Best of Superman

I have a confession to make: It’s a rather unpopular opinion... Superman is one of my favorite superheroes. There. I finally said it. Now, I understand all the criticism that he gets; he’s too god-like, he has a lame weakness, he’s not relatable, he’s too indestructible, he’s too much of a do-gooder, and all that jazz. However, despite all that, I still find him endearing and awesome. 

I think it’s a trend with me to be drawn to the handsome patriotic boy scout who is out of place/time with strong morals and a can-do attitude. I’ve always been Team Captain America on the Marvel side of things. It’s not that I dislike Batman or Iron Man (the mysterious orphaned bad boy billionaires with no superpowers, but lots of cool gadgets), it’s just that I’m drawn more to the other side. Superman and Captain America follow their hearts a little more than their heads, they do what they think is morally right, while Batman and Iron Man do what they think is logical, they follow their heads. While I am a very logical person, I am also very sympathetic, so I lean more towards the first.

This is why I like Superman so much and find him so intriguing. He IS very god-like, coming from another planet with seemingly endless powers and strength, but he was still raised on earth and has very human emotions. 

There’s also just so much about the Superman lore that I find so intriguing and fascinating. His origin story is iconic and well as his look, all the characters are memorable, his relationships with others are interesting, and so on. Obviously I am not the only one who thinks this since the character has endured through the decades. 

Now with something so iconic and enduring comes adaptions ;D

Oh yes, of course I was going to do this. I’ve done it in the past with other iconic things (Check out my SNOW WHITE post, ROBIN HOOD post, and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE post). I’m going to pick out my favorite picks for some of the Superman icons from the adaptions I’ve seen. (Side note: I will be focusing on the live action versions, not animated.) Unfortunately, Superman Returns never made it anywhere onto this list. But yes, I have seen it. It was just not good enough to make it in any category. Ha!

Let’s start with the obvious one: 

SUPERMAN- Henry Cavill (DC cinematic universe, 2013-present)

This was an extremely tough choice because pretty much all the Supermans I’ve watched have been at least good if not great in their performances. However, in the end I went with Cavill largely because not only does he play the part well, but he looks exactly like Superman. Too much so, that his Clark Kent is awful that it boggles my mind that people don’t realize it’s him. Maybe if he acted like a different person when he was CK, it wouldn’t bother me so much, but he doesn’t. He acts exactly like Superman, just with a pair of glasses on. Come on, man! BUT, mega props to his Superman, there’s a good balance between confidence and vulnerability which I think is important for the hero. People have complained that he is too emotional, but I believe that it makes him more relatable. He's all business and "Imma save the world. Try and stop me." 

CLARK KENT- Christopher Reeve (Superman movie franchise 1978-1987)

Yes, I’m separating Superman’s alter-ego from his counterpart because they are almost always completely different entities. What I have appreciated about some adaptions is that Clark Kent is an extension of Superman and that they aren’t totally different people, which is why I almost went with the TV show Lois and Clark’s Clark Kent. However, in the end, I just had to go with Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of the character. It is just SO GOOD! He plays that bumbling, stuttering, incompetent idiot so perfectly. Like, no one would possibly suspect him of being Superman, even though he is same build and coloring as the hero. His behavior literally makes him look and sound completely different. Even though I know it’s him, it’s hard for me to see it. 

Side note: Something people may not have noticed about many adaptions, but Clark Kent and Superman’s hairstyles are often reversed (for example in this adaption, Superman’s hair is parted to the right and is a little ruffled with the curl on his forehead, while Clark Kent’s is parted in the opposite direction and is slicked to his head). 

LOIS LANE- Erica Durance (Smallville- 2001-2011)

Superman is just not complete without Lois Lane, the intrepid reporter who documents all his saves, as well as serving as his love interest/coworker. In the early stages, Lois was just like any other love interest to a superhero: an object to be saved, a damsel in distress. However, as time has gone on, she’s grown more of a personality, becoming more of an equal for Superman, perhaps not physically, but emotionally, verbally, and personally. 

What I really like about Smallville’s Lois Lane is how much of a firecracker she is. While she does need saving every once in a while, she does know how to handle herself. She is snarky and guarded, but also really funny and charming. She is always seeking the truth and knows how to get it, going to great lengths in order to find it, which is what makes her a great reporter. And her personality doesn't get annoying or repetitive like some of the other Lois Lanes; she is always quick, funny, and fresh.

LEX LUTHOR- John Shea (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman 1993-1997)

The hero is only as good as his villain. I’ll admit, I sort of had a tough time with this one, mostly because I haven’t seen a Lex Luthor that I absolutely loved. I was sort of leaning towards Smallville’s, but once he actually became evil, his character was ruined. It was only while he was wavering and you weren’t sure if he was good or bad was he interesting. In the end I went with Lois and Clark’s because he was interestingly conniving. He was always behind the scenes, basically twiddling his fingers and chuckling evilly and no one knew what he was really up to. People would often suspect, but could never prove it. His deviousness impressed me. 

GENERAL ZOD- Terence Stamp (Superman II- 1980)

Speaking of villains, Superman’s other major foe deserves recognition. Definitely Terence Stamp is the winner because 1) he’s Terence Stamp, and 2) it’s just an iconic performance. I love how cool, collected, and strangely sophisticated he makes the character. It’s a little unsettling. It shows that you don’t have to be completely crazy and out there in order to be a good villain.

JOR-EL- Marlon Brando (Superman movie franchise 1978-1987)

When you think of Superman, you think of his home planet, Krypton. And with that comes his dead father’s consciousness, Jor-El, who constantly guides him through his trials. I did actually really like Russell Crowe’s portrayal in Man of Steel (sue me) because it radiates a kind of fatherly wisdom and compassion. However, there’s something about Marlon Brando’s performance that sort of captures a mystical and other-worldly aura with just a hint of fatherly compassion behind it. Of course Jor-El can’t have pure emotion because it’s not really him, it’s only his consciousness and memories stored away years after his death; so it’s sort of a robotic copy (that was something I appreciated about Smallville’s portrayal of him, he was so cold and severe because all emotion had been erased out of his memories.) Therefore, I chose Brando over Crowe because it was a good balance between coldness and caring. 

THE KENTS- Annette O'Toole and John Schneider (Smallville- 2001-2011)

While on the subject of parents, Clark was raised by humans on earth who had an enormous impact on who he grew up to be. Most adaptions either make them out to be the cliche supportive/doting parents, or almost completely gloss over them, (Or in Man of Steel’s case, tried to suppress him? I’m still confused about what his dad was trying to do). These people raised a god among men and they get no recognition? However, Smallville had time to explore Clark Kent’s background and adolescent years. It still easily could have pushed his parents into the background, turning them into the typical doting parents who are only there for advice or whatever, but the show actually made them very complex. They weren’t scared of their son, but worried about him. They were protective of him, but encouraged him to use his powers for good. They helped him find his limits and know right from wrong. I loved their portrayals.

PERRY WHITE- Lane Smith (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman- 1993-1997)

The Daily Planet needs an editor and chief and who better than Perry White? Now, I don’t think anyone can beat out J. Jonah Jameson in my book as my favorite head of a newspaper in comic books, but Perry White is pretty good. For the most part, he’s nothing too special; just in charge of sending Lois Lane and Clark Kent on assignments, he’s very interested in Superman and (unlike J. Jonah Jameson with Spider-Man), he actually supports Superman for the most part. However, he also seeks the truth and will print it no matter what. 

What I like about this portrayal is that he brings humor and personality to the character. He’s not straight up business and seriousness. I also think his Elvis Presley obsession is hilarious.

JIMMY OLSEN- Aaron Ashmore (Smallville 2001-2011)

Last of the major characters: the photographer at the Daily Planet. I found this portrayal to be endearing because of how innocent and bright-eyed he was. He always trailed around with Clark and the other reporters, hoping for a scoop, but always misinterpreted everything. 

Now for a few other things...

FIRST FLIGHT- Man of Steel (2013)

I think the two things Superman is most associated with is super strength and flying (maybe invulnerability as well). Most adaptions of the story show him flying for the first time and it’s always a very big moment, but I’ve decided that Man of Steel portrays it the best. I love how he starts “testing his limits” by jumping higher and higher until he thinks he has it, then suddenly crashes. Finally, he musters up all his strength and energy and finally takes off as the music builds, then he just keeps going and going. I also love how the movie portrays his flying in general; it makes him look like a rocket in flight instead of like a person floating through the air like pervious adaptions. 

ORIGINS/BACKSTORY- Smallville (2001-2011)

Well, this was a show dedicated to Superman’s backstory so it would’ve been kind of sad if it didn’t get top spot. What I actually really like about it is that it has baby Superman arrive on earth in a meteor shower (debris from the destroyed Krypton) which explains why there’s Kryptonite on earth in the first place, and it also covers his spaceship’s entrance into the atmosphere. I love all the little details the show includes about Krypton, how the Fortress of Solitude came about, Clark’s relationship with different characters, the developing of his powers, etc.

ROMANCE- Smallville (2001-2011)

Something else that really draws me to the Superman lore is the intriguing love triangle between Clark/Lois/Superman because it’s not just any ordinary love triangle because Clark and Superman are the same person. The relationship between Lois and Clark is always different between adaptions; sometimes they’re friends, sometimes there’s romantic tension, sometimes she knows who he is, sometimes they’re married, etc. But always, she is in love with Superman and he is almost always in love with her no matter who he is.

I chose Smallville because their relationship changes over time and morphs into the ultimate Superman/Lois destiny. They start out as rivals, then they become friends, then co-workers, then partners, then lovers, then she finds out who he is and not only keeps his secret, but helps him through his journey. She also develops a relationship with his alter-ego early on that mirrors her future relationship with Superman-- that special bond. I just thought it was all very well done.