They could be heroes.

From Flash Gordon to Invisible Woman, Adrian Turpin presents a superhero "power list" in the Independent, hitting on their back stories, their look, powers, love interests, arch-enemies and, just in general, their issues.

"Superheroes may have been born in comic books, but they were made for the movies," writes Jim Emerson as he introduces a collection of over two dozen reviews of superhero movies Roger Ebert has written since 1978.

Thomas Goetz talks with Bryan Singer for Wired, where Neil Gaiman and Adam Rogers riff on "The Myth of Superman": "Superman is different because he doesn't really belong to the writers who've created his adventures over the last 68-plus years. He has evolved into a folk hero, a fable, and the public feels like it has a stake in who Superman 'really' is."

"Superman's values of 'truth, justice and the American way' resonated during World War II and the Cold War, but sound arrogant and unilateral in the wake of two Iraq wars," writes Sacha Molitorisz in the Sydney Morning Herald. "His superpowers seem old-fashioned and simplistic in an age when the misunderstood mutants of X-Men perfectly embody the Zeitgeist. The 68-year-old Superman has X-ray vision; X-Men's Rogue absorbs the memories and life force of anyone she touches. Even his outfit seems naff." Also via Movie City News, Cefn Ridout in the Australian News on recreating Metropolis from bits of Sydney.

The Boston Phoenix's Peter Keough finds himself among the fan boys on the Superman Returns junket.

Updates, 6/24: Jeffrey Overstreet has "10 Things to Do If You Get Bored During Superman Returns."

Keith Uhlich at Slant: "Superman Returns is a pleasant enough piece of hackwork, anonymous in all the right ways so that it neither offends nor thrills."

Updates, 6/25: David James talks with Bryan Singer for Newsweek; and David Ansen calls Returns "beautifully crafted" and notes "it's obviously made with real love."

"I could criticize the movie, and point out its few flaws, but why should I when I so sincerely enjoyed it?" asks David Lowery.

Online listening tip. NPR: Physics prof James Kakalios on the science behind Superman.

Posted by dwhudson at June 23, 2006 4:01 PM