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.

Batman Battles the Ottoman Empire!

An exciting event occurred this past weekend. Batman was in town! In fact, he was visiting the local Ashley Furniture store, chillin’ with the citizens of Westfield, and grillin’ inside his tights (it was a sweltering afternoon). Batman was even kind enough to let his fans take a seat in the Batmobile!

So, Jesse met his first superhero and Dad was there with the camera. It was a good time. I was careful NOT to accidentally refer to Batman as Bru…I mean...never mind.

The Longest 400 Seconds of My Life

After warming up with a short jog, I hit the track last night. Utilizing the wicked slick sports watch I got for Father’s Day, I clocked myself at a 6:39 mile. Ok, so it wasn’t quite 400 seconds. Very close, though.

While certainly not horrible, that’s really not that great. Especially since I only ran a mile. That is, my goal was to run 1 (and ONLY 1) mile and it wasn’t part of a 5K or anything. Here’s what I learned from the experience:

1. I am out of shape. Those middle 800 meters hurt like the dickens. My legs didn’t feel that bad but I thought my lungs were on fire. My cardiovascular strength needs the most help.

2. I am simply out of practice. It’s been so long since I’ve run a mile (and paid attention to the distance) that I had difficulty estimating what I could do. Am I running too fast? If I speed up, will I collapse? When it was done, I’m pretty sure I had a little left to give. Had I known, I definitely would’ve pushed myself a bit more.

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad run. There’s certainly room for improvement and now I know.

Fitness? Fit-THIS!

Despite my previous entry regarding my views on jogging/running, I have failed to follow through with my plan to run parking lots. There really is no excuse for this. I fear I will find myself woefully unprepared for the zombie wars.

That being said, I went running the other night. It was the first time I’d done so for quite awhile. Much to my surprise, it went pretty well. I’m not really of fan of road running so I jumped the fence behind the apartments and tackled the practice fields of the local high school. I can’t say how far I ran. Nor can I even document the length of time I ran. I do know I ran far enough to make that post-run fence jump back appear pretty intimidating. (Note to self: Zombies probably can’t climb fences!)

I’m planning another run for tonight. I’m contemplating a trip to the school’s 400m track to see check my mile time. It's well know that zombies excel at the distance runs so I’ll really need to put some space between myself and them within the first mile.

Jackpot!

During my recent car search, I contacted many, many dealers regarding specific advertised cars. Even with the most helpful of dealers, this effort was largely uneventful.

All this lack of eventfulness changed today when I received a follow-up email from one of the dealers. Essentially, this email was a simple survey asking whether I was still in the market for a car. You're probably asking where this story gets exciting. Well, here is comes! The email is paraphrased below:

Subject: [dealer name] offers a penny for your thoughts.

Text: We are always trying to find better ways to serve our clients... so in my efforts to serve you better, how about a penny for your thoughts..

So, they've offered a penny for my thoughts not once but twice! Surely this is no mistake. I, for one, am pumped about this prospect. I answered the survey and tacked on the following:

Were you serious about the penny offer? If so, I work reasonably close to [dealer name] and might be willing to stop by.

I haven't checked with a lawyer but, if I'm not mistaken, we've have entered into a legally binding contract. I'm hoping they don't try to back out of the deal. If so, I'll be ranting about it here.