Today marks the arrival of the New 52’s Batman/Superman #1, and writer Greg Pak has a few things to say, namely about Man of Steel. Here is the first of his four comments on Zack Snyder’s latest blockbuster.
1. Superman’s an Everyman
This seems contradictory, doesn’t it? Superman is the opposite of the Everyman — he’s a supremely powerful, virtually invulnerable alien from the planet Krypton. He’s nothing like us.
And yet he grew up as Clark Kent, a lonely kid who always felt different from everyone around him. If that’s not a universal experience, I don’t know what is.
Over the years, various smart people have written about Superman as a metaphor for the Jewish immigrant or Asian American experience. I’ll take it a step further — everyone on the planet at some point feels that he or she doesn’t belong on the planet. We’re all outsiders and others. Acknowledging that experience while remaining totally committed to helping other people anyway is what makes Superman great — and what elevates the best Superman stories beyond vicarious fantasy toward something approaching the richness, tragedy and quiet humanity of heroic myth.
There is a lot more to read from this article over at Hero Complex, and I suggest you check it out! What do you think of Superman/Batman #1? Let us know in the comments!
-Chris
SOURCE: LA Times Hero Complex
