THIS IS A JOB FOR...

Among people to whom such things matter the discussion arises, "Who was your favorite, Superman or Batman?"  The truth is, I liked them both.  On a practical level, playing Batman in the backyard.  It was more satisfying and less dangerous.  Playing Superman was inherently frustrating.  No matter how many times you played, the force of gravity would never let you get it right.  There are also only a limited number of times you can run through the neighborhood with a bath towel around your neck, arms outstretched yelling "Up, up and away!" before people started to look at you funny.  It was also dangerous.  If the kid pretending to shoot you with his Fanner Fifty emulated the TV show and finally thrrew the gun at your grinning face you could lose a couple of teeth if you forgot to do what George Reeves did and duck.

I think what finally made me choose Superman was that as a symbol he appealed to my basic optimism and Batman did the opposite.  Superman ultimately had faith in the best of human virtues, truth and justice, and our willingness to apply them ("the American Way").  Batman was the opposite.  His was the dark world where justice had broken down and everyone is a victim.  It speaks to the essence of their characters.  They were both orphaned, Kal-El out of the sacrificial love of his parents.  But Bruce was a victim of violent crime.

Another factor was the amazing talent and presence of George Reeves who single handedly convinced a generation that a paunchy forty-five year old man in an ill fitting suit, jumpng off ladders and crashing through paper walls was truly the Man of Steel.  For the rcord, I am in Noel Neil's camp in believing that George Reeves was murdered and did not commit suicide.

Christopher Reeve had tremendous respect for George's lock on the character that defined Superman for a generation.  It is a tribute to Chris's heart and skill that he was able to break the lock an d successfully redefine an iconic character for a new generation of fans.

The Nineties gave us another redefined version of Superman, this time with the emphasis on the weird romantic triangle of Lois, Clark and Superman.  When Clark's identity is revealed to Lois by a renegade time traveler, Dean Cain utters a series defining line:  "Superman is what I can do; Clark is who I am."  This show is well worth a second look.  Its strengths are infectious characters well played,  (Lane Smith's Perry White is a priceless treasure.) good writing, a compelling premise and best of all, a light, family friendly comic book flvor that reminds us that at their very best comic books are supposed to be fun.  Lois and Clark:  The New Adventures of Superman delivers.   The show also works because of the great chemistry between Dean Cain and Terry Hatcher.