The Men of Tomorrow Will Not Fear to Cry

Act One: DC releases a new teaser image. Act Two: Fans complain about Superman crying in it, saying he does it too much.

Which brought to my mind the following comments on Comic Book Resources' message boards by Marty Pasko. He was remarking on how Superman has been modified over the years to fit the times.

'Another good example is the "emo wuss" Superman that seems to be a product primarily of the '70s. (Certainly the one Elliot Maggin, Cary Bates and I had to write was a product of its time and would probably be ridiculed today by the testosterone-and-steroid crowd as a "super-metrosexual.") Of course that take on the character would be distasteful to some readers who came up during or after the "Reagan Revolution" and America's turn to the right. In that period, many children, particularly males, not only were raised with values that actively repudiated the '70s ideal of the sensitive man, but were given the message that America had been weak and wimpy and, to fix that, macho assholism had to come back into vogue with a vengeance -- hence the rise of the punch-first-and-think-later action star typified by Schwarzenegger and his ilk. (The Reagan Administration also helpfully provided fake wars like Granada so that America could "kick ass" again and feel better about the size of its fatumbwebwe.)'

Interesting interpretation given the current fan criticism, no?

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Personally, I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, if anyone's going to have a heightened ability to sympathize, shouldn't it be Superman? He's *supposed* to be one of the most compassionate, caring individuals around. That's part of the concept, right?

Someone's going to have to explain to me what in the world is remotely wrong with crying when there's been a terrible tragedy and people have died? How do tears in such a situation diminish a person, fictional or real, in *any* way? There should be absolutely nothing shameful or weak about it. *Nothing*. It doesn't show that a person is less brave or less tough or whatever. It shows you have a heart.

Eugh, save me from a world where people should shut out their emotions and basic humanity just to prove to others that they can. I prefer my heroes above that outmoded brand of idiocy, thankyouverymuch.