13 QUICK THOUGHTS: Why CHRISTOPHER REEVE Was the Greatest SUPERMAN Ever

Christopher Reeve was born Sept. 25, 1952. He made us believe a man could fly.

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UPDATED 9/25/22: The late, great Christopher Reeve was born 70 years ago! Perfect time to re-present this piece, which first ran on Reeve’s birthday in 2015. It’s been edited slightly to update some references. Oh, and for Walt Grogan’s TOP 13 Non-SUPERMAN MOVIES, click here. Dig it. — Dan

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1. While I recognize that a lot of people are responsible for the tone of the first two Superman movies — most notably Richard Donner — it’s Christopher Reeve’s understated performance that sells it. It’s because he plays the Man of Steel with equal parts slyness and kindness. His Superman isn’t tortured. He knows he’s got a good thing going and he’s very happy in his own skin. I like to think that if I had his powers, that’s how I’d behave.

2. For me, the platonic ideal for Batman can be found in the comics. But where Superman is concerned, the comics have never lived up to the first two movies. Not in the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age or the Modern Age. The closest were John Byrne’s Man of Steel era (click here for more on that) and Geoff Johns’ all-too-brief pre-52 run. (The comics by Peter Tomasi, Dan Jurgens and Patrick Gleason were pretty dang good, too.)

We all know whom Johns and artist Gary Frank had in mind.

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3. The entire first-night sequence is perfect superhero-movie superheroing. It’s the highlight of the entire series and easily one of the best segments in any superhero movie ever.

4. When Superman: The Movie made it to HBO, I watched everytime I could. It ended up being 25 times during its first run on the channel. That’s 25 times before VCRs and DVRs, mind you.

5. I loved Superman: The Movie so much that the only thing I wanted when I graduated middle-school was to see Superman II that night. My mom took me to the long-since-closed Amboy Cinemas in Sayreville, N.J. She bought me one of these programs. Thanks, Mom!

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6. Around that time, I used to risk my life on Saturday mornings by riding my bike over a 100-foot-tall, high-speed bridge to the U.S. #1 Flea Market in New Brunswick, N.J., so I could get my weekly haul of comics. (And fresh-cut French fries with malt vinegar.) As I rode across, I hummed the Superman music in my head and pretended I was flying. You can have your Star Wars theme. The Superman soundtrack is John Williams’ greatest work.

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7. This:

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8. I walk through Grand Central all the time and I can’t help but hum Otis’ theme while I do it. Also, occasionally, while I’m walking through midtown Manhattan, I’ll imagine what it would be like to see Superman zipping down the avenue, between the concrete towers.

9. “Any more at home like you?” “Uh, not really, no.”

10. Christopher Reeve was proof that you could wear a bright spandex superhero outfit and not look silly.

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11. Man, I love that first glimpse of him in the Fortress of Solitude.

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12. DC’s done Batman ’66 and Wonder Woman ’77. They really need to do Superman ’78. (They are now, obviously!) Speaking of, I read these over and over while growing up:

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13. This:

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MORE

— SUPERMAN ’78: Why This Is the Only SUPERMAN Comic Book I’ve Ever Wanted to Read. Click here.

— The SUPERMAN ’78/BATMAN ’89 Comic Book Index of News and Features. Click here.

* This article was originally published here