Random Silliness: Return of the Potato-masher

[Steave]

I find Superman boring. He's nigh indestructible so the element of risk and danger needs to be placed on the people he cares about. There's only so many hostage based stories I can take. Still at least he's just an enhanced boy scout and not some sort of bat crazy psychopath.

[FreakyBoy]

Hmm... You mean like firefighters, police officers, and the like? People who altruistically risk their own lives on a regular basis to help those around them? Those heroes?

Just because Superman doesn't risk death in doing the same deeds that firefighters do does not make his heroism any less for it. Heroism is what you do, not the risks you take.

[Stan Cold]

Hmm... You mean like firefighters, police officers, and the like? People who altruistically risk their own lives on a regular basis to help those around them? Those heroes?

No, Kajin, the men and women whose death only means a brief hiatus and a costume change. You know, the real heroes.

[FreakyBoy]

You know what? Screw you sarcastic asswipes.

[Stan Cold]

Sarcastic? I have had to write an essay every year for school on who my hero was and while everyone else generically put down actual human beings, I made-up fantastic superheroes using every inch of my creativity. Except one year I wasn't feeling creative so I wrote about Link.

[Steave]

FB has a point. We're down on Superman because he's nigh invulnerable but if I was nigh invulnerable I don't think I'd be a superhero. And he still holds down a full time job!

On the other hand when heroes die and then return it takes away the gravity of their deaths and then when pivotal moments in their career are undone (thank you brand new day) you can understand that a small amount of sarcasm might creep into the conversation. Still, at least no one is simply completely rebooting 50 years of comic book history.

[FreakyBoy]

The vast majority of people, given Superman's powers, would be supervillains; or, at least, super zeroes. Those that would not simply take everything they wanted would at best contract out their powers for monetary gain - maybe having a conscience about what they get paid to do, maybe not. Superman not only uses his powers to save lives, he does so with anonymity; he does it explicitly for nothing but doing good, with no return for himself. Sure, people sing praises for Superman, but no one adulates Clark Kent, who receives - and asks - no compensation for his work as Superman.

Sure, his story might not lend itself to constant telling over a span of eighty years - what story would? This is why I don't read comics. But as modern myth, Superman inspires and encourages us all to be better people, in a way no other superhero has. Myths live in the retelling; if Superman is "reinvented" every now and then, to start a retelling, this should be viewed as a good thing. By resetting the myth and starting it over again with new trappings to reflect a more modern world, the myth is reborn to inspire once again. So long as the essence of that myth remains true, it remains the same whatever trappings attached to it. Superman has remained essentially the same character throughout his retellings.

That's where Batman failed, and why I'm not really a fan of Batman. Sure, Frank Miller rebirthed the myth of Batman to a new generation, but in doing so, he changed the essence of Batman, changing him from a man steeped in superstition because of the power it had over weak-minded thugs to a gritty bad-ass barely better than a weak-minded thug himself. At least most animated depictions of Batman have retained that core goodness underneath his crusty demeanour; of late, cinematic and literary portrayals of Batman have betrayed the myth laying underneath, and created a generation without the inspiration Superman gave an earlier one.

[Steave]

I think the X-Men have done well at continuing the series characters have aged at a generally relative pace. Older characters have been retired. New characters have joined the fold.

[Kajin]

Batman Beyond. Yay or Nay?

[Thom Solo]

I'm kind of bummed I'm the only Superman. Does no one else still believe in actual heroes?

I'm there with you, FB. Superman is cool.

[dotwarner]

Personally I'm just amazed that given total freedom you guys are still talking about superheroes

[FreakyBoy]

Superheroes are cool.

[Stan Cold]

Like bow-ties and fezzes.

[Steave]

Fezzes are not cool.

I will accept bow ties but not the fez.

[Ross_Varn]

FEZZEZ ARE COOL.

Succumb to the Who.