You don’t see too many fan films based on the Superman franchise. Usually when you hear the term “fan film”, what immediately comes to mind are the plethora of Star Wars fan films which expand upon that galaxy far, far away and delve into deeper, original characters and their own experiences with the Force. And then there’s the plethora of Star Trek fan productions which grew from low-budget appreciations of the franchise in the early 2000s to larger, more expensive and even crowdfunded projects over time—some great (Yorktown: A Time to Heal), some not so good, and some which left a bitter taste in people’s mouths that resulted in guidelines being enacted so as not to conflict with the current regime of television productions. (One word: Axanar.)

But you don’t see too many based on the last son of Krypton. In the 2000s there was a World’s Finest teaser film from writer-director Sandy Collora (who is best known for his short film Batman: Dead End), which brought together Superman and Batman years before the massive Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice feature film. And earlier this year there was the CGI animated film Superman Awakens, which was a stunning five-minute piece that just blew my mind away.

That’s not even counting the different fan recuts of the Christopher Reeve movies that have brought him into contact with Batman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and others. And there are a dozen other fan films both short and full-length that are out there, all in varying degrees of quality.

Now comes Superman: Solar, a new fan film project from writer-director Andrew List that takes a look at the man behind the Man of Steel and addresses an extremely important and sensitive topic.

In this 30-minute project, we find our hero, portrayed here by Glenn Kiil, making his way into the world as Superman first, complete with his homemade costume that his adopted mother Martha Kent has made for him. She fusses at him because he’s spending his Friday nights at home designing the costume rather than going out to root for the Smallville Eagles in their quest for the state football championship. But he wants to go out and make a difference in the world, whether as the Man of Steel or as Clark Kent.

Here, a couple of Smallville’s residents know that Clark and Superman are one and the same after spotting him on television, but, because of the goodness of the Kents in their lives, they promise to keep Clark’s dual identity a secret in turn.

What Superman: Solar succeeds in is expanding on the little moments that make the man in him. Whether he’s fixing a little boy’s bicycle, or playing baseball, or pausing from flight to reflect on his own values, or listening to the wisdom of his father Jonathan Kent, these moments are reflective of what Richard Donner established in the first Superman film.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Superman story without its share of action sequences, including a brilliant fight between our hero and Brainiac. The Kryptonian super computer being has always been one of the most difficult characters to bring to life on screen, and it’s been in recent programs like the animated series from the 1990’s and live action series such as Smallville and Krypton that we’ve seen Brainiac in action. But not in a film.

But it’s more than just action that drives this story. At the heart of it is Superman coming to the aid of a young man who has contemplated committing suicide because no one understands him. And it is here that Superman not only reveals his name of Clark to the young man, a total stranger, but he also shared what his father told him: “You only fail if you give up.” This is the core of who the Man of Steel is, and it’s good to see this side of him come forth again. It’s like it’s gotten lost in the recent years and films.

And yet, Superman: Solar has its share of Easter eggs and nods to the original Superman film, including two appearances of a certain newspaper headline…

…and the inspirational words from Jonathan Kent to his son Clark that have become a touchstone for the character to this day…

But there’s also one part of this production that stands out, and it’s the appearance of longtime Superman actor Aaron Smolinksi. Here he gets the role of a lifetime as Superman’s arch nemesis Lex Luthor, and he rises to the challenge of meeting the Man of Steel head on as his intellectual superior. I have been excited about seeing my friend in this project ever since the announcement was first made, and it makes me long for a sequel. We can’t wait to see you back in action, Aaron!

There’s even a little post-credits Easter egg reference to the music of Danny Elfman. Just saying!

What Superman: Solar has going for it is heart, and that’s where Andrew List’s short film succeeds. As I said, it makes me long for a sequel. So check it out. You may be pleasantly surprised.