Superman Is Not Boring
James Gunn just recently wrapped up Superman: Legacy, which is set to be released in July 2025. Superman is one of my favorite superheroes and has been poorly portrayed on the big screen numerous times. Zack Snyder's grounded take on the character in Man Of Steel didn't help matters either. I don't want to see a depressed Superman who doesn't value human life.
Deconstructing the beloved “boy in blue" to a mass murder who not only doesn't value human life but also is a complete dick to his parents: Jonathan & Martha Kent is so disappointing to see. Jonathan and Martha are the reason Clark became Superman in the first place. And to see Jonathan Kent tell Clark in Man Of Steel, that he should've let those kids on the school bus die is so out of left field for his character. While, the cinematography, VFX, score and action sequences are all great for the film, Clark is an unlikable main character, the pacing is slow and it just doesn't do the character justice.
The best portrayals of the self-proclaimed, “Man Of Steel” have been on the smaller screen. From Smallville, The Adventures Of Superman, Justice League/Unlimited, Superman: The Animated Series, Superman & Lois and several animated films. The writers of the films and the Superman haters are all in the same box to me because their lack of knowledge of the character is what leads to uninteresting stories and people saying that he's either, “too OP” or “boring".
If you're one of those people that think either of those two things then I can tell you only watch the films and don't bother to watch anything from the TV series (live action or animated) or even read the comics. Most people think Superman is more “interesting” when he is evil. However, it's the opposite. Evil Superman is just a cheap, lazy, cop-out for writers because it's the “easy” way out when it comes to writing for Superman. Not only is it very tiresome but it also shows a lack of effort on the writers part. There are several amazing Superman stories yet to be told that don't involve him being evil.
Going back to the, “Superman is boring” excuse, that is always used from uneducated fans who don't read comic books and only know him on a surface level. What makes Superman interesting isn't his powers, but his compassion and his heart. Superman: For All Seasons, is a great view of Clark Kent/Superman told from other people's perspective. The difference between Lex Luthor and Superman is the Superman gained the cities love for free because he's a kind hearted human being who puts others before himself. Meanwhile, Lex is a narcissist, dictator who tries to buy everyone's love and respect.
Something else, I hear that I find comical is, “how do people not know that Clark Kent is Superman?” I suggest those people read, “Superman: Birthright” by Mark Waid. It's a pretty simple answer: he changes everything about himself. When Clark is himself he is more slouched, shy, clumsy and tells really bad dad jokes. And as Superman he is more confident, brave, more of a people's person, you get the point. Overall, don't let the bad live action films scare you away from reading Superman comics. If any of you like some suggestions please remember: I'm your Superman guy.
