Voices From Krypton

Brandon Routh on Superman's Relevancy in Today's World

Back in 2018 during the 40th anniversary Superman Celebration that was held in Metropolis, Illinois, we had the opportunity to sit down with actor Brandon Routh, who, of course, portrayed the Man of Steel in 2006’s Superman Returns. Since that film he’s been portraying Ray Palmer/The Atom in the Arrowverse, especially on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and had the opportunity to make his triumphant return as Superman on the CW’s recent crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths.

When we sat down to talk, Brandon had just come off the main stage where he spoke to fans, the love they obviously felt for him and his take on Superman palpable. That connection is where the conversation began, and from there we went on to discuss the character’s continuing relevancy in today’s world.

Part 1: "Superman: Man of Tomorrow" Writer Tim Sheridan

For over 20 years, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has produced more than three dozen animated adventures featuring the heroes of DC Comics. It kicked off in 2007 with Superman: Doomsday and there’s something fitting in the fact that when they essentially rebooted the whole thing, it was with 2020’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Here’s how they describe the film: “It’s the dawn of a new age of heroes and Metropolis has just met its first. But as Daily Planet intern Clark Kent, working alongside reporter Lois Lane, secretly wields his alien powers in the battle for good, there’s even greater trouble on the horizon. Follow the budding hero as he engages in bloody battles with intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo and fights for his life to halt the attack of power-hungry alien Parasite. The world will learn about Superman … but first, Superman must save the world.”

Gerry Conway Remembers "Superman vs. Spider-Man"

Back in 1976 America was celebrating its Bicentennial, but comics fans were rejoicing over the fact that for the first time Superman and Spider-Man, flagship characters of DC and Marvel Comics, were brought together for the first time. In this episode of the VFK podcast, Gerry Conway, the man who wrote that historic pairing, reflects on how it all came together. 

SMALLVILLE: Real Town Trying to Get Its Name Changed

1OneMinuteNews reports the following: "Christopher Wietrick, from Hutchinson, Kansas, wants to change the name of their sleepy little farm town to Smallville. Yes, that's the fictitious Kansas town where Clark Kent became Superman. It's cool, odd and they better rock it out to get people to flock to basically the middle of nowhere. The most important part is that it's for fun and for charity as Christopher states in his comment below... all proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club, and that's the coolest part. Sounds like a good place. Come to think of it, this is a lot like our expectations and obsession with politics and finding our own superman. Someone who can solve the country's problems in a single four year bound! We think that a name change will do the trick, make everything new and different. Are we crazy? Maybe... but it's fun. It's why we go see a new movie about the same superhero time after time, sequel after sequel, over and over. It's the American way!"

 

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: Episode 1 - "Superman On Earth"

We're not sure how long Warner Bros. will allow this to remain on YouTube, but here for your viewing pleasure is the premiere episode of the George Reeves series, The Adventures of Superman. For a couple of generations he truly was the Man of Steel.

SUPERMAN VS. WONDER WOMAN: Injustice - Gods Among Us Walkthrough

One minute they're locking lips on the cover of Justice League #12, the next they're beating the crap out fo each other in the game Injustice: Gods Among Us. Checkout the game's walkthrough featuring a battle between Superman and Wonder Woman.

SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI: Neal Adams Speaks Out

Geoff Boucher's Hero Complex features an interview he conducted with veteran artist Neal Adams regarding the collaboration Adams did with writer Denny O'Neil on the 1978 one-shot comic book special, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. In this video interview, Adams details how the project came about, its intent and a few other secrets about its making.

LONG LIVE SMALLVILLE: Video Tribute

The music of Taylor Swift is combined with a multitude of clips that pays tribute to the 10-year run of the CW's Smallville in this music video that manages to encompass much of the show's history.

SUPERMAN GAME: Images From the Now Canceled Game

The now defunct Factor 5 game maker had been developing a Superman video game that would have pit the Man of Steel against a variety of villains. The game's designer, Daveed Kaplan, has posted a number of shots from it.

MAN OF STEEL: Fan-Made Poster

We're still a looooong way from the release of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill as Superman, but that doesn't mean that the creativity of fans is going to be contained. Check out this fan-made poster for the film.