Have You Ever Read a Superman Comic?

Way back in the days of yore DC had this great big thing called 'Crisis On Infinite Earths, some of the old fogeys out there might remember it. After the Crisis all of DC's flagship characters got a revamp - including Superman.

Superman had wandered away from his core concept a little bit over the years. DC handed the Man of Steel over to controversial, comics superstar John Byrne to bring him back to basics.

The man outdid himself. That original 6 issue mini-series was a triumph. It gave us back the Supes we all know and love. Whatever they've done with him over the years you can always go back and relive the joy of those 6 issues.

Byrne had a handle on what Supes is all about. Sure he's an alien who doesn't fit in anywhere. Sure he can bench press asteroids. Sure he can't bang regular chicks without a kryptonite condom but underneath all that he's just a big cuddly teddy bear who loves you very much.

Sure he's a somewhat sleazy teddy bear who enjoys getting interviewed by female reporters in slinky bathrobes:

Hey baby, you know the saying - once you go Kryptonian...

We all know what you're up to with that X-Ray vision of yours, you dirty beast.

His peeping tom tendencies aside, Byrne really liked to play up my favorite aspect of Superman's character - Supes as a boy scout. Sure it makes him seem a little cheesy, and a lot of writers prefer to angst him up but I'm afraid if Superman ain't helping an old lady across the street every chance he gets - he ain't Superman.

In the hands of a master like Byrne, the boy scout works beautifully:When he's not tackling that scourge of the inner cities - noise pollution - he's off stopping daylight bank robberies. But even when he's under the gun he's never forgets his manners:Nothing restores your faith in humanity like a dude in a big blue romper-suit kicking/flicking the bad guy's asses while being painfully polite to everyone.

I loved, loved loved this mini-series.

Now if only DC would commission that Superman mini-series written by Dean Cain I could die a happy man.