Newly formed Comics Club hosts Superman Fan Night


Superman Fan Night 1

Fans discuss the latest Superman movie “Man of Steel” in the Comics Club’s first ever event.

By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17

It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

No, it’s FIU’s new Comics Club, which hosted its first ever event on July 2 centered around one of the most beloved and well-known comic book characters of all time: Superman.

On the heels of the release of  “Man of Steel,” starring Henry Cavill as Clark Kent (a.k.a Superman) and director Zack Snyder at the helm of the reboot, having a Superman Fan Night only seemed like a fitting theme for the club’s first major event.

“This is the perfect time to start this club,” said club president Jeffrey Sodusta, who helped get the club off the ground this summer. “Our vision is really coming to life and it’s off to a really great start.”

More than a dozen fans gathered in one of the Wolfe University Center’s conference rooms to discuss the new film while snacking on fresh popcorn. They touched on everything from producer Christopher Nolan’s influence on the film and Amy Adams’ portrayal of Lois Lane to the reactions of audiences in the theatres and comparisons to other versions of Superman.

Despite a wide range of opinions on the film itself, there was one general consensus that was agreed upon.

“It’s good to have Superman back,” said Fernando Ottati, a graphic designer for Campus Life and Comics Club advisor.

SMFN 3

Fernando Ottati delivers opening remarks at “Superman Fan Night”.

Following the discussion, the club’s secretary Alex Jaffe talked about the history and evolution of the character of Superman over the years, beginning with his comic book debut in 1938, as a lead-in to a screening of Richard Donner’s “Superman II” starring Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman.

The appeal of Superman throughout the decades comes as no surprise, and the portrayal of the character in “Man of Steel and other versions show that there is a lot to admire about the character itself, especially for college students.

“There are a lot of things that students can learn from Superman,” Sodusta added. “He’s very bold, brave and courageous. He’s not afraid to rise up to a challenge and to face difficult circumstances.”

Jaffe added, “This is what he is all about. Superman is a Christ-like figure that represents the best that humanity has to offer. He is all of us at our absolute best and is about inspiring the good.”

The event was seen as a very encouraging start for the club, which is looking to foster a community that can come together and discuss the wide world of comic book heroes, villains and everything in between.

In less than a month of becoming an official club, it already has close to 30 members and is looking to boost those numbers when the fall semester begins.

Some of the club’s members will be going to Florida Supercon, which runs July 4-7 and is one of the biggest comic book conventions in the state, and the club is hoping to attend other conventions and events in the future.

Jaffe would like to get speakers from the comic book industry to speak at events either live or via teleconference, have events where members can trade and showcase their own personal comic collections and to have more screenings of films taking comic book characters and bringing them to life on the big screen.

“Superheroes like Superman represent the best in all of us and are characters we can find common ground in,” Jaffe said. “This is a club where we can connect with each other and build friendships. I’m hoping that this club can help foster the kind of community here at BBC that you find on any major campus.”

For more information on the FIU Comics Club, send an email to fiucomicsclub@gmail.com or visit https://orgsync.com/69252/chapter.