Last week, the world got its first look at the new Superman courtesy of Justice League #1, in which the character made a brief, one-page cameo. That major event was fleshed out a little further this past Wednesday thanks to Action Comics #1, which introduced the Man of Steel’s new status quo. “New” is definitely the operative word here, as decades of history have been tossed out in favor of a younger, less-experienced Superman who is just starting out his career as a hero.
Now obviously, a brand-new take on a character as iconic as this one is exciting news in and of itself. But we at CinemaSpy also found ourselves wondering, Is what we’re witnessing here in any way indicative of what Man of Steel, the upcoming Superman movie directed by Zack Snyder and scheduled for a 2013 release, is going to be like?
In fact, a pic from the set of Man of Steel, which found its way onto the web this past August and features star Henry Cavill, shows him in a costume that seemingly reflects the attitude accompanying the character’s relaunch (in both instances, the signature red trunks are gone, and Superman’s suit looks more battle-ready than in most incarnations). This costume does not appear in Action Comics #1, but is featured prominently in Superman #1.
Admittedly, Action Comics only represents half the core Superman books; Superman #1 debuts at the end of September, and while Action chronicles the hero’s early exploits, the other book will pick up on his present-day adventures. But Man of Steel is reported to be an origin story, and DC Comics’ parent company Time Warner appears to be trying to keep a close continuity between its comic book properties and tie-ins to other media.
So an argument can be made that Snyder’s film, which is co-written by David Goyer and produced by Christopher Nolan (of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight fame), will likely resemble these newly-released comics (and this is assuming that the revamp of the Superman line was conceived long enough in advance that it could have affected the development of Man of Steel). If such is the case, and ifAction #1 is any indication, the final product will more closely resemble Nolan’s recent Batman films than either the classic Richard Donner movies or Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, which failed to revitalize the franchise in 2006.
But what does this mean, exactly? Well, for one thing, the Superman of Action Comics is less of the god-like figure depicted in recent comics or in Superman Returns. In this new variation, he’s strong, but he can’t move planets; he can hurdle skyscrapers, but he can’t fly; he’s fast, but not enough to break the sound barrier, yet. As a result, fight scenes seem more intense and thrilling than Superman has known in a while, positively street-level since he can’t just fly away. In the first half of Action #1, the character leads police on a high-speed chase through the streets of Metropolis, which quickly escalates into explosions and chaos. It’s not so dissimilar to the kind of visceral thrills of either Batman Begins or The Dark Knight.
Adding to the edginess (and Nolan-era Batman comparisons) is that Superman this time around is clearly a vigilante, at least during the start of his career (for the past few decades worth of comics, the story is that he had been deputized by the city). The book kicks off with him performing an act that seems very un-Superman-like: standing at the edge of a balcony, threatening to drop a corrupt old man who has broken laws and bribed city officials, to his death. Not only that, but he subsequently declares that he’ll let the man go, “just as soon as he makes a full confession. To someone who still believes the law works the same for rich and poor alike. Because that ain’t Superman.” Not exactly your dad’s Christopher Reeve Superman talking there. Finally, the comic gives us a Metropolis that is darker and grittier than fans and moviegoers may be accustomed to. In the past, the city was partially inspired by its adopted hero to reach for the skies, but at this point it’s too early for that to have happened. So instead, the Metropolis of Action resembles Nolan’s Gotham City: large in scale, relatively-modern in look, and dilapidated at the edges (Interestingly, like inBatman Begins, there’s a commuter train that plays a pivotal role). Also, while both Superman and his reporter alter-ego Clark Kent are crusaders for the common man, there are indications (via previews of future issues) that the populace may not totally trust the Man of Steel, much less be in awe of him. If translated to the big screen, that would be a far cry from how the average Metropolis citizen reacted to Superman in the Donner films.
You make the call: Does Henry Cavill in his Superman costume on the set of Man of Steel Now again, this is just an early projection of how the tone and style of Man of Steel could turn out, based on just one of the two new Superman comics hitting the stands. But given how Superman Returnsunderperformed, and how there was a subsequent call for a darker, grittier take on the character, this all-new version just might serve as the basis for revitalizing the franchise. Meanwhile, Superman #1 hits comic shops and the digital realm in a few weeks, and it should offer a more complete view of how the title character fits into his new world, as well as a full look at his modernized costume.
