Alrighty, your loss then 
Finished all the issues that are out so far... man, they don't hold back. Always hooked me in for more though. I watched the show, and there's quite a few changes so far, but not in a bad way. It's clear that they didn't want it to be a carbon copy of the comic, and it's probably better that way.
Well there's not that many episodes left, I think. LoL, I can hold out!
Posted on: November 16, 2010, 03:00:14 AM
This was actually brought up on an ATOP THE 4th WALL discussion board, discussing whether or not Clark Kent was "Superman's mask" so to speak. You've probably heard it before about how Clark Kent is Superman's secret identity, about how he acts clumsy and such as his disguise, and that Clark Kent is "Superman's interpretation on the whole human race" as said by Bill in the Kill Bill movies. Keep in mind that this is essentially all just interpretation on a fictional character, but I'd just like to tell you what the character overall represents to me.
For starters, I'll quote Superman: TAS in which Clark Kent was killed in which he tells Ma & Pa Kent "But I am Clark. I need to be Clark. I'd go crazy if I had to be Superman all the time." Why I'm such a fan of the animated series stem from lines like this. Lines like this is what, to me, make Superman special. This is what separates Clark Kent from characters like Bruce Wayne, IMO. Clark Kent is Superman, but Batman is Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is Batman's mask. Bruce stopped being Bruce when he began his mission. Batman is the mission. However, Clark Kent is not like that.
He has been written differently throughout the years, much as any comic book character has been. Pre-Crisis, Superman had the power to move planets. Back in the day, he really was just the whole "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" speech. Obviously the whole "American Way" thing can be taken or thrown out of context, as it has been in American history pretty much forever. This is why most writers focus more on the "Truth & Justice" part of that iconic phrase. However, this is not what makes the character truly special, in my eyes.
Overall, after everything is said and done about Superman or Clark Kent, throughout the history of the character, there is one overlying factor that makes the character of Clark Kent one of the greatest written characters ever (at times) and what, to me, is the true message of Superman, and that message is about good parenting. I've always believed that one's personality & character are based upon the experiences they've had through life, with both family and friends. To me, Clark Kent is the epitome of why I truly, truly, TRULY believe good parenting to be so important in a child's life. Superman is the extension of the kindness and love of both his parents, from his biological parents, Jor-El & Lara for saving him from Krypton's destruction, to his adopted ones, Jonathan & Martha Kent, who raised him to be the man he is today.
Because of how the Kent's raised Clark is why Superman exists. This is why Clark Kent is not and never will be the mask. Superman has no mask. The reason he doesn't wear one is because he is a symbol of hope, a symbol that any man can do great things and help out their fellow man to the best of their ability, a symbol of what all people should strive to do, with or without powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. That, to me, is what the S on his chest truly represents, which is why Martha Kent sowed it onto his chest. Superman is how the Kent's raised Clark to be, and I think if more parents did that, the world would be a much better place.
This is why, despite my not really liking the Superman movies as movies, I absolutely loved Christopher Reeves as Superman, because he really did portray Superman as an overall nice guy, saying "so long" and waving goodbye to people. One thing I actually did love about the earlier episodes of Smallville is the fact that they captured the whole idea of parenting very well, with both Clark Kent & Lex Luthor, and how both characters developed because of it. Like I said, Superman is just a fictional character, and he can be interpreted in many different ways, and he will be continued to be written differently, just like in the recently released graphic novel Superman: Earth One. However, above everything else, I really just believe that the message of Superman is how good, honest, decent parenting can not only make a difference in one child's life, but many lives around that child as well.