How bulky do you like your Superman?

[JBatmanFan05]

I wanted to vote "BULKY: Old School Circus Strongman", but had to support the outside trunks, so voted that instead.

[DochaDocha]

Basically look like a pro athlete who's 6'3" and 225 lobs. So, something like Terrell Owens.

[Amacent]

Whatever you consider this to be... I'd call it 'lean'.

I second this. José Luis García-López drew the perfect Superman. Strong but not overly muscled like McGuiness who reminded me more of a smaller Hulk.

[phantom1592]

I first want to say farmer type, but farmers have thin stringy muscle, and then I remember that Clark's alien physiology means his muscle isn't from natural farming.

This is pretty much my thinking. Big bulky muscles would require massive bodybuilding... and that's not what Clark does. Unless he is LITERALLY bench pressing the moon... there isn't anything that's going to be enough of a workout to go full Mcguinness..


I picture him as not having an ounce of fat on him, but his muscles are kryptonian and alien physiology.... not body builder. Hence the 'ideal', Ala DaVinci Vitruvian man, or Michaelangelo's david… or When God creates adam in his image... perfect muscles, perfect form. just.... 'perfect'. Not too big, not too small... the body being the 'perfect' form.


And he can throw battleships :P So yeah, when I picture it it's always Lopez. Curt Swan is a close second, but in my mind that's more of a realistic difference as to how the spandex lies across the abs and muscles... not the lack of them. Swan's a more realistic approach to spandex and Lopez is more spray painted on... but both are ideal Superman.

[Ra-El]

Clay Mann draws my favorite Superman.
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Superman should be someone big and strong, an imposing figure. But more like a light heavyweight or heavyweight boxer than a bodybuilder.

[Jim Kelly]

Joe Shuster's cover image for ACTION COMICS No. 1 gets to the very essence of the Superman concept.



It's a conventionally sized man of no extraordinary proportions, holding a big car over his head. Anyone seeing that in 1938 would recognize that this is a remarkable feat. But imagine if the car was smaller and the man was much bigger--then it doesn't seem so striking that he could do that.

That's not to say you can't reimagine Superman as a big man, but it is changing what Siegel & Shuster intended with their original character.

[Flash Gordon]

BULKY. A big lumber jack build.

He's just strong as hell and big to match.

[Ascended]

BULKY. A big lumber jack build.

He's just strong as hell and big to match.

This. I favor the circus strongman/heavyweight boxer approach, Frank Quietly style. Big, lots of mass, but not so much muscle definition he looks like a pro body builder. JLGL gets it right, though he's got maybe just a touch too much definition through the arms, and not quite enough raw size. Still, it's hard to argue with the likes of JLGL, yknow? Dude is legend and so is his Superman.

That panel from Clay Mann gets it right too.

[Amacent]

This. I favor the circus strongman/heavyweight boxer approach, Frank Quietly style. Big, lots of mass, but not so much muscle definition he looks like a pro body builder. JLGL gets it right, though he's got maybe just a touch too much definition through the arms, and not quite enough raw size. Still, it's hard to argue with the likes of JLGL, yknow? Dude is legend and so is his Superman.

That panel from Clay Mann gets it right too.

Your description reminded me of Chris Sprouse. I think his Superman can be described as somewhat bulky and not too heavily defined.

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[Robanker]

Probably a cross between JLGL and Jorge Jiminez. Clay Mann draws a helluva Superman. He should be a bigger dude, but I hate when he's overly muscled.

If you google "Doc Shaner Superman" you'll see what I mean.

[phantom1592]

Your description reminded me of Chris Sprouse. I think his Superman can be described as somewhat bulky and not too heavily defined.

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I like that one too. I think one of the issues is 'what does bulky mean?' That doesn't look bad to me at all. Some artists have gone to such extremes at various ends of the spectrum. When someone mentions 'bulky superman to me.... I picture this.




These are the kind where not recognizing Clark as Superman is a whole lot more ridiculous and the glasses aren't even the issue :P

[Jim Kelly]

Is it just coincidence that those bulked up, fat-eyebrowed versions of Superman happen around the time Jeph Loeb is a writer? I remember that Mike McKone was my favourite Superman artist during this phase, simply because his Superman looked more sllmmed down than what the other artists were doing--even though, in isolation, McKone's version would have seemed quite bulky.

[daBronzeBomma]

On paper, JLGL is tops, followed closely by Byrne.

Live Action, Christopher Reeve nailed it for me. Cavill is great too, but a wee bit too bodybuilder (and Supes should never be dwarfed by Batman as Cavill is by Affleck).

Basically, big and tall frame, lean waist, no fat, big limbs, all proportional, but can still hide all of that as Clark Kent to an amazing degree (so, super-slouching is his most often used ability by far).

Clark shouldn't be overly ripped, tho. He doesn't actually work out, so there should be no visible veins over his muscles.

[stargazer01]

Whatever you consider this to be... I'd call it 'lean'.





My preference is a Superman who is physically... perfect. Not too large and bulky like the Hulk, not too skinny... but an ideal body that could actually put on a suit and hide his physique as Clark Kent.


So Ed Mcguiness' version is RIGHT out... as is Tim Sales'...

This for me too. Very strong but lean. Dan Jurgen's Superman fits my ideal looking Superman as well. In live action, Henry Cavill's body as Superman is about perfect.

[Kuwagaton]

On paper, JLGL is tops, followed closely by Byrne.

Live Action, Christopher Reeve nailed it for me. Cavill is great too, but a wee bit too bodybuilder (and Supes should never be dwarfed by Batman as Cavill is by Affleck).

Basically, big and tall frame, lean waist, no fat, big limbs, all proportional, but can still hide all of that as Clark Kent to an amazing degree (so, super-slouching is his most often used ability by far).

Clark shouldn't be overly ripped, tho. He doesn't actually work out, so there should be no visible veins over his muscles.

Well, being vascular isn't necessarily an effect of weightlifting. I do wish we could get an actor who looks like Cavill shirtless but postures himself like Reeve to look like a skinnier guy and a big suit. Really I think if you just get someone tall with a strong back and well developed legs, that's the JLGL Superman as seen in Action #1000.