Maybe it’s because I grew up on SANTA CLAUS: THE MOVIE (that 80s flick with Dudley Moore and John Lithgow that was made by the same producers who did SUPERMAN and was, in so many respects, a remake that swapped Clark Kent for Kris Kringle) but I’ve always been pretty amused by the notion of Santa Claus as a superhero -- because it's actually pretty true! I just recently re-watched the infamous Mexican SANTA CLAUS movie for Screened and I have to say that the jolly man’s workshop there, with its menagerie of outlandish inventions, bears more than a passing resemblance to the pre-CRISIS Fortress of Solitude we've been getting to revisit in ALL-STAR SUPERMAN.
Thus, you can imagine how much giddy amusement I get out of that trailer for SANTA ORIGINS. It harps on all the superheroic criteria that jolly old Saint Nick fulfills.
Let's go done the list... == TEASER ==
A Colorful Costume?
The cherry red coat with the snow white fur trim, the cap and that big giant belt. Oh yeah.A Memorable Supporting Cast?
What do you call Rudolph, the eight flying reindeer, Mrs. Claus, the Elves and Santa’s hatchet man, Black Peter?A Weakness?
Superman has Kryptonite, Green Lantern had the color yellow… Santa's helpless against milk and cookies.A Theme Song?
Tune into any radio station currently playing round-the-clock holiday favorites and you’ll have a whole host of Santa-themed ditties to choose from. Ho ho ho... who wouldn't know?Powers?
He sees when you’re sleeping (Superman-like X-ray vision,) he knows when you’re awake (Prof. X-style telepathy,) he knows if you’ve been bad or good (seeing into the hearts of men like the Shadow,) he can travel the whole world in one night (as fast, if not faster, than the Flash) and he can squeeze down any chimney (likely through Ant-Man style size-changing.)Villains?
He's faced down a whole slew of foes including Jack Frost, the Heat Miser, Martians, the Witch of Narnia (remember when he showed up in THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE?) the Ultimate Warrior (a battle he lost in a truly humiliating way,) demons from the underworld (in that aforementioned Mexican movie) and even the main main, himself, Lobo! Not even Batman's rogue's gallery is that diverse!If Santa doesn’t fit the superhero bill already, I don’t know what else he’d have to do to qualify.
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE . Order them on Amazon here & here . Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk