It's been two years since the Superman reboot 'Man of Steel' flew into theatres yet it still remains a lightning rod for debate and discussion.
This time the one doing the dissecting is Marvel Comics own Mark Millar. In an article for GamesRadar titled, "How Man Of Steel traumatised me so much I created Huck", the Kick-Ass and Civil War author explores violence in comic books and how the film's now infamous ending helped shape his new project, Huck.
Millar says he's a huge fan of all the people behind Man of Steel, including director Zack Snyder and star Henry Cavill. He also concedes that the controversial decision to have Superman kill arch-nemesis General Zod made sense in the context of the film. However, by doing so he felt the central crux of the character was lost.
"This was Superman. This was like seeing Sylvester the Cat finally getting his hands on Speedy Gonzales." He writes. "Elmer Fudd blowing away Bugs Bunny. I loved Superman as a kid not because of his edginess or his potential for a fatal solution, but because he could do anything he wanted and still chose to be nice."
Millar admits that superhero comics in general have been veering into darker territory as of late, with his own catalog of work helping fuel that shift. But according to him, readers and writers alike must remember the reason why Superhero stories were created in the first place.
"But we have to remember that these characters were created in the Great Depression to lift our spirits in the darkest times. When things are tough we maybe in need of a nice, uncomplicated hero a little more and so, like I said, I'm trying this once just to see what happens."
He ends his piece saying, "I want to remind everyone that we didn't get into this game, didn't dress up as these characters as kids, because they were so miserable and bad-ass and violent and cruel. We loved them because they were KIND and, deep down, I think we're hungry for that right now."
