It's a bird, it's a plane...

Brandon Routh as Superman. The picture we've been waiting for... Somehow, it feels so wrong. Not that I won't watch it though when it comes out...

Here's a few subtle changes that were made:

• The character's S insignia is slightly smaller and higher on his chest, and instead of being painted on, it's more of a three-dimensional plate.

• The insignia is added to Superman's belt buckle.

• Costume designer Louise Mingenbach preserved the blue, red and yellow motif, but the shades are slightly darker than the bright primary colors of the comics. Superman's yellow belt is more golden, and his cape is a deep scarlet.

Some news and the synopsis of the plot from Warner Brothers:

Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world's most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman's bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.

Directed by Bryan Singer (X2: X-Men United, X-Men, "The Usual Suspects"), Superman Returns stars Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth ("Beyond the Sea," "Blue Crush"), James Marsden (X2: X-Men United, "The Notebook"), Frank Langella (HBO's "Unscripted"), Academy Award-winner Eva Marie Saint ("North By Northwest"), Parker Posey ("Best in Show"), Kal Penn ("Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle"), Sam Huntington ("Detroit Rock City") and Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey ("Beyond the Sea," "American Beauty," "The Usual Suspects").

Superman Returns will be released on June 30, 2006 by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.



Hey look, Nicholas Cage with more hair as Johnny Blaze, alter ego of Ghost Rider. The CGI-rendering of his head in flames would be fun. I didn't thnk too much of the re-envisioned Hellcycle was that great anyway. Too much *ahem* CGI.