Man of Steel - Concerned for a Hero.

Although I felt betrayed by DC's reboot, recently I did find it in my heart to forgive them and have found myself once more reading their comics. Granted, I still feel like the reboot was pointless. I do however, feel like this can wipe the slate clean for some disasters like Countdown, Cry for Justice and Identity Crisis. That however isn't what this post will be about today. Today we will discuss Superman.

Ok so I personally do not have a favorite superhero. It's impossible for me to decide who is the best. Take Marvel's recently successful Avengers flick. My friends were all backing individual heroes, one prefers Thor, the other the Hulk. The wife prefers Captain America and another friend adores Iron Man (or Robert Downey Jr. It's hard to be sure which). I can't say I prefer one though. I know all their strengths and weaknesses, I know who I back in a fight between them, but even then I can never call it at 100% certainty. That is because I love them all. Yet there are certain truths. Undeniable elements to comics  that although often are argued are just things all fans accept. The Hulk is Marvel's strongest. Batman is the Worlds Greatest Detective. Green Arrow is Left Wing to Questions Right Wing. Captain America stands for his country. Well there is one truth that is often forgotten by writers (and film producers it seems).

Superman stands for the people of Earth. He doesn't pick America over Russia. He doesn't fight the Nazi's just because they're a foreign country. He looks after everyone, everything. He is the true defender of the world and the truest hero there is. Why do I mention this? That's easy. Man of Steel.

Why does that concern me? Surely a Superman reboot is a good thing I hear you cry? Well unfortunately, it's a reboot that is happening because of The Dark Knight. Not Rises. Just The Dark Knight. Am I the only person that remembered how appalling bad Batman Begins was? That Nolan only has done one good Batman movie thus far? Now they're trusting him to produce Superman. Problem? Superman can't FIT in a "real world" environment. He's an alien for starters, but ignoring that, unfortunately past experience has taught what producers think a real world version is. Notice how Nolan's Batman movies are all really dark, with dank and dilapidated buildings and crummy weather? That's great for Batman, but that's also what most "real world" stuff winds up being.

Before you all cry foul, how can I possibly know that it will be all dark and dank ala Dark Knight?

This is how.

First off the logo is terrible. It's muted colours and rusty look, Superman it is not. Steel it could be, and maybe that's the joke. Man of Steel will be a new Steel movie not Superman? Ah well, but what if the logo is just a teaser? 

Ok so he isn't rusty at least, but the hell is with the muted colours? That was a major complaint of the movie Superman Returns. Which this one is "ignoring like Ang Lee's Hulk was ignored by Marvel." If you wanted nothing to do with that movie don't make the same freaking mistakes that it made! Then we get the biggest issue. Granted, I pulled this synopsis from Wikipedia but it seems to sum up the info I found everywhere else.

"Clark Kent is a journalist in his twenties who was adopted as a child by Martha and Jonathan Kent after he was transported to Earth from the dying planet Krypton. Raised with the values of his adoptive parents, he feels alienated because of his unique super abilities and struggles to find his place in life. When the world is attacked, he becomes the hero Superman to protect it's people."

Emo Superman? Seriously? From what I have read Grant Morrison pitched a reboot concept that was basically his All-Star Superman series. That is so good, and sums up the character so well that I am going to now use that as an example of why Man of Steel is probably going to suck, beginning with the colours.

Superman should not be in muted colours, he is a bright beacon of hope, not some gritty "down to earth" guy. He represents what is good in the world and stands to defend it. He should be bright! Heck he flies in the Sun he isn't a dark character!

Next, since when does he feel alienated because of his powers? Granted in the comics he has a short phase as a kid, questioning why he should hide them, but he never feels alienated. In fact, let's hold of on Morrisons awesome for a moment. In the #8 of Superman this year, he fights Helspont who wants his help to enslave the Earth. Entirely because the people of Earth will alienate him. Superman's response (other than to smash him up alot)?

"I didn't adopt this world. This world adopted ME. I've experienced the best this world has to offer thanks to parents who never once considered me anything less than their son. Give it up. Compared to them, you're irrelevant." 

In a lot of ways, Superman is more human than other characters, even the powerless Batman! What's worse is that having him be all emo and feeling alienated, well that means we're not going to get the true hero that we have in the comics. The guy who is so good and so amazingly heroic that he sees all ordeals, big or small, as his responsibility to help with. Oil truck about to collide with a school? He'll be there. Lex Luthor about to take over the world? He'll be there. A little girl can't get her cat out of the tree? He'll be there. He is there for everyone and Grant Morrison also sums this up best in a scene in All Star Superman (Vol. 2 Page 95 and 96 if you're interested.).

Superman is talking to Lois discussing their life together and what it holds. During the scene we see disembodied speech bubbles. Random people through out the city (or the world maybe?) with "Watch were your walking" and "Cancel that back up." The most prominent being;

"Regan... Oh, God, I'm on my way... Don't put the phone down!"

Superman instantly tells Lois he's going and flys off. Why? Because a young girl is standing on a roof top in tears because her Doctor hasn't shown up to see her. Getting ready to jump she drops the phone off the building and closes her eyes when, you guessed it, Superman shows up.

It is a genuinely heart warming scene and further demonstrates the true nature of Superman. Heck I know that I'd like it if Superman showed up to chat with me when I was feeling depressed. It truly shows that Superman is not a man of just "strength" but a man with strength of character. In All Star Superman more than once does he solve problems with his mind and heart and not his fists. Unfortunately with Nolan's "realistic" and "gritty" take we will lose all of this. What's more is with Snyder directing we already know how the action scenes will go.

It truly is too bad that DC skipped out on Morrison's pitch. It's really too bad that this might be DC's Ang Lee Hulk as opposed to Returns. Ah well, we're stronger than we think we are, maybe it won't be so bad.