Main > Everything Else
Anyone Else Jazzed About the New Avengers Movie?
shmokes:
Of course you wouldn't care. You just want to live. The people reading about it, on the other hand, care.
SUPERMAN ISN'T REAL. HE DOESN'T ACTUALLY SAVE LIVES.
Superman is not made to save people. He's made to entertain readers (and listeners and watchers since the advent of radio, TV, and film).
For the love of all that's holy you can't possibly think that I am maligning Superman's ability to save lives. He's good at it. Duh. You can just leave that topic quite alone because I assure you we agree on it completely. The point is, from the point of view of of the reader (the only point of view that matters, seeing as the lives Superman saves are fictional), Superman's exploits are less interesting than those of people who put themselves in harms way in order to save others.
Vigo:
People here can discern fact from fiction... ::)
People don't always want to read stories about someones life being in peril...that isn't the defining element that makes a story good. When reading a comic, do you really believe that Batman's life is in danger each issue? Spiderman? Wolverine? Really? You don't enjoy superman because you worry for his life, you let yourself get caught up in a story of good versus evil. Just as it was no surprise Luke blew up the death star.
Superman represents the best in us, and in our heroic imaginations what we would love to be for the world. Superman is modern mythology. People enjoy seeing how villains mastermind a way to take down the top dog. They love to see Superman's own nature used against him. They enjoy seeing a "clash of the titans" for the fate of the world. This isn't really much different from the stories told by the Greeks.
I think it boils down that you just don't get that elemental story-lore, the symbolic nature, the larger than life unrealism that hits us somewhere on an emotional level. I think that is why you can't get past Captain America's name, and it is why Superman's power bothers you. Not everybody gets Picasso either, that doesn't mean his art is poor.
shmokes:
I do get Superman. He is a living, walking deus ex machina. His nature makes him a poor plot device. If what Rando said in his previous post were true we'd be just as happy with, "Once upon a time Rando's life was in danger. Then he was saved. The end." That doesn't work. It may work for Rando, because he was about to die and then he didn't die and that's probably enough for him. But for the rest of us, that's pretty boring. People care how it happened. A good story needs conflict. And it's difficult to create compelling conflict with Superman because of his very nature. And what conflict can be created is almost always hackneyed and repetitive. It generally starts with a K.
Le Chuck:
--- Quote from: shmokes on February 21, 2012, 01:45:29 pm ---I do get Superman. He is a living, walking deus ex machina. His nature makes him a poor plot device. If what Rando said in his previous post were true we'd be just as happy with, "Once upon a time Rando's life was in danger. Then he was saved. The end." That doesn't work. It may work for Rando, because he was about to die and then he didn't die and that's probably enough for him. But for the rest of us, that's pretty boring. People care how it happened. A good story needs conflict. And it's difficult to create compelling conflict with Superman because of his very nature. And what conflict can be created is almost always hackneyed and repetitive. It generally starts with a K.
--- End quote ---
I don't recall the year, somewhere mid 60s, but there was a Supe comic where he was put in a bind when Toyman, Mytzlpliks (I think), and a few others (bizarro, metallo?) teamed up to really mess with his world. Supe was having the damndest time but slowly pitted them against eachother and wrapped it all up rather neatly. Then at the end, on the last page, Toyman asks how Supe did it and, this is where Supe was almost ruined for me forever, he says "I used my super hearing and super speed weeks ago to learn of this plot, I've known it was coming the whole time, and I played along to teach you a lesson."
What a frickin ripoff. Good story, fun traps, some legit Supe in peril moments thanks to the 5th deminsion and whammo, I knew all along. Left a sour taste in my mouth.
I got over it and am a diehard fan again but Shmokes, I can see where you're coming from. With a character as powerful as Supe you have to be careful that you don't take the fun out of the story. The comic has done a pretty good job, especially using the old "You can't save them both" device, but Superman is often more of an escapist read than a seat of my pants read. It just really isn't that kind of comic, but then again, there is plenty of room out there for all kinds of entertainment and I don't need to be hanging by an emotional thread all the time.
<edit: word subs and syntax>
Bootay:
I have just been observing this debate. heh
I loved Superman as a kid but as a teen I didn't like him anymore for much of the same reasons that Shmokes doesn't. But after some time I learned to like him again...but he is far from my favorite. And during the early days they always gave him a power to get out of any jam. Much like they used to give Batman ridiculous devices to get out of any jam. (Shark repellant) They would just make ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- up. Example? Well Le Chuck gave a good one, but here's another:
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version