Poll: Which is the better run: Geoff Johns Rebirth or Brian Bendis run

[objectivewatcher2013]

And your reasons why.

[Vordan]

Uh what? Johns didn’t write Rebirth and Bendis’ run isn’t over yet.

[Lvenger]

I don't quite get the title. Is your first option Geoff Johns' Superman run of stories, Tomasi and Gleason's Superman Rebirth run or Dan Jurgens' Action Comics run? Either way I'd choose any one of those 3 over Bendis' run but this might start some arguments just as a heads up since we all have strong opinions on these runs.

[objectivewatcher2013]

I don't quite get the title. Is your first option Geoff Johns' Superman run of stories, Tomasi and Gleason's Superman Rebirth run or Dan Jurgens' Action Comics run? Either way I'd choose any one of those 3 over Bendis' run but this might start some arguments just as a heads up since we all have strong opinions on these runs.

Yes. What you said. Sorry I worded the question poorly. Geoff Johns was overall in charge, but the Jurgens run in particular.

[SiegePerilous02]

Probably Bendis when it first started.

None of them are great though. The character deserves so much better.

[manwhohaseverything]

I like tomasi and jurgens run for jon and superdad. Other than that. I am bored by bendis. I am apathetic towards his big ideas. Legion seems to be just plot device to get rid of jon.
At the very least the lois and jimmy books are being tried again.
As for superman character alone, i hate them both.

[Sacred Knight]

Neither are great. Rebirth run, particularly Tomasi's Superman is monumentally overrated. Bendis's run rated about as it should be. Started good, but has been trending down as of late with very questionable creative decisions. As of now I guess I give it to Bendis by a hair but as its still ongoing, things can easily change.

[Ascended]

Didn't read Jurgens' Rebirth, but I'd rather get kicked in the groin than read more of Johns' bland and generic Superman that somehow takes all the wrong lessons from pre- and post-Crisis. Tomasi started off pretty strong, even if I don't agree with his Rockwellian take on the Super-family, but it started going off the rails before the end of the Manchester Black arc.

Bendis has done some stuff I really dislike but I feel like overall I recognize his Superman more than Tomasi's, I *think* the quality has held longer (not sure when Tomasi lost it) and Johns doesn't really write Superman in the first place, just a boring guy wearing Clark's clothes. So I gotta give Bendis the win here.

I give both Bendis and Tomasi major points for advancing the narrative though. Tomasi (and Jurgens, who gets credit for creation) did good work with Jon and exploring the new dynamic of Clark being a father. Bendis gets points for all the United Planets/President of Earth/Invisible Mafia stuff. I enjoy it when writers try to build instead of just re-tread the past and cover old stories in new paint. It's not that Tomasi was *bad* I just think Bendis has done a better job and explored more aspects of Clark's life; while Tomasi largely just focused on the more grounded stuff (with a little cosmic sprinkled in) Bendis, by virtue of writing both books, has been able to cover more thematic ground (even if I'm still pissed about the Legion stuff).

[Sacred Knight]

If we're talking about Johns, basically the only thing he gets right is that he likes to keep Superman's classic concepts and rework them in (via a modernized method when required) instead of removing them post-Crisis style or pawning a concept off for another character. In that regard once upon a time he did some good for Superman's mythos. Beyond that though, I don't think he gets Superman much at all.

[SiegePerilous02]

If we're talking about Johns, basically the only thing he gets right is that he likes to keep Superman's classic concepts and rework them in (via a modernized method when required) instead of removing them post-Crisis style or pawning a concept off for another character. In that regard once upon a time he did some good for Superman's mythos. Beyond that though, I don't think he gets Superman much at all.

Johns may be good for the Super mythos as an idea man, or make sure the classic elements stay in place. I think if he were in charge this latest Legion thing wouldn't happen.

Shouldn't write the actual books though, or at least not without a strong co-author.

[Ascended]

Johns may be good for the Super mythos as an idea man, or make sure the classic elements stay in place. I think if he were in charge this latest Legion thing wouldn't happen.

Shouldn't write the actual books though, or at least not without a strong co-author.

Agreed. Johns seems to have a lot of respect for Clark's classic trappings, he just can't actually write the character in a interesting way.

I'd be relatively comfortable with Johns in charge of DC, so long as he didn't stick his hand into the writing of Superman. But having him green light directions would be fine I think.

I'm not hating on Johns, I usually enjoy his writing. He just has never done it for me on Superman, outside of one or two exceptions.

[Rod G]

Neither.

Rebirth is one big mess right now.

[Jon Clark]

I'd reluctantly give the nod to Rebirth

For me the Invisible Mafia was Bendis' one good idea. The whole Unity Saga with nut-case Jor-El, revised Krypton death, aged up Jon, tone deaf Lois, and mangled character cameos at best left me cold and at worst seemed to put the ideas ahead of the characters.

Rebirth was insular with too much focus on Los, Clark & Jon without the traditional supporting cast, but at least the characters were true to their history.

[Blue22]

Superman has never been even close to being one of my favorite Superheros, but it was Tomasi's run that actually had me enjoying Superman comics for the first time in YEARS. Like....his run was easily in my top 10 favorite reads. I loved the Superfamily. I love most stories that involve families, really (unconventional or otherwise). The Incredibles. Fantastic Four. Runaways. X-Men. Batfamily. Teen Titans. I thought the way Tomasi set up Clark and his family was the perfect antithesis to the family Bruce had established. I loved Lois (though I've always loved Lois). I REALLY loved Jon. I loved seeing Clark in the role of a father, teaching his kid the ropes, both as a hero and as a person. And I was really excited to see Jon eventually grow up over time and come into his own the same way Damian was. Unfortunately....DC had other plans, and now I can't help but feel just as robbed as Bendis wanted Clark and Lois to feel (a feeling they got over disgustingly fast, honestly. Especially when the whole thing happened because of their out of character neglectfulness).

I really miss Tomasi's run. I miss the kid Jon. I miss the Superfamily being able to function as both a Super family and a normal one too. I miss the overall hopefulness of Rebirth as a whole.

Of course I fully understand why longtime fans probably weren't into Tomasi's run as much as I was. They read for Superman, right? Not his wife and kid. So while those two might have been my biggest draws to the series, I can get why people who just want Superman doing Superman things would be drawn more to Bendis' run, I suppose. And I did honestly try to give his run a chance. But...coming off of something that really spoke to me and that I got A LOT of enjoyment out of, reading Bendis' Superman is just so...upsetting. Like there are few things in fiction that make me legitimately sad when I think about them. His run is one of those things. It has some good ideas and I can tell he appreciates the Superman mythos as a whole and wants to expand on it....but, even taking out what he's done to Clark's family, the choices he's made have all felt so....wrong. So congrats, Brian. Civil War II is no longer my least favorite of your work.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

I’ll be the weirdo who prefers Jurgens’s Rebirth run over all of the above. Really underrated if you ask me.

I'd reluctantly give the nod to Rebirth

For me the Invisible Mafia was Bendis' one good idea. The whole Unity Saga with nut-case Jor-El, revised Krypton death, aged up Jon, tone deaf Lois, and mangled character cameos at best left me cold and at worst seemed to put the ideas ahead of the characters.

Rebirth was insular with too much focus on Los, Clark & Jon without the traditional supporting cast, but at least the characters were true to their history.

Agreed on both counts. Only I’m not even impressed by Invisible Mafia as some. Just a poor man’s Intergang without the awesome 4th world elements of you ask me.