It's a bird, it's a plane, NO it's a TARDIS!

So, I'm sure this has been pointed out elsewhere but I'm going to type it here and pretend it's an original thought:

Anyone ever notice how much Superman and Doctor Who have in common?

Both alien.
Both the last of their kind.
Both hide their true name.
Both have an love and respect for humanity.
Both only help humanity when it can't help itself.
Neither of them wants to hurt or kill anyone (especially humans).

And andy_wolverton pointed out that both have fascinations with small booth-shaped boxes (phone booth and police call box).

I was reading the new take on Superman "Earth One" last night and I've been watching Series 4 of Doctor Who, with Doctor and Donna. Most recently I watched "The Doctor's Daughter" and "Midnight" (which, oddly enough, guest starred both King Arthur [from Excalibur] and Merlin [from TV series] - but I digress) and both of these episodes had The Doctor trying to get the humans around him to find peaceful ways to end conflicts. In the "Doctor's Daughter" he gives that little speech at the end about how they should found their civilization around the fact that he wouldn't shoot King Arthur the General. And it seemed like the sort of position Superman would find himself in - with an easy chance to take revenge on someone who hurt him, and he would show mercy instead.

thoughts? Is Doctor Who Britain's response to the American Superman myth? Does The Doctor represent the same things to British viewers as Superman does to American? My Superman knowledge only comes from a smattering of comic books and the movies (and a little bit of Smallville but I take that with a grain of salty Tom Welling goodness).

andy_wolverton suggested I turn this into a book, so if anyone knows a publisher willing to pay me to sit around and read Superman comics and watch Doctor Who all day, please leave the contact information here! LOL!

Okay, maybe I should just Google it and see if someone has already written an entire novel on this subject.

book thoughts: Superman: Earth One (2010)

  I've always had a soft spot for Superman.  Yes, he can be the Uber-Boy Scout, doing what's right, always, everyday.  But there's something more.  I think it's that question of why.  Why would someone with super powers come to Earth and decide to be it's savior?

J. Michael Straczynski's retelling of origin of Superman sets out to answer those questions.  He shows Clark Kent setting off for Metropolis and trying to find his place.  Does he use his powers for celebrity?  Use his inherited knowledge of advanced science to get ahead in business?  There isn't much money in saving the world, why would he choose that path?  And, at the core of the story, there is the loneliness.  The story of a man who must always hold back, on some level, and the story of how he begins to make peace with that issue.

Honestly, I picked up this book because the cover looked badass and, as I said, I have a Superman weakness.  I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would, reading it in a single evening.  Shane Davis' artwork has a very modern comic look to it, so it made this Superman feel even more relevant (though his Lois Lane looked a bit too much like Jennifer Carpenter...so much so that I'm convinced Davis has a crush on her). 

I'm very curious to see where this series goes...like Buffy, I find the most fascinating stories for superheroes is looking inside their minds, the one place they can be hurt. 

This comic is definitely worth a look if you have any interest in Superman or superhero reboots, in general, because I think it is done very well.  It manages to be both familiar and new at the same time.