Superman's Found Family Face Ferocious Future

My Adventures with Superman Season Three premieres June 14 on HBO Max across Europe.

Clark, Lois, Jimmy, and Kara juggle life, romance, and visitors from the future.

This found family will have to confront powerful new enemies that challenge Superman, and test the bonds holding them together.

Can our heroes save their tomorrow before it destroys today?

Superman (2025)

On his own initiative, Superman (David Corenswet) has sought to prevent a war between an allied nation of the United States and its neighbour, much to the annoyance of the American government and tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).

A social media campaign is orchestrated to turn the American people against Superman, and even his girlfriend, Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) starts to question him.

Superman is not another origin story, rather throwing readers into the non-stop action in media res. However, Superman's backstory is explained episodically throughout the movie as it's a central theme of the story.

This brand, spanking new iteration of the Man of The Steel unapologetically blends the wholesome positivity of the Christopher Reeve era of Superman movies with both Silver Age comic book zaniness and modern sensibilities.

It's clear from the get-go that writer/director James Gunn loves comic book superheroes and has a deep knowledge of his chosen universe, presenting deep cuts - such as Superman's robots and flying dog, Krypto; Metamorpho The Element Man (Anthony Carrigan); bowl-haircut-sporting Green Lantern Guy Gardener (Nathan Fillion); Mr Terrific (Edi Gathegi); and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) - in a matter-of-fact way, rather than tongue-in-cheek.

Superman isn't embarrassed to be a comic book movie, rather it dives headlong into the superhero genre tropes with relish, emerging as one of the finest and most accurate adaptations of the beloved source material that we've yet seen on the big screen.

Gunn's film captures the brightness and optimism of the best, most truthful, Superman stories, yet still manages to weave in the character's inherent "look after the little guy" political nature that has been part of the Last Son of Krypton's makeup since he was created by a pair of Jewish immigrants in the 1930s as a rebuttal to the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Launching the new DC Comics cinematic universe, Gunn brings his A-game to his iteration of Superman, meaning I was hooked from start to finish, and came away totally smitten by this work of art.

However, something I kept to myself until I actually saw this film: I actually wasn't sure if Superman was going to work under the character's current cinematic stewardship.

While I adored Gunn's Guardians of The Galaxy trilogy for Marvel, for embracing the wackiness of comics, his other recent superhero-related shows, such as Peacemaker, Suicide Squad and Creature Commandos, have left me cold. These attempts to force "mature themes" (ie. swearing, crass humour and graphic violence) onto DC characters just doesn't work for me.

These are attitudes I'll embrace on more independent  "superhero" worlds, such as Invincible and The Boys, because they are their own thing and their "edginess" is there for a reason, but for me the 90-year-old beating heart of the DC comics universe isn't like that at all, it's purer, family-friendly and more aspirational.

And that's exactly what Superman is.

Man of Steel (2013)

With the next iteration of Superman just around the corner, I've decided to take a whistle-stop tour through the Snyderverse take on the iconic character. 

I started with my first ever rewatch of Man of Steel, which I haven't seen since I originally saw it on its home video release and was simultaneously awed by the spectacle and disappointed by the story.

Now, removed from that original atmosphere by many years I find myself pleasantly surprised.

Man of Steel is a lot better than I remember it.

However, it still has an unforgivable problem in its finale: the Superman I grew up reading doesn't kill.

He always finds a different way to deal with a problem.

How else could he have resolved the situation? I don't know, I'm not Superman (Henry Cavill).

That's one of the things that makes him Superman and makes him better than General Zod (Michael Shannon).

The fact that he doesn't see that is due in part to the strange attitude his human-father, Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner), tried to instil in young Clark Kent that he had to guard the secret of his abilities at all costs, even if it meant letting people die.

But again, a young Superman should have been able to find a way to save people and conceal his super powers at the same time.

Outside this rather major character flaw, Zack Snyder delivers a fantastic, action-packed, superhero origin story, from David Goyer's scipt.

I had totally forgotten the impressive, alien-realisation of Krypton at the start of the movie, before his biological father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and mother Lara (Ayelet Zurer) send their infant child off into space just ahead of the planet's destruction.

If this Superman had gained better box office traction and been allowed to run through multiple sequels, I would have loved to have seen - somehow - a revisit to Krypton as envisaged by Zack Snyder.

Henry Cavill cuts a fine, square-jawed, figure as Superman when dressed in the red and blue costume, and there are moments when you get fleeting reminders of Christopher Reeve (the definitive live-action Superman).

I even found myself warming up to Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Again, she's no Margot Kidder, but actually following the growth of the character, and her relationship with Clark/Superman, I realised that she was more 'Lois Lane' than maybe I had previously given her credit for.

One of the issues I've had with the Snyderverse was the grey and grim filter everything appears through, but approaching this with an open mind - and eyes - I've come to appreciate the fact that, taking the film as a whole, it isn't as grim as the initial trailers portrayed it.

The film still errs towards Zack's trademark grey palette a bit too much on occasion, and there are too many grey/black costumes for my liking, but the story is much stronger than I recall from my previous viewing. And story, ultimately, always triumphs for me.

Man of Steel is flawed, but it isn't quite the "style-over-substance" affair it was originally painted as.

That said, collateral structural damage has always been a given in comics and films when it comes to monumental superhero slugfests, but the destruction wrought in Man of Steel is off the chart.

Smallville is pretty much laid waste in the initial attack by Zod and his fellow Kryptonians (and a significant amount of it is caused by Superman himself), but then when the fight moves to Metropolis, the devastation gets cranked up to 11.

I know Superman ultimately saved the people of the city (and thus Earth), but, seriously, they need to look around themselves and tally the cost. Who pays for all that damage? I bet 'superhero fight damage' isn't covered by insurance.

I realise that this was his first battle, but you'd think the US Government - or the United Nations - might suggest some kind of training course, to reduce the large-scale collateral damage in any future superpowered conflicts.

It's Nearly Superman Time

On July 11, The Entire World Will Look Up

Character Posters For The Daily Planet Staff in Superman

I'll Say It Now: This Is Going To Be A Classic

From today's trailer, James Gunn's Superman feels like it ticks all the boxes for superhero movie greatness (although I'll confess I'm slightly anxious about the 'political' issues that Lois raises at the start of the trailer. But, sadly, that's the world we live in - a world that struggles to accept that Superman is the best of us).

I cannot wait to see Superman: and, yes, all being well, I'll drag my sorry ass to a genuine cinema and watch it on the big screen. Because I want to see it "first" (before any surprises are inevitably spoilt by da Interwebz) and I want to do my very small part in ensuring that this movie is a success.

HAPPY SUPERMAN DAY!

Eighty-seven years ago, Action Comics #1 was published on this date, heralding not just the arrival of Superman but the birth of the comic book superhero genre. 

April 18 is now - and forever - Superman Day, celebrating the first, and greatest, superhero.

While we didn't get a new trailer for James Gunn's eagerly-anticipated Superman movie today, as many of us had hoped, we were gifted this look behind-the-scenes which is full of tantalising glimpses of things to come:

Among the many Superman items being released - or put up for pre-order - today was, the previously mentioned, Golden Age facsimile of 1938's Action Comics #1.

Action Comics #1: Where it all began...

However, available for pre-order from today, DC is releasing another Golden Age facsimile on July 30: 1939's Superman #1.

See the origin of Superman retold as the infant Kal-El escapes the destruction of Krypton and is adopted by the kindly Kents on Earth. Then, thrill to the early escapades of the Man of Tomorrow as he saves an innocent woman from the electric chair, foils a plot to foment war, and champions the cause of workers’ rights as a reporter for the Daily Star!

It's A Five-Minute Sneak Peek - Not A Trailer!

Superman, DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humour and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: I'm Approved By Casually Comics!

I don't often mention new T-shirt purchases - beyond the fact that my family believes I have too many -  but I'm particularly proud of this one that I got back in 2021 (see above), from the first line of merch produced to support my favourite YouTube channel, Casually Comics. 

"Approved By Casually Comics" is a parody of the old Comics Code Authority logo once seen on the covers of mainstream comic books in the wake of the whole Fredric Wertham Seduction of the Innocent nonsense of the 1950s.

The Casually Comics line of branded t-shirts, mugs, glasses, hoodies, stickers etc can be found here.

Hosted by Canadian Sasha Wood, Casually Comics brilliantly balances insight and a deep knowledge of the comic book medium with a wry, self-deprecating, sense of humour and a welcome acknowledgement that all elements of fandom are valid.

In a portfolio of videos ranging from around 10 minutes to half an hour, with a new one dropping every few days, Sasha dives headfirst into old comics as well as new, following her whims more often than worrying about the latest 'hot topic'.

Demonstrating a particular love - which I share - for the more quirky aspects of superhero comics, Sasha compiles wonderful 'playlists' of themed videos on such topics as the many weddings of Lois Lane, the different iterations of Clayface, crossovers etc

Superman And The Mole-Men (1951)

Among the many extras on the 4-disc definitive Superman The Movie set lurks the delightful 1951 Superman And The Mole-Men, the first ever Superman movie.

It's a simple little 58-minute, black and white tale of period paranoia. Clark Kent (George Reeve) and Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) have been dispatched from Metropolis to write a story on the Havenhurst experimental oil well, the deepest in the world.

Arriving in the town of Silsbury, however, they discover that the well is being closed down.

That night, a pair of strange creatures - well, moleskin-wearing Munchkins - climb out of the drill shaft and accidentally scare the elderly night-watchman to death. The little people - bald-headed and furry-handed - make their way towards the town, but when word of their appearance gets out the locals whip up a mob to hunt them down.

One of the creatures is shot as they make their way across a dam, but Superman swoops in, catches him and takes him to a nearby hospital, while the other is hounded into a tool shed which is then set alight.

Unbeknown to the mob, the mole-man escapes and heads back to the mine shaft and down to his subterranean world (which, sadly, we never get to see). He later returns with more of his friends, who want to rescue their injured colleague from the hospital... however the mob has other plans for the injured mole-man and want to string him up!

George Reeve is a very dynamic Superman, cutting a granite-solid figure as he stands unwaveringly before the mob and Robert Maxwell's script doesn't sledgehammer home its anti-racism message, instead drip-feeding information, such as the doctor explaining to Clark that the mole-men have the same internal structure as humans.

The scene of the mole-man trapped in the burning tool shed is actually quite upsetting, because of the combination of the the claustrophobia of his predicament and innocent terror on the little guy's face.

At first I thought the mole-people were meant to be dressed in cat suits (because the zip on the back of one was clearly visible), but it was only later that I realised that was supposed to be their skin - the doctor makes reference to this. Nonetheless, they are fascinating characters, not saying a word through the whole film, curious about the surface world and ultimately driven back underground because they "look different".

Jeff Corey, as Luke Benson, the leader of the angry mob, makes an excellent antagonist; as the voice of the frightened masses, his first reaction is always to lash out and once he starts talking about a lynching, you feel the atmosphere shift from the 1950s back to the Old West.

For a short, 50-year-old film, Superman And The Mole-Men (or Mole Men) works really well, with a minimum of special effects, thanks to great central performances and an intelligent script.

I'm Pretty Sure I Am, But Are You Ready For The Summer of Superman?

To coincide with the release of a certain movie we're all looking forward to (don't let us down, James Gunn!), DC Comics has announced its Summer of Superman initiative.

Leading the charge will be a new ongoing title in May, Superman Unlimited, from the ever-excellent Dan Slott (of Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man etc fame), making his ongoing DC debut, and artist Rafael Albuquerque.

A massive extinction-level Kryptonite asteroid showers Superman’s greatest weakness down upon the earth, creating an arms race for the new most valuable resource on the planet: Green K.

The greater availability of Kryptonite in the DC Universe changes the balance of power in the criminal empires of Metropolis and across the globe: Intergang, under new leadership, is on the rise, with practically all their foot soldiers carrying at least one clip of Kryptonite bullets on them.

The asteroid left massive Kryptonite deposits to be mined, and it houses unlimited horrors yet to be unpacked. To survive, Superman will need to forge new alliances, new tech and new tactics if he hopes to carry on his quest for truth, justice and a better tomorrow!

Superman Unlimited won’t just provide Superman’s nemeses with near-unlimited Kryptonite: the Daily Planet gets an upgrade.

A merger with a new incarnation of Morgan Edge’s Galaxy Communications expands the Daily Planet brand into a multimedia news platform with a cable news channel, website, strong social media presence, and—yes—Lois Lane is still editor in chief.

Daily Planet regulars Jimmy Olsen, Ron Troupe, Cat Grant and Steve Lombard will staff satellite branches across the DC universe, creating a global network.

Behind it all is the tech savvy of a new IT specialist from Gorilla City, King Solovar’s goddaughter, Tee-Nah.

The story kicks off with a 10-page preview in the DC All In Free Comic Book Day Special Edition #1, coming out on May 3. This flip book will also include a new Absolute Universe story, written by Jeff Lemire. 

Superman Unlimited #1 is then scheduled for launch on May 21.

DC’s Summer of Superman will not only embrace the already ongoing Action Comics and Superman titles but will include limited and ongoing series starring Superboy, Supergirl, Krypto (yay!), and more, highlighting DC’s deep roster of Superman-related characters.

I suspect this could see some heavy culling of non-Superman, and non-Fantastic Four, titles from my monthly pull-list, but nothing immediately springs to mind as expendable. Ahhh, first world problems!

The two faces of DC's FCBD flip book

THROWBACK THURSDAY: My (Continuing) Adventures With Superman

My deep affinity for the character of Superman has a poignant origin story. I had this copy of Amazing Heroes magazine, which takes an in-depth look at John Byrne's impending (at the time) relaunch of Superman for DC Comics (post Crisis on Infinite Earths) when I travelled up to Stoke-on-Trent in 1986.

I was visiting my dear friend Matt, who was studying at university there, and I have a vivid memory of sitting on a small hillock in some parkland, waiting for him to turn up.

As I sat there I was reading Amazing Heroes and becoming increasingly convinced that I was going to really enjoy this era of Superman's comic book adventures.

Now, of course, this is also another strong memory I have associated with my gone-too-soon old pal.

I was already a massive fan of John Byrne's work from his stint on Fantastic Four (still a benchmark by which I judge most other superhero books) but I'd only really dabbled in Superman titles up until that point.

I had a few random Bronze Age issues, including both parts of Alan Moore's classic Whatever Happened to The Man of Tomorrow? story (I was a big Alan Moore fan, as most people were at the time, religiously reading Watchmen and Swamp Thing) and this particularly memorable issue of Action featuring Captain Strong (most definitely not a Popeye knockoff):

As Byrne's The Man of Steel (the six-issue miniseries introducing us to all the key players in the key Superman mythos) was published, I knew I had found "my" Superman.

I treasure my original collection of The Man of Steel, for the artwork, stories and memories

As I wrote on Facebook the other day:

"Although I'm a fan of all eras of Superman (with a particular penchant for the wackiness of the Silver Age these days), it was John Byrne's 1986, post-Crisis, relaunch, with The Man of Steel miniseries, that truly sold me on the character. For me, this remains the definitive take on Superman and his supporting cast."

Luthor was no longer a 'mad scientist' but a corrupt businessman

But, of course, me being me it's not just Superman comics I collect (... and films... and T-shirts), it's also the occasional action figure, miniature, and Funko Pop.

For the longest time, it wasn't even a conscious effort to accumulate these artifacts, but as time passed I realised my 'horde' had a definite Superman bias.

I'm not a hardcore hunter of such Superman memorabilia, but if I see something that catches my eye (and I can afford it at the time) I always like to add it to the shelves of my gamesroom:

Alongside Beppo The Super-Monkey, Bizzaro and Doomsday, one of these Supermen
is actually a "Superman Robot" - can you pick him out?

A selection of Supergirls (from TV and comics),
with Krypto and Streaky The Supercat and Wonder Woman

A comic-accurate Kelex, soon believed to be appearing in the new Superman film

Funko Pops of Superman and Lois from the original Christopher Reeve movie

I love my collection of miniature Smallville residents from the Silver Age comics

My shelf of Superman graphic novels and omnibuses - along with a Daily Planet pen holder.

In 2025 We Can Look Up Again...

Now this is what I want from a superhero picture: inspirational and optimistic. 

And Krypto!!!

It's looking like 2025 is going to be a great year for superhero films, but, truth be told, I have no particular interest in seeing Marvel's pair of military-fetish offerings - Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* - at the cinema.

I can comfortably wait for the Blu-Rays (or Disney Plus release) of those.

However, then we get to July and it's a double-hit of my favourites getting (hopefully) the treatment they deserve.

First we have James Gunn's Superman on July 11 (my favourite character in DC Comics) and then on July 25 The Fantastic Four: First Steps (my favourite superhero team finally earn their place in the MCU).

I rarely go the cinema these days (I think the last time was in late 2023 to see The Marvels), but I really feel as though July is going to see a couple of carpe diem days as I really need to see both these pictures on the silver screen.

As bleak as the world is probably going to be by then, these two films should prove the ultimate fillip in the dark days ahead.