If You Wrote Comics: Superman

[adkal]

I would also introduce Tempus from Lois $ Clark into the comics.

As would I.

[KC]

Superman would focus on Superman as a hero and in his job, at the Daily Planet (any sub-plots about the Daily Planet would be developed in this book) most of Superman's grounded stories would be told in this book. Action Comics would focus on Superman, Jon and Supergirl and it would tell action-packed and adventure based stories that would use most of Superman's colourful villains (Brainiac, Lex in his warsuit, Mr Mxyzptlk, Zod, Kryptonite Man).

I would also add a book called Adventure Comics that would be a team-up book for characters in Superman's mythos. It would use characters such as Jon Kent, Conner Kent, Powergirl, Steel, Krypto, Jimmy Olsen and the Legion of Superheroes.

The Legion of Superheroes and Supergirl would get books.

As for the Character of Superman: I would add Clark's time as Superboy into canon (this would lead to a story arc where Clark, Conner and Jon all team up as Superboy) and I would add more emphasis on him using Clark Kent as a disguise.

[Carabas]

The New 52 Superman sure stood out a little too much though.

I have no idea what you mean by this.

[The Dying Detective]

I have no idea what you mean by this.

He was different from the original Superman to the point I was really unsure at what I was even looking at.

[Restingvoice]

Like Batman, I like to incorporate various versions in one as much as I can
The Kents are alive but Clark is also as appreciative of Krypton's history as his Earth life unlike the Byrne version
He wore all the costumes at each point in his life
Start working first at the Daily Star then move to the Daily Planet
SMWW is still in, happened during the time they're both young, before settling with Lois
I prefer Ultra-Humanite as an old man in a wheelchair because of the contrast with Superman's strength
The Superman book will star Superman, Action Comics will be the family book.
Superboy, Steel and the others will follow their Death of Superman origin instead of New 52
I prefer New 52 Silver Banshee as Supergirl's best friend
Kara is Superman's younger cousin. Less confusing that way.
Kon is called Superboy, Jon is called Super Son, both co-lead Adventure Comics

[sunofdarkchild]

I'd try to build the supporting cast back up, between the Planet, the SCU, Bibbo, ect.

Let Jon make some friends other than Damian.

Bring back Linda Danvers.

Make 'Team Superman' a thing again to show how Supes inspires other heroes.

Find a balance between Clark/Superman.

Looking at the things I'd do, the general theme is world-building because I feel Superman works best when his affect on other people and the world around him is shown.

[TheSeaDragon]

He was different from the original Superman to the point I was really unsure at what I was even looking at.

Hum..eh....Post Crisis Superman, the one im sure you are talking about, is not original Superman , he was created like 40 yearslater and also different form previous incarnations. Seriously, people talking about N52 Super like he was a whole different deal is beyond me

[The Dying Detective]

Hum..eh....Post Crisis Superman, the one im sure you are talking about, is not original Superman , he was created like 40 yearslater and also different form previous incarnations. Seriously, people talking about N52 Super like he was a whole different deal is beyond me

Most incarnations of Superman are always tied to being more optimistic and friendly that's why I found the New 52 Superman rather off. I wasn't even sure what to think of him.

[superduperman]

Let's try something different. What if he's actually been around since 1938? His power set would be the same one he had back then. Leap an 1/8th a mile, bulletproof but not bomb proof so he couldn't just march into Germany and end WW2. By the 1950s he's absorbed enough sunlight to make him about post-Crisis level. By the eighties, his aging process has slowed to a crawl due to all the solar radiation he's absorbed. He's not immortal, exactly, but his aging slows down the older he gets. For all intents and purposes, he physically looks about fifty but has the power level of Kingdom Come Superman. His costume changes with the times. So he has the GA suit at first and by the late forties, early fifties he has the classic suit. He currently has the KC suit. The world knows he's Clark Kent and has known for several years. Smallville is essentially a tourist trap as the "hometown of Superman". Lois is immortal due to some alien whatever. Due to his alien physiology, they can't have kids. Kara is Superwoman. He's been a founding member of both the JSA and JLA. Think Alan Moore's Supreme or the Generations Superman.

[The Dying Detective]

Let's try something different. What if he's actually been around since 1938? His power set would be the same one he had back then. Leap an 1/8th a mile, bulletproof but not bomb proof so he couldn't just march into Germany and end WW2. By the 1950s he's absorbed enough sunlight to make him about post-Crisis level. By the eighties, his aging process has slowed to a crawl due to all the solar radiation he's absorbed. He's not immortal, exactly, but his aging slows down the older he gets. For all intents and purposes, he physically looks about fifty but has the power level of Kingdom Come Superman. His costume changes with the times. So he has the GA suit at first and by the late forties, early fifties he has the classic suit. He currently has the KC suit. The world knows he's Clark Kent and has known for several years. Smallville is essentially a tourist trap as the "hometown of Superman". Lois is immortal due to some alien whatever. Due to his alien physiology, they can't have kids. Kara is Superwoman. He's been a founding member of both the JSA and JLA. Think Alan Moore's Supreme or the Generations Superman.

TOm King came up with this idea that of an immortality formula for Lois in his Action Comics 1000th issue story actually.

[Carabas]

Let's try something different. What if he's actually been around since 1938? His power set would be the same one he had back then. Leap an 1/8th a mile, bulletproof but not bomb proof so he couldn't just march into Germany and end WW2. By the 1950s he's absorbed enough sunlight to make him about post-Crisis level. By the eighties, his aging process has slowed to a crawl due to all the solar radiation he's absorbed. He's not immortal, exactly, but his aging slows down the older he gets. For all intents and purposes, he physically looks about fifty but has the power level of Kingdom Come Superman. His costume changes with the times. So he has the GA suit at first and by the late forties, early fifties he has the classic suit. He currently has the KC suit. The world knows he's Clark Kent and has known for several years. Smallville is essentially a tourist trap as the "hometown of Superman". Lois is immortal due to some alien whatever. Due to his alien physiology, they can't have kids. Kara is Superwoman. He's been a founding member of both the JSA and JLA. Think Alan Moore's Supreme or the Generations Superman.

It's very interesting, very Morrison, but you're going to need total editorial control over the entire DCU to pull it off, instead of just the Superman books.

And I spent an long time trying to figure why you wanted Superman to have a Green Arrow suit before the penny dropped.

[Superfly Frankenstein]

Here we go:
The status quo would be simple. We go along the lines of a quasi-PostCrisis/Rebirth timeline with a few changes. Clark and Lois are married. Jon is here, but let’s make him seven instead of ten. Superman debuted in Metropolis at age 23, and Clark gets his job at Daily Planet. Everything from day one to Death of Superman happens in an eight year span.
From here, we have a three year span that follows Marriage, President Luthor, Infinate Crisis up to Flashpoint. Around Flashpoint, Jon is born, Kents move to Hamilton, Supes goes black costume, they raise Jon. At present day, Clark is back to a public hero, and 41. Ma is still alive, but Pa died in the Brainiac story. Clark is now assistant editor of DP behind Perry. Kon is still around as Scion and he and Cassie are together. Pete Ross has custody of his an Lana’s child and she is with Steel. Lucy and Rob are divorced and Ron has custody of their child.
There will be four monthly titles:
Superman will be your basic Big Screen Stories. Man of Steel will be the flagship title dealing with a little of everything, Action Comics will be space stories or stories where the supporters are rarely seen. DC Comics Presents will be a team up title. There would also be a Supersons title, a Supergirl title, a Kon-El title and a Worlds Finest title.

[Jon Clark]

Superman's powers would be a cross between various takes over the years.

Krypton was a hostile heavy gravity world settled by a proto-human race (like the Guardians and the New Gods) who at that point were advanced enough to make genetic alterations to their basic DNA. As a result his muscles are designed to lift hundreds of time what we can and his body tissues were able to survive the effects that gravity would have. But a secondary part of his powers is an internal field that exists between the cells of his body that was intended to cope with the effects of gravity as well. And the third component is a brain and sensory system that works like our but with increased scope and efficiency.

So physically Superman could lift several tons and shrug off most conventional weaponry short of heavy artillery. He can run at speeds approaching that of sound. But under a yellow sun his internal field becomes supercharged enhancing many of those abilities. So he goes from lifting several tons to not only lifting but actually reinforcing the structure of what he lifts. And his own body makes use of the enhanced field in some way to fly as well as gaining a massive increase to resisting damage. The energy field is slightly variable so if Superman is operating at high levels for a long period he will have points when his abilities drop either over time and with sudden shifts (like a high speed flight might cause Superman to need a minute to fully access his strength.

And his senses designed for a dense atmosphere with low light and muffled sound on Earth translate into increased range of vision. His X-ray vision is actually his mind trying to decipher various wavelengths of radiation that penetrate opaque objects. As a result his X-ray vision in many cases lacks the fine detail to for example tell two masked people apart, though it does enable him to tell things like steel from wood based on density and how it blocks different wavelengths. To protect his mind Superman's senses normally operate closer to human levels with his brain filtering out much of what he is "seeing" or "hearing". So in a quiet room Clark might be overhear a whispered conversation accidentally on a crowded Metropolis street unless he makes an effort that same conversation is just background noise. So Superman does NOT overhear every crying baby, irate parent, or even the domestic disturbance up the block anymore than you or I would.

The only standard power I'd drop or severely limit is Heat Vision which is both energy intensive and not really in keeping with the explanation of the powers.

[Jon Clark]

As a hero Superman in his early career learned that he cannot force change without their being a support system for that change. And that the support system has to be something that can stand without him there to prop it up. As a result he has learned to largely limit his interventions to saving lives and enforcing existing laws. He won't stand by if ANY injustice is committed in front of him, but he has made a vow to himself not to seek out battles he can't win either. Unless he sees a unique situation that calls for his intervention (gassing civilians, atomic weapons, use of alien or metahuman weapons) he reluctantly allows people to settle political disputes.

[Jon Clark]

Clark Kent is a dichotomy. On a personal level the guy has no backbone. He avoids any and all physical danger. He is a hypochondriac. But somehow in pursuit of a story he becomes a different man. He still balks at any serious physical confrontation (a guy throwing punches) but short of that he shows an ability to stand-up to anyone. He has challenged powerful politicians, asked probing questions of violent criminals, and blown off popular celebrities. People not aware of his dual identity often have difficulty reconciling the mousy guy he is off duty from the more dynamic persona he has on the job. Perry White has stated he thinks that Kent has such low self-esteem that he is afraid to stand up for himself but that when it is someone else in jeopardy Kent will take more risks for them.