So are the Superman: Earth One books generally hated?

[LordUltimus]

Noticed some snide comments around here, wanted to know if this was the general opinion.

Personally I think they're fine, though the kind of stuff that I wouldn't want in the main canon. (And I'm mildly amused how each villain is even blander and more cartoonishly evil than the last.)

[Netherman14]

I'm personally just neutral towards the books, partially due to the fact I haven't read them in depth for a long time. I don't even own copies of them.

[Sacred Knight]

I'd say they were mixed, probably leaning toward the negative. But personally I felt they did a few good things. The alternate take on Lex Luthor was very interesting, Parasite was cool, and I liked the new dynamic they were beginning to set up with Lois. But at the same time, there were some really bad ideas like making Zod an El, the purposeful destruction of Krypton fell flat (I don't reject the general concept, the execution here just didn't do it for me). And while I like a Superman with pathos, I generally don't care for it being in his decision to become Superman. In my head there should always be personal consequences and sacrifices to him doing it, and therin lies the pathos, but making the leap, not so much.

[HeroVladimir93]

I like Earth One books too, even if they feature stuff that I don't think would fit in the main canon either. Then again, that's the whole point of writing an alternate universe story.

[Netherman14]

I do know that Dispenser of Truth despises the books (especially for Superman and Batman, he's more ambivalent on the other ones) with a fiery passion. I'll link his review below.

https://davidmann95.tumblr.com/post/...h-one-ive-read

[LifeIsILL]

Didn't Zack Snyder completely rip-off the story of Earth One for his Man of Steel movie? It was almost a scene-by-scene replay of the comic. They changed the villain from that alien guy to Zod.

[Kuwagaton]

I don't see it as Superman, I see it as the JMS Superman. Which isn't bad, but doesn't feel the same to me. DC main universe endeavors aside I think he's a very solid writer.

[Last Son of Krypton]

I didn't mind the books, it was an interesting experiment till it lasted.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I thought it was decent but Birthright and American Alien were better reads/takes.

I wouldn't mind if it got rebooted with a different creative team like Pak/Kuder.

It was probably hated more a few years ago when it came out but now people moved on to hating other things.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

I do know that Dispenser of Truth despises the books (especially for Superman and Batman, he's more ambivalent on the other ones) with a fiery passion. I'll link his review below.

https://davidmann95.tumblr.com/post/...h-one-ive-read

Much as I do, I'd say "mixed" would be the appropriate description of the general response.

Didn't Zack Snyder completely rip-off the story of Earth One for his Man of Steel movie? It was almost a scene-by-scene replay of the comic. They changed the villain from that alien guy to Zod.

Ripoff might be a bit much, but given David Goyer left a quote on it, yeah, clearly it was one of the primary influences on the movie.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Hate is a strong term. No interest in whatsoever would be more appropriate. This was simply not a Superman I want to read about.

[Vordan]

I liked it. Wouldn’t have minded getting more, but if we did I’d have wanted a clean break with the “canon” Superman. No romance with Lois for example, stick with developing the LI he found already.

[superduperman]

It works fine IF you accept that it's not supposed to be the main version. This is where I think a lot of the hate comes from. People came into it expecting it to be like the main version. And I don't think it works as a main version.

[Jon Clark]

I just don't like reluctant heroes. So whether it is the main Superman or Superman in The Nail, I really don't like seeing Superman as a guy who is almost forced by circumstances into the Superman role.

Are there people like that in the real world? Sure.

Do I want to read about them even as a one-off story? No.

Did every live action Superman between Smallville and Supergirl give me them as the main character? Yep.

Might that make me even less of a fan of that approach in Earth One? Definitely.

And thus Earth One started off on a bad foot and JMS' ideas for new story twists and elements then missed more often than they hit.
Didn't like Superman's first foe. Didn't care for the sub-plot of Superman vs the military/intelligence that ran through all three books. Clark's early job interviews seemed a bit short-sighted for anyone planning a secret ID (JMS not Clark).
The Love Interest introduced just felt blah. It wasn't a failure but I just didn't see anything new that came from introducing her as an original character.
I'll give a few points for the new twist on the ship and the Luthors, but neither was enough to counter balance the bad ideas.

[Netherman14]

Much as I do, I'd say "mixed" would be the appropriate description of the general response.

I assume you're referring in this case to your general response to the Earth One books, though that could very well be general response in the "everyone else" way.