In defense of Superman

It isn't easy being Superman. You're virtually indestructible, you always have to do the right thing, and you're not even human. Once upon a time, it was easy to keep up with Kal-El; there was one story line that had had a beginning with the Kents and worked its way up to the comic you were holding in your hand. Then things went all over the map, and I can't remember anymore if Clark and Lois are married, or maybe it's Superman and Lois that are married. Or is it Clark and Superman? Whatever. In any case, the issue of the invulnerable hero still remains.

Thom Dunn takes this on in Superman: Stuffy Boy Scout, or Charming Folk Hero? Why, exactly, do we take this character so to heart?

Superman might represent an impossible ideal for us to live up to — but maybe that’s just what we need him to do. We don’t empathize with Superman, the way we often do with the heroes in our stories. Instead, we aspire to be him. Like John Henry, Superman stands up to the Machine, both so we don’t have to, and more importantly, so that we believe we can.

This is fun and smart. Superman is our longest-lived new god. How can you not wonder why?
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