Columnist Martha Thomases over at the comic book website Comic Mix has a very good piece on the subject of Superman and Family Values. A nice, slightly nostalgic piece about the Silver-Age Superman and what family would mean to him.
I have to believe that Superman would favor the rights of immigrants, since he is one. I have to believe that a man who has roamed the various universes and seen thousands of different societies would develop respect for people with different beliefs than his, and different ways of defining family.
Her piece reminded me somewhat tangentally of something comics writer and columnist Tony Isabella once said. He recalled a Silver Age story back in the '60s where Superman once again has to be in two places at the same time, as Superman and as Clark Kent; and none of the dodges he ususally uses in these situations will work; (Batman will be at the event too, so he can't ask Bruce to cover for him; Lois has all the exits covered by X-ray machines so he can't use a robot duplicate, etc.)
So Superman decides to go to the one man he can trust with his secret. The President of the United States. Because if he can't trust the President, who can he trust? This is one of I beleive two appearances John F. Kennedy made in the comic books, and as fate would have it, it came out shortly after Kennedy's assassination when it was too late to cancel it.
But Tony has often said that his measure of being a good president is: Would Superman feel comfortable entrusting his Secret Identity to this man?
I think he could trust Obama. But I can think of very few presidents since Kennedy, Republican or Democratic, of whom I can say the same.
But anyway, read Martha's piece. It gave me a smile.
Share and Enjoy.