"""""In the beginning there was light. Superman reigned, bright, radiant, glorious triumphant. But for every light there is an equal dark, and, after countless victories, miracles, and near escapes, Superman was vanquished and his life fled. Into the vacuum of his death stepped four new immortals, four contenders who would lay claim to the legacy of Superman. One was a dark stranger, ruthless, fantastic, shunning the light. One was a man forged of metal, strong and relentess, noble and worthy. One was a boy-king, a reckless youth with great power but little respect. One was a cyborg of the future, a flesh and metal chimera both hideous powerful, real yet not. And this was the Reign of the Superman, and none could say how it would end."

"In the beginning there was dark. Film noir never cared to reign, but prowled comfortably in the shadows, laughingly superior. But for every darkness there is an equal light, and the ravages of color tore away the mystique and power of noir, left it bleeding, bereft, and presumed dead. But no such shadow can remain untouched forever. Four contenders now lay claim to the legacy noir has wrought. One is the Dark Cinema of Tim Burton and Ridley Scott, gothic and surreal, casting shadows across city and soul. One is The Neoclassic Noir of [The Usual Suspects] and [L.A. Confidential], harder and newer, but true to the ways of film noir. One is the Punk Noir of post-modern upstarts like Quentin Tarantino and the people who wish they were him. The last is the Miscellany of black comedies and ultraviolence that, while not a true child of film noir, would be nothing without it. These are their stories."