Wednesday Comics, DC's spectacular new oversize anthology featuring characters from Batman to Adam Strange and Kamandi in one page installments of serialized stories, launched yesterday to much acclaim from the internet. USA Today will be reprinting the Superman story for the duration of the comics 12 week run.
posted by Artw on Jul 9, 2009 - 5 comments

Darkseid tries to join the Legion of Superheroes, Batman wrestles the serpent in the garden of Eden, Clarke Kent shoots Abraham (Brainiac) Lincoln... Hall of Silver Age Elseworlds first pages - from DC Silver Age Elseworld stories that never happened, from the Elseworlds 80-Page Giant collection, which was pulped after controversy surrounding Letitia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter - which later became the only story in the collection to see print again.
posted by Artw on May 14, 2009 - 21 comments

A few years ago an old NES game called Sunman was discovered. Developed by a company called Sunsoft, it was clearly a repurposed Superman game, with the Man of Steel seemingly having been replaced at some point during the games development by a generic new superhero. This was likely done to avoid expensive licensing costs for a game that was due to be released around the end of the active lifespan for the NES (and would probably not sell well as a result) but this was purely speculation. Until now. For now a build of the original Superman game by Sunsoft has been found and you can download it for free here. [more inside]
posted by Effigy2000 on Apr 28, 2009 - 29 comments

How Science Fiction Found Religion
posted by shoesfullofdust on Mar 13, 2009 - 72 comments

Secret Identity - The fetish art of Superman's co-creator Joe Shuster.
posted by Artw on Mar 8, 2009 - 44 comments

Phriday Physics Phun! What is the force Superman exerts to stop a plane from crashing into the ground, or the speed and mass of Vince Vaughn's winning Dodgeball shot? What's the force exerted by a Dominique Wilkins windmill slam dunk, or the speed of a retired Charles Barkley? What's the frequency of a cat's purr? ...the mass of a snowflake? ...the pressure inside a can of soda? ..the reaction time of the human fingertip? The Physics Factbook, via hypertextbook.com, is "an encyclopedia of scientific essays written by high school students that can be used by anybody," containing over 800 entries and special topics. [more inside]
posted by not_on_display on Jan 16, 2009 - 28 comments

The entirety of the Fleischer/Famous Studios Superman Film Series. In the early 1940s, this series raised the bar for theatrical shorts with its fluid animation and action-packed storylines. It remains a classic series thanks to its high production values and historical significance not only as the first comic-to-film adaptation, but also as an occasional vehicle for American propaganda during the war.
posted by cthuljew on Nov 25, 2008 - 21 comments

The Top 25 Comic Book Battles, as voted on by the readers of Comic Book Resources. [more inside]
posted by Artw on Nov 23, 2008 - 142 comments

Superman rebooted! - The next Superman movie will be ignoring 2006’s Superman Returns, something that has been suggested by comic book writers when asked how to save the franchise. Mark Millar has his own idea of what Superman needs: Mark Millar.
posted by Artw on Sep 23, 2008 - 131 comments

All Star Superman in eleven panels
posted by Artw on Sep 7, 2008 - 48 comments

"I've recently been reading the whole run of I've recently been reading the whole run of Superman comics from the relaunch in 1987 through the end of 1999... There's some very wonderful stuff in there amidst a lot of frustrating and very often muddled and boring storytelling, but I will say that THIS find in particular was just stunning; Artist/writer Stuart Immonen - who is great - composed the lead story for a 1998 "Secret Files" comic - which are usually quite boring - focusing on the origin stories of Superman's 90's-era Rogues Gallery. -- What makes it more than just a flashback or recap is that Immonen told them by way of Lex Luthor telling fairy tales to his infant daughter Lena, and illustrated the origins in one- or two-page comics fashioned after Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland." ~v
posted by vronsky on Aug 5, 2008 - 59 comments

Mario is at bat, man! Just in time to handle your jones for singalong fan bonding, to speak the heretofore unspoken truths of super _jawesome classic film themes. Also he dresses up, like it's, um, Halloween.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur on Jul 18, 2008 - 11 comments

The 50 top comicbook characters, according to Empire.
posted by Artw on Jul 11, 2008 - 153 comments

Indian Superman sings and dances with Indian Spider-Woman. (SLYT) (Previously)
posted by fearfulsymmetry on Apr 27, 2008 - 23 comments

The Daily [Batman / Superman / Wolverine] [more inside]
posted by brownpau on Apr 11, 2008 - 34 comments

"In a possibly historic ruling, a federal judge Wednesday determined that the heirs of Superman co-creator, Jerry Siegel, are now the rightful owners of one-half of the copyright of Superman, and have been since 1999."
posted by Alvy Ampersand on Mar 28, 2008 - 50 comments

Can a lightsaber cut through Superman? Through him it cuts, hmmmm?
posted by Kickstart70 on Feb 2, 2008 - 33 comments

Kryptonite! A new mineral has been found in Serbia which 'closely matches' the chemical compound of Superman's least favourite substance (sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide). Too bad it isn't green.
posted by chuckdarwin on Apr 24, 2007 - 25 comments

"Inexplicably, a man in a Superman costume could be seen walking around the car, but he did not stop to help the driver or any of the victims."
posted by empath on Feb 28, 2007 - 47 comments

A case of Horlicks for 1,000 - 2,000 British Pounds (the lot description doesn't contains a mention of any actual Horlicks though). Horlicks has been around since 1883. Their early efforts at promotion included the invention of a condition they called 'Night Starvation'. As well as press, radio (they sponsored Dan Dare) and television advertising they also featured in the cinema at one time. These films, made by George Pál, are quite surreal. Although Horlicks seems to be made from the same ingredients as Maltesers, the company has pushed their product in India as making children "taller, stronger and sharper" - tying it in with the Superman Returns movie. Back home in England, Horlicks is made fun of despite the fact that it is one of the ingredients in a jolly nice self-saucing pudding.
posted by tellurian on Sep 24, 2006 - 40 comments

All those things I can do. All those powers. And I couldn't even save him.
posted by John Kenneth Fisher on Aug 31, 2006 - 26 comments

"The K-Metal from Krypton" is one of the most important "lost" stories by the original creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Written and drawn in 1940, but never published, the story would have vastly altered much of the Superman mythos for the next 65 years. Aside from the early introduction of Kryptonite, the issue would have disclosed Superman's secret identity to Lois Lane, leading to a completely different relationship in which the two worked together as a team. Thanks to the work of readers and fans, including writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross, original art and scripts are slowly being recovered, and the entire issue is being reproduced online, with full color treatment and missing pages being replicated in Shuster's original drawing style.
posted by XQUZYPHYR on Aug 9, 2006 - 19 comments

Spider-Man 3 Teaser Trailer Available Just in case discussion of the elements in a trailer for a movie that will be marketed upon you relentlessly constitutes spoilers ... [more inside]
posted by clearlynuts on Jun 29, 2006 - 69 comments

New Burger King Superman Returns toys cleverly promote excersise. Not just another merchandise tie-in, this new toy promotion lets you get off your butt and compare with other kids' walking times and throwing records online. Each toy is either a physical activity or an accesory for your workout. The site even features Superman's personal scores, allowing all of us to compete with the Man of Steel.
posted by johndog on Jun 26, 2006 - 30 comments

Jor-El speaks. Cool clip from Rhythm + Hues studios detailing how they adapted footage of Brando from the original Superman flick for the upcoming Superman Returns. embedded quicktime, and via AICN
posted by WolfDaddy on Jun 19, 2006 - 46 comments

And so begins the startling adventures of the most sensational strip character of all time : SUPERMAN!
posted by crunchland on May 7, 2006 - 24 comments

Education for Death. (YouTubefilter.) Disney-produced anti-Nazi cartoon short from 1943. Look for Hitler's Satanic horns. More weirdness from WWII: Warner Bros Snafuperman, starring Pvt. Snafu (originally created by Dr. Seuss!), who also deals with spies, all while jabbering away in a voice that sounds disconcertingly like that of a certain cwazy wabbit. From Archive. org -- Pvt. Snafu learns about booby traps, in one case literally. Bugs himself joined the Air Force, and was faced with gremlins for his trouble. Superman himself got in on the act, battling Japoteurs. After all, during the War we were plenty worried about those canny Japanese.
posted by Astro Zombie on Mar 23, 2006 - 26 comments

Cool Superman tribute video. It's a DVD trailer but it made me feel nostalgiac as hell.
posted by johndog on Mar 9, 2006 - 41 comments

Jimmy Olsen is a Lutheran. Really. And Clark Kent? Methodist, it seems. Daredevil, Gambit, Huntress and The Punisher? Catholics, all of them, though I have to wonder when Frank Castle last went to Confession. With about half of DC Comic's line-up heading to church in the latest issue of Infinite Crisis and knowing that Civil War is imminent in the House of Marvel, what better time than now to contemplate the particular faiths of our two-dimensional heroes.
posted by grabbingsand on Mar 7, 2006 - 45 comments

"I'm greater than Superman and Batman put together! Before I'm through, I'll have them cringing before the might of Composite Superman!" The mighty Composite Superman is brilliant artifact from the Silver Age of comics. A variation on the theme recently resurfaced in print and on television! Just goes to show that you can't keep a gimmick supervillain down. He's even got his own blog! (via Scans_Daily)
posted by grabbingsand on Dec 2, 2005 - 43 comments

"And this is where things got REALLY ugly. First off, Smith was taken aback when Peters asked him, in all sincerity, 'Kal-El’? Who’s this ‘Kal-El’ guy you keep mentioning in the script?'" The whole sordid tale of the making of Superman V. From the Kevin Smith script that was ultimately thrashed to the Tim Burton "vision" (which involved Tim Allen as Brainiac and Superman driving a Super-mobile instead of flying) to Nicholas Cage fighting to try and keep the character's depiction true to the comics. With the movie finished and due to hit theaters next year, will the last son of Krypton still be able to impress audiences and the fans?
posted by kosher_jenny on Nov 27, 2005 - 115 comments

Nagraj v. Shakoora The Magician from Raj Comics. UFF!
posted by tellurian on Sep 23, 2005 - 13 comments

Superman Takes on the KKK. In the 1940s, reporter Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the Klu Klux Klan, gathering information on everything from their membership to their secret code words . Kennedy then gave this information to the producers of the Superman radio show. The resulting episodes, titled “Clan of the Fiery Cross” (listen to them here)incorporated actual Klan terminology and rituals, exposing the nation to the inner workings of this “secret” organization.
posted by jrossi4r on Aug 11, 2005 - 30 comments

Phoning It In From 30 Years Ago. Parts of Marlon Brando's "Jor-El" scenes, cut from the old Superman II, may be resurrected in Superman Returns. (possible spoilers)
posted by brownpau on May 3, 2005 - 19 comments

Capt. America and Spiderman support the troops, how about you (pdf)? America Supports You! Get a free comic book, dogtag, or maybe even a free body bag.
posted by fixedgear on Apr 28, 2005 - 39 comments

How about a little deus ex machina to lighten up your Tuesday? By now, we all know that Superman is a dick. Did you also know that he was a crypto fascist who was not above a little water supply tampering?
Apparently, even for superman, being super smart does not make you super wise [via]
posted by Capn on Apr 26, 2005 - 21 comments

General Zod on Valentine's Day Sorry Cupid, it doesn't look like Superman is going to be able to save you this time. But I guess that's what you deserve for making Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen fall for each other. It's time for you to Kneel Before Zod!
posted by kingmissile on Feb 14, 2005 - 6 comments

Superman is a Dick. The worst comic book covers.
posted by five fresh fish on Feb 8, 2005 - 37 comments

Today's weird correction from the NY Times (reg required, of course). More fuel for the old "who would win in a fight, Superman or Batman?" debate.
posted by braun_richard on Jan 6, 2005 - 37 comments

ComicsFilter (but bear with me): Frank Miller & Jim Lee will be the writer and artist, respectively, of All-Star Batman and Robin, a new miniseries intended to make the characters simple, interesting, and easy to follow after decades of backstory. Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely were announced to be doing the same thing on All-Star Superman, and any comics fan will tell you that these four guys are some of the best in the entire field. Between these two projects, DC Comics most likely has the top-selling books in the tiny comics industry sewn up for most of 2005, which is reason enough to publish them.

But there's also a question for non-comics readers here at MeFi: DC are really doing this for you. They want new readers (best-selling comics are lucky to top 150,000 copies these days), and they think publishing accessible comic books linked to the release of large movies (The Christopher Nolan film Batman Begins, based in part on Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, will be released roughly alongside All-Star Batman & Robin) is the way to do it. But is there a snowball's chance in hell you'd read something like this? Would your kids, if you have them, be interested, do you think? (Frank Miller, it bears noting, is also the creator and co-director of Sin City, a film you might've seen a preview for recently -- truly insane cast.)
posted by logovisual on Jan 5, 2005 - 69 comments

Superhero Hype! Is waiting for June 17 driving you batty? Does being patient until July 1 seem less than fantastic? Have no fear. Superhero Hype! will keep you up to date on all the latest news and rumors in the exciting field of comic-book-to-movie adaptations.
posted by Faint of Butt on Nov 25, 2004 - 15 comments

hey superman, where did you go, now that the lights have gone low...
posted by qDot on Oct 10, 2004 - 111 comments

You know you've had one hell of a year when you get promoted from Jesus to Superman.
posted by PrinceValium on Sep 12, 2004 - 19 comments

Indian Superman is a movie of questionable legality released in India in the mid eighties. Perhaps it should have had a wider release since it has a great deal of humorous appeal for Western audiences. Check out this review from Stomp Tokyo. I'm looking forward to a crossover when Indian Superman meets Indian Spider-Man. via Sepia Mutiny
posted by rks404 on Aug 17, 2004 - 10 comments

World's Finest, Sandy Collora's new "trailer" featuring the the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. (Quicktime required) Also check out his previous fan flick Batman: Dead End.
posted by riffola on Jul 24, 2004 - 13 comments

Superman lookalikes or, more accurately, Jimmy Corrigan lookalikes at the Metropolis, IL Superman Celebration.
posted by malphigian on Jul 15, 2004 - 9 comments

Superman born in Germany? It appears that "the boy's mutant DNA segment was found to block production of a protein called myostatin that limits muscle growth."

"Now we can say that myostatin acts the same way in humans as in animals," said the boy's physician, Dr. Markus Schuelke, a professor in the child neurology department at Charite/University Medical Center Berlin. "We can apply that knowledge to humans, including trial therapies for muscular dystrophy."

Or other things...
posted by andreaazure on Jun 24, 2004 - 17 comments

Last Son of Krypton was released in 1978 as a tie-in to Superman! The movie. It was written by Comic Book Supremo Elliot S! Maggin, and based on Maggin's own treatment for a Superman film. Despite being badly written, and having a completely different plot to the film, the book was extremely successful.
[Bonus Materials: The original novel ; The unofficial novel; Elliot S! Maggin Interview; A review]
posted by seanyboy on Jun 9, 2004 - 9 comments

"Why don't you reverse the rotation of the Earth, go back in time and read the directions?" Jerry Seinfeld, Superman and a stolen DVD player. Yeah, it's part of an American Express promotion, but it's cleverly done.
posted by emelenjr on Mar 31, 2004 - 29 comments

The other guy who drew Superman, Wayne Boring. Boring's style defined Superman in the fifties, and still looks nice today.
posted by interrobang on Mar 27, 2004 - 16 comments