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Tag: superman
Man of Steel Will Not Resurrect DC Comics Movie Arm
“Man of Steel” comes out in a few months, but I am not expecting the movie to resurrect the movie arm of DC Comics. “Man of Steel” might kick start the future movies coming out from DC Comics, but it will not completely turn comic book fans eyes to the company’s movie plans. There is only one thing which could potentially resurrect the motion picture arm of DC Comics.
Man of Steel
Why “Man of Steel” Can’t Do It
No matter how much money “Man of Steel” brings in, people will still be talking full-force about Marvel movies. One movie alone could not turn comic book fan’s minds off of decades of behavior from the comic book company which remains in second place.
Broken Promises
“Man of Steel” will not make comic book fans forget about the decades of perceived broken promises from DC Comics. There have been rumors for years about various movie projects potentially being worked on at DC Comics which never came to pass. Instead of looking at the potential projects for what they are (potential projects), many fans look at them as broken promises which DC Comics was unable to deliver on.
Marvel’s Salt
Marvel has discussed many potential movies in the last five to six years, and delivered on many of them or plans to deliver on them in the next few years. Every single time Marvel opens production on a new movie, it ads salt to the wounds at DC Comics. Fans are reminded about how many years we have been hearing about a potential Justice League movie without DC delivering. Marvel gave us “The Avengers” and made us forget about the JL for a short time. “Man of Steel” might simply remind us of the “broken promises.”
“Man of Steel” might kick start a new generation of DC Comics movies, but will not steal the thunder from Marvel. Following through with plan for upcoming movies from DC Comics might make us forget as long as DC can deliver something better than “Green Lantern.” Only time will tell.
Happy Anniversary Superman – I Still Hate You
Today is the anniversary of Action Comics #1, and I find myself writing an article about the 75th Anniversary of Superman. It is ironic how I watched the trailer for “Man of Steel” last night. After watching the trailer, I was upset by the fact I enjoyed it and infuriated by the urge which grew inside of me to see the movie.
Happy Anniversary Superman
“Man of Steel” Opening Soon
Superman and Me
I am not a fan of Superman. In fact, I don’t like the characterization of Kal-El at all. Yes, I liked the first two Superman movies from when I was young and I liked the 1990s animated series, but this was where my fandom ended until I saw the “Man of Steel” trailer.
Superman is Too Powerful
In Superman, you have a nearly-unstoppable force for good. He can fly, run faster than almost anyone, has super strength, is impervious to bullets, does not need to breath, has laser and x-ray vision, and can blow freezing cold air from his mouth. There are probably at least half of a dozen powers I did not list, but I gave up counting his superpowers a long time ago. Anyways, I always felt the character had too many powers.
Superman and His Struggles
For many years, DC Comics refused to give Superman a decent struggle in life other than the loss of his race. Throughout almost everything I have read on the character, I have found him to be two-dimensional at best and a character which is as near perfect in his psyche as he is in physical form. This was always bland for me since I was drawn to the character who dealt with their own personal demons such as those created by Marvel or Batman once he went through his emotional makeover in the late-1970s and early 1980s.
The “Man of Steel” Trailer
I tried to stay away from the “Man of Steel” trailer as I knew inside it would simply be another two-dimensional telling of the same story I had heard hundreds of times before. I was wrong. In the short run of the trailer, I found myself drawn into a story in which Superman is struggling with what he is and with the acceptance of those around him. This is a basic portion of what should have been his storyline which has been missing for far too long.
The Result?
Will I see “Man of Steel” when it comes out in the theaters? Yes. Will I become a fan of Superman? Probably not. I might become a fan of the new movie version, but we have to wait to know for sure.
Superman and Batman: Views on Humanity
Superman and Batman are as opposite as two crime fighters could possibly be. This series has explored some of the various ways in which the two characters differ in their perspectives on life. This article continues the series by exploring Superman’s view of humanity and comparing it to Batman’s view.
Superman and Batman
Superman’s View of Humanity
Kal-El believes humanity is a state of purity in the universe. He fights crime in order to preserve the innocence and ideal of humanity. His love for humanity has progressed to the point in which he has wished himself to be human. There have been a few instances in which he has obtained humanity for a short time only to realize his place in the universe is to preserve and to save humanity and not to every fully become part of it.
Batman’s View of Humanity
Batman tries to hide his own humanity under the caul of his batsuit. Humanness is a sign of weakness since humans feel pain and other emotions which get in the way of any goal. A bat does not feel love or sadness, it survives. Bruce Wayne pushes others aside because he does not want to intertwine with someone else’s humanity. It has been said that the night is not the place for a person. He strives in an environment which average people would shun. The darkness symbolizes a lack of humanity so it is the perfect place for the Dark Knight.
Superman sees humanity and humanness as a strength and as something which should be preserved for as long as possible. Batman sees humanity and humanness as something which should be shunned and avoided as much as possible. Complete opposites for sure. We should all expect this difference to be exploited in Batman/Superman when it comes out later this year.
Batman/Superman: Differences in Fighting Crime
The release of Batman/Superman gets closer every day, and it makes sense to explore the characters differences before the launch of the new title. Superman and Batman are very different characters as one draws power from the sun while the other draws power from the darkness in his own heart. This series explores some of the ways that Bruce Wayne is the anti-Kal-El. This addition will explore why each character fights crime.
Superman and Batman
Superman
Superman wishes to preserve the sanctity of humanity, and his goal should be expected to carry over in Batman/Superman. Since he cannot become fully human himself, he attempts to preserve what he visualizes as the innocence of humanity. He is driven to make the world a better place for others and the easiest way to do so is to eliminate crime. Of course, he has gone off the deep end such as when he wanted to rid the world of nuclear devices – but we will not discuss that at length here since I don’t want to go off on a tangent about the stupidest movie in the original series or about how sad it was that the story carried over into the printed pages.
Batman
Batman is different from Superman in that he does not simply want to preserve the sanctity and innocence of humanity. Wayne’s alter ego wants to make criminals pay for the sins which they committed. Where Superman cares more for the victim, the victim of a crime is often insignificant to the Dark Knight when compared to the inner need to make a criminal pay. Fans should hope this difference becomes a cause for friction in Batman/Superman.
Which Side Drives You?
I remember reading an essay years ago in college in which a professor believed certain aspects about a student’s personality could be discerned by finding out if he or she related more to Batman or Superman. The explanation went through the idea of people who wanted to push for peace would identify more with Superman while people who believed criminals should pay their dues the hard way would identify with Batman. If I can ever dig up the essay, I will be sure to link it here. Then you could read the upcoming issues of Batman/Superman and see where you fall.
Batman/Superman
While Batman/Superman will not be the first mixing of Superman and Batman, it will be the first in the New 52. Read about my ideas on the title by following this link.
Batman and Superman: DC’s Yin and Yang
Batman is often considered a polar opposite of Superman. Even though both fight for good, they go about doing so in opposite ways. Some even consider Dark Knight is the anti-Kal-El. The differences between the two can sometimes be as apparent as night and day. You could easily explain Batman and Superman as the Yin and the Yang of the DC Universe.
Superman and Batman
Superman’s Power
While the residents of Krypton are smarter than humans, the benefits of the now-dead civilization end at technology. Once Kal-El arrived on Earth, he was granted superpowers by the rays of our yellow sun. During instances in which he has left our plane of existence, he has lost the majority of his strength and superpowers.
This symbolizes how Superman is a hero of the light and has led to analogies between the character and messiah-like characters throughout human mythology. The sun is a life-giver to the Earth and it would make sense that a messiah character from the comics would gain “new life” through the power of the sun’s light.
Batman’s Power
Batman cannot fly on his own will and he cannot create tornadoes while running. He does not have super strength and does not have laser-shooting eyes. He is a man who can create interesting tools to help him avenge victims of crime. Instead of being a child of the sun, he is the son or darkness.
The shadows of Gotham match the darkness in Bruce Wayne’s heart. Just like his costume, Batman wears the darkness like a cloak. The darkness reminds criminals that the Dark Knight might be hiding around the next corner.
The Yin and the Yang
Superman is mostly good, but has displayed a dark side when Lois Lane or any other character he cares about is in trouble. Bruce Wayne is mostly a dark character but has a bit of light in his heart. It would be an easy analogy to state that the two characters are the Yin and the Yang of DC Comics. The two comics constantly balance the other with one being a positive story about bringing criminals to justice and the other being a darker story about giving criminals the beatings they deserve. At times, the two characters find themselves working together, but know it should never be a permanent endeavor.
