably the time frame just before and after Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The kernel of an idea that always keeps me coming back to the character is the nature vs nurture debate. Basically Superman is an alien who is orphaned and then adopted by some humans. He has this vast amount of power but he doesn't use it for his own gain as he has been raised to help and respect others.

I've always liked this as I'm adopted as well and us adopted kids always feel a bit "alien". However, in Superman we have an example that what we are made of doesn't matter as much as who we are.