SupermanHawaii.com

by Lawrence E. Pacheco

It's refreshing to finally read about the upcoming movie "slate" from DC Comics President Paul Levitz. From time to time we've heard about Marvel's detailed slate of movies from Avi Arad. We now get a glimpse into just what the future holds for the DC Comics Movie Universe.

After the seemingly endless array of Batman merchandise over the past fifteen years or so, if there was anyone in the world wondering what happened to all the Superman stuff... their wait is over! Warner Bros' massive promotional campaign is in full swing and seemingly rivals that of Batman Begins. From virtually unlimited licensing and branding to product cross-promotion, Superman and Superman memorabilia collecting are back in a big way!

Walk into your local Wal-Mart or Toys "R" Us and you'll see some amazing displays, standees and posters lining the aisles. You name it, and there's probably a Superman item like it waiting for you. Action figures, costumes, watches, apparel, games, computers, trading cards, gift wrapping, lunch boxes, and so on, and so on. The list is truly endless.

Pepsi's logo cans and packaging seem to excite some fans but not as much as their Daytona Superman Returns "Pepsi 400 Racing Team". 7-Eleven Slurpee tie-ins, reminiscent of 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace promotion, has also met with huge fan approval.

Will this latest movie give the Man of Steel a new generation of fans? Yes, most certainly. Will it be incredibly successful at the box office? This is also something I believe is certain. What we need to ask ourselves, however, is before all of this... will the movie capture the heart... the essence of Superman. Hype aside, all indications seem to place this movie in a favorable light among fans. Brandon Routh seems to be giving his all to playing the role, and I'll bet that he will become a welcomed and praised addition to the Superman legacy.

Throughout the entire planning and execution of the Superman Returns promotional campaign, Warner Bros. has been clearly in-touch with the fan community. From its very beginnings when they allowed BlueTights.net the exclusive "backstage pass" to the production of the movie, to providing hardcore fans a glimpse at the film at last year's San Diego Comic Con, to allowing (within reason) many Superman fan sites opportunities to see just what they were doing during the production, and, lastly, to providing various Superman websites (including SupermanHawaii.com) official Superman Returns merchandise to use as prize giveaways. Rather than "doing their own thing" and keeping the fans out, they've made every effort to include them in the process... making many of us feel like a part of something special.

I can tell you that, for this Superman fan, this onslaught of promotion is as amazingly thrilling as it is frustrating. I'm glad that Superman stuff is finally out there but I know that it'll be impossible for fans like myself to keep up with it all. Nevertheless all this hype is doing wonders for fans. The new movie proves to be a fantastic new look at the Man of Tomorrow and you can be sure that many people will line up early to see it...

...I know I will.

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