Today in class we talked about the comic book. I had the pleasure to read Action Comics #1. Why is this comic book significant? Action comics #1 is the piece that introduced Superman to the world. I have heard about this issue before, but never had the chance to read it. I think a lot can be said about this issue and has more than enough substance to deserve an entire post.
Superman clearly paved the way for the future of superhero comics. This iconic character brought a new formula of the mythical hero to light, and did so through the use of the comic book medium. One can quickly see in today's society the impact Superman has had on us culturally, by taking a click glance at the box office. Lets see.. in the past two years how many blockbusters have been produced, which have had superheros as the main protagonist? The answer is astounding: three spidermans, three batmans, two hulks, two fantastic fours, three xmens, two ironmans, a catwoman, and the list goes on... amazing, and what can we attribute this to? Profit and Action comics #1.
This comic shows a much different Superman, than the one of today's standard. Instead, the first superman reflected a lot of qualities of the ideal conformist, who believed in providing safety for the police and serving men of political stature. In class there was the discussion of the creators of superman: Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster, who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. The first superman dealt with several common issues in the first pages of his existence, one of them being domestic abuse. It is apparent that the creators put a lot of their own personal concerns and love into the man who became superman.
Why was Superman such a success? A lot of his success can be attributed to the timing of his birth. World War II was raging and it superman provided an icon and symbol for the american soldier. He represented something the average American could attribute to become, and someone who people ethically and morally responded to at the time. The good guy standing up against the powers of evil and restoring order to the universe. This characteristic paved the way for hundreds of superheros who followed the man we know as superman. However, this trend did not last for ever. The arrival of the anti-hero eventually paved way for a new hero, which a much different nation related to years later, after Superman had clearly been established.
On a more trivial note, Superman also had undeveloped powers in the first Comic. He did not have the ability to fly and was not as evidently super as he is represented today. For instance, when he would need to get from point a to point b: he would simple run and jump! Yes, he would jump super far to transcend different heights and traverse the urban landscapes. Not nearly as exciting as flying?
In conclusion, everyone should have the opportunity to experience the birth of Superman. It is really interesting to see the qualities and essence of the character distilled into the very first pages of his existence, but like many comics it does just that. The idea and clear characteristics of Superman can be felt by the reader from the very beginning. The success of Superman has had a huge cultural impact on today's society. We would not have the movies we have and the heros we love today if it were not for the success and importance of the iconic Superman.
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