The All-Star of Comics

There’s a reason Superman is such an iconic character in and out of the comic-book world. He was the first costumed superhero. He made his first appearance in 1938 after Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel teamed up to create the famous Kryptonian. For a bit of Canadian pride, it’s worth noting that Joe Shuster was born in Toronto, which was the city that inspired Superman’s fictional home of Metropolis.

Superman writer Grant Morrison talks Superman's evolution through the ages.

Since his creation, Superman has been through multiple alternate universes and reboots, but he always kept up with the times. No matter how many new writers change a bit of his story, there will always be those Superman series that will be remembered for their greatness. A common complaint about Superman is that people seem to believe he has no weaknesses aside from that fatal little green rock, kryptonite. But if that’s what you believe, you’re missing out on some of the best Superman stories ever told. The Death of Superman and All-Star Superman are debatably the greatest series on this fantastic character. A personal favourite of mine, All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant, is a series that takes a look at how Superman faces his new-found mortality. This humanizing tale goes to the very heart of the character, showing what a man everyone thinks is invulnerable would do if he knew he didn’t have much time left. Even though he wants to spend time with the woman he loves, he doesn’t stop being a hero. He gives up his last moments of happiness to make sure the world he will be leaving behind can go on without him.

For me, the most memorable part of this series was only a page long, but it did the best job of showing how important compassion is. Superman finally gets a moment to talk Lois Lane, but flies off to stop a teenager from jumping off a building’s ledge. In our world, we often let ourselves remain ignorant to anyone’s problems but our own. People are so preoccupied with the little things in their lives, they miss the opportunity to truly help someone else. Even small gestures could make a world of difference in someone’s life, but so many people remain blind to that, looking at the problems on their Twitter feed instead of the ones right next to them. If someone as otherworldly as Superman can take a moment to tell someone they matter, putting aside his imminent death, then I don’t see why we can’t take a moment to ask someone how they’re doing.

---

Natasha Leduc

Natasha Leduc is an aspiring novelist with a passion for superheroes, and young adult and youth fiction. A nature lover, she lives in a secluded area surrounded by water and trees, the perfect place to take a notebook out and write whatever comes to mind.

Facebook | Sites I Follow: Superman Super Site | Superman Homepage

Soaring to the Silver Screen

When most people think of Superman, they think of the classic Christopher Reeves portrayal. Compared to today’s technology, the special effects of the four original  Superman movies are nothing like what we’re used to now. But it was always more about the story than the effects. In these films we see a clumsy and awkward man starting his new career in a big city and keeping it safe from villains like Lex Luthor, while wearing a bright spandex suit. The quirky lines like “my mother made it” when Lois Lane asks Superman about his costume, and the dynamic Lois has with both Superman and Clark Kent are what make these films so memorable to me.

In the films, Superman isn’t the only one to look up to. Lois Lane steals the spotlight on multiple occasions with her confidence and great journalistic curiosity. Lois is such a great role model, she is a strong and intelligent woman (let’s not ask why Lois never seems to see past Clark’s glasses in any media form), who knows just what she wants and won’t stop until she gets? She plays an integral part in revealing Superman's humanity; a film has less than two hours to tell the story. The duo work together, whether they know it or not, to fight injustice and bring hope to the people of Metropolis as well as viewers in the theatre and at home.

Superman has made appearances in film many times over the years, mostly animated movies, but he made his big comeback in Man of Steel. This portrayal takes a darker twist on the character, but the idea that he is a symbol of hope transcends the times. All Superman movies have the task of showing viewers the life of a man who has the world on his shoulders, and even though I can’t say it’s always been done perfectly, it’s always been done well enough. With an iconic character that has been around for so long, new directors are taking their turn with the story and putting in their own ideas, but the message stays the same. Whether it’s saving the world from an alien attack or stopping a car accident, Superman knows every life on this planet is important and worth saving. That’s why his number one rule is to never kill: No one is hopeless in his eyes. 

---

Natasha Leduc

Natasha Leduc is an aspiring novelist with a passion for superheroes, and young adult and youth fiction. A nature lover, she lives in a secluded area surrounded by water and trees, the perfect place to take a notebook out and write whatever comes to mind.

Facebook | Sites I Follow: Superman Super Site | Superman Homepage

Relatable Alien

Take a second to think about that one character from your childhood who could lift your spirits no matter what mood you were in. The fact that we can remember characters like those are what make them so iconic, no matter how much time passes, memories of that one person can still make you smile when you’re feeling down.

For me, that character was Clark Kent. I was introduced to the world of superheroes at the age of eight, by a new television show called Smallville starring Tom Welling. People seem to have varied opinions of the show, but for me, it was the greatest ten years of my life. This show wasn’t about a clumsy reporter who suddenly became confident when donning a spandex suit of primary colours, this was about a teenage boy who was trying to discover who he was. I grew up watching this boy go through all sorts of heartbreaking events, and he just kept seeing the good in everything. Some characters said that was his weakness, seeing good in people where there was none, but to me that was what helped me get through tough times. If Clark Kent could be a beacon of hope after all the pain he had endured, then I could definitely try and see the bright side of things.

I know what you must be thinking, that he was a fictional character so of course it was easy for him to stay positive, but the fictional nature of this icon didn’t affect how real he felt to fans. Despite his alien problems, Clark went through some very relatable issues on Smallville. He lost people he loved, failed relationships, got the confidence to be who he is, and most importantly, he went through leaving a toxic friendship behind. The classic idea of Superman is helping others and always doing what is right, but the story of Clark Kent is about accepting yourself and embracing who you are, not to mention learning to trust the right people. I can honestly say I would still be hiding my love of comics and all things geeky if it wasn’t for this character showing me that you need to accept yourself before others can accept you. That’s why I believe it was so important to see Clark for who he was before the tights and cape, everyone needs someone they can connect with to show them hope.

---

Natasha Leduc

Natasha Leduc is an aspiring novelist with a passion for superheroes, and young adult and youth fiction. A nature lover, she lives in a secluded area surrounded by water and trees, the perfect place to take a notebook out and write whatever comes to mind.

Facebook | Sites I Follow: Superman Super Site | Superman Homepage