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Topic: Man of Steel Vs. Birthright Vs. Secret Origin (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 9:49am | IP Logged | 1  
…the explanation of the "S" symbols meaning.

••

So very DC.

Q: Why does Clark always wear a blue suit?

Correct A: Hey, colorist! Start giving Clark some variation in his wardrobe!

DC A: Let's do a STORY about it!

Q: Why don't people see thru Clark's lame disguise?

Correct A: Because they DON'T!

DC A: Let's do a STORY about it!!

Q: What does the "S" mean?

Correct A: "Superman", you idiot!

DC A: Let's do a STORY about it!!!

Etc, etc, etc. . . .

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Jeremiah Avery
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 10:08am | IP Logged | 2  
I thought Marlon Brando requested that the "S" be a sort of family crest when he was in the first Superman movie; they made a whole story explaining its meaning?
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Bill Catellier
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 10:41am | IP Logged | 3  
I always took it to mean "Superman".  Feels like it loses something as a family crest.  I hated seeing Marlon Brando's Jor-El wearing the "S"
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Michael Heide
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 10:57am | IP Logged | 4  
[x]Superman (1978), directed by Richard Donner.
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 11:16am | IP Logged | 5  
I thought Marlon Brando requested that the "S" be a sort of family crest when he was in the first Superman movie…

••

Brando insisted on wearing the "S" (after they convinced him he could not play Jor-El as a suitcase or a bagel), and the "family crest" explanation was added to justify him doing so.

In all the previous history of the character, of course, the "S" had stood for only one thing, SUPERMAN.

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Matt Reed
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Robotmod

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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 11:24am | IP Logged | 6  

S = Superman.  Nice, simple, elegant.

S = Family Crest.  Needlessly convoluted and unnecessary. 

Hmmmm..."needlessly convoluted and unnecessary" pretty much sums up both Marvel and DC for the past twenty years.
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Greg Kirkman
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 11:25am | IP Logged | 7  
I'm sure the suitcase or bagel would have had the "S", had they gone that route...
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Kirk Campbell
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 11:35am | IP Logged | 8  

I never got why it was such a big deal for DC to try and give a deeper meaning or explanation to the 'S' symbol.

Then again, I don't get a lot of things DC does with Superman these days, so...
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Marc Baptiste
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 12:01pm | IP Logged | 9  
Definitely the MAN OF STEEL origin.  It's the origin I grew up with... sort of.  By that, I mean I had always been aware of the classic Superman origin, but had never been interested in, or even bought a Supeman comic until MAN OF STEEL #1 (because of JB).  So this was the origin that as a teenager I came to know and love.  On the merits it was very faithful to the classic origin in terms of its simplicity and elegance, but with updates and a some rich layering that the did not manage to offend the core origin story.

Marc
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Troy Nunis
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 12:08pm | IP Logged | 10  
while S&S's original origin was simple and probably works best, JB's Man of Steel was the best read, and thus gets the [X].
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Eric Smearman
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 12:50pm | IP Logged | 11  
Of the three choices I'll have to go with MAN OF STEEL. The others
are very good but I find JB's to be the most satisfying version.

My true favorite, however, is the seventies' version written by E.Nelson
Bridwell and art by Carmine Infantino (layouts), Curt Swan (pencils)
and Murphy Anderson (inks). It was the first version I ever read and
remains a sentimental favorite.

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Greg McPhee
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Posted: 04 October 2010 at 1:00pm | IP Logged | 12  

Man of Steel.

I liked the stuff in Birthright, but DC didn't seem to have a clue on where to fit it in.

Birthright was just too much of Geoff Johns using other people's ideas and media sources.

The whole Metropolis/Metallo/Luthor plot was a direct steal from SupermanTAS pilot.
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