I discovered this video today that humorously and accurately breaks down the whole Death of Superman storyline. Plus the fact that Max Landis was involved (Son of John Landis) means that several of the characters are real actors (including one really funny cameo).
** There is a fair amount of swearing for those that are sensitive to such things. **
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM
Wow...these are facts, sadly.
I could not be a bigger fan of John Landis as a character (in interviews, documentaries, etc) and it seems his son is pretty sharp too. It went from "Internet rant" into something pretty good after a minute or so.
It was pretty funny at times, though wrong about the character of Superman at the beginning, and also pretty wrong about the conclusion. Sure, Superman was the biggest character to yet die (sleep) and come back, but it's not like it hadn't happened in a major title before - Jean Grey, I'm looking in your direction.
That was awesome!
Sadly, there are certain things he didn't go into that actually make the whole thing dumber than it was... I read up a little bit on it, and apparently the whole thing came out as a result of an office joke (made due to the frustration caused by having to sync up the comic marriage with the one in "Lois and Clark") as opposed to some attempt to make him relevant... it wasn't even that.
As for Superman's death obliterating death... actually it kinda did. Yes, there are precursors to it (Phoenix, etc) but even those mostly gave a certain period of time and usually tried to find a somewhat interesting out. Superman's was just kinda like "Nope, he's just alive again. U mad?" After that, comic books were pretty much given open season as to what they could get away with (it's right up there with Superboy punching walls) concerning resurrecting a dead character. Now, death is little more than a plot device to tell stories you otherwise could not.
Quote from: Talavar on February 06, 2012, 06:24:49 AM
It was pretty funny at times, though wrong about the character of Superman at the beginning, and also pretty wrong about the conclusion. Sure, Superman was the biggest character to yet die (sleep) and come back, but it's not like it hadn't happened in a major title before - Jean Grey, I'm looking in your direction.
I had the same thought about Jean Grey and then I realized... wait... Phoenix force... she was meant to come back. That said I do think he oversells his his argument but it is a fun watch.
Wow! as a Superman fan I can say 100% he doesn't get Superman at all.
Yeah, I watched this, and it is fairly hilarious. I love the thrown together-but-not-really nature of this thing.
Quote from: steamteck on February 06, 2012, 11:37:24 PM
Wow! as a Superman fan I can say 100% he doesn't get Superman at all.
I don't know that he's saying anything that seems all that far off. It seems more like he's saying that
DC doesn't get Superman....
Quote from: BentonGrey on February 07, 2012, 02:05:46 AM
Yeah, I watched this, and it is fairly hilarious. I love the thrown together-but-not-really nature of this thing.
Quote from: steamteck on February 06, 2012, 11:37:24 PM
Wow! as a Superman fan I can say 100% he doesn't get Superman at all.
I don't know that he's saying anything that seems all that far off. It seems more like he's saying that DC doesn't get Superman....
Well, at the opening he basically says Superman sucks, and that if you're a fan of Superman, you're wrong.
Quote from: Talavar on February 07, 2012, 04:20:08 AM
Quote from: BentonGrey on February 07, 2012, 02:05:46 AM
Yeah, I watched this, and it is fairly hilarious. I love the thrown together-but-not-really nature of this thing.
Quote from: steamteck on February 06, 2012, 11:37:24 PM
Wow! as a Superman fan I can say 100% he doesn't get Superman at all.
I don't know that he's saying anything that seems all that far off. It seems more like he's saying that DC doesn't get Superman....
Well, at the opening he basically says Superman sucks, and that if you're a fan of Superman, you're wrong.
Yeah, but I took that as more him explaining the way folks look at Superman, providing context for DC's decision. Obviously there are assumptions about characters made that have a lot more to do with circumstances than the actual concepts themselves.
Yeah, when I first watched it I was like... wait, I love Superman.
BUT, he is basically stating how the majority of people feel about him. Even comic fans. Most comic fans I know don't really like Superman.
Unless it's Red Son. Or All Star. Or Kingdom Come. But mainstream Superman? Shunned.
He's saying more that Superman has become a little redundant and uninteresting as far as his concept goes. Flight and Super strength is commonplace amongst superheroes now. It must be getting harder and harder for DC to come up with interesting plots for what I guess you could call a comparatively uninteresting superhero. He is perfectly loveable, but it is undeniable that time has made him a bit basic.
He is only saying that to nail the point across that DC didn't know what to do with him, so they killed him.
Maybe look at this less as a punch at superman, but more as a punch at the way superman is written and marketed.
I enjoyed it. Very funny.
Quote from: Reepicheep on February 07, 2012, 05:37:34 PM
He's saying more that Superman has become a little redundant and uninteresting as far as his concept goes. Flight and Super strength is commonplace amongst superheroes now. It must be getting harder and harder for DC to come up with interesting plots for what I guess you could call a comparatively uninteresting superhero. He is perfectly loveable, but it is undeniable that time has made him a bit basic.
He is only saying that to nail the point across that DC didn't know what to do with him, so they killed him.
Maybe look at this less as a punch at superman, but more as a punch at the way superman is written and marketed.
I enjoyed it. Very funny.
Yeah, that's what I was trying to get at.
Wow, look at my little Reepy. All grown up. I've trained you well, haven't I, you sneaky, little rat? Now... return thee to thy cage of terror! *disappears in a spark of light*
*returns to his cage of terror and has a nap.*
This was like a comic book version of Drunk History from Funny or Die. It would have been nice if they gave credit to Drunk History for taking their format. With that said, the video was entertaining.
Who was that Titania chick supposed to be, the one that fought with Guardian?
he made valid points i thought. i've never really hated Superman but his "superness" always turned me away from him. thats also why i always hated DC/MARVEL crossovers. theres no way DC's gonna let anyone from MARVEL beat Superman but...its ok for him to whip their 2 big guns. i like Marvel's humbleness concerning their characters. they're not afraid for their characters to have weaknesses. just my humble opinion mind you. :unsure: