Some day I'll write about how Batman needs to just get over himself

This weekend I did something I should have done a long time ago.

I ignored my family and went to the movies.

I am way behind on my summer movies this year. Actually I’m still way behind on my summer movies for the last four years.

I still carry a ticket to Star Trek that I wasn’t able to use, just hoping for a chance to plead pity from a ticket booth worker.

But things are a bit better now, I got to see “Man of Steel.”

This isn’t a review. I haven’t written one of those in so long I no longer believe my opinion is worth anything to others (a horrible realization to make, let me assure you). I’ll just say that I recognize the movie’s flaws and loved in spite of all of these.

I did want to talk about Superman in general though.

Right after the movie Facebook lit up with people ragging on Superman for being Superman. It’s easy to attack Supes for being a boy scout. The whole secret identity just wears glasses thing is stupid, I acknowledge that. Kryptonite is contrived and lame.

I’m not even gonna mention the underwear.

In the end though, I still like Superman. He represents part of all of us that feels like we don’t belong, even though for all intents and purposes, we do.  He offers a hugely important narrative purpose of being the moral touchstone for the other messed up

In the end, I love Superman because of the hope he gives me. Not for what he teaches us about the power of will or anything like that. But for the power of parents.

I’m trying to talk less about parenting stuff in this blog, but think about it for a minute. Imagine you're on a completely different world, give yourself limitless power and surrounded by quantifiable lesser beings. What would you do?

If your parents taught you right, they’d make a bunch of movies about you too.

And we all know Superman doesn’t need Batman’s help. Don’t give me that “world’s greatest detective” crap either. The world’s greatest anything isn’t going to help a guy who can reverse time with his speed.

Superman hangs out with Batman, Flash and the rest because they’re (super) friends.

And Supes is a good guy.