What do you think Superman's biggest problem is?

[Jphu8414]

Purist fanbase trying to latch on to old classic Superman and thus not allowing the character evolve like other characters who have become very popular today like Batman or Iron Man, thus creating stagnation. This created the general perception of Superman being the boring boy scout that some people seem to think of him.
I take Man of Steel as an example, I personally think it was a great movie and It introduced a more modern and grounded Superman to appear to a modern audience. I know many people who didn't like or care much about Superman before the movie but became fans of him after the movie. However, purists and hardcore fans of classic era Superman grumbled and whined that "it's not my Superman"

[Jon-El]

The qualities that made Superman admirable years ago aren't as attractive today. I think of Superman, the overwhelming thing I think of is his kindness. Of course Superman is thoughtful & caring today but most audiences want a more "bad ass" character. That's just the way tastes go. Being selfless isn't going to get you far today. Success demands aggression in most cases. Nothing wrong with readers wanting a Superman that better reflects society.

[kidstandout]

The qualities that made Superman admirable years ago aren't as attractive today. I think of Superman, the overwhelming thing I think of is his kindness. Of course Superman is thoughtful & caring today but most audiences want a more "bad ass" character. That's just the way tastes go. Being selfless isn't going to get you far today. Success demands aggression in most cases. Nothing wrong with readers wanting a Superman that better reflects society.

it's not that he's selfless though, it's that for a good while he a pushover. you can be selfless without being a boyscout. that's how superman initially started out in the 40's

[misslane]

When did "boyscout" become synonymous with being a pushover? I'm friends with a former boyscout who has no problem with being assertive when it counts. The two personality types are not mutually exclusive.

[Francisco]

it's not that he's selfless though, it's that for a good while he a pushover. you can be selfless without being a boyscout. that's how superman initially started out in the 40's

You can also be a boyscout without being a doormat for everyone to step over. I think the new 52 has managed to do just that. Superman is assertive yet compasive.

[kidstandout]

When did "boyscout" become synonymous with being a pushover? I'm friends with a former boyscout who has no problem with being assertive when it counts. The two personality types are not mutually exclusive.

You can also be a boyscout without being a doormat for everyone to step over. I think the new 52 has managed to do just that. Superman is assertive yet compasive.

let me rephrase, you can be selfless without being a doormat.

[DochaDocha]

I have no idea when "boy scout" became a pejorative, but it has become one and when people use that term to describe Superman, it's certainly no compliment. So, whenever I see those words to describe Supes, I start groaning because I know it's not being used as a compliment, and usually means a guy who does what he's told without asking questions, morally inflexible to a fault, and has a boring narrative. It's too bad that nobody ever says that to mean Supes is a hard worker who's prepared for everything.

Edit: I guess this is how a lot of the general population sees boy scouts.

[oldschoolfan]

I said the powers that be, mostly because I feel that way about comics in general. San Diego Comic Con isn't really about comics any more...hasn't been for awhile.

[Kid A]

The whole quasi-paramilitary, almost fascist like deal with the BSA always creeped me out. I don't want to dismiss the whole organization, because they obviously learn some very useful skills, but there's something uncomfortable about the whole thing. When I think of boyscout, I think of DKR Superman, who isn't too far removed from Byrne's Superman. The whole unabashedly nationalistic flag waving Superman just annoys me to no end.

[Lexrules]

The whole quasi-paramilitary, almost fascist like deal with the BSA always creeped me out. I don't want to dismiss the whole organization, because they obviously learn some very useful skills, but there's something uncomfortable about the whole thing. When I think of boyscout, I think of DKR Superman, who isn't too far removed from Byrne's Superman. The whole unabashedly nationalistic flag waving Superman just annoys me to no end.

It was a time of Patriotism and America is the Greatest Country in the World. I personal have no problem with that being a American Citizen and Superman being one of our National Treasures. The character will always stand for Truth, Justice, and The American Way to me for those who actually understand what that saying means. It becomes blurred unfortunately now a days but it stands for everything Superman stands for when both are done correctly.

[Cypher]

The whole quasi-paramilitary, almost fascist like deal with the BSA always creeped me out. I don't want to dismiss the whole organization, because they obviously learn some very useful skills, but there's something uncomfortable about the whole thing. When I think of boyscout, I think of DKR Superman, who isn't too far removed from Byrne's Superman. The whole unabashedly nationalistic flag waving Superman just annoys me to no end.

Superman and the American flag are f'ing badass.


America has many awesome creations, we'll take pride in Superman. America stands for freedom, peace, equality, and liberty. Whats more badass than those ideals? Nothing.

[Pharozonk]

Meh, I'm over angsty/dark characters. Superman always stood out to me because writers never let his emotional baggage define his stories frequently. The Captain America movies show that you can have a pure-hearted character AND make a good movie out of it that appeals to modern sensibilities. Hell, can we just get the writers for those movies to direct Man of Steel 2?

[misslane]

The whole quasi-paramilitary, almost fascist like deal with the BSA always creeped me out. I don't want to dismiss the whole organization, because they obviously learn some very useful skills, but there's something uncomfortable about the whole thing. When I think of boyscout, I think of DKR Superman, who isn't too far removed from Byrne's Superman. The whole unabashedly nationalistic flag waving Superman just annoys me to no end.

Qualifiers like "quasi" and "almost" already indicate that the boy scouts represent weakly, if at all, such things like the military or fascism. When I think of boy scouts (and girl scouts), I think of kind, responsible, community-minded young people. The worst thing that comes to mind when I think of scouts is perhaps a slight nerdiness about them, but then I think that's not true of all scouts, and if someone is nerdy then that's endearing to me. It's a shame that DKR has tarnished people's views of Superman as if what the story presented was gospel. My exposure to Superman and my love for the character was nurtured through the Reeve films, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, then comics. First I read the in continuity stuff from the Post-Crisis, then earlier age issues, and then major works like Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, Kindgom Come, and DKR. So, by the time I even became aware of a particular narrative treatment of Superman, it read to me as more of an exaggerated conceit than anything true. In fact, when I reflect on Byrne's Superman or Post-Crisis Superman in general, I can't recall an excessive amount of moments or plots that emphasized Superman's blind allegiance to the U.S. government.

[Mr. Mastermind]

It was a time of Patriotism and America is the Greatest Country in the World.

I prefer Sweden.

I don't mind Clark identifying as American, but Superman as a symbol for MERICUH seems pretty silly considering he deals with world wide threats.

[The Kid]

I love America but yes, it has some major flaws. I'd like to see Superman go back to his liberal roots and start standing up for the little guy