The Concept and Characters: Superman. He’s kind of a big deal.
The thing about Superman, though, is that not only is he the first super-powered, costumed character in comic book history, the one that kicked off this whole genre, but he’s also a character who remains somewhat of a cipher. Or, if not a cipher, then a character who acts as a mirror, reflecting the hopes and dreams of whatever generation is currently shepherding him through his adventures. To some, he’s a working class hero, a farm boy making his way in a world of secret cabals and duplicitous corporate fat cats. To others, he’s a sci-fi adventurer, a man from the stars, both a stranger in a strange land and a Flash Gordon with super strength and ray guns built into his eyes. Some might see him as a boring icon of grandpa’s status quo. Others see him as a Christ-like savior. Yet others imbue him with their own sense of right and wrong, and watch as he tries to do the impossible.
He’s both an outdated relic of the past and a vision of the future.
Superman’s a tricky character to get a handle on, and that’s part of the power of his myth.
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