Book Review: It’s Superman by Tom De Haven

I finished reading It’s Superman by Tom De Haven awhile ago but I’m just now getting around to wrapping up the review and posting it. Anyway, before reading the book, I perused the reviews on Amazon.com and I was not surprised to see several very negative comments. Whenever someone takes a new look at a much loved and established character like Superman someone isn’t going to like it. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the book. Here’s why:

1. I really liked the setting. Seriously, if the concept of guys running around in tights is going to work (if it ever does), it really needs to be against the backdrop of circus strongmen, Flash Gordon serials, and dirigibles…all of which are sadly lacking in today’s society. While I have very much enjoyed the recent influx of superhero movies (i.e. Batman Begins, Superman Returns, X-Men, Spiderman, etc)--I even like the somewhat updated costumes--it’s hard for me to picture them in the modern world. Have you ever seen the production still of these movies? You know, Spiderman eating a bagel or Superman reading the paper. Ridiculous. I’m only reasonably sure some movie lighting and editing would help. I’m absolutely sure that throwing a tommy-gun-toting racketeer into background would do it.

2. I like that the story gets the reader from Clark Kent to Superman. That is, there’s a transition between the two. The movies tend to give us the Superman. TV’s Smallville gives us Clark. What they often don’t do is meld the two. If I see Superman in a movie, it’s hard for me to envision him growing up on a farm. Likewise, I love Smallville but the Clark Kent portrayed isn’t the kind of guy to put on tights and a cape. It’s Superman not only explains how Clark gets to Metropolis but it even explains the cape and the S on the chest.

3. I liked that the Superman and the world of the story, is in keeping with my understanding of the original Superman created by Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster. So much of the current incarnation of Superman gives us the good guy/boy scout/black and white feel. Not that the original Superman wasn’t a swell guy but he was a greater reflection of the time period in which we was born. He didn’t simply “right wrongs” but he actually had fun with his powers. He could make smart comments and he had no qualms about giving a thug a good thrashing. Amazon’s reader often criticized It’s Superman for straying from the Superman story and, yes, there were liberties taken but I’m thinking it was actually more in line with the feel of the original. If you read some of the original comic strips, it’s pretty surprising.

4. The characters are multi-dimensional. And, no, this does not mean the story spans multiple dimensions.

5. It makes it clear that Clark has a hard time “fitting in.” Not everything is a breeze for the man of steel.

6. I simply enjoyed the writing.

So there you have it. A good read if you're a Superman fan.