Disclaimer: The only part of Superman #700 I read was the free digital version of the Grounded prologue
Ahead there be Spoilers.
OK, first things first. The premise is good, Superman decided he needs to reconnect with the American People after abandoning them and running off with the Kryptonians. I am OK with this. It's a great angle for character development and any soul searching that doesn't end in a cape-toga works for me.
The part that first stuck in my craw though is the impetus of the story line. I woman slaps Supes cause he didn't save her husband and he died. Poor guy, was he killed my a rampaging Metallo? Oh was it Intergang? Hmm... Solomon Grundy? Earthquake? Damn? Nuclear Missile Land Grab scheme? Oh brain tumor... wait, WHAT? A brain tumor? She blames Supes because he didn't see the tumor with his x-ray vision, then didn't destroy it with his heat vision.
Did I miss something here? Is Supes in this ladies PPO network? Is it Blue Cross/ Red S in the DCU? That is why she was mad? Lady, don't blame Superman, blame House M.D.
Supes gets all melancholy because he didn't save a guy from a NATURAL CAUSE OF DEATH? Hey Supes, why are you around to keep my Grammy's heart pumping? J. Micheal Straczynski, that is STRIKE ONE.
Next, we find Supes and Dick Grayson up in the Ivory Tower... oh, I am sorry the Watchtower... I guess the metaphor was so see through I got confused. Next we find the Supes bothering the Flash, acting all Emo on him. I am going to assume the Flash was you know... doing something Heroic. So good idea stopping him like that, next time TEXT him the stupid question. STRIKIE TWO
Finally we got a good natured flashback to Pa Kent give some straight up home-spun. Remember folks the Kents are rural farmers from Kansas. I mean come on, you've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.
So Supes lands in front of some kids playing stick ball in the park, (unseen is the apple pie eating contest and the Sara Palin speech) he gets his hands in the dirt and then walks off. You how stupid you look walking in tights and a cape. REALLY Stupid. STRIKE THREE.
Fact is if the set up for a story is this lame how can the rest not be?
Ahead there be Spoilers.
OK, first things first. The premise is good, Superman decided he needs to reconnect with the American People after abandoning them and running off with the Kryptonians. I am OK with this. It's a great angle for character development and any soul searching that doesn't end in a cape-toga works for me.
The part that first stuck in my craw though is the impetus of the story line. I woman slaps Supes cause he didn't save her husband and he died. Poor guy, was he killed my a rampaging Metallo? Oh was it Intergang? Hmm... Solomon Grundy? Earthquake? Damn? Nuclear Missile Land Grab scheme? Oh brain tumor... wait, WHAT? A brain tumor? She blames Supes because he didn't see the tumor with his x-ray vision, then didn't destroy it with his heat vision.
Did I miss something here? Is Supes in this ladies PPO network? Is it Blue Cross/ Red S in the DCU? That is why she was mad? Lady, don't blame Superman, blame House M.D.Supes gets all melancholy because he didn't save a guy from a NATURAL CAUSE OF DEATH? Hey Supes, why are you around to keep my Grammy's heart pumping? J. Micheal Straczynski, that is STRIKE ONE.
Next, we find Supes and Dick Grayson up in the Ivory Tower... oh, I am sorry the Watchtower... I guess the metaphor was so see through I got confused. Next we find the Supes bothering the Flash, acting all Emo on him. I am going to assume the Flash was you know... doing something Heroic. So good idea stopping him like that, next time TEXT him the stupid question. STRIKIE TWO
Finally we got a good natured flashback to Pa Kent give some straight up home-spun. Remember folks the Kents are rural farmers from Kansas. I mean come on, you've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.
So Supes lands in front of some kids playing stick ball in the park, (unseen is the apple pie eating contest and the Sara Palin speech) he gets his hands in the dirt and then walks off. You how stupid you look walking in tights and a cape. REALLY Stupid. STRIKE THREE.
Fact is if the set up for a story is this lame how can the rest not be?
FIRST OFF... you NEVER get to make fun of my spelling!!! EVER! EVER EICH!
ReplyDeleteSecond... Why did you use GLADIATOR SUPERMAN as a picture??? You liked Hairy Chested Clark. He's your Bear, with that sexy beard, huh? (no-homo) (BTW still my favorite story arc of all time, the Exiled Superman, intro of Eradicator!)
Third... (Sigh) I agree with you. I don't want to. I wanted this to be a golden idea. And the premise of Superman re-connecting to his human roots and getting out of the "Ivory tower" was a very noble and interesting idea to me. The potential was emmense. But for Superman to be slapped and told he didn't save a man who had Cancer? WHERE WAS SUPERMAN TO SAVE MY MOM??? I don't know how many times Superman has had to come to terms and realize "He can't be everywhere" He's just one man. JMS, I was ready to champion you. I was. I loved Thor, I loved Supreme Powers! Babylon 5... eh.
Ok, Clark... can you make this work?
In defense tho... I was ok with the Flash scene... just not the reason for it.
Cape-toga... sorry... I was at work didn't have time to mess with formatting. Also, I'll proof better at home... proof being that which separates us.
ReplyDeletenow to the meat of the post. the "can't save everyone schtick is over played and cliche made even mor foolish by the mundane-ness (no offence cancer) of the cause of of death. Meh.
No arguing here... A stranger, never mentioned before in comics, has a right to be mad at Superman, for not saving her husband? Sorry that's more far fetched than a man who can fly.
ReplyDeleteIf it was someone close to Superman. Like if Cat Grant's child was killed by Toyman and Superman didn't save him. (Which happened, and Superman felt guilty and realized he could be everywhere) Or if Lois was mad that Superman didn't have her Dad? Which kind of happened in Worlds at War. He felt guilt, she got over it.
I agree! Superman's guilt has been overplayed. I'm mad that JMS didn't do homework. I really like the concept, but HATE the motivation. If Superman just felt a little out of touch after going to a tennis match, and didn't understand the scoring, it'd be better motivation for re-connecting to humanity.
"Lois, the score is 15-Love?? Who's winning? Nevermind... I'm gonna wander down I-80 and see a few matches in Des Moines, Ill be back before Luthor tries to run for President again!"
I love sappy stories about "the human condition" and getting to know your roots and connecting with people; the commonality of your fellow man. Love 'em. Heck, I'm one of 5 people that enjoyed Elizabethtown.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I said it.
Cameron Crowe's 2005 film, Elizabethtown, starring Orlando Bloom and Kirstin Dunst.
I own it. (paid $2, used)
I'm also HUGELY enamored with Superman; who he is and what he represents. The man, the symbol. "Truth, justice, all that stuff."
That said, "The Slap Heard Around The World?"
Baloney.
I'm all for Superman reconnecting with and earning back the trust of humanity after he left Earth for New Krypton and the tragedies that unfolded with The 100 Minute War but he does NOT need some woman with misplaced anger slapping him on television to get him to reevaluate his place on the planet. Some dude he never met died from cancer and somehow Superman was responsible for stopping this? No. This is not a lesson Superman needs to learn. He's been there, he knows exactly how much he should be allowed to feel responsible for. Remember when he walled himself off from everyone else and built a room full of televisions so he could monitor every single problem going on in the world? Remember the "Supermen of America?"
Supergirl even went through this 2 years ago when she agonized over being able to save a young boy from a fatal brain tumor. THAT was a lesson for a young metahuman/extraterrestrial to learn for themselves. And Kal was there to keep her from going too far. She needed to learn that there's only so much any one person (or meta) can do and this should be well-covered ground for Superman by now. Of all the things for Superman to feel remorse over, an overly entitled grieving woman should not rattle him like this.
Instead, one slap to the face and a couple of passive-aggressive conversations with Batman and Flash later and he's hoofing it from a park, head hanging low while Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here" starts playing? (YES THANK YOU ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)
DID HE EVEN SAY GOODBYE TO LOIS? Kal's been separated from his wife for a year and a half's worth of storylines and all we get is a short story from James Robinson with some sex and "OHHHMYGAWWWD IMISSEDYOUSOOOOMUUUUCH DON'TEVERLEAVEMEAGAAAAAIN" and he next day he takes one to the cheek and mopes off on his Denny O'Neil Humanity Quest without saying a word to anybody?
If this interlude is any indication, this is not the Superman Reconnects With Humanity story I was looking for. This is silly. This is "Doctor Doom cries at 9/11" silly.
And I don't understand the scoring in tennis.
I love you Tracie.
ReplyDelete