It's Superman!
Encyclopedia
It's Superman! is a novel by Tom De Haven
based on the comic book
superhero
Superman
. It was released on September 15, 2005 in hardcover and August 29, 2006 in paperback. The premise tells the tale of Clark Kent's beginnings into becoming Superman, set in the 1930s, where Clark befriends a wrongly convicted photographer named Willi Berg, and is then taken from Kansas
to Hollywood and finally in New York
where he meets Lois Lane
, fights Lex Luthor
, as he debuts in his superhero persona. Despite the setting, this is not about the Golden Age Superman
also known as the Superman of Earth-2
; as Perry White, the Daily Planet, Lex Luthor's position and his trademark powers (including flight) are not part of that alternate Earth. Rather, it's a Superman period piece
set in the 1930s
.
is interviewed by the local Sheriff over the death of a wanted man to whom Clark confronted at a movie theatre. He died from, what everyone agrees to be, his handgun firing backwards. Clark and his father, Jonathan Kent, know the real story: he shot Clark, and the bullet bounced off Clark's forehead, and killed the wanted man instead. Clark is scared over what he is becoming. Matters worsen when Clark's beloved mother, Martha Kent, dies of a terminal illness. In Manhattan
; Willi Berg storms out from Lois Lane
's, his girlfriend's, apartment because she could not help him buy back his camera, so he intends to steal it. Arriving at the pawn shop, he discovers several man dead, and gets wounded trying to escape when he sees the ringleader of the gang: Lex Luthor
. Because he is an alderman
, Lex frames Willi for the murders and a henchwoman attempts to murder him at the hospital days later until she is stopped by federal agents, led by Meyer Lansky. With their help, and Lois', Willi goes on the run, finding himself in Smallville as a member of the WPA
. There, he meets Clark, who is now a reporter for the Smallville Herald Progress, and befriends him after he shows off his superspeed. After solving the crime of a kidnapped child that ends unhappily; Clark quits the paper and Willi discusses with him the idea of leaving Smallville to travel. Because he wants to see what else is out there, Clark agrees.
Hollywood of 1937; Clark has a job as a stuntman and has a girlfriend named Diana Dewey, a costume designer. Willi meets with a former roommate of Lois', a voluptuous nurse who goes by the nickname Skinny, where he is found by police and gets arrested. Clark tries out a costume that was made for a science fiction
film that is now cancelled: a blue leotard with a red cape and a red "S". Upon trying it on, he is taken by it. After he discovers his ability of flight
; Clark puts on the costume to free Willi from the police. Clark and Willi then head back to New York where they meet back up with Lois, now a reporter for the Daily Planet
, and with whom Clark falls instantly in love with. There at Clark and Willi's new apartment, they describe to an unbelieving Lois the person who freed Willi who is a "friend" of him and Clark's: Superman
. The conversation turns from good to bad when Lois reports the sad news: the case that had been building against Lex Luthor has been dropped over the death of the head agent of the case and the missing, presumed destroyed, evidence. In a shocking turn of events, Lex announces his resignation
from his position as an alderman. Inside the offices of his company, LUTHOR Corp., he initiates the construction of robots - seemingly benign, but equipped with surveillance and weapons capabilities - dubbed "Lexbots".
On Halloween
Night; Clark tries to cheer up a depressed Willi as they walk throughout the city. At the same time, Lois tries to help her former boyfriend, an ex-cop who believes Lex murdered his partner. When Ceil Stickowski, widow of one of Lex' old henchman, calls to reveal secret information on what Luthor is planning, the two head out only to get into a gun fight with Paulie Scaffa, another henchman who just now murdered Ceil and Mrs. O'Shea, Luthor's partner. Paulie takes off - not before shooting Ben, Lois' police officer boyfriend - and takes off only to be stopped by Clark, wearing his Superman costume, as he damages the car to get Paulie out. However, inside the trunk is one of the Lexbots and it soon activates and attacks Superman. After a horrifying attack that leaves a few sections of the city street on fire, a bruised and exhausted Superman finally destroys the Lexbot and escapes before police can arrest him. The next morning, thanks to his article and the revelation that the evidence against Lex was not destroyed, as well as new evidence found by Lois of the LUTHOR Corp. logo on the robot; Lex Luthor is called to be arrested and Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet. Before he is arrested, Superman meets with Lex at his home; as Lex talks about how similar the two are, making them "perfect rivals"; Lex forces his assistant to jump from the window to which Superman saves. Returning, he learns that not only is the assistant dead of a heart attack, but that Lex used that time to escape.
In the closing chapter; our central characters watch the play Our Town
in February 1938. During the play, Clark thinks at what has happen to him and Superman since: he has saved countless lives from accidents and disasters, Lex (still on the run) had given Superman (through Clark) a new more powerful costume with a red on yellow "S" crest, FDR
has called for Superman to have a "chat" (to which Clark is reluctant to attend), and sometimes Clark hates his Superman persona because of the pressures put upon him and also because Lois dislikes Clark but loves Superman. Finally, as the play ends, he thinks of what his father said to him on his deathbed, to use his powers for good. Lois notices Clark sobbing in his theater box and, surprised by her own concern, calls out to him. She finally gains his attention by throwing a shoe at him. When Clark takes off his glasses to wipe his eyes, a thrill goes through Lois as, immediately spotting his resemblance to the Man of Steel, she first develops the classic suspicion that Clark is Superman. At the same time, Clark looks into Lois' eyes and realizes that he will love her for the rest of his life and that this love will fuel him to do his best to do good in the world. He has struggled through the entire book to feel "like everyone else;" and now, he is, "like everyone else."
is the protagonist, who later goes by the alter-ego of Superman
. The adopted son of farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent: Clark is a shy, quiet and insecure young man who feels "there" in society because of his alienation
. He possesses "talents
" such as super strength, speed, flight, and much more. No matter how many people he is surrounded by, he feels alone. This is due to the fact he feels that they can not relate to him (ironically the only person who does is his nemesis, Lex Luthor). Unlike most mythos; Clark is given a more "human" approach, much like an "everyman
", that subjects him with the same humane actions and temptations that would go against his comic book counterpart, while still not astraying from his "boy scout" image. Examples include an angsty brooding nature more reminiscent of Batman
than Superman; and moments where he breaks the law and uses his powers to his advantage. Also unlike the mythos; Clark is unaware about his Kryptonian
origins. Instead, he at one point recalls a dream where a planet is dying of old age and a scientist and his wife send their son off to a rocket ship. Plus, he is jokingly told by his father that he came "from a "wagon", suggesting it might have been an airship that dropped a bomb (under this assumption, they do not understand why a bomb would contain a baby). But it is Clark who suggests to his denying father, that he must be an alien from another planet.
Willi Berg is a photographer, Lois Lane's ex-boyfriend, and, eventually, Clark Kent's best friend. Known for his past of getting into trouble; no one believes him when he is accused of murder, saying he was framed by Lex Luthor; New York's alderman. He is saved by the FBI, and with the help of Lois, gets a job with the WPA
, where he meets Clark. It is because of Willi that Clark develops his powers, leaves Smallville, and he and Clark together create Clark's dual-identity; making Clark and Superman two separate people. It is alluded that Willi intended to use Clark and his abilities for his own purposes to get him out of the jam he was in, but went against that idea as he was starting to like Clark. Interestingly, Willi dyes his hair red while on the lam, making him reminiscent of the Daily Planet's red-headed photographer, Jimmy Olson (who does not appear in this book, though was going to be Willi's false identity when he was on the run in the original proposal).
Lois Lane
begins as a student at Columbia University journalism school, before becoming a reporter for the Daily Planet
. Described as a "pistol" by the novel's reviewers; Lois will do anything to get the story, including getting the dirt on Lex Luthor, and will not let anything or anyone stop her in the male-dominated journalistic world. Her intelligence, self-confidence and beauty attract an impressive number of men, including Willi Berg and Ben Jaeger. She is an army brat; with the man she grew up being a hard-nosed retired army captain (in the comics, he is a general). She occasionally fears she will never meet a man where the relationship lasts, and she isn't put down because she is a woman. Her relationship with Clark is complicated; as she knows she can easily have him, she expresses disinterest and sometimes scorn when he asks her out. She always makes jokes about him, but she does not mean it, and she is not as coldhearted as she makes herself appear.
Lex Luthor
is the main antagonist, an alderman
in New York, and in charge of his company, LUTHOR Corp
. Luthor is the man responsible for framing Willi Berg after he is spotted at the murder scene of a pawn shop owner. Under his respectable disguise of an alderman, Lex secretly runs a criminal empire from within Manhattan that of which he has constantly evaded the long arm of the law. Lex' criminal actions may have been due to the notion that he is the son of a fugitive that Lex says he will never be like because he was "stupid." He seems embarrassed by his mother, to which after her funeral, he tells his mother at her grave that he never loved her and that if she wanted a son who did, she should have given birth to someone else. Despite his ruthlessness; Lex is very racial-tolerant and will not let any of the people working for him make any racist slurs. The connection between Lex and Clark/Superman is based on how similar the two characters are; like Clark, Lex feels alone because he is not one of "them".
Jonathan and Martha Kent are the owners of their self-named farm, as well as the loving parents of their adopted son, Clark. Before Clark came into their lives, the Kents could not conceive, and Jonathan felt happy about that, due to his past with his own father to whom he disrespected. Because of Clark being "different", Jonathan could not help nor understand what must have been going in Clark's mind to answer his questions, making Jonathan feel as if he had been a bad father. All evidence, however, points to him as the opposite: a patient and loving man who gives Clark his moral conscience (and a few grammar lessons); Jonathan's encouragement becomes one of the reasons he becomes Superman, and why he stays being Superman even after experiencing some fears. Martha dies early in the novel, but her presence is still felt through the minds of both Clark and Jonathan; mentioning her background, her faith, and her past as a pioneer woman. Jonathan follows suite near the end and dies too; just like his wife, it appears to be of natural causes
, hastened, it appears, by the loneliness brought on by Martha's death and Clark's departure for the wider world.
Jiggs Markley and the Markley Gang are criminals on the FBI's most wanted list who find themselves in Smallville, Kansas. Jiggs is killed by what the Sheriffs of Smallville believe his gun firing backwards while confronting Clark Kent at the Jewel movie theatre (in reality, the bullet bounced off Clark's forehead). Three others from the gang, made up by Ike "Curly Ike" Kelting, Milt George, and Claude Draper, later kidnap and murder the child of a banker they were holding for ransom. The gang is later taken down, while Ike gets killed in a car crash caused by Clark, covering the incident for his town's newspaper. All others from the gang are mentioned to have fled to Mexico.
Alger Lee is a young African-American man, who first appears working for the Jewel movie theatre, and later at the Kent Farm (like his father did) when Clark starts moving on away and Jonathan Kent becomes weaker due to old age. Alger knows Clark, and knows Clark can do things no other man can do, but keeps it a secret just like Willi. It is assumed that, after the passing of Jonathan Kent, that Alger and his family get the farm thanks to their generosity.
Paulie Scaffa and Herman "Sticky" Stickowski are two of Lex Luthor's well-known henchmen. They perform their duties however Lex wants them do to them, and try not to get their boss angry at either one of them from whatever mistakes they make on purpose or not. Paulie is the son of a father who does not appreciate anything he does, even after showing him a Lexbot robot. Because of that, he hates his father. Sticky, already terminally ill, is smothered to death by Lex, who then offers his wife, Ceil, a job managing a brothel. Ceil Stickowski continues to nearly worship Lex until, near the end of the novel, she realizes he murdered her beloved husband. She is later killed by Paulie when Mrs. O'Shea learns that Ceil is about to spill all she know about Lex's robots to Lois Lane. Paulie during a fight between Superman and a Lexbot the thug has foolishly hidden in the trunk of his car.
Skinny Simon is a friend of Willi and Lois, and is ironically nicknamed Skinny because of her voluptuous figure. She works at a hospital in Manhattan and is the first to tell Lois when Willi is shot. Later, she and Willi meet in Hollywood where she is almost murdered by her husband. Despite these ordeals, she perseveres and eventually finds herself back in New York. She eventually marries Ben Jaeger.
Dick Sandglass is a New York City detective; has a son nicknamed Spider, and is admired by both Willi Berg and his fellow partner, Ben Jaeger. He spends two years investigating the link between a "ghost gang of criminals" and Alderman Lex Luthor. Because of his investigation; Sandglass is later murdered by Luthor's men, and his son dies afterward while trying to rescue is father.
Caesar Colluzo is a self-taught engineer who is hired by Lex Luthor to design ultra-powerful, omnipresent robots. After the creation of the Lexbots are a success; Lex murders Caesar so that he will not reveal Lex's secrets.
Diana Dewey is briefly Clark's girlfriend - and his first lover - when he is living in Hollywood, California, working as a stuntman. A former actress; Diana is a costume designer for various movies, one was of which that becomes cancelled was going to be "The Saucer Man from Saturn". Clark tries out the only outfit made for the film which later becomes the Superman costume. By the time Clark and Willi are in New York, Diana is never seen again. One idea is that Diana might've seemed uncomfortable after Clark revealed what he could do and later after he freed Willi from jail was possibly eager to rid herself of Clark; but there is no evidence to support that theory. The only thing the novel does is that, once Clark meets and is smitten by Lois Lane, he doesn't seem to remember Diana at all.
Ben Jaeger is a New York City cop, a protegee of Dick Sandglass, and the boyfriend (later ex-boyfriend) of Lois Lane. After the death of his mentor, Sandglass; Jaeger is hit hard and becomes obsessed with nailing. Even during this obsession, he brings Lois candy, but she is put off by his intense, brooding, single-minded demeanor. He is shot in the chest twice by Paulie and nearly dies, but later recovers, and finds a new lease on life working at the theatre with his first gig being involved with the play Our Town
.
Helen O'Shea (mainly called Mrs. O'Shea) is Lex Luthor's personal assistant, but after she murders the son of Dick Sandglass, she becomes Lex' full partner and his lover. Her husband, Denholm is serving a 50 year prison sentence for murdering a union organizer with a shed cutter. Lex met O'Shea after she was sent to the House of Detention for Women in Greenwich Village, and has been working for him since. Once she realizes Ceil Stickowski is going to inform Lois Lane on Luthor's Lexbots, she goes out to kill her, only to be killed herself by Paulie Scaffa, one of Lex's henchmen, who also kills Ceil.
Edith "Soda" Wauters is a singer and owner of a jazz music club named after her nickname, and the mistress of late Dick Sandglass. A twice divorcee; Soda fell in love at first sight toward Sandglass (though he never told her his last name, and lied saying he was not a cop). She is devastated when he stops coming around, eventually realizing he is dead. It is only when she remembers the package he left for her to keep safe (a copy of the same one that was to be used against Lex Luthor, but was destroyed after Sandglass was murdered) that a drunken Soda heads out and after some dead ends, makes it to the Daily Planet the next day, where she meets Clark Kent. She and Clark later become friends; as evidenced by Clark's birthday present to her by taking her to see "Out Town", and by Soda dedicating the song "Someone to Watch Over Me" anytime he visits her club.
began working on the novella Sunborn Lake. From the work done in creating it, De Haven ended up falling in love with the 1930s; the period the first of his novellas was set in. After the release of Derby Dugan Depression Funnies, the sequel to Funny Papers, in 1996, De Haven got a call from DC, asking if he would be interested in doing a Superman
novel set in the same period as Depression Funnies, the 1930s. De Haven was honored at first, because of the iconic nature of the character, but on the other hand felt unsure as he would not own the copyright as he had done for his previous works. Nevertheless, he accepted the job. However, he was already committed in writing Dugan Under Ground, and wanted to finish that first. DC agreed, even though that novel was finally published in September 2001, four years later. During that time, DC gave De Haven copies of Superman's early stories found in the pages of DC Archive Editions
, for the writer to study.
For De Haven, he wanted It's Superman! to be a straight adult novel, with little irony, and very real world (New York instead of the more famous Metropolis
), as much as he wanted the Clark Kent
/Superman who was an average Joe
like Jerry Siegel
's and Joe Shuster
's version. A coming of age
story where everything that made up the 1930s, religion, politics, or the world, influenced the mind of our main character. It was De Haven's idea to end the story with Clark ready to experience his life experiences as Superman, different from similar stories of the norm where everything is all set in the end. This was done for readers to easily have confidence in Clark because of the story's main events as the book closes.
After De Haven's pitch proposal, Chronicle Books
made the offer to publish the novel. Even with the contract to finish the manuscript within one year, it ended up taking up to two-and-a-half years to complete. The finished manuscript ran up to 1000 pages long, obviously too long for a published book, and De Haven was allowed more time to cut down the book to a reasonable page length in early 2005. What was removed were: the backstory on Lex Luthor, a subplot involving a Russian spy after Luthor's "Lexbot" plans, more about Diana Dewey, Clark's girlfriend from Hollywood, more on Martha Kent, and more. Losing the material was not missed on De Haven's part, as it made the book shorter.
described the novel as "Delightful with energy and imagination", and Entertainment Weekly
stated that the book is "textured with authentic faces, places, and attitudes." Various websites went as far as to put the novel side by side with non-superhero novels such as The Grapes of Wrath
and The Outsiders
. Comic Geek Speak
, a fan podcast dealing with comics and other media, did an episode about the novel, where De Haven was also a guest. The novel was praised by the podcast, where the hosts stated that they liked the novel's story being original, and the depiction of Clark, where he was seen as "..a much more 'human' Clark than we are use to seeing in comics and other media." It was also brought up that this novel alone had gotten every one of the hosts interested in other novels based on comic books and superheroes, noting Batman: The Ultimate Evil
as one example.
Some reviewers though felt the opposite, to which De Haven described in his entry on the Thunder Child website that he felt those readers "didn't get it". One example was from Superman Homepage.com; while one reviewer gave the novel a positive review, the other reviewer gave a negetive one, feeling that, regardless of how intelligent the novel was, it should have been a superhero novel, and thus felt ripped off. Almost a fanboy complaint, the reviewer hated that there was only one battle in the book, and the actions Clark/Superman does in the novel were not "Superman-like", and went as far as to say the character was stupid. Those alone were defended by De Haven himself from the Thunder Child website, where he described that he was in "disgust" over the negative comments, and he explained that: "he is a young man who grew up in his time and his place and was educated according to the theories and with the tools of that context. (He went to Smallville High, not Phillips Exeter Academy
, for crying out loud.) He worries that he's not smart enough to do the things that he wants to do, feels he should do, but he manages to put aside, if never completely overcome, those feelings of inadequacy, and to me that's heroic. Why would anyone think a 17-20 year old kid from a tiny farming town in eastern Kansas would move out into the greater world and immediately, instinctively believe he could compete with a big-city politician like Lex Luthor or engage in an easygoing man-to-man conversation with the President of the United States?" Comic Geek Speak joined De Haven in his comments, with co-host Bryan Deemer saying that he liked It's Superman!s Clark because he himself was tired of seeing Clark as the "perfect angel" all the time; adding that Clark's actions made sense for him to do because he was a kid, and it will still lead him into the boy scout he will soon evolve into. Also, co-host Peter Rios pointed out that he saw the scenes where the doubtful Clark did not "get it", as scenes where Clark came across as "alien...which is exactly what he is."
Tom De Haven
Tom De Haven is an American author, editor, journalist, and writing teacher.His recurring subjects include literary and film noir, the Hollywood studio system and the American comics industry...
based on the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. It was released on September 15, 2005 in hardcover and August 29, 2006 in paperback. The premise tells the tale of Clark Kent's beginnings into becoming Superman, set in the 1930s, where Clark befriends a wrongly convicted photographer named Willi Berg, and is then taken from Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
to Hollywood and finally in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he meets Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, fights Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, as he debuts in his superhero persona. Despite the setting, this is not about the Golden Age Superman
Kal-L
The Superman of Earth-Two is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Justice League of America #73 . He is a version of the Kryptonian superhero Superman from an alternate reality called Earth-Two...
also known as the Superman of Earth-2
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
; as Perry White, the Daily Planet, Lex Luthor's position and his trademark powers (including flight) are not part of that alternate Earth. Rather, it's a Superman period piece
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
set in the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
.
Plot
Smallville, Kansas in 1935; Clark KentClark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
is interviewed by the local Sheriff over the death of a wanted man to whom Clark confronted at a movie theatre. He died from, what everyone agrees to be, his handgun firing backwards. Clark and his father, Jonathan Kent, know the real story: he shot Clark, and the bullet bounced off Clark's forehead, and killed the wanted man instead. Clark is scared over what he is becoming. Matters worsen when Clark's beloved mother, Martha Kent, dies of a terminal illness. In Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
; Willi Berg storms out from Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
's, his girlfriend's, apartment because she could not help him buy back his camera, so he intends to steal it. Arriving at the pawn shop, he discovers several man dead, and gets wounded trying to escape when he sees the ringleader of the gang: Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
. Because he is an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, Lex frames Willi for the murders and a henchwoman attempts to murder him at the hospital days later until she is stopped by federal agents, led by Meyer Lansky. With their help, and Lois', Willi goes on the run, finding himself in Smallville as a member of the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
. There, he meets Clark, who is now a reporter for the Smallville Herald Progress, and befriends him after he shows off his superspeed. After solving the crime of a kidnapped child that ends unhappily; Clark quits the paper and Willi discusses with him the idea of leaving Smallville to travel. Because he wants to see what else is out there, Clark agrees.
Hollywood of 1937; Clark has a job as a stuntman and has a girlfriend named Diana Dewey, a costume designer. Willi meets with a former roommate of Lois', a voluptuous nurse who goes by the nickname Skinny, where he is found by police and gets arrested. Clark tries out a costume that was made for a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film that is now cancelled: a blue leotard with a red cape and a red "S". Upon trying it on, he is taken by it. After he discovers his ability of flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
; Clark puts on the costume to free Willi from the police. Clark and Willi then head back to New York where they meet back up with Lois, now a reporter for the Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
, and with whom Clark falls instantly in love with. There at Clark and Willi's new apartment, they describe to an unbelieving Lois the person who freed Willi who is a "friend" of him and Clark's: Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. The conversation turns from good to bad when Lois reports the sad news: the case that had been building against Lex Luthor has been dropped over the death of the head agent of the case and the missing, presumed destroyed, evidence. In a shocking turn of events, Lex announces his resignation
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
from his position as an alderman. Inside the offices of his company, LUTHOR Corp., he initiates the construction of robots - seemingly benign, but equipped with surveillance and weapons capabilities - dubbed "Lexbots".
On Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
Night; Clark tries to cheer up a depressed Willi as they walk throughout the city. At the same time, Lois tries to help her former boyfriend, an ex-cop who believes Lex murdered his partner. When Ceil Stickowski, widow of one of Lex' old henchman, calls to reveal secret information on what Luthor is planning, the two head out only to get into a gun fight with Paulie Scaffa, another henchman who just now murdered Ceil and Mrs. O'Shea, Luthor's partner. Paulie takes off - not before shooting Ben, Lois' police officer boyfriend - and takes off only to be stopped by Clark, wearing his Superman costume, as he damages the car to get Paulie out. However, inside the trunk is one of the Lexbots and it soon activates and attacks Superman. After a horrifying attack that leaves a few sections of the city street on fire, a bruised and exhausted Superman finally destroys the Lexbot and escapes before police can arrest him. The next morning, thanks to his article and the revelation that the evidence against Lex was not destroyed, as well as new evidence found by Lois of the LUTHOR Corp. logo on the robot; Lex Luthor is called to be arrested and Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet. Before he is arrested, Superman meets with Lex at his home; as Lex talks about how similar the two are, making them "perfect rivals"; Lex forces his assistant to jump from the window to which Superman saves. Returning, he learns that not only is the assistant dead of a heart attack, but that Lex used that time to escape.
In the closing chapter; our central characters watch the play Our Town
Our Town
Our Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
in February 1938. During the play, Clark thinks at what has happen to him and Superman since: he has saved countless lives from accidents and disasters, Lex (still on the run) had given Superman (through Clark) a new more powerful costume with a red on yellow "S" crest, FDR
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
has called for Superman to have a "chat" (to which Clark is reluctant to attend), and sometimes Clark hates his Superman persona because of the pressures put upon him and also because Lois dislikes Clark but loves Superman. Finally, as the play ends, he thinks of what his father said to him on his deathbed, to use his powers for good. Lois notices Clark sobbing in his theater box and, surprised by her own concern, calls out to him. She finally gains his attention by throwing a shoe at him. When Clark takes off his glasses to wipe his eyes, a thrill goes through Lois as, immediately spotting his resemblance to the Man of Steel, she first develops the classic suspicion that Clark is Superman. At the same time, Clark looks into Lois' eyes and realizes that he will love her for the rest of his life and that this love will fuel him to do his best to do good in the world. He has struggled through the entire book to feel "like everyone else;" and now, he is, "like everyone else."
Main characters
Clark KentClark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
is the protagonist, who later goes by the alter-ego of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. The adopted son of farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent: Clark is a shy, quiet and insecure young man who feels "there" in society because of his alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
. He possesses "talents
Powers and abilities of Superman
The powers of DC Comics character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s. The extent of his powers peaked during the 1970s and 1980s to the point where various writers found it difficult to create suitable challenges for the character...
" such as super strength, speed, flight, and much more. No matter how many people he is surrounded by, he feels alone. This is due to the fact he feels that they can not relate to him (ironically the only person who does is his nemesis, Lex Luthor). Unlike most mythos; Clark is given a more "human" approach, much like an "everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
", that subjects him with the same humane actions and temptations that would go against his comic book counterpart, while still not astraying from his "boy scout" image. Examples include an angsty brooding nature more reminiscent of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
than Superman; and moments where he breaks the law and uses his powers to his advantage. Also unlike the mythos; Clark is unaware about his Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
origins. Instead, he at one point recalls a dream where a planet is dying of old age and a scientist and his wife send their son off to a rocket ship. Plus, he is jokingly told by his father that he came "from a "wagon", suggesting it might have been an airship that dropped a bomb (under this assumption, they do not understand why a bomb would contain a baby). But it is Clark who suggests to his denying father, that he must be an alien from another planet.
Willi Berg is a photographer, Lois Lane's ex-boyfriend, and, eventually, Clark Kent's best friend. Known for his past of getting into trouble; no one believes him when he is accused of murder, saying he was framed by Lex Luthor; New York's alderman. He is saved by the FBI, and with the help of Lois, gets a job with the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
, where he meets Clark. It is because of Willi that Clark develops his powers, leaves Smallville, and he and Clark together create Clark's dual-identity; making Clark and Superman two separate people. It is alluded that Willi intended to use Clark and his abilities for his own purposes to get him out of the jam he was in, but went against that idea as he was starting to like Clark. Interestingly, Willi dyes his hair red while on the lam, making him reminiscent of the Daily Planet's red-headed photographer, Jimmy Olson (who does not appear in this book, though was going to be Willi's false identity when he was on the run in the original proposal).
Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
begins as a student at Columbia University journalism school, before becoming a reporter for the Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
. Described as a "pistol" by the novel's reviewers; Lois will do anything to get the story, including getting the dirt on Lex Luthor, and will not let anything or anyone stop her in the male-dominated journalistic world. Her intelligence, self-confidence and beauty attract an impressive number of men, including Willi Berg and Ben Jaeger. She is an army brat; with the man she grew up being a hard-nosed retired army captain (in the comics, he is a general). She occasionally fears she will never meet a man where the relationship lasts, and she isn't put down because she is a woman. Her relationship with Clark is complicated; as she knows she can easily have him, she expresses disinterest and sometimes scorn when he asks her out. She always makes jokes about him, but she does not mean it, and she is not as coldhearted as she makes herself appear.
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
is the main antagonist, an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in New York, and in charge of his company, LUTHOR Corp
LexCorp
LexCorp is the fictional company founded by Lex Luthor in the popular DC Comics Superman series. It made its first proper appearance in John Byrne's The Man of Steel miniseries, which established the post-Crisis Superman setting...
. Luthor is the man responsible for framing Willi Berg after he is spotted at the murder scene of a pawn shop owner. Under his respectable disguise of an alderman, Lex secretly runs a criminal empire from within Manhattan that of which he has constantly evaded the long arm of the law. Lex' criminal actions may have been due to the notion that he is the son of a fugitive that Lex says he will never be like because he was "stupid." He seems embarrassed by his mother, to which after her funeral, he tells his mother at her grave that he never loved her and that if she wanted a son who did, she should have given birth to someone else. Despite his ruthlessness; Lex is very racial-tolerant and will not let any of the people working for him make any racist slurs. The connection between Lex and Clark/Superman is based on how similar the two characters are; like Clark, Lex feels alone because he is not one of "them".
Jonathan and Martha Kent are the owners of their self-named farm, as well as the loving parents of their adopted son, Clark. Before Clark came into their lives, the Kents could not conceive, and Jonathan felt happy about that, due to his past with his own father to whom he disrespected. Because of Clark being "different", Jonathan could not help nor understand what must have been going in Clark's mind to answer his questions, making Jonathan feel as if he had been a bad father. All evidence, however, points to him as the opposite: a patient and loving man who gives Clark his moral conscience (and a few grammar lessons); Jonathan's encouragement becomes one of the reasons he becomes Superman, and why he stays being Superman even after experiencing some fears. Martha dies early in the novel, but her presence is still felt through the minds of both Clark and Jonathan; mentioning her background, her faith, and her past as a pioneer woman. Jonathan follows suite near the end and dies too; just like his wife, it appears to be of natural causes
Death by natural causes
A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...
, hastened, it appears, by the loneliness brought on by Martha's death and Clark's departure for the wider world.
Other characters
Sheriff Bill Dutcher, is the Sheriff of the county in which Smallville, Kansas is located. His duty is in dealing with the crimes that occur in the unincorporated county area surrounding Smallville; two of which feature and involve Clark Kent. He is sometimes accompanied by other law enforcement officers, such as Doug Parker, Smallville's local Chief of Police, and later with FBI Agent Foley.Jiggs Markley and the Markley Gang are criminals on the FBI's most wanted list who find themselves in Smallville, Kansas. Jiggs is killed by what the Sheriffs of Smallville believe his gun firing backwards while confronting Clark Kent at the Jewel movie theatre (in reality, the bullet bounced off Clark's forehead). Three others from the gang, made up by Ike "Curly Ike" Kelting, Milt George, and Claude Draper, later kidnap and murder the child of a banker they were holding for ransom. The gang is later taken down, while Ike gets killed in a car crash caused by Clark, covering the incident for his town's newspaper. All others from the gang are mentioned to have fled to Mexico.
Alger Lee is a young African-American man, who first appears working for the Jewel movie theatre, and later at the Kent Farm (like his father did) when Clark starts moving on away and Jonathan Kent becomes weaker due to old age. Alger knows Clark, and knows Clark can do things no other man can do, but keeps it a secret just like Willi. It is assumed that, after the passing of Jonathan Kent, that Alger and his family get the farm thanks to their generosity.
Paulie Scaffa and Herman "Sticky" Stickowski are two of Lex Luthor's well-known henchmen. They perform their duties however Lex wants them do to them, and try not to get their boss angry at either one of them from whatever mistakes they make on purpose or not. Paulie is the son of a father who does not appreciate anything he does, even after showing him a Lexbot robot. Because of that, he hates his father. Sticky, already terminally ill, is smothered to death by Lex, who then offers his wife, Ceil, a job managing a brothel. Ceil Stickowski continues to nearly worship Lex until, near the end of the novel, she realizes he murdered her beloved husband. She is later killed by Paulie when Mrs. O'Shea learns that Ceil is about to spill all she know about Lex's robots to Lois Lane. Paulie during a fight between Superman and a Lexbot the thug has foolishly hidden in the trunk of his car.
Skinny Simon is a friend of Willi and Lois, and is ironically nicknamed Skinny because of her voluptuous figure. She works at a hospital in Manhattan and is the first to tell Lois when Willi is shot. Later, she and Willi meet in Hollywood where she is almost murdered by her husband. Despite these ordeals, she perseveres and eventually finds herself back in New York. She eventually marries Ben Jaeger.
Dick Sandglass is a New York City detective; has a son nicknamed Spider, and is admired by both Willi Berg and his fellow partner, Ben Jaeger. He spends two years investigating the link between a "ghost gang of criminals" and Alderman Lex Luthor. Because of his investigation; Sandglass is later murdered by Luthor's men, and his son dies afterward while trying to rescue is father.
Caesar Colluzo is a self-taught engineer who is hired by Lex Luthor to design ultra-powerful, omnipresent robots. After the creation of the Lexbots are a success; Lex murders Caesar so that he will not reveal Lex's secrets.
Diana Dewey is briefly Clark's girlfriend - and his first lover - when he is living in Hollywood, California, working as a stuntman. A former actress; Diana is a costume designer for various movies, one was of which that becomes cancelled was going to be "The Saucer Man from Saturn". Clark tries out the only outfit made for the film which later becomes the Superman costume. By the time Clark and Willi are in New York, Diana is never seen again. One idea is that Diana might've seemed uncomfortable after Clark revealed what he could do and later after he freed Willi from jail was possibly eager to rid herself of Clark; but there is no evidence to support that theory. The only thing the novel does is that, once Clark meets and is smitten by Lois Lane, he doesn't seem to remember Diana at all.
Ben Jaeger is a New York City cop, a protegee of Dick Sandglass, and the boyfriend (later ex-boyfriend) of Lois Lane. After the death of his mentor, Sandglass; Jaeger is hit hard and becomes obsessed with nailing. Even during this obsession, he brings Lois candy, but she is put off by his intense, brooding, single-minded demeanor. He is shot in the chest twice by Paulie and nearly dies, but later recovers, and finds a new lease on life working at the theatre with his first gig being involved with the play Our Town
Our Town
Our Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
.
Helen O'Shea (mainly called Mrs. O'Shea) is Lex Luthor's personal assistant, but after she murders the son of Dick Sandglass, she becomes Lex' full partner and his lover. Her husband, Denholm is serving a 50 year prison sentence for murdering a union organizer with a shed cutter. Lex met O'Shea after she was sent to the House of Detention for Women in Greenwich Village, and has been working for him since. Once she realizes Ceil Stickowski is going to inform Lois Lane on Luthor's Lexbots, she goes out to kill her, only to be killed herself by Paulie Scaffa, one of Lex's henchmen, who also kills Ceil.
Edith "Soda" Wauters is a singer and owner of a jazz music club named after her nickname, and the mistress of late Dick Sandglass. A twice divorcee; Soda fell in love at first sight toward Sandglass (though he never told her his last name, and lied saying he was not a cop). She is devastated when he stops coming around, eventually realizing he is dead. It is only when she remembers the package he left for her to keep safe (a copy of the same one that was to be used against Lex Luthor, but was destroyed after Sandglass was murdered) that a drunken Soda heads out and after some dead ends, makes it to the Daily Planet the next day, where she meets Clark Kent. She and Clark later become friends; as evidenced by Clark's birthday present to her by taking her to see "Out Town", and by Soda dedicating the song "Someone to Watch Over Me" anytime he visits her club.
Background
After the release of his 1985 book, Funny Papers, Tom De HavenTom De Haven
Tom De Haven is an American author, editor, journalist, and writing teacher.His recurring subjects include literary and film noir, the Hollywood studio system and the American comics industry...
began working on the novella Sunborn Lake. From the work done in creating it, De Haven ended up falling in love with the 1930s; the period the first of his novellas was set in. After the release of Derby Dugan Depression Funnies, the sequel to Funny Papers, in 1996, De Haven got a call from DC, asking if he would be interested in doing a Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
novel set in the same period as Depression Funnies, the 1930s. De Haven was honored at first, because of the iconic nature of the character, but on the other hand felt unsure as he would not own the copyright as he had done for his previous works. Nevertheless, he accepted the job. However, he was already committed in writing Dugan Under Ground, and wanted to finish that first. DC agreed, even though that novel was finally published in September 2001, four years later. During that time, DC gave De Haven copies of Superman's early stories found in the pages of DC Archive Editions
DC Archive Editions
DC Archive Editions, collect early, sometimes rare, comic books published by DC and other publishers into a permanent hardcover series. With more than 100 titles, this series began in 1989 with Superman Archives Vol. 1...
, for the writer to study.
For De Haven, he wanted It's Superman! to be a straight adult novel, with little irony, and very real world (New York instead of the more famous Metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
), as much as he wanted the Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
/Superman who was an average Joe
Average Joe
Average Joe is an American reality television show broadcast on the NBC beginning in 2003. There were a total of four seasons, the first two following the original show premise, and the last two bringing back contestants from prior seasons.-Show Premise:...
like Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
's and Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster
Joseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1...
's version. A coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story where everything that made up the 1930s, religion, politics, or the world, influenced the mind of our main character. It was De Haven's idea to end the story with Clark ready to experience his life experiences as Superman, different from similar stories of the norm where everything is all set in the end. This was done for readers to easily have confidence in Clark because of the story's main events as the book closes.
After De Haven's pitch proposal, Chronicle Books
Chronicle Books
Chronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children.The company was established in 1968 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1999 it was bought by Nion McEvoy, great-grandson of...
made the offer to publish the novel. Even with the contract to finish the manuscript within one year, it ended up taking up to two-and-a-half years to complete. The finished manuscript ran up to 1000 pages long, obviously too long for a published book, and De Haven was allowed more time to cut down the book to a reasonable page length in early 2005. What was removed were: the backstory on Lex Luthor, a subplot involving a Russian spy after Luthor's "Lexbot" plans, more about Diana Dewey, Clark's girlfriend from Hollywood, more on Martha Kent, and more. Losing the material was not missed on De Haven's part, as it made the book shorter.
Response
Reviews of It's Superman! were overall generally positive. Readers applauded the 1930s details, from movies to even the brands of cigarettes, as well as the book's nature to "suck them into" the story. The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the novel as "Delightful with energy and imagination", and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
stated that the book is "textured with authentic faces, places, and attitudes." Various websites went as far as to put the novel side by side with non-superhero novels such as The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962....
and The Outsiders
The Outsiders (novel)
The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel based in 1965 by S. E. Hinton, first published in 1967 by Viking Press. Hinton was 15 when she started writing the novel, but did most of the work when she was sixteen and a junior in high school. Hinton was 18 when the book was published...
. Comic Geek Speak
Comic Geek Speak
Comic Geek Speak is a comics audio podcast that focuses on current mainstream and small-press comic books, featuring creator interviews, reviews, commentary on the comic book craft and industry, comic-related movie discussions and more...
, a fan podcast dealing with comics and other media, did an episode about the novel, where De Haven was also a guest. The novel was praised by the podcast, where the hosts stated that they liked the novel's story being original, and the depiction of Clark, where he was seen as "..a much more 'human' Clark than we are use to seeing in comics and other media." It was also brought up that this novel alone had gotten every one of the hosts interested in other novels based on comic books and superheroes, noting Batman: The Ultimate Evil
Batman: The Ultimate Evil
Batman: The Ultimate Evil is a novel by Andrew Vachss, a crime novelist known for focusing on child abuse in his novels.-Plot Summary:...
as one example.
Some reviewers though felt the opposite, to which De Haven described in his entry on the Thunder Child website that he felt those readers "didn't get it". One example was from Superman Homepage.com; while one reviewer gave the novel a positive review, the other reviewer gave a negetive one, feeling that, regardless of how intelligent the novel was, it should have been a superhero novel, and thus felt ripped off. Almost a fanboy complaint, the reviewer hated that there was only one battle in the book, and the actions Clark/Superman does in the novel were not "Superman-like", and went as far as to say the character was stupid. Those alone were defended by De Haven himself from the Thunder Child website, where he described that he was in "disgust" over the negative comments, and he explained that: "he is a young man who grew up in his time and his place and was educated according to the theories and with the tools of that context. (He went to Smallville High, not Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
, for crying out loud.) He worries that he's not smart enough to do the things that he wants to do, feels he should do, but he manages to put aside, if never completely overcome, those feelings of inadequacy, and to me that's heroic. Why would anyone think a 17-20 year old kid from a tiny farming town in eastern Kansas would move out into the greater world and immediately, instinctively believe he could compete with a big-city politician like Lex Luthor or engage in an easygoing man-to-man conversation with the President of the United States?" Comic Geek Speak joined De Haven in his comments, with co-host Bryan Deemer saying that he liked It's Superman!s Clark because he himself was tired of seeing Clark as the "perfect angel" all the time; adding that Clark's actions made sense for him to do because he was a kid, and it will still lead him into the boy scout he will soon evolve into. Also, co-host Peter Rios pointed out that he saw the scenes where the doubtful Clark did not "get it", as scenes where Clark came across as "alien...which is exactly what he is."