Superverse 2018 - Year In Review

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

I’d give it a C+

The Good
Krypton Show was a pleasant surprise
CW gave us a good dc crossover event featuring Superman that almost makes up for how disappointing the JL movie was.
Death of Superman animated remake was great
The Rebirth teams ended on a good note
Bendis writes a solid Superman and Zod...as for everyone else well...
Great art, Ivan Reis is pure eye candy.
Conner is coming back!!

The Bad

Things look bleak on the movie side of things. ( But possibly maybe not as bleak as they seem.)
I’ve read enough Bendis to give him a fair shake, but other than the pros I mentioned, his run has ranged from mediocre to bad so far. Rogol Zarr’s is one of the most blandest characters in recent memory, and making him responsible for destroying Krypton hurts the mythos. His take on Lois, Martian Manhunter, Jor-El, whichever Flash that was supposed to be, etc, are really bad. His Action Comics started great but the last few issues are starting to lose me.
Aging up Jon so early

[manwhohaseverything]

I don't disagree with either of you really. Behind Superman, Lois is my favorite character in these books. I don't think they work well without her at all. So if this does go completely off the rails in the next six months, I'll be right there with you. But right now, though the execution of Action Comics 1004 was bad and left way to much up to interpretation (and the negative interpretations were actually reasonable takes on the book) I think the goal is to get them back to being true partners, to give Lois back some of the fire and independence as a character and make her an active participant in the narrative of the books instead of a passenger or bystander.

There really have only been a handful of instances in the Post-Rebirth run where I can think of that actually happening, and all of them were in Action. The majority of her stories were either reacting to things happening to Jon and Clark or she was just kind of there with a really over done "Apple Pie & Motherhood" undercurrent to a lot of it. I give Jurgens credit for moving her back to the Planet and trying to give her some stuff to do, but I think that Bendis is kinda taking the Superman run homemaker Lois, and maybe using that as an excuse for Lois kinda needing to get back to what she was good at and what she was before. Bendis has said numerous times that when she's written well she's one of the best characters in the DCU, calling back specifically to how Greg Rucka wrote her in Adventures of Superman. And what I think he means by that is that you can drop her into literally any corner of the DCU and she can integrate into and move a story forward. So keeping her on a farm or tied to Metropolis limits her in a lot of ways narratively.

And as for Clark, now that you mention it Miles, I think this may actually fit in with the overall themes of Bendis's run where he's having Clark challenge himself to actually ask the question of are you doing enough as both as Clark and as Superman. The storyline with Lois could be part of that as well. Not in a negative way, not that she's criticizing him or thinks less of him for wanting a "normal" life, but challenging him to be the best he can be with the extraordinary tools they have. So yeah, in a sense it might be a critique of a sense of complacency or routine that he settled into.

Though if I had to pick worse issues in the last 2-3 years, I think those Robinson fill in issues with the suicidal planet were worse, and I think that time frame gets us back into Truth, which is a whole other animal.

Dude, I get Lois was not fully explored as a character. The focus was on Clark and Jon. That too as a father and son. But, she was never dragged through the mud. Whenever we saw her, She was a protective mother, resourceful fighter, an intelligent reporter, supportive wife.And she was independent as a reporter, all that lacked was story focus on it.She was not just "Homemaker". Tomasi superman was not about investigative reporting not for Lois or Clark, it was more goofy adventures sometimes in space or sometimes in other dimensions. And it could only leave room for the rourceful fighter lois, not the reporter lois. And she was a badass fighter.

Now, she is an incompetent person, who can't deal with her responsibilities as mother and wife. Who runs away from it, to seek solace in her job. Not because she is passionate, but because she is a coward. Lois lane is many things, but a coward is not one of them. And she is still benched with less panel time than even rebirth. Atleast in new52 she was doing her job by exposing Clark.she was not using her job as an excuse to run away from things. It was the reverse. You are just stating your hopes from Bendis run, not what is actually happening in the books. And what does true partner mean. She was fulfilling her duties as partners and parents to the child, now they are not

So what? Clark should turn into the Buddha, who left his wife and kid for finding answers to end human suffering. Is that how this "challenging" business is going to play out now. Dude, that was not okay in ancient India, so it will not be okay in modern America.Desires or wanting something cannot just be removed just because someone criticises you. It is not a switch .And what is wrong with Clark wanting normal family life along with extra ordinary one. And please, the changes will be superficial, it is not like Clark is going to start sharing his kryptonian knowledge and technology with world(And i am not talking about the league) Or fix atleast some of the world's problems like fix global warming or something .

Clark's responsibilities as a hero, does not mean he should be written as a pushover husband or neglectful father. It just means he needs to prioritise heroics higher than a father and a husband.Clark has been trying to do that. I would understand the complacency argument at the end of post crisis, but reborn superman has never been complacent. He has more to lose, if he did become one. But it is the reverse, Bendis's superman is the complacent one. Bendis's Clark is the one who allowed all these badthings to happen to his family and that is complacency. He just stood around while his wife and 10 year old son did whatever they wanted. He lets Jor el push him around.

The guy who selfishly saved his son without trying build an arc for his people, build small ship for a random orphan or fight the council hard enough should not be lecturing Clark.Jor el is a hypocrite. And is suffering from trauma.As of right now, for me anyway Clark is way better person than Jor el is

[Yoda]

Dude, I get Lois was not fully explored as a character. The focus was on Clark and Jon. That too as a father and son. But, she was never dragged through the mud. Whenever we saw her, She was a protective mother, resourceful fighter, an intelligent reporter, supportive wife.And she was independent as a reporter, all that lacked was story focus on it.She was not just "Homemaker". Tomasi superman was not about investigative reporting not for Lois or Clark, it was more goofy adventures sometimes in space or sometimes in other dimensions. And it could only leave room for the rourceful fighter lois, not the reporter lois. And she was a badass fighter.

I didn’t say she wasn’t used. But you essentially make my point. Nearly every action and arc she had was the result of Jon and Clark and she definitely lacked story focus, over the entire run of Superman and a good chunk of Action. So yeah, I would prefer that she have her own story and plot focus. Even as they B plot. Rucka accomplished that quite deftly. Gave her her own stories and they connected to the main a plot.

So yeah, I don’t think a Superman book works completely when she’s reduced to a background character that only reacts to Superman.

Now, she is an incompetent person, who can't deal with her responsibilities as mother and wife. Who runs away from it, to seek solace in her job. Not because she is passionate, but because she is a coward. Lois lane is many things, but a coward is not one of them. And she is still benched with less panel time than even rebirth. Atleast in new52 she was doing her job by exposing Clark.she was not using her job as an excuse to run away from things. It was the reverse. You are just stating your hopes from Bendis run, not what is actually happening in the books. And what does true partner mean. She was fulfilling her duties as partners and parents to the child, now they are not

You’re going to make me defend Action 1004 aren’t you? Her whole point to Clark was that their responsibilities as a a couple and parents were different now that Jon was more independent and that her and Clark don’t have to have a typical marriage where they sit down and have dinner every night. She avoided Clark yes, but coward is a pretty loaded way to describe her. It wasn’t ideal, but there is apparently more there which we are about to learn in the next Superman arc. So yeah, I’m stating what I hope to happen but it’s an educated guess based on the upcoming storylines and interviews. Just like your criticizing the an initial chapter in an ongoing story.

And yes, it wasn’t executed well at all in 1004, but as Bendis has elaborated on his intentions it’s Not hard to see where this is likely to go. And I’m not happy she was benched for so long. And if she remains benched and Bendis doesn’t come through with what he’s promised I’ll be right there with you.

So what? Clark should turn into the Buddha, who left his wife and kid for finding answers to end human suffering. Is that how this "challenging" business is going to play out now. Dude, that was not okay in ancient India, so it will not be okay in modern America.Desires or wanting something cannot just be removed just because someone criticises you. It is not a switch .And what is wrong with Clark wanting normal family life along with extra ordinary one. And please, the changes will be superficial, it is not like Clark is going to start sharing his kryptonian knowledge and technology with world(And i am not talking about the league) Or fix atleast some of the world's problems like fix global warming or something .

Clark's responsibilities as a hero, does not mean he should be written as a pushover husband or neglectful father. It just means he needs to prioritise heroics higher than a father and a husband.Clark has been trying to do that. I would understand the complacency argument at the end of post crisis, but reborn superman has never been complacent. He has more to lose, if he did become one. But it is the reverse, Bendis's superman is the complacent one. Bendis's Clark is the one who allowed all these badthings to happen to his family and that is complacency. He just stood around while his wife and 10 year old son did whatever they wanted. He lets Jor el push him around.

The guy who selfishly saved his son without trying build an arc for his people, build small ship for a random orphan or fight the council hard enough should not be lecturing Clark.Jor el is a hypocrite. And is suffering from trauma.As of right now, for me anyway Clark is way better person than Jor el is

Yes, he was complacent and yes he is now being challenged. Directly by Martian Manhunter and Jor El and indirectly by Lois. He was complacent in the sense that he had settled into his normal life and routine was mainly reacting to the world around him. To the point where an entire criminal enterprise was able to play him like a fiddle right under his nose. It’s not the same thing as being a pushover. Yes he wanted a normal life. But that comfortable normalcy was limiting to them as individuals and a family. It’s actually a pretty good meta critique of the sense of complacency that settled into the books the second year of Rebirth. It was easy, predictable, comfortable and getting kinda boring.

Jor El challenging him has nothing to do with who’s a better person. He can be a crazy bad guy and still have a point. The point, which is again a central theme of Bendis’s run, is that Superman has to fight for relevance and become more proactive. This is exactly what Bendis is trying to show. Clark needs to realize he was complacent, see the effects of that and change. So yes, Clark does look like he’s being run around by Jor El, that’s the point. We are in act 1 and he’s realizing what he needs to do. The whole point is to get him to the place where he takes an active role in his heroism, not reactive.

And Lois is challenging him as well and particular is saying they can be a family that loves and supports each other and still be out there kicking ass and taking names as reporters and heroes. And as for a being a true partner I mean one that is out there fighting for what she believes in, working with Clark as the better reporter she is and driving parts of the narrative. She’s going undercover in the next arc. I’d rather see that than have her sitting around reacting to whatever happens to fall into her lap. Catching Jon coming in late, or serving pie to Batman.

[manwhohaseverything]

I didn’t say she wasn’t used. But you essentially make my point. Nearly every action and arc she had was the result of Jon and Clark and she definitely lacked story focus, over the entire run of Superman and a good chunk of Action. So yeah, I would prefer that she have her own story and plot focus. Even as they B plot. Rucka accomplished that quite deftly. Gave her her own stories and they connected to the main a plot.

So yeah, I don’t think a Superman book works completely when she’s reduced to a background character that only reacts to Superman.



You’re going to make me defend Action 1004 aren’t you? Her whole point to Clark was that their responsibilities as a a couple and parents were different now that Jon was more independent and that her and Clark don’t have to have a typical marriage where they sit down and have dinner every night. She avoided Clark yes, but coward is a pretty loaded way to describe her. It wasn’t ideal, but there is apparently more there which we are about to learn in the next Superman arc. So yeah, I’m stating what I hope to happen but it’s an educated guess based on the upcoming storylines and interviews. Just like your criticizing the an initial chapter in an ongoing story.

And yes, it wasn’t executed well at all in 1004, but as Bendis has elaborated on his intentions it’s Not hard to see where this is likely to go. And I’m not happy she was benched for so long. And if she remains benched and Bendis doesn’t come through with what he’s promised I’ll be right there with you.



Yes, he was complacent and yes he is now being challenged. Directly by Martian Manhunter and Jor El and indirectly by Lois. He was complacent in the sense that he had settled into his normal life and routine was mainly reacting to the world around him. To the point where an entire criminal enterprise was able to play him like a fiddle right under his nose. It’s not the same thing as being a pushover. Yes he wanted a normal life. But that comfortable normalcy was limiting to them as individuals and a family. It’s actually a pretty good meta critique of the sense of complacency that settled into the books the second year of Rebirth. It was easy, predictable, comfortable and getting kinda boring.

Jor El challenging him has nothing to do with who’s a better person. He can be a crazy bad guy and still have a point. The point, which is again a central theme of Bendis’s run, is that Superman has to fight for relevance and become more proactive. This is exactly what Bendis is trying to show. Clark needs to realize he was complacent, see the effects of that and change. So yes, Clark does look like he’s being run around by Jor El, that’s the point. We are in act 1 and he’s realizing what he needs to do. The whole point is to get him to the place where he takes an active role in his heroism, not reactive.

And Lois is challenging him as well and particular is saying they can be a family that loves and supports each other and still be out there kicking ass and taking names as reporters and heroes. And as for a being a true partner I mean one that is out there fighting for what she believes in, working with Clark as the better reporter she is and driving parts of the narrative. She’s going undercover in the next arc. I’d rather see that than have her sitting around reacting to whatever happens to fall into her lap. Catching Jon coming in late, or serving pie to Batman.

I am glad she will have more panel time in the future.

Now, Bendis's run is contradicting itself. Isn't the mafia working underground because of fear of the Superman. They don't even say some buzzword like "Kryptonite" because of the fear. That doesn't look like complacency to. It looks like certain batmanesque obsessive control borderlining totalitarianism.And there nothing suggesting or stated that it only started after Lois and Jon left.so, normal family life is distraction theory is nonsense . How much more proactive can he get without being a dictator.

Also, is batman also complacent because let's face it there are hundreds of mafias in Gotham. on top of all the league of shadows and courts of owls. Don't tell me superman can do better. There is a reason Bruce is called other part of world's finest for a reason. Clark can't get as obsessive as Bruce

If Clark would be really written as proactive, there won't be a story. Superman should be able to take care of criminal activities of atleast 2 to 3 cities if not the entire american continent by himself, Cure diseases, stop global warming, stop wars, remove hunger and poverty, create/find another planets for earthlings to live so that overpopulation is controlled . But being proactive is just a buzzword that has no meaning.

Jor el has no point at all. A hero/leaders's job is to do the right thing, have good ideals and hope, believe that others will follow the example.Not to thrust his ideology upon others.There are powerful people on the planet who can go toe to toe with Kal with power or leadership skills. If they are not expected to fix everything, then Clark shouldn't as well.Jor el's ideology is an insult to firefighters, Doctor others who work in the service field, some for free.All they do is put out fires, knowing there would be another. Martian manhunter was written out of character for Bendis's needs just like many of the league members.people like jor el cause suffering not eliviate it. And their good intentions mean nothing. Case it, in the upcoming arc where Jor el, started a war.

So your problem is with Lois cooking in a family setting for Clark's weird best friend. Well, I seem to recall scenes of Clark doing house chores even cooking as well. And as I said stories were not about any kind of street level investigation or reporting. It was more space adventure mixed with slice of life with fighting in which lois had good part.Lois was hanging with furies, kicking ass of eradictor and aliens, exposing intergang.. Etc.

Catching son's mischiefs and controlling his day to day activities is what mothers and father are supposed to do, not leave them in space with someone like jor el. having some may be good investigative reporting stories in future does not change the fact that she is being portrayed as a bad wife and mother. We should have Lois as good reporter and mother/wife, not this. We should have some stories of Lois and Clark focused on investigation and reporting without damaging them as couples and parents.

They were kicking ass as reporters during previous run, that just wasn't something tomasi wanted to focus on. Since you invoked supersons where Lois is supposed to act like a mother. In one of the arcs Lois was kicking so much ass as a reporter, that the league of shadows wanted her dead. And talia herself was sent to kill her.but Jon and Damian saved her.

[Kuwagaton]

I mean it's probably more controversial than it seems to me in hindsight but there are like three other threads for 1004, at least.

I do have to say that J'onn was a good example of the strangely off type of character we can get with Bendis.

Oh and because people mentioned dashed hopes in other media, it reminds me that the Cavill news may have technically been at the best time, with nothing to look forward to.

[Flash Gordon]

The Justice League film was a disaster. Henry Cavill exited a role, which he could have been great in under better creative powers. The Rebirth books were really rough.

Bendis coming onto SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS and leaping forward hugely, quality wise, was great. Ivan Reis is doing wild and wonderful things on SUPERMAN, it's a revelation.

It's nice to end the year with the SUPERMAN titles in good shape, after such a tough year for Big Blue. At the end of the day I only really care about the comics, so I'm happy.

[Sacred Knight]

Pretty much agree with all that. I'd say Justice League portrayed a much better Superman, characterization-wise. That should have been the natural progression from MOS, but they botched it then. Further the entire film around it was a disaster so even the more positive Superman barely resonated. Everything about the movie painfully looked and felt as patchwork as the production was.

[Miles To Go]

Pretty much agree with all that. I'd say Justice League portrayed a much better Superman, characterization-wise. That should have been the natural progression from MOS, but they botched it then. Further the entire film around it was a disaster so even the more positive Superman barely resonated. Everything about the movie painfully looked and felt as patchwork as the production was.

It was definitely a "first draft" kind of movie.

[Jared S]

I just started reading comics in general this summer, and getting into Superman required reading a lot of back issues, so I admit I'm kind of fuzzy on what happened this year and what happened "recently" that I just happened to read this year. I read pretty much everything starting from when Mr. Mxyzptlk kidnapped Jon to Bendis' run (and some sporadic sections of what came before that) along with a selection of "best Superman comics" like Superman: American Alien, Secret Identity, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, and All Star Superman. [Secret Identity and All Star are now in my top five list.]

I don't care much about Superman movies or media outside comics: I chose not to watch Batman vs. Superman based on the reviews. I "watched" Justice League on DVD, but I was reading a book during the movie, so I only saw about half of it (which I refuse to regret, based on what I did see). Henry whats-his-name leaving or potentially leaving is basically irrelevant to me...

I admit I never really had a lot of interest in Superman before this year and the reason I was drawn in was because I was really curious about who Jon was, since I'd never heard of Superman having a son before. I really grew to love the whole family interaction aspect and Superman quickly became my favorite title outside of Batman-related comics. I remember hearing when I was just a kid that Superman was the most boring hero because he's too powerful and perfect, but after actually reading through his comics I found that he easily ranked as one of my top favorites. For an alien, he's very human, in a way that Batman and other heroes, ironically enough, aren't.

One other aspect I really enjoyed was seeing Jon and Damian interact; to me, it's the most fun character duo in comics right now. I was really looking forward to seeing how their plot advanced.

So you can imagine my dismay when I see that this year, the character that drew me into Superman comics is probably not going to stick around (at least, not in the same form). It all feels rather sudden to me (since from my perspective, Jon has only been around for < six months) and I admit I'm wondering if the future holds much good. I don't want to be too harsh to a hardworking author for making a move I don't like, but at the same time, it saps a lot of the joy out of reading Superman comics for me.

The Good:
- Bendis' Action Comics 1000+ run so far is enjoyable. I really like the idea of the underground mob and I like that Superman will face Leviathan in the future. I'm hoping we get to see Silencer in Superman comics soon, as I've grown to really like her as a character.
- Pictures of desks at the Daily Planet; also, since this is my first real exposure to the Daily Planet staff, I'm enjoying getting to know Perry, Jimmy Olsen, and everyone else.
- Supersons is so much fun. Pure awesomeness, every issue.
- Superman being Superman: That comic where Superman brings those kids to visit the Justice League Space Station was great.
- Superboy Bizarro was a fun ride.
- Superman issue #45 made me tear up. Beautiful and the Robert Frost poem was a perfect addition. Now that I know what Bendis had planned for Jon, though, I can't help but wonder if this was Tomasi's way of saying goodbye...
- Superman jokes Bendis has a lot of little inside jokes he throws in that I enjoy.

The Meh
- Action Comics #1000 -- Didn't actually live up to expectations for me. The only ones I truly loved were Tom King's story and Superman saving the girl from a speeding bullet. Otherwise, it all seemed fairly generic.
- Suicidal religious extremist seahorses in space! was kind of boring and mildly irritating. Also included some really awkward drawings of Jon.
- Superman 1-6; Not horrible, but definite missteps. Rogol Zar is so far meh, the only upside for me was Zod, whose arc I enjoy.
- Mixed feelings about the shift of Superman's home from Hamilton to Metropolis; I liked Hamilton more as a setting. I don't see the appeal of living in Metropolis, personally (plus the added risk of him being spotted entering his apartment doesn't seem worth it).
- Jor El being alive at all. Okay, I know this technically wasn't this year, but I really hope this gets reset the moment Doomsday clock ends. It is very weird story-wise, especially since he was brought back as a villain. I feel it kind of makes it harder to like him or trust the advice the Fortress of Solitude gives Superman.
- Talking through characters in an attempt to reassure the reader "We're not breaking up!" <-- Thanks Bendis... Seriously, if your wife ever said that to you, wouldn't you be 300% more worried? :|


The Bad
- Whoops, We Lost the Kid: Lois and Clark just being fine with Jor El, the murderous and probably insane, taking their son into space... and then Lois leaving him. You know, Batman is not the best parent, but I sincerely doubt even he would willing let one of his kids leave Earth with no way of contacting or even finding them. Don't they know that most kidnappings occur with close relatives?!
At one point I was even speculating that Jor El had used some sort of mind control on them in order to kidnap Jon because I just couldn't believe Bendis, as a parent or author, would find this realistic.

- It's only puberty: What type of crazy parent realizes her superpowered kid is entering puberty and then goes "Oh gee, time to go, have fun with your human-hating granddad, you can't possibly need me for anything." (The smile on her face when she tries to reassure Clark is oddly creepy, too.) Gah!

- Jon being aged up. If it's not permanent, the discomfort of not knowing for sure will probably make the entire arc frustrating. If it is permanent, it will happen far too soon and wipe out my favorite aspect of Superman's mythos.

Not sure what to feel:
- Conner Kent is coming back. Me: Yaay-wait, who? Conner Kent fans: There is a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor who has Superman's powers plus tactile telekinesis (whatever that is), oh, and he was erased from reality during the last universal-multi-shift reboot thing, and we really want him back... Conner Kent Wiki article: Mostly incomprehensible insanity involving lots of death, resurrections, time travel, and origin retcons. Me: Well, so long as his fans are happy... *pause* This is what Jon's wiki article is going to look like in five years, isn't it?


Overall, starting at 50 points out of 100:
+ 25 (out of 30) Overall story quality
+ 10 Supersons
- 7 for whole Jon/Lois fiasco
+5 Invisible mafia!
+3 Daily Planet desks
-3 for Rogol Zar
+2 for general Zod
+2 for a villain with a secret identity as a reporter
-1 for loooong internal monologues from Superman in Superman 6
-1 for Action comics 1004
-1 religious extremist seahorses
+1 Robert Frost poems
+1 there is a hotline for missing planets, who knew?


Net: 86, a solid B.

Bendis is apparently fully capable of writing one arc I love and another I loathe at the same time, so next year is probably going to be an interesting ride, to say the least. Still, getting into Superman comics has been a wonderful adventure, all around.

[Truman Burbank]

In the context of the books, there have been some high points and milestones, but for me, I think judging 2018 is really a referendum on Bendis. If you like Bendis, you're OK with things. If you don't, this was not a good year overall.

Me, I don't get the hype, and I'm losing a lot of enjoyment from reading Superman books because I don't think they are in a good place. The status quo shakeup is unnecessary, and so far is being handled poorly (Action 1004 was painfully bad). I know not thinking the books are currently excellent is a minority opinion on the forum, but it's one I'm comfortable with. These are not Superman stories told by Bendis; they are Bendis stories using Superman as the protagonist. They're also not particularly good stories, and they are dreadfully paced. Someone has to rein in the decompression.

"Boyzarro Redeath" and Action #1000 (minus the last story) seem like they happened years ago. I'm glad we still have Adventures of the Super Sons, but that's only a temporary thing. And not to the degree we are with this stupid Jon age-up, but I think we lost a lot of potential with the cancellation of New Super-Man. On the flip side, looking back, I don't think the Supergirl book has been particularly good even since the start of Rebirth, and I wonder if it's going to have a future after it takes care of exploring the story details Bendis doesn't want to deal with.

I can't give the year anything better than a C, and that's only because of what we had at the start of the year.

[KC]

I would give it a C+

Good:
The Booster Gold arc before Action Comics #1000.
Action Comics #1000.
Jon Kent is still amazing.
Tyler Hoechlin as Superman on the CW.
Mark Andreko's Supergirl.

Average:
Bendis' Action Comics series.

Bad:
Rebirth Superman series.
Bendis' Superman series.

[Sacred Knight]

Didn't think of doing the list thing. Here's how that worked out for me:

Good:
Bendis Superman- The weaker of the two titles but mostly due to its decompression. Overall its creating an intriguing space epic.
Bendis Action Comics - Outside of one already infamous issue, pretty much gold all-around. Fleshed out Metropolis, fleshed out Planet, all surrounded by a plot featuring some cool new villains and a pretty much pitch-perfect Superman characterization)
Action #1000
Jon going away if only for a while

Average:
Superman on Supergirl. If anything just for some outside exposure.
Jurgens Action - Kinda got its bearings the year before, and closed out pretty even keeled if nothing spectacular.

Bad:
Tomasi Superman - 2018 never saw it recover from its 2017 flame-out.
Jon Kent in general
The idea of Superman as a dad in general
Action #1004 Lois Lane - I don't want her to be a mom any more than I want Superman being a dad, but if she has to be a mom, it'd be nice if she's a good one. Bendis did good by that in MOS, but to date its been squandered here.

[Vordan]

In the context of the books, there have been some high points and milestones, but for me, I think judging 2018 is really a referendum on Bendis. If you like Bendis, you're OK with things. If you don't, this was not a good year overall.

Me, I don't get the hype, and I'm losing a lot of enjoyment from reading Superman books because I don't think they are in a good place. The status quo shakeup is unnecessary, and so far is being handled poorly (Action 1004 was painfully bad). I know not thinking the books are currently excellent is a minority opinion on the forum, but it's one I'm comfortable with. These are not Superman stories told by Bendis; they are Bendis stories using Superman as the protagonist. They're also not particularly good stories, and they are dreadfully paced. Someone has to rein in the decompression.

"Boyzarro Redeath" and Action #1000 (minus the last story) seem like they happened years ago. I'm glad we still have Adventures of the Super Sons, but that's only a temporary thing. And not to the degree we are with this stupid Jon age-up, but I think we lost a lot of potential with the cancellation of New Super-Man. On the flip side, looking back, I don't think the Supergirl book has been particularly good even since the start of Rebirth, and I wonder if it's going to have a future after it takes care of exploring the story details Bendis doesn't want to deal with.

I can't give the year anything better than a C, and that's only because of what we had at the start of the year.

Hey forums are for expressing your opinion after all. If you don’t like them that’s fine. There were people who didn’t enjoy Rebirth and they made their feelings known so I don’t see why those who don’t enjoy the Bendis era can’t do likewise. Honestly though I think there’s a pretty even split here on the forums between those who like it and those who don’t. The ones who don’t just end up leaving for a while.

[Lokimaru]

Pretty much agree with all that. I'd say Justice League portrayed a much better Superman, characterization-wise. That should have been the natural progression from MOS, but they botched it then. Further the entire film around it was a disaster so even the more positive Superman barely resonated. Everything about the movie painfully looked and felt as patchwork as the production was.

Zack was getting too the positive Superman but people nowadays just want things now, now, now, NOW. The Guy HAD an ARC for Clark. WARNER BROS. is the reason you didn't get to see the conclusion OF that arc. MoS, BvS and JL were the Superman Trilogy. About HIM and WHAT he means to the world.
(God that suit looks Majestic under proper lighting)

Do nooooo they wanted Bad CG Lip Joker Smile instead of This:

[Miles To Go]

Average:
Superman on Supergirl.

"That came out wrong...or did it?"