JUNE 1st - Being Alone and Being Good

This day in 1938 was the cover-date of Action Comics #1, also known as the 1st Superman comic ever published. The publishing date was actually back on April 18, but it was a June issue. The famous cover of Superman holding up the car above his head was drawn by Joe Shuster and the story written by Jerry Siegel. It is seen as the dawn of the comic-book superhero which currently dominates so much of today’s pop culture. Plus it could draw a pretty penny at auction if you were lucky enough to get your grubby little paws on one of the fifty or so unrestored copies still around. 3.2 million dollars worth of pretty pennies actually.

But, as always, I’m more interested in Superman, the character. Granted, I was never a comic book collector, though I’ve read them casually. Back when I was discussing The Dark Knight on the 1st of last month, I noted that Batman is seen as the cool character from DC. He’s brooding, he’s dark, he’s a billionaire playboy. And he’s human. He could exist in our world, if someone who had that much money was crazy enough to try to become a vigilante dressed as a bat. Superman, is none of these things. He’s a Boy Scout. He always does the right thing. He’s all powerful. His powers are cool. Who wouldn’t want freeze breath, and super speed, and the ability to fly? But he’s basically invulnerable. And he’s an alien. Which in the mind of some make Big Blue hard to relate to. Yet he’s always fascinated me more than his cooler, darker counterpart. Why? Because despite all his power, he is alone. And he is good.

Being alone is one of the biggest concerns of human beings. We think about it on big macro-levels...are we alone in the universe? Funny that Superman is himself a fantasy answer to the very issue that plagues him. We ask it on smaller levels too, will I end up alone? It’s why people spend such time and effort looking for someone to share their lives with. It’s why people think The Notebook is a beautiful ending and not just two old people dying. People couple up, they get married, they make friends. They do things to feel connected to other people who are part of the human race like read books or write blogs about little-known events hoping to offer some insight into the plight of existence through sarcasm and humor. Even through all of that people feel alone. Not all of the time and some more than others. But if you are a human being you have felt it at some point. Because until someone develops a way to physically inhabit another person, you’ll always be alone to some degree. And Superman is that fear or fact or situation amped up the nth degree. He is the last of his kind (I’m ignoring all other Kryptonians that come into play at various times--most of them are evil or temporary). And that’s what I find so interesting. How lonely must it be, to be the only of your kind?

I won’t go into the new Batman V. Superman movie (though I’m a bit frightful Snyder is rushing things along too quickly at the expense of developing character), but everyone seems to focus on the fact that in the golden-age of the anti-hero Superman is just too good. And he is good. He has historically done the right thing every time. And I get that his powers may make doing good easier for him, but if you think about power and absolute power and corruption the fact Superman does not go that route, is extremely impressive. Being good is not easy. Lt. Col. Frank Slade knew that. Whoo-hah. But being good can also be interesting. You can be good and still be interesting. People gravitate to interesting. Superman doesn’t have to be brooding or dark. Although you wouldn’t be able to convince me that a being who lost his whole planet and grew up hiding who he was from the world wouldn’t have some melancholy moments. Superman just needs to struggle with the most basic of human desires. Not wanting to be alone. And doing the right thing. And whether that is possible for a being as strong as him.

Whatever, the dude can fly. That’s pretty damn cool.

This day has been Marked.