The Man From Krypton: A Closer Look at Superman - edited by Glenn Yeffeth
Superman is the perfect combination of ultimate power and moral goodness: "Superman has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men; he can make himself ruler of the world, take anything he wants or kill anyone who gets in his way—but he doesn’t. He’s a good guy, the ultimate good guy, because he apparently isn’t even tempted to abuse his powers. He’s wholesome and noble and selfless. His foster parents raised him that way, and he’s true to his upbringing" (1). He is practically perfect in every way - but he does have his issues. This book is a wonderful collection of essays on Superman that covers a lot of ground. Lawrence Watt-Evans points out how Superman carries his baby blanket wherever he goes. Indeed, he not only carries it - he wears it! His super-suit is made from the Kryptonian blanket he arrived in. David Hopkins shows how Superman is both great and good. His power is under perfect control. As such, "Superman is the perfect allegory of America’s own idealism toward justifiable force: to be the most powerful and yet the most benevolent" (10). Sarah Zettel provides a touching reflection on the heroism of Christopher Reeve - especially after his tragic accident. (This one had me in tears.) Chris Roberson writes of the evolution and deconstruction of Krypton. Larry Niven has a hilarious piece on Superman's sex life. (No woman would ever want to have sex with him after reading this!) Lou Anders presents a wonderful contrast and comparison between Superman and Batman. There are many others. Superman is fascinating because of "the very deliberate religious symbolism inherent in the Superman story. From the start, we have the only (begotten) son of a father from outer space (heaven), sending his child (down) to Earth to serve as a shining example of the good to which we can all aspire. In his role as Superman, the Last Son of Krypton seeks, as we have discussed above, to always do the right thing, to obey every law, to live a perfect life, one might say" (74). As such, Superman is an epic hero, worthy of emulation, for he is undeniably good - and he has no other reason to be than himself: "There’s nobody who can keep Superman honest but Superman himself. That’s something nobody else has to live with" (130).