Superman, Centre of The Universe

[GSman]

I've recently caught up on Doomsday Clock and reading #10, it was revealed Superman's the center of the universe itself, and every change regarding him effects the universe at large. Of course this is not an entirely new concept, since Geoff Johns teased this in Infinite Crisis, With Alexander Luthor stating "Everything comes from Superman" I'm just curious as to how people feel about this idea. I personally like it, since I think Superman should be important, he's arguably the world's first superhero, and he's the epitome of everything a hero is and should be.

[SiegePerilous02]

Went with "ok" since I don't feel strongly enough about this that I'm gung ho about the universe literally revolving around him.
But if there is a character to do it with if we need to do it at all, it should be Superman. We do not have the DCU without him coming along and being successful, it pretty much was built up around him.

[Sacred Knight]

I'm rather indifferent, so I chose okay. I don't need him to be the center of the meta/multi/universe either way. But the biggest reason I'm indifferent is that even when they say that, its all lip-service and no follow-through anyway. Its been stated in two events now, Infinite Crisis and Doomsday Clock, and they've never done anything with it at all. There's nothing that the character gains by such a title in the tangible materials. Indeed instead with stuff like Final Crisis, The Return of Bruce Wayne, Metal, Last Knight on Earth, etc, it'd be far more honest for them to just go ahead and say what everyone already knows; that in practice, the center of DCU is Batman.

[BBally]

Considering years of DC making Batman the center of attention including this Walk Of Fame announcement, this is kind of a compensation.

[GSman]

I'm rather indifferent, so I chose okay. I don't need him to be the center of the meta/multi/universe either way. But the biggest reason I'm indifferent is that even when they say that, its all lip-service and no follow-through anyway. Its been stated in two events now, Infinite Crisis and Doomsday Clock, and they've never done anything with it at all. There's nothing that the character gains by such a title in the tangible materials. Indeed instead with stuff like Final Crisis, The Return of Bruce Wayne, Metal, Last Knight on Earth, etc, it'd be far more honest for them to just go ahead and say what everyone already knows; that in practice, the center of DCU is Batman.

Batman, is definitely the more marketed of the two, and more heavily featured in stories, though I don't think because of that, it makes him the center of everything. Looking back at some of those stories, you mentioned primarily the Big ones like Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis, Superman himself, was of more importance in those stories than Batman himself. Look at IC I'd say Superman was the focal point of it, with Kal-L the very first Superhero, literally being the catalyst for the multiverse being brought back, and Superman ultimately being the one to put Superboy Prime down. Not to mention him playing a way larger part in Final Crisis with him being the one to defeat Darkseid himself. And I'd say in Rebirth that prominence has been maintained as well. With the splitting of Supermen, and merger, changing continuity. I see no evidence that Superman isn't the main focus, of things. Batman may get more exposure, but when it comes go the big stories Superman is always the main focus of it.

And the stories with Batman, you mentioned are literally made to be focused on Batman, that much is obvious in the title alone. But when it comes to the stories with huge implications, that involves everyone, Superman is the priority.

[Jim Kelly]

In theory, it's a good concept--but it's all in the execution. I haven't read DOOMSDAY CLOCK--but at its molasses pace, it seems like a slow moving disaster.

I remember when John Byrne tried to establish, in GENESIS, that Jack Kirby created the DC universe. Because there was this thing called the Godwave that originated from Jack Kirby's Fourth World. I could see that Byrne wanted to pay homage to his hero, King Kirby, but it seemed wrong to make Jack the author of the whole DC universe.

Likewise, I don't agree with saying that Superman created DC. Superman was published in 1938 and the comics that would be DC started in 1935. Jack Woods should have the honour of being DC's progenitor.

[GSman]

In theory, it's a good concept--but it's all in the execution. I haven't read DOOMSDAY CLOCK--but at its molasses pace, it seems like a slow moving disaster.

I remember when John Byrne tried to establish, in GENESIS, that Jack Kirby created the DC universe. Because there was this thing called the Godwave that originated from Jack Kirby's Fourth World. I could see that Byrne wanted to pay homage to his hero, King Kirby, but it seemed wrong to make Jack the author of the whole DC universe.

Likewise, I don't agree with saying that Superman created DC. Superman was published in 1938 and the comics that would be DC started in 1935. Jack Woods should have the honour of being DC's progenitor.

There's a difference between being the center of something and being it's creator. Nothing that's been written implies Superman created the universe, just that he's the very center of it. Though, I most admit, even though I don't know much at all about Jack Woods, he's seems like an interesting character, but Superman's still considered the world's first superhero, that honor belongs to him. DC today, and everything related to superheros, originated and was built off of Superman. And because of that it makes sense DC would want him to be the center of their universe, over a character that's not been seen or heard of in 70 years.