Agreed, the multiple author with different interpretations certainly doesn't help, Superman or any other comic hero. Clearly, the trick here is to write one person, and only one person's point of view. And if he be douchey, then so be it.
But then again, one doesn't have to be a biological alien to be an alien among what we know of as "human". After all, what sane rational human who, one day, comes upon a brilliant power (or suffers severe trauma) would then decide that this is a sign that they are the world's savior? Wouldn't most people at least wonder how this power came to be, why they were given the power, and, more importantly, how this could contribute to scientific advancement? (Okay, maybe that last one is me.) And even when these primary questions were answered first, wouldn't they ask why they want to save a world filled with murders, liars, and thieves? And even if they find a good answer to that, do they not ever question if what they're doing is right?
Which brings us to point number 3.
Belief and righteousness. Yes, the genre is a projection of American societal beliefs (or what is perceived to be) and that, at the very heart, lies the problem. The American self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude is exactly what made the country distasteful in the international arena and its comic books distasteful to many people with different tastes.
4. Human element
I would argue that any good story requires a protagonist with human elements, be it Superman or Code Geass, or even Tenipuri. Only when we can at some level identify with the characters do we care about their story, that's a simple human element of readers...and thus of the need for stories/books/comics to be similarly framed. The "better than human" aspect only works if there is some "still human"-ness to the whole thing, otherwise, it's...nothing.
As for the movie...what can I say? There's a lot of dumb people?
5. Smallville
You could watch the show, but I wouldn't wish that torture on anyone. :p
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-02 11:50 pm (UTC)Agreed, the multiple author with different interpretations certainly doesn't help, Superman or any other comic hero. Clearly, the trick here is to write one person, and only one person's point of view. And if he be douchey, then so be it.
But then again, one doesn't have to be a biological alien to be an alien among what we know of as "human". After all, what sane rational human who, one day, comes upon a brilliant power (or suffers severe trauma) would then decide that this is a sign that they are the world's savior? Wouldn't most people at least wonder how this power came to be, why they were given the power, and, more importantly, how this could contribute to scientific advancement? (Okay, maybe that last one is me.) And even when these primary questions were answered first, wouldn't they ask why they want to save a world filled with murders, liars, and thieves? And even if they find a good answer to that, do they not ever question if what they're doing is right?
Which brings us to point number 3.
Belief and righteousness. Yes, the genre is a projection of American societal beliefs (or what is perceived to be) and that, at the very heart, lies the problem. The American self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude is exactly what made the country distasteful in the international arena and its comic books distasteful to many people with different tastes.
4. Human element
I would argue that any good story requires a protagonist with human elements, be it Superman or Code Geass, or even Tenipuri. Only when we can at some level identify with the characters do we care about their story, that's a simple human element of readers...and thus of the need for stories/books/comics to be similarly framed. The "better than human" aspect only works if there is some "still human"-ness to the whole thing, otherwise, it's...nothing.
As for the movie...what can I say? There's a lot of dumb people?
5. Smallville
You could watch the show, but I wouldn't wish that torture on anyone. :p