Has anyone read Superman : Kryptonite by Darwyne Cook and Tim Sale? It's a decent story, just read it this weekend, i wasn't crazy about how it ended but some of the setup was quite good.
Superman has been around for a few months, he's still learning the limits of his powers, which is pretty cool when you think about it, he would be scared for a second if he didn't know if something would kill him or not. There's a great scene where he's trying to stop a volcano, he knows the lava won't hurt his skin but when borrows into the volcano and starts to "drown" in lava, he starts to panic not knowing how it will effect his insides. I'll post some pics when i get a chance but i just thought what an interesting approach to the character. Just like Iron Man testing the limits of his suit, Superman would need to learn about his limitations early in his career, it's doubtful that he went through everything that he would possibly encounter as a teen in smallville. He'd have numerous first time encounters with situations in which he's not sure that he can handle. To me that would be something we haven't seen before on the big screen and would allow us as viewers to connect with his fears/concerns and see him overcome them.
What i didn't like about the comic was his depiction when he would go home to his parents, i understand what kurosawa means when he talks about "man boy". He seemed too much like a little kid versus a grown man who needed advice. Those scenes when handled right can be good (i thought lois and clark did a great job in that department) but he should never come across as a little kid when talking to them.
Also another thing they developed in the story, was that perry pulls lois, clark and jimmy into his office for a special assignement. There is a new casino in town and perry thinks the owner is deeply involved in coortuption and vice. Since the guys already bought off half the city to get his casino going perry needs reporters he can trust, who he knows can't be bought off. So he turns to the trio. Clark and jimmy setup shop with some high tech equipment so they can listen in on Gallo's (the casion owner) conversations. Lois is tasked with getting close to him to try to get an exclusive.
I really liked the setup, it shows how much trust exists between these 4 and it gives each of these main characters a practical function in the story. I'd love to see something along those lines used in teh new film. Not doing an origin in now way limits creativity, it just gives us a different jumping on point and hopefully allows more time to develop the characters and story.
The last thing the story does that i was intrigued by was the romance. It implies that lois and superman have been seeing each other in private (it shows them having dinner atop the effiel tower) for a few months. This is something they both look forward to and they're both fallign for each other. Teh problem is superman often misses their dates b/c of emergencies. Lois sees that she has to share him with the world and that it's not going to workout (not exactly but something along those lines) so she tells him they need to stop seeing each other. She loves him but being who he is they can't have a normal relationship, etc.
By the end of the story she and jimmy help save superman etc etc. The last page panels are a nice surprise, b/c lois is at her apt when the door bell rings. she opens up (and i think we readers are expecting superman) and there stands clark. He says he knows lois has been through a lot in the last few weeks/days and figured he could take her out, give her some company. She hesitates then turns around and "ah, what the heck". And they go out.
Again a cool scene that seems to imply clark will now be the one pursuing lois, first as a friend then as more. I guess the idea is that she would eventually discover his secret and hopfully come to terms with it. I really like that little twist at the end.
Also the portrayal of clark here is pretty good, he's just a "dialed back" version of his natuarl personality, very low key, doesn't get excited, mild mannered in other words. Works well.
Anyway i think some great stuff could be taken from this story and used in the new film that doesn't require an origin.
