Is there anything that disqualifies someone from being a Superman fan?

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

So is there any view regarding the character that a Superman fan can hold that in your mind would mean they wouldn't count as an actual fan of the character?

For example, what if they are only a fan of the Injustice version of Superman, or they don't like Superman having the Clark Kent secret identity. Thing like that.

[Kuwagaton]

Superman is so broad as a product ... I can't think so. Unless you don't really like the products. In general, I think if you like what something can be more than what it is, that might not be fandom. If you continue to buy Superman but don't like what you buy, that is being a person who buys things over being a fan.

[DragonPiece]

I think you are holding yourself back from being a Superman fan if you don't check out certain runs. Like if the only exposure you had to superman was man of steel, the new 52 era or injustice comics, you are missing out on a lot of what Superman is. And I say this as someone who was just a new 52 fan at first, I finally went back and read some of the runs by John Byrne, Dan Jurgens, Joe Kelly, Geoff Johns(pre flashpoint), etc.. and I honestly found a whole new love for the character. Again, I'm not saying liking just one exploration of the character the most is bad, but if you disregard any of the older comics or history the character had, you are missing out on what truly makes him great.

[Miles To Go]

Virtually anyone involved with production of Superman Returns

Oh, and Five For Fighting.

[MajorHoy]

So is there any view regarding the character that a Superman fan can hold that in your mind would mean they wouldn't count as an actual fan of the character?

For example, what if they are only a fan of the Injustice version of Superman, or they don't like Superman having the Clark Kent secret identity. Thing like that.

The only thing in my mind is somebody who claims to be a fan of "all things Superman-related" and acts like they know everything, but in reality has maybe only seen the show Smallville, or has only read one not-in-main-continuity mini-series, etc.

[Kuwagaton]

I think you are holding yourself back from being a Superman fan if you don't check out certain runs. Like if the only exposure you had to superman was man of steel, the new 52 era or injustice comics, you are missing out on a lot of what Superman is. And I say this as someone who was just a new 52 fan at first, I finally went back and read some of the runs by John Byrne, Dan Jurgens, Joe Kelly, Geoff Johns(pre flashpoint), etc.. and I honestly found a whole new love for the character. Again, I'm not saying liking just one exploration of the character the most is bad, but if you disregard any of the older comics or history the character had, you are missing out on what truly makes him great.

Well said. That you're not disqualified as a fan, but it does hold one back. If the response to more superman is "nah I'm good " it's the intention of being less of a fan, and there's a difference between that and just liking everything. Or believing there's an obligation to like everything.

[GreatKungLao]

Whoever considers Injustice Superman the best version of a character is not a Superman fan and never was to begin with.

[Robotman]

I don’t think anything would disqualify a person from being a Superman fan but there are a lot of people who sure don’t get the character. I guess people who think Superman should be a “badass” and his strength is the only important thing about him, don’t really get what he represents.

Like you said, if someone thinks Injustice Superman is the best version, they’re way off.

[Carabas]

I don’t think anything would disqualify a person from being a Superman fan but there are a lot of people who sure don’t get the character. I guess people who think Superman should be a “badass” and his strength is the only important thing about him, don’t really get what he represents.

I think that while his creators didn't hink his strength is the only important thing about him, they still very much were in the 'Superman is a badass... We didn't call him Super just because' camp.

[Osiris-Rex]

Virtually anyone involved with production of Superman Returns

Even Brandon Routh? He has made several references to a character he isn't a fan of. "Looks just like my cousin" in regards to Kara Danvers, for example. Do you know of any interviews where
he said he hated playing the character, or that he hated the character?

[Powerboy]

Whoever considers Injustice Superman the best version of a character is not a Superman fan and never was to begin with.

Basically, anyone who is only interested in some villain parody of Superman I might say they are not a Superman fan. I'd look twice at someone who said they only liked the DKR version regardless of the other merits of the story.

Other than that, no. I think being a fan of only one version of the character is unfortunate. I do realize there are people who, when they say they are ultimate huge Superman fans, really mean, say, they know just about everything about Smallville Clark or the Dean Caine Superman. And that IS a version of Superman (or Superman in training) and they are therefore a huge Superman fan regardless that they mean that version only. In fact, many fans of Smallville Clark are young girls who were never interested in the character before and I'm not going to bash something they really love and that was great in terms of what they care about.

There are people who know mountains more about Superman's history than I do so very few disqualifications.

[JAK]

So is there any view regarding the character that a Superman fan can hold that in your mind would mean they wouldn't count as an actual fan of the character?

For example, what if they are only a fan of the Injustice version of Superman, or they don't like Superman having the Clark Kent secret identity. Thing like that.

No, they'd still be considered a Superman fan. A fan with no discernable taste whatsoever, but still a fan.

In all seriousness, I'd call that person an Injustice Superman fan, moreso than the character overall.

[Sacred Knight]

Nah. I'm in no position to be arbiter on what makes a fan. I mean, sure, if one were to say they liked Injustice Superman and no other, I'd have to raise an eyebrow and maybe have a couple of questions, but I absolutely loathe seeing people try to tell others that they're not real fans. I'd be confused but that's as far as I'm an authority on anything.

[Ascended]

I think that while his creators didn't hink his strength is the only important thing about him, they still very much were in the 'Superman is a badass... We didn't call him Super just because' camp.

I'm guessing they meant badass in the "trying to hard uber-macho" vein along the lines of Punisher, Wolverine, etc, rather than the kind of badass that Clark actually is.

As for the OP.....if you like Superman, you're a fan. Maybe you're just a fan of a particular version. Maybe you don't really understand the character. But if you like Superman in any capacity, you're a fan. You just might be a terribly ill informed one, or like things about Superman that aren't actually pertinent to the character. You can be a fan and still be a lousy fan, after all.

[Jon Clark]

You are a fan of what you are a fan of. But being a fan of Man of Steel is not necessarily going to make you a fan of Superman Returns or Smallville. I think the issue isn't what disqualifies you as a fan, it's an inability to recognize what you are a fan of. If you saw the Batman TV show in the 1960's and never missed an episode then made a run of all the conventions to get autographs from Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, etc; I will admit you are a fan of the show. But If you readily admit that you saw the 1989 movie, hated it and haven't seen anything at the movies about Batman since. And you also have never cracked a comic book until you were given a Batman '66 trade by a friend. I can't say you are a fan of Batman as a concept.

In the same way if the only time you like Superman is in a very limited series (movie, TV show, side-continuity) then you can claim to be a Superman fan and I will vehemently disagree.