Semiotics and Superman

Semiotics is a very broad subject matter that would take more than a few blog posts for me to explain, so instead I shall talk about how certain aspects of semiotics can applied to the way one might veiw either a comic book or video game character. Dennotation, connotation and myth are three major points in semiotics, denotation is - in a rather shallow definition - what may be seen on the surface or a literal meaning, such as a characters appearance (what sort of clothes they are wearing etc.). Connotation is the meaning behind what we are able to see and the associations we make with what we see, due to the way our culture presents them to us (In a comic, dark clothing may represent someone evil or they may have a large scar on there face etc.). Myth is something that I dont think I can truly definine yet in terms of semiotics. The line, I feel, is very thin between connotation and myth and often I am unable to tell the difference, it is, in some sense, the overarching meaning of a subject if you will. For example, let's take the well established character of Superman. The obvious - denotation - that we see is the bright, bold primary colours of his suit and his impossibly large muscles which he uses to fight evil. The connotaion of the suit would be that the vibrant, primary colours represent someone that is good (They are also the colours of the Ameican flag) and the muscles and large stature represent a great sense of strength and power. The myth i beleive is the fact that he is also Clarke Kent, a man with real human problems and that every person has the power inside of them to do good and be just, like Superman. This may be shallow and in certain points incorrect, but ibeleive i have much to learn on the subject of semiotics.