Centered around the youth of Clark Kent, "Smallville" follows him and his friends around his highschool years as he discovers his powers and grows into his identity as a superhero and finds out who he really is. The show tackled real world issues, such as unlawful deportation of racial minorities, xenophobia, family abuse, corrupt law enforcement, and even school safety and gun violence. Tom Welling performs well in the role of Superman and even shares a handful of scenes with the paralyzed yet beaming Christopher Reeve.

While poorly recieved at its release, Superman Returns was both a sequel to the first two Christopher Reeve films, and was also in a class and style of its own, with Brandon Routh being well cast for the role. There are a few call backs to the older films, with Superman uttering the same line to Lois that he did in the first film after saving her from a flight accident. This marked the first film that tried to portray Superman in a more gritty and grounded light. While Superman Returns was certainly ambitious, Brandon Routh will always be my first Superman.

Divisive is the best word to use to describe this rendition of Superman. Many enjoyed this grounded and darker take of the man of steel, while others thought it missed the point of the character entirely. Henry Cavill's performance of the character marks the first live action attempt of portraying Superman in a world with other metahumans, including the Justice League. Even to those who dislike the atmosphere of this portrayal, none can deny that these films paved the way for the current DC Cinematic Universe."

I really enjoy My Adventures with Superman because it combines the best of Superman lore with an animation style heavily inspired by anime, and I think it works really well. The love story between Lois and Clark is a joy to watch, and the characters are well fleshed out and believable. This is one of my favorite interpretations of Lois Lane. One thing that I don't care for much nowadays are fleshed out origin stories for well known characters, so seeing this Superman learn of his powers and come up from obscurity was something I could have lived without (after all, the best origin story for Superman is arguably his adaptation in Smallville). Outside of that, it is a good watch for Superman fans, anime fans, and anyone who enjoys a idealized and wholesome romantic relationship between two characters.

Arguably the most human Superman we have seen in live action, David Corenswet's version of Superman carries the past 80 years of the character's history on its back, showing the joyful, ‘I love doing my job’ spirit of Christopher Reeve, the darker, more formidable atmosphere brought by the villains of Cavill’s era, and the timeless hope that humanity has always looked for in Superman. David Corenswet, through director James Gunn, showed us that Superman is a punk rocker because he is kind in a hateful world, and that maybe kindness is our greatest super power. Because of this, David Corenswet is now my favorite Superman. This film, being the first of the new DCU, tries to behave differently than Marvel's Cinematic Universe by not relying on its premises being grounded in realism. This film proudly behaves as a comic book movie, with large monsters roaming the streets and no lines in the film having to apologize for the premise being so "out there." I enjoy watching this film, not just because it is so refreshing seeing a film made with passion and care (rather than with profits in mind), but because I haven't seen such a hopeful and kind Superman since Christopher Reeve. What's truely inspiring is that this film isn't trying to copy Christopher Reeve's character, but it is trying to mimic the hope that film gave us as children, and it does so in a new and unique way. Since the film's release, I have seen "hopecore" music trending, and people flocking to see the movie because it calls out the injustices of current power structures (with a rich billionaire attacking someone for being different, and literally being an immigrant), but it gives hope that maybe we aren't doomed as a species like Krypton was, and that is what Superman as a character is all about. Because the writers understood that and infused it into their film, this film easily gets a five star rating from me (even after watching it 3 times only months after its release).

The asthetic of Superman was heavily important to me as a child. I think this is true as an adult. Part of the appeal of comic books is their bright and flashy visuals. Superman's costume is no exception. I think the original design by Joe Shuster is absolutely phenomenal, because note how consistent Superman's outfit has been for the last 80 or so years. There has been no need to completely redesign Superman to the point of removing his key characteristics. There are exceptions over the years, like our favorite "Mullet Superman" in the black suit, or Superman Red and Superman Blue. But I wanted to include these pictures because I think it does an amazing job at showing off each of Superman's outfits across the decades, and how each is oddly similar to one another, and yet deeply grounded in its own time. The Fleischer Superman feels unashamedly 40s, and the Superfriends outfit feels unashamedly 70s. I am glad to be living in an era where we have another cinematic interpretation of Superman, and this one doesn't feel the need to mute the colors or remove the underwear that is so umblematic of the 1900's strongman. I wonder what type of suit the man of steel will don next...