His figure whirling round my brain
A creature science can't explain
It's not a bird, it's not a plane,
It's Superman.
So went a song in the 1966 musical It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Superman! (music and lyrics by Strouse and Adams). Recently the National Geographic Channel has been running a program called The Science of Superman, which attempts to explore the science behind Superman's superpowers.
It's conclusion? Basically science can't explain most of Superman's powers.
One nice thing about the show is that it recognizes that Superman is a comic book character. Too often, the comic book aspects of the Man of Steel are minimized in these television documentaries, whose main purpose is to promote the latest Superman movie.
For me Superman was, is, and always will be a great comic book character (I'm thinking of late 50's, early 60's). I've never been satisfied with any of the movie or tv show incarnations and never much cared for any of the actors who played him. George Reeves was the best, but perhaps that was because he was the first I came to know. By the time Christopher Reeve came along, well, he was younger than I was, so obviously he wasn't a good choice. Can't have a Superman who's still green around the gills.
I sort of liked the mid-90's updating called Lois and Clark (though I liked to call it Lewis and Clark), but mainly because it kept the Kents alive and I enjoyed the actors who played Jonathan and Martha.
Every time I think I'm starting to enjoy the current Smallville series, the writers toss in a wildly preposterous plot twist that makes me want to throw something.
The worst perversion of Superman, at least the worst that I can recall, occurs in the first season of the 50's series. A couple of baddies (a married couple, I believe) discover Superman's secret identity; Superman's response is to take them to a remote area, where they die trying to escape. To my way of thinking, that was a real perversion of Superman's character, as he wasn't upholding some noble principle or saving someone's life; he was just selfishly protecting his stupid identity.
His secret identity only works if it isn't taken too seriously; it should only be played for laughs. After all, a pair of glasses does not make for a very effective mask.
Posted by jt at July 8, 2006 01:07 PM