Man of Steel’s Red Cape Isn’t Disposable

I can’t believe that Superman is losing his red cape (“Undressed for Success?,” by Geoff Boucher, Aug. 28). His costume and patriotic, morally straight attitude is not only readily recognized in the U.S. but also worldwide.

The U.S. military used a special Superman comic to spread the word to the children of Bosnia about the dangers of land mines and unexploded ordnance. It was translated into the several languages of the area and was very well received by all sides.

Superman is probably the only comic book hero to actually have saved lives in the real world. Would a modern, self-centered, moody and “hip” comic book figure have had the same impact? I doubt it.

STEVEN TOLLE

Sacramento

*

As far as audiences being too jaded to accept the character (or costumed heroes in general), this is hardly a new issue: The landmark “Superman: The Movie” was released in 1978, the post-Vietnam and Watergate era, and filmmakers faced the challenge of making him believable to hardened audiences.

They achieved this by underlining the innocence and “square-ness” of the character in contrast to the world around him, and in doing so created a classic, larger-than-life movie. I think the larger issue is one of courage on the part of filmmakers: It’s much easier to trivialize a costumed hero than to attempt an honest adaptation.

The price, however, is that these new movies/series lack the main ingredient that put these characters in our collective consciousness: an exuberant sense of wonder.

ALEX CANO

Encino