Alan Moore had it wrong (Whatever Happened spoilers)

[rpmaluki]

I don't know if this line is strictly from the Donner movie or not but Jor-El says that one of the things Kal would do was inspire others to "join him in the sun". A successful Superman does exactly that. If and when an opportunity to hang his tights comes along, he would have achieved all he was meant to do if others can step up and take the mantle as he steps aside (and they do). He is not supposed to do it all alone, all of the time or risk the world falling apart because it grew too dependent on him to always solve its problems. It seems wrong to me to deny Superman a chance at normalcy even if it's for a moment just because of what he can do and has always done when the occasion called for it, which is all the time.

Lets be real, being Superman is a heavy burden and because of the man that he is, he carries that with aplomb. I can imagine the relief he'd feel for having to not carry the weight of the world on his shoulders when relieved of his abilities. Does that mean Clark is selfish for having those kinds of feelings? Hardly because we all have them at some point or another. It would be selfish if he intentionally turned deaf to every cry for help when none would come or blind to a villain decimating a city in front of his eyes and there was no one to save the day but him. I don't think that's the message that this book is conveying. I don't see them writing him like that even unintentionally.

[superduperman]

I don't think that is what Moore was going for at all(Maybe i am wrong) . This was meant to be sombre tale of how "Man of tomorrow" became irrelevant mixed with some silverage goofy tone. And how time caught upto even him. If you read "for the man who has everything" and this story.We can clearly see that Clark even though loved helping people. His greatest desire is a family. Clark was starting to batman a little.Clark just realised a never ending battle will go on even with out him. He didn't have a reason to go back. He had no powers. His villains that magically appeared after he bacame superman were gone. Legion basically said his role is basically done as Hero due to death or other factors. And world didn't seem to care. People just went on with their lives. So, naturally their might have been new villains and heroes to take his place for the newer generations to continue the battle. He decided to do the healthy thing, rather cling onto something that has had it's time. He let it go, for somebody else to take over.
Besides, Jon having powers is clear indication that "the ride isn't over yet".
It is stupid you think that Clark can't live like us. Can't deal with morality(yes that includes incapability to deal with scenario you mentioned ). Then he shouldn't be called super "man".

He openly called Superman arrogant. Maybe I'm misreading something into it that's not there but that line came across to me as the attitude of someone who thinks the very concept of Superman is a waste of time. The whole thing read as him saying that being Superman was silly all along. If not for that line, I probably wouldn't have that much of a problem with the ending.

[Jim Kelly]

For me the perfect possible ending for the Weisinger era Superman is Superman-Blue/Superman-Red. But in that Leo Dorfman story, one Superman married Lois and the other married Lana. Maybe to satisfy all possible directions, Superman/Clark should have split into five: Superman-Blue, Superman-Red, Superman-Grey, Clark Kent-White and Clark Kent-Yellow. We already know what happened to Blue and Red. Grey is the Immortal Superman of the Cary Bates story who never marries and just keeps going on to the end of time. White would be the powerless Jim White who ultimately marries Sally Selwyn. And Yellow is the movie star Clark who intended to marry Lyrica Lloyd--she was the only woman he ever truly loved, but she died in his arms--so he lives the rest of his life pining for her.

[Soubhagya]

For me the perfect possible ending for the Weisinger era Superman is Superman-Blue/Superman-Red. But in that Leo Dorfman story, one Superman married Lois and the other married Lana. Maybe to satisfy all possible directions, Superman/Clark should have split into five: Superman-Blue, Superman-Red, Superman-Grey, Clark Kent-White and Clark Kent-Yellow. We already know what happened to Blue and Red. Grey is the Immortal Superman of the Cary Bates story who never marries and just keeps going on to the end of time. White would be the powerless Jim White who ultimately marries Sally Selwyn. And Yellow is the movie star Clark who intended to marry Lyrica Lloyd--she was the only woman he ever truly loved, but she died in his arms--so he lives the rest of his life pining for her.

Where were you all this time? Finally, i see some love for Superman-Red and Superman-Blue. Fantastic story. One of my favorite Superman stories. My favorite ending might be Morrison's but sometimes i like it even more. You never get that kind of victory anywhere. The only nitpick is that the the resolution of the love triangle felt a bit convenient. But then we are talking of a story where Supermen 'scienced' away all evil.

If they were trying to satisfy all directions, there should have been a Superman-Aqua Blue. Who marries Lori Lemaris and settles at the bottom of the ocean.

[manwhohaseverything]

He openly called Superman arrogant. Maybe I'm misreading something into it that's not there but that line came across to me as the attitude of someone who thinks the very concept of Superman is a waste of time. The whole thing read as him saying that being Superman was silly all along. If not for that line, I probably wouldn't have that much of a problem with tha e ending.

Well yeah! I think he likes to take character down a notch. And also he likes to be non-overindulgent. There is an inherent silliness to "superman". He is a guy who can fly, wearing the undies on the outside. Moore from what i know thinks that adult who can't let go have kidnapped genre from kids. now comics are geared to largely towards adult demographic and teens.Which he thinks is a mistake .He hates the gritty story telling that plagues the industry . But, i haven't seen anything that felt that he didn't respect the character.

[dancj]

I think the ending is very 1980s. "Live for yourself, don't worry about other people". It's a very selfish mindset. I don't mind that he retired because he lost his powers so much as he seemed very cynical about the very idea of Superman. "Oh, well. I was stupid for spending all those years helping people. I should have just done my own thing".

I have no idea how you got that from the story.

[dancj]

I read it at the time and thought it was fantastic (although very heart-wrenching for me and probably the saddest comic book I've ever read). I'm just saying that it doesn't pay off on any of the stories that were being told up to that point, by other writers. It doesn't give any of them the chance to wrap up their Superman.

It's not a great pay-off of the Martin Pasko Superman or the Elliot Maggin Superman or the Cary Bates Superman. And maybe one of these writers had earned the right to do the kind of story they wanted to do as their last Superman. I think Cary Bates of any of them was probably the writer who had that right, given how much of his life he had devoted to the Man of Tomorrow.

There was no uber arc to resolve at the time. Superman had pretty much been nothing but self contained stories (with the occasional two or three parter) for a few years by that point. I don't think there was necessarily anything to pay off on. Practically all of the characters made some appearance or other.

I'd have been fine with Cary Bates writing the end story - but I have no doubt it wouldn't have been as good a story - and that's the most important thing IMO.

[kalai]

I thought it was a good story, just not one I would take as a ending to Silver Age of Superman.
I feel like Moore was trying to deliver a ending in the sense that Silver Age is over, so the story doesn't really have a silver age-ish feeling to it.
And the thesis is probably just silver age super hero doesn't really matter to the society and people manage just fine without them and all that.
Still, Superman's characterization was good enough for me

[theoneandonly]

All that was missing was a Victor sage without his guise holding a placard saying Superman's world is coming to an end.

[Jon-El]

I’d been reading the comics since 1976 & had I was very satisfied with the story. It’s very sad but good wrap up. It was kind of the final evolution of the Silver age. In the 60’s you had Bizarro, all the versions of Kryptonite, Krypto, and the Lana & Lois situation. Then I’m the Bronze Age, everything became a bit more realistic. Relatively speaking of course. The villains became more threatening. The relationships were a bit more fleshed out. The stakes were higher. The Moore story takes it to the next level. The villains are murderous. There’s an increased drama with the Superman , Lois, Lana triangle. The stakes are taken to the next level. I wouldn’t want the comics to be like this all the time but it was a good arc.

Having Superman retire and ride off into the sunset seemed perfect to me. There were a few imaginary stores that had similar endings. I liked it. All the villains were gone so it seemed like the world would be fine without Superman. At least my teenage mind felt like the world was a pretty safe place at the time. We’d survive.

[Jim Kelly]

Besides the Alan Moore story and the benefit of having George Perez and Kurt Schaffenberger (with a little help from Murphy Anderson) ink Curt Swan, there were the history columns by E. Nelson Bridwll (who would soon pass away from cancer) and the covers by Swanderson for SUPERMAN 423 and ACTION COMICS 583. The SUPERMAN cover paid homage to all the covers that mainly Swan had done for the Superman family's Giants.

And the ACTION cover (from a layout by Ed Hannigan) had many of the Man of Tomorrow's closest friends gathered on the roof of the Daily Planet building to say farewell: Robin [Jason Todd]; Hawkman [Katar Hol]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; the Legion of Super-Heroes [Cosmic Boy; Lightning Lad; Saturn Girl]; Martian Manhunter; Captain Marvel [Billy Batson]; Wonder Woman [Diana Prince]; the Flash [Barry Allen]; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Jimmy Olsen; Lana Lang; Lois Lane; Krypto; Julius Schwartz; Jenette Kahn; Murphy Anderson; Curt Swan; and an unnamed boy and girl [representing us, the readers, I think].

This was the saddest cover of any comic book I will ever know. I wish there was more room on that roof for everyone that wished to say good-bye. That cover is the most meaningful to me. A picture that's worth a thousand words.

[Vordan]

I quite like it. It’s a odd mix of cynicism and idealism. Supes in the end is forced to break his beliefs but he still holds true to them too. Superman can not kill and so when he is forced to he chooses to end Superman. I can see the complaints people have with Moore being so dismissive of Superman with Clark’s final words, but I still enjoy the ending. Even if Clark no longer thinks Superman was all that great, his son will still one day carry on the legacy.