Superman: A New (First?) Appreciation

I never liked Superman.  Someone said once that being Superman isn't a real hero because since he's invincible, then he never really risks his life.  I agreed with that, especially since he's in the same universe as Batman, who has no super abilities, per se, but trains his body and mind for the tasks that he comes up against.  It just always seemed to me that Superman had it easy, and it made me mad.

When I first heard they were making a new Superman film, I rolled my eyes, disinterested.  Then I heard that Christopher Nolan was involved and my interest was piqued.  Then I heard that Zack Snyder was directing, and I figured that between those two, if Superman had any chance at being relevant and meaningful, they could do it.  So I waited.  Then the concept art came, and the costume pictures, and the movie posters.  Then came the trailer, which had the right music and the right images and what seemed like the right concepts, and I realized that I was very interested... and I wanted to know why.

I watched the trailer again, looked back through what few comic books I had left that had Superman in them, watched Justice League and other animated iterations of him on Netflix, and even Wiki-ed him.  Then I had a revelation.

Superman is a god.  The newest Man of Steel trailer says this, in fact, and it's completely true.  He is not divine, he is not immortal, but he is what modern man imagines when they think of a god.  All the superheroes are the modern interpretations of mythological gods.  We tell and retell their stories, adapt them to modern life and society, and tell them again, each time a little differently.  This could be an entire topic on its own, but within the confines of the DC universe and the people of Metropolis, Superman is a god.

And I see now why that makes him interesting, why I should care.  Because he has super strength, super speed, super hearing, x-ray and heat vision, ice breath, he can fly, he can go into space, into the sun... he can do all these things and he CHOOSES to be here, to help the people.  He is a god, and he cares about us.  He is a god and he wants to do the right thing.  He doesn't want to hurt even his worst enemies, and in the world today, sometimes that doesn't sound too smart, and in the comic book universe, sometimes it's just downright illogical, but he knows that.  He knows that the world would be safer if some of the villains were dead, but he refuses to make that call. 

I never liked his flashy suit--it was just too colorful to be cool, especially today when superheroes are getting gritty, more realistic makeovers.  But I like it now.  Look at the American flag.  It's bright and colorful... and it stands for something.  Superman's uniform stands for something--hope, freedom, goodness, honesty, hard work, doing the right thing even when it's unpopular or difficult.

Truth, justice, and yes, the American way.  He believes in truth, he believes in honesty, he believes in the goodness of humans. People are free to be who they want to be, do what they want to do.  People are free, so long as they submit to the system of justice that is put in place.  In our world, it's not always so fair or incorruptible, but in his world, he counts on it working properly--and with Superman watching it, it usually does.

Superman is a god, and he chooses to be human.  He has hope for us.  He believes in us.  He wants what's best for us, and is willing to fight for it.  He has died for it, and came back to life for it.  He has a responsibility and refuses to shy away from it.  He is an ideal for us, something to strive to be. 

If you were like me, and hated Superman for having it easy, give him a break.  If you scoffed at him because he's privileged, remember that he didn't ask for his powers, but when he learned of them he CHOSE to help, he CHOSE to stay and fight next to us.  What if he were a villain instead?  His life would be a lot easier if he were.  Superman is a god, yet he claims us as his own, as his family.  Give the guy some respect.