comics Archives - Paul Record

Finally, Hope – Superman 2025

From Childhood Hero to Lifelong Inspiration

Superman has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Born the same year Christopher Reeve first donned the cape, I grew up with his Superman films. Those movies felt like a promise that hope would always carry the day no matter how hard life became. As I got older, that connection deepened through endless afternoons spent reading Superman and the Justice League, as they saved the day monthly. The 90s animated series, with Tim Daly’s voice bringing him to life, deepened my love for Superman, portraying him as the ultimate embodiment of truth, justice, and kindness. The way idealism of the mythic American Way.

Time passed. The World changed. During the heart of the War on Terror, we got not one but two different attempts to bring Superman into the Now Era. Both failed, but when Man of Steel came out, I was hopeful that Cavill’s Superman would clear the building. Instead, it felt too somber, too weighed down by gloom. Something essential, the unshakable optimism, seemed to have been lost with the snapping of a neck.

A New Hope for Superman’s Legacy

That’s why this new film, set for release in 2025, feels so special. The trailer isn’t just a teaser. It’s a rekindling of what Superman is supposed to mean. The modified notes of John Williams’s classic theme gave me that same rush I felt as a kid seeing Superman take flight for the first time.

James Gunn’s approach seems to strike the perfect balance between honoring the past and crafting something new. For me, his last film in the Guardians of the Galaxy series was all that a young comic fan loved. From the music to the meat of comics, mostly normal people do what they can to make life a little bit better while listening to awesome music when doing it.

Going back to Superman, David Corenswet embodies the role, his Clark Kent exuding earnestness, warmth, and quiet strength from the few clips we can see with Pa Kent, Lois, and saving the young girl. All other actors also look superb, with Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor appearing both menacing and the part. Heck, I can see him playing Charles Xavier, too. I wonder if he auditioned for that part. Adding characters like Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl feels thoughtful, broadening the universe while ensuring Superman remains at the story’s heart.

Visually, the teaser captures everything I’ve ever loved about the character. More importantly, it promises a return to the tone of hope—a reminder that we can always rise above no matter how dark things seem.

I pray that this reboot will restore Superman’s essence. For fans like me who have cherished him since childhood, here’s to celebrating everything he represents. July 2025 can’t come soon enough.

A Lifetime of X

(Note: I made a similar post two years ago) When I was growing up, I stumbled upon my mom’s book of comic book covers. It was a large, soft-cover coffee table book, and I absolutely became enthralled with the images. The vibrant artwork and dynamic characters captivated my imagination in a way that nothing else had before. A few months, or maybe a couple of years later, I came across a spinner rack full of comics at Stater Brothers in Corona, California. Something about the cover caught my eye. It had a big, bold title in purple with these demons standing behind a badass-looking woman in green. Her name was Infectia, and she promised trouble! I instantly got hooked.

That summer of 1988 was magical. I spent every spare moment reading everything X-Men-related, especially the epic Inferno event. The characters, their struggles, and the intense storylines drew me in deeper than I ever expected. I found myself lost in the world of mutants, heroes, and villains, and it became more than just a pastime, it was a passion.

Flash forward 36 years later, here I am in 2024, still as enthralled as ever. I’m reading the latest issue, following a new team and a new era of X-Men. Despite all the changes over the years, that same sense of excitement and wonder fills me every time I open a new X-comic. I still feel like that same child, completely captivated by everything X-Men. Same as this kid:

The Death of Superman!

Wow, damn, has it really been 30 years since the Death of Superman happened? Sheesh! I was living in Hugo at the time. California was over a year away. When I think about the event, I recall how big the waves it was making. There were news broadcasts, talk shows, hell, I even think it was on David Letterman. I was 15, and that year I spent a lot of time with my friends, one of whom, Todd, may he RIP, has passed, reading comics, watching X-Men and Batman, and playing TSR’s Marvel RPG. It was a great time to be a comic fan and a teenager. It was the 90s! The internet was in its infancy, I think. The WWW may have happened in the same year. As I said, things are fuzzy. But here we are, 30 years down the road. Heroes die all the time these days and come back as often! But the death of Supes? That was and always will be iconic! When I saw that a hardcover edition was being released for the anniversary, I had to have it!

“To me, my X-Men.”

1988 is when my love of comics ignited into a conflagration that would burn brightly for seven years before dying down and being replaced by other joys.

The series to spark my love of comics was the X-Men beginning with the Fall of the Mutants event. To me, this era would become the last arc of Chris Claremont, who, in 1988, had been at the helm of the X-Men line for 13 years. An unheard amount of time to helm a comic book series. Then or now.

Whenever I think or talk about comics, this is where my mind goes to. This era has everything from tragic stories to gorgeous art to the introduction of villains such as Apocalypse, Hodge, or the Mutant Menace storyline. But beloved of all was the Uncanny X-Men roster: Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Colossus, Havok, Dazzler, Longshot, and Psylocke. To me, they were and always be, My X-Men.

Front and back cover of the Fall of the Mutants comics — Front and Back Cover of the Fall of the Mutants omnibus