Thor is the new Superman

[johnmiic]

A pretty good article.

http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/01/03/cultural-lessons-of-2013-thor-is-the-new-superman/

[madmarva]

No, with all due respect, Superman is Superman and Thor is Thor.

[boss]

"dour"... they used my word. ;-)

[TomStrong]

I didn't agree with the authors take and the illustration made me cringe. I do think the Man of Steel Movie showed us a darker " dour" Supes and many of us who grew up with Christopher Reeve found it uncomfortable. The Nolanverse seems to be an exceptionally gritty and violent. I recently watched the animated Superman versus the Elite and I think it captured what was great about Superman while giving us a hero who could take it to the bad guys. What's so bad about truth and justice? Indeed nothing, nothing at all. But when people say, Look, what's that up in the sky? It will always be Superman.

[jds1911a1]

What man of steel had wrong was that Superman is supposed to be one of us in his heart, the power of "god", but the heart and soul of the midwest farmboy. This was the way superman was for most of his 75 years and in most incarnations exxcludinhg MOS and the most modern comics. And MOST people are exposed to the superheroes today from the multi-media genre (esp JLU and Superman the animated series since they are on kids tv via the hub). by making him aloof and separated they took away what made him Clark Kent Superman and now he is just Super kal-el who happened to grow up here
I agree hemsworth's Thor is a great incarnation of the character but ultimately Thor is separate from us the asgardians may wathc over us but it's peripheral to their fight, traditioannlly Superman was our protector becuase like any so many immigrants in the 30's and 40's his love of his adopted nation (and planet) was perhaps stronger than his love of "the old country"

[TomStrong]

What man of steel had wrong was that Superman is supposed to be one of us in his heart, the power of "god", but the heart and soul of the midwest farmboy. This was the way superman was for most of his 75 years and in most incarnations exxcludinhg MOS and the most modern comics. And MOST people are exposed to the superheroes today from the multi-media genre (esp JLU and Superman the animated series since they are on kids tv via the hub). by making him aloof and separated they took away what made him Clark Kent Superman and now he is just Super kal-el who happened to grow up here

I agree hemsworth's Thor is a great incarnation of the character but ultimately Thor is separate from us the asgardians may wathc over us but it's peripheral to their fight, traditioannlly Superman was our protector becuase like any so many immigrants in the 30's and 40's his love of his adopted nation (and planet) was perhaps stronger than his love of "the old country"

Well said.

[johnmiic]

No, with all due respect, Superman is Superman and Thor is Thor.

The title, is perhaps, a play on the saying: (fill in the blank) is the new Black. Such as the TV series Orange is the new Black. Not to be taken literally.

Thor as portrayed in recent films is more accessible and likable than the grittier Superman in the Nolanverse. While MoS will be argued about at least until the next film is made. It seems DC has adopted an uncompromising stance on how the character is to be interpreted, (Snyder admitted in an interview that he had a more classic take in mind for the character in MoS and DC shot it down). In an attempt to out-do Marvel DC has overreached and left audiences behind.

What man of steel had wrong was that Superman is supposed to be one of us in his heart, the power of "god", but the heart and soul of the midwest farmboy. This was the way superman was for most of his 75 years and in most incarnations exxcludinhg MOS and the most modern comics. And MOST people are exposed to the superheroes today from the multi-media genre (esp JLU and Superman the animated series since they are on kids tv via the hub). by making him aloof and separated they took away what made him Clark Kent Superman and now he is just Super kal-el who happened to grow up here

PErhaps the very point that was made at the end of the Kingdom Come mini-series.

I agree hemsworth's Thor is a great incarnation of the character but ultimately Thor is separate from us the asgardians may wathc over us but it's peripheral to their fight, traditioannlly Superman was our protector becuase like any so many immigrants in the 30's and 40's his love of his adopted nation (and planet) was perhaps stronger than his love of "the old country"

Asgardians may be separate and disinterested with us but Thor himself is now invested as he is in love with Jane. Even taking an oath to protect this world.

[Hector]

Steve Murray:

"I really don't care about Superman and you don’t really care about Superman"

Sorry, I stopped reading that article right there...could care less what a Hater has to say about Superman.

[madmarva]

Few care as much about Thor as they do about Superman or there would be as much fretting and complaining and whining about the differences in the way Thor is portrayed in the Marvel films from the comics.

While I don't see eye to eye with all the decisions Snyder and Goyer and Nolan made with MOS, the movie is nowhere near the sum total of what Superman is. It's just a piece of the tapestry. Like any version of the Man of Steel ( or any piece of enduring entertainment), fans will take/accept what they like of the version and push the rest to the margins.

There is no doubt MOS was dour, as Boss and the writer of the column/essay assessed, but it was just Part I of the story. I also would have liked there to be more fun and hope in the latest Superman film, but possibly the attitude of trust Superman spoke of to the general at the end of the film signals that. Maybe not.

I do think the overall intensity of MOS was an overreaction to the complaints of a lack of action and too much camp in Singer's Superman Returns.

Hopefully there will be another course correction in the Batman-Superman film.

[enyawd72]

I think that article is pretty spot on. I introduced my wife to superhero comics, toys and movies when we began dating. She had no preconceived notions of Marvel vs. DC, yet she consistently loves the Marvel movies while disliking the DC ones.
Why? She says Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man are just so much more relatable, but more importantly, more FUN.

[MegoSteve]

Captain America is the new Superman, not Thor,

[LadyZod]

I'm with Hector. I don't have time for he opinions of someone who is obviously biased.

[ubermanx]

What man of steel had wrong was that Superman is supposed to be one of us in his heart, the power of "god", but the heart and soul of the midwest farmboy. This was the way superman was for most of his 75 years and in most incarnations exxcludinhg MOS and the most modern comics. And MOST people are exposed to the superheroes today from the multi-media genre (esp JLU and Superman the animated series since they are on kids tv via the hub). by making him aloof and separated they took away what made him Clark Kent Superman and now he is just Super kal-el who happened to grow up here
I agree hemsworth's Thor is a great incarnation of the character but ultimately Thor is separate from us the asgardians may wathc over us but it's peripheral to their fight, traditioannlly Superman was our protector becuase like any so many immigrants in the 30's and 40's his love of his adopted nation (and planet) was perhaps stronger than his love of "the old country"

Eggsactly!

- Marty

[Megotu]

I'm lost then, who's the new Paste Pot Pete????

[madmarva]

Captain America is the new Superman, not Thor,

If the writer had made that assertion, I wouldn't have been as dismissive. No doubt Superman and Thor's powers are more in scale and there are the red capes, but at their core there always has been more kinship between Superman and Captain America.

Both Superman and Captain America are about the struggle to do the right thing, help and inspire the best in mankind which isn't as cool or edgy or dark as the more popular heroes.

Again, Marvel should be applauded for embracing the essence of Captain America(as well as it's other characters) and not running away from it or bending it so much that it cracks in an attempt to make it contemporary. I hope the WB takes a cue from the two Cap films and understands that the character can be Superman and still be a part of an action-packed, exciting and money-making film.

Hopefully, Singer and Goyer in subsequent films will move the Superman/Clark Kent character in the direction of being the hero he has traditionally been. I'm hoping the destruction and killing of Zod will be a learning curve. It was basically his first go at being world defender.