Superman

[ichab]

I'm not sure what the majority opinion was from the 60s(my father read the comics and didn't like Robin either) or today, but I can't help but notice that the majority of Batman films, live action or animated, feature Batman without Robin. I don't think that's a coincidence.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I

I'm not sure what the majority opinion was from the 60s(my father read the comics and didn't like Robin either) or today, but I can't help but notice that the majority of Batman films, live action or animated, feature Batman without Robin. I don't think that's a coincidence.

Its not; in the late 60s, innumerable Batman fans who sent letters to Batman and Detective Comics longed for the early years of the solo Batman, not saddled with the way Robin had been written in the most stereotypical of teenage sidekick manner. When Robin was sent to college and only had sporadic appearances in the main title, fans rejoiced, and as noted earlier, Robin benefitted, as he was given a chance to mature and deal with more serious issues. This was the direction DC was taking in changing the idea of who a sidekick was, which was hammered home with incredible success in the pages of Green Lantern #85-86 (September & November of 1971) with Green Arrow's sidekick Roy Harper (Speedy) revealed to be a drug addict. DC was responding to the rejection of the worn-out, barely imaginative tropes that dominated the Golden Age and migrated into the early Silver Age. That, and in Robin's case, the way he was presented on the 1966-68 TV series only made so many Batman fans want Robin out of the picture.

 

[Guy Gardener]

In the early 80s, Burt Ward said the word "Bummer" which was at that point the rudest word I had ever heard uttered on TV.

Robin is a bad ass.

 

[the G-man]

i'm, old enough to remember Robbins and Novick beginning their landmark work on Batman, and old enough to not only know other readers from the 60s who had their negative opinions about Robin (and the TV version's influence),but read the letters pages from the era in question where fans openly complained about Robin as described here. Its simply matter of history that so many fans not only wanted Batman to return to his dark roots, but wanted Robin anywhere other than Batman's side, hence one of the many reasons the split occurred in the comics, with Robin getting his solo feature in Detective and making sporadic appearances in the main title.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if this was how you remembered it or you hearing/reading how others remembered it.

 

[thribs]

I don’t know if anyone has posted this yet but I watched this the other day and it was ridiculously awesome. It’s amazing how well it works.

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[publiusr]

I don’t know if anyone has posted this yet but I watched this the other day and it was ridiculously awesome. It’s amazing how well it works.

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I might have added Vader’s “Noooo…”

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Comic artist Jerry Ordway, famous for his comic adaptation of the 1989 Batman movie, today shared this drawing he gifted to Henry Cavill in 2017:

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Videos from the Superman Celebration 2022 in Metropolis, IL:

Costume Contest:

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Smallville actors Tom Welling & Michael Rosenbaum:

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Edit:

There also was a video of the panel with George Newbern, voice actor of Superman in the Justice League and JL Unlimited cartoons, but it's been taken down for whatever reason, so I've taken out the embedding, because who wants to look at that grey window of nothing.

 

[thribs]

I had no idea there was a Superman convention. I would love to go to one of those.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

It's an annual celebration by the city of Metropolis, IL. In the 1970s they contacted DC to establish a partnership based on the city's name being a namesake of Superman's chosen hometown, so they market themselves (with DC's blessing) as the official Metropolis, home of Superman (even though the fictional Metropolis from the Superman comics is located on the East coast, so decidedly not Illinois) to attract tourists. It's become a tradition, and the annual celebration has become one as well.

They re-uploaded the George Newbern panel:

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[suarezguy]

Is it just me or was Lex Luthor in the '90s animated series, two or three episodes aside, not really a bad guy villain? Just a rich, powerful guy who disliked and resented Superman but sometimes needed him?

Also how much does the finale having Superman brainwashed to be against Earth and fighting it vindicate his concern and resentment of Superman?

 

[theenglish]

Is it just me or was Lex Luthor in the '90s animated series, two or three episodes aside, not really a bad guy villain? Just a rich, powerful guy who disliked and resented Superman but sometimes needed him?

Also how much does the finale having Superman brainwashed to be against Earth and fighting it vindicate his concern and resentment of Superman?

I didn't watch that series, but that is the way John Byrne recreated Luthor. It is also the way he has been portrayed to various degrees since that time. The Smallville series Luthor was very much inspired by Byrne, and the New 52 also portrayed him in that light. The 2018 version of Luthor that returned the character to a full villain was a step back in my opinion.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well you have the interesting Luthor at the beginning, and then you have the Luthor in last season of two who is just a dude with a hacked off face being super evil for no reason, and Clark saying "I always knew you were a %%%%, and this just proves it." And then Rosenberg comes back for the last couple episodes, and I really don't recall how it all syncs up.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Some small sign of the upcoming "My Adventures with Superman" animated series, Michael Emerson revealed that he voices Brainiac.

Makes me look forward to the series even more.

 

[dupersuper]

Also how much does the finale having Superman brainwashed to be against Earth and fighting it vindicate his concern and resentment of Superman?

Except with no Superman Darkseid would just conquer Earth with his standard forces......

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Is it just me or was Lex Luthor in the '90s animated series, two or three episodes aside, not really a bad guy villain? Just a rich, powerful guy who disliked and resented Superman but sometimes needed him?

I didn't watch that series, but that is the way John Byrne recreated Luthor. It is also the way he has been portrayed to various degrees since that time. The Smallville series Luthor was very much inspired by Byrne, and the New 52 also portrayed him in that light. The 2018 version of Luthor that returned the character to a full villain was a step back in my opinion.

Luthor is an ego maniac. Superman being the most powerful and popular person in Metropolis, eclipsed Luthor's own sphere of influence. Luthor is still a shady character. Whether Superman is present or not. John Byrne moved Luthor from being a mad scientist, with villain of the week plots; from the Silver and Bronze Age. To a Donald Trump inspired billionaire philanthropist by day and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin by night.

The exchange that set the tone for the 1986 reboot of comic Supes by Byrne.

Spoiler

A similar exchange set in Superman TAS in 1996.

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Also how much does the finale having Superman brainwashed to be against Earth and fighting it vindicate his concern and resentment of Superman?

Except with no Superman Darkseid would just conquer Earth with his standard forces......

I wouldn't say it vindicated Luthor and General Hardcastle's concerns about Superman. Darkseid had previously tried to conqueror Earth in Superman TAS and would continue to do so in the subsequent Justice League and Justice League Unlimited TAS. Luthor and Hardcastle had the fortune of being right for the wrong reasons. When Superman was brainwashed into attacking Earth on Darkseid's behalf.

 

[publiusr]

Luthor even talked Amazo down, right before the GL corps arrived.

 

[The Realist]

Lovely little meditation on Superman here (one which also -- as any meaningful consideration of Superman must -- gives Lois her due):

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[Commander Troi]

A similar exchange set in Superman TAS in 1996.

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Clancy Brown just *killed* it as Luthor!

Lovely little meditation on Superman here (one which also -- as any meaningful consideration of Superman must -- gives Lois her due):

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Thank you, that was lovely.

 

[ED-209]

You missed out Dean Cain