“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, And The American Way” is issue #775 of Action Comics, and introduces The Elite, a group of supposed superheroes who have some extreme views about solving the worlds’ problems. I’ve already posted the movie to Saturday Night Showcase, so if it’s still up there, you might want to watch the movie itself before watching the following video review and examination, which I’m only using because my schedule just got a major screw-up. Luckily I got a topic before post time.
Superman Vs. The Elite isn’t the only adaptation, as the CW (formerly CBS) Supergirl series decided to pull a Russell T. Davies and use the wrong Kryptonian hero for the adaptation, just as Davies adapts novels and comics with the wrong Doctor on Doctor Who (usually one of David Tennant’s multiple regenerations). I haven’t watched it because it seemed to change after it left CBS but it hopefully contains the same message about Superman/girl not being judge, jury, and executioner like so many of the evil Superman stand-ins littering more recent stories. It’s a great story, and I enjoy the reviews of animation reviewer Shady Doorags, so this is good filler.
Everyone has their own perspective on a work even when they agree on liking it. They might like it for different reasons. So here is Shady’s view on why the movie worked for him, and to fill out the time with my thoughts I’ll plagiarize…myself with what I put in the comments.
I think the point of Manchester is the ultimate ends and origins of his point of view. He grew up believing might made right because that’s what he experienced from the victim end. The movie doesn’t say their father wasn’t mistreating them or sending them out to steal, or that the train wasn’t going to hit his sister. We are seeing all of that from his perspective, however. Between his dad, the authorities, and British Intelligence everybody had some form of power over him until his powers became as strong as they were and he met up with the other members of the Elite. We don’t get their full history but we can assume at least in part that they have similar stories beyond how Pam got her powers.
Even Bonny is a victim of that mentality as they impose their will on her long before what they did to the two countries and what they demanded of the world. Payback against those who Manchester feels wrong him and his team, and wrong the world like the boy’s father (the kid ignores his father’s teachings and out of anger demands revenge) is right and justified to him because they have the power. They’re the elite, literally in their eyes. Not the financial or social elite but when it comes to power. Together they’re more powerful than Superman. When that power is lost to him and he’s back to dealing with someone who comes off as more powerful his personal issues get the better of him. It’s an extreme version of what the story is pushing back against, that might makes right rather than the mutually agreed to rules that form society.
Totally agree on the art style. I didn’t like it for All-Star Superman either, though it might be worse there given that Frank Quietly’s art in the alternate universe maxiseries is so good. Clark just looks too big and bulky. Again, it’s on Saturday Night Showcase from YouTube ad-supported movies (at least currently) if you all want to check it out, and it really is that good a story.
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