Kal El: Superman / Clark Kent Appreciation 2020

[stargazer01]

Still surprised Lex Luthor didn't get a cameo in it anywhere.

Isn't the bald guy he throws through the wall supposed to be Lex?

[cc008]

Hi everyone! Looking to start reading more Superman given all this extra time we have to read. Any recommendations on where to start? Action Comics? Superman? Rebirth? Pre New 52? I'm up for any and all of it

[Kuwagaton]

Some good jumping on points recently published:

Action Comics, Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel - the New 52 origin story. Morrison's run is collected in three volumes and takes Superman from the streets of Metropolis to a battle for the dimension

Superman Deluxe Edition volume 1 - the intro to Rebirth, dealing with the death of the New 52 Superman and the return of the older Superman family. The deluxe line also has a complimentary Action Comics deluxe line.

Action Comics: Brave New World - meanwhile, this actually explains the current Superman origin while providing a battle with some of his main villains

The Man of Steel: this is the beginning to the current Bendis run, at the regular Rebirth status quo, and a good try out for what he's got going on. All Star artists and a story the breaks into two regular titles.

Adventures of Superman : Gil Kane, Garcia Lopez Vols 1 and 2 - if you like classic comics these are some of the most exciting and best collected.

City of Tomorrow - a "modern throwback." The titles were given a shot in the arm in 2000, this collection follows some of the writers who are still well known today making Superman into more of a sci-fi comic.

Man and Superman, Action Comics #1000: shorter stories released recently with hardcover editions, too. One is an origin, the other is a strong compilation.

[K7P5V]

Lets celebrate the greatness that is...

Moebius

[LoveStar]

How America Made And Destroyed Superman

[Electricmastro]

How America Made And Destroyed Superman

Sometimes I feel like the ignorant odd man out when it comes to comics like Superman, because while others are arguing about “this Superman comic is improperly balancing its politics!” or “this Superman comic isn’t political enough!” I just sit here simply, and I’m sure reasonably, just wanting well-written Superman stories I can enjoy, regardless of how political they get.

[manwhohaseverything]

Sometimes I feel like the ignorant odd man out when it comes to comics like Superman, because while others are arguing out “this Superman comic is improperly balancing its politics!” or “this Superman comic isn’t political enough!” I just here simply, and I’m sure reasonably, just wanting well-written Superman stories I can enjoy, regardless of how political they get.

The character has nothing to say anymore. That's the problem. He is just running around beating up monsters. Furthermore, any real world resemblances can be mitigated with fictional setting with whatever level of realism author requires.

[Kuwagaton]

Sometimes I feel like the ignorant odd man out when it comes to comics like Superman, because while others are arguing about “this Superman comic is improperly balancing its politics!” or “this Superman comic isn’t political enough!” I just sit here simply, and I’m sure reasonably, just wanting well-written Superman stories I can enjoy, regardless of how political they get.

To me it's missing the forest for the trees. The magic is lost to the burden of answering those questions. As a kid twenty five years ago to being an adult now, I just want fun stories.

[stargazer01]

I thought this was the Superman appreciation thread, not the Superman bashing thread...


Funny, Superman and Clark Kent have been mentioned often by big political figures of the world in the last few months.. but sure, he's not relevant anymore.

[LoveStar]

I thought this was the Superman appreciation thread, not the Superman bashing thread...


Funny, Superman and Clark Kent have been mentioned often by big political figures of the world in the last few months.. but sure, he's not relevant anymore.

It’s not so much of bashing but of giving the insight of what has caused Superman to fall behind and what can be done to bring him back to the top, which is actually putting him back to his roots of unapologetically celebrating his alien heritage. Move away from the outdated setting he is in and most importantly that’s been detrimental is this “simple conservative farmboy, Clark Kent, who happens to have powers”. Superman is used as a political figure as being the poster boy for keeping the outdated status quo. The superficial ways of telling the audience Superman is the greatest by having contrived borderline tone deaf stories is not the right way.

[Kuwagaton]

Yeah for what it's worth, the video is very well made. It's not anything new in content, especially around these forums, but it's a question asked very succinctly.

At the fan level I think it does tend to get away from the point, just because there's so much subjective interest in these objective outcomes.

[manwhohaseverything]

It's just a bit wierd for me or coincidence i made a post a week or two ago regarding the same subject"impact of comics code on superman" and it was talked about in "is batman more popular than Superman?" thread. Now, we have a video on the same subject.Crazy.

[Electricmastro]

Yeah for what it's worth, the video is very well made. It's not anything new in content, especially around these forums, but it's a question asked very succinctly.

At the fan level I think it does tend to get away from the point, just because there's so much subjective interest in these objective outcomes.

I’ve started to realize just how much expectation has been stacked on top of the poor guy, with how Superman is expected to touch on being an immigrant, in spite of how he arguably feels more at home on Earth than on Krypton, with how he started the Golden Age of comics, with how he’s considered the first popular superhero, and with how he’s considered one of the most successful superheroes of all time, perhaps many have felt an obligation to put him on a higher pedestal in such a way that perhaps they’ve lost track of what I think many would reasonably agree was Siegel and Shuster’s original intention. Like I mentioned before, in that while even they very much incorporated social and political aspects into their earliest stories, that was only a means to achieve the feeling of having read enjoyably well-written stories, and that enjoyable stories were most likely Siegel and Shuster’s main intention, all things considered, at the end of the day.

[manwhohaseverything]

I’ve started to realize just how much expectation has been stacked on top of the poor guy, with how Superman is expected to touch on being an immigrant, in spite of how he arguably feels more at home on Earth than on Krypton, with how he started the Golden Age of comics, with how he’s considered the first popular superhero, and with how he’s considered one of the most successful superheroes of all time, perhaps many have felt an obligation to put him on a higher pedestal in such a way that perhaps they’ve lost track of what I think many would reasonably agree was Siegel and Shuster’s original intention. Like I mentioned before, in that while even they very much incorporated social and political aspects into their earliest stories, that was only a means to achieve the feeling of having read enjoyably well-written stories, and that enjoyable stories were most likely Siegel and Shuster’s main intention, all things considered, at the end of the day.

Forgive me, but i find superman lacking in the entertainment department as well. The guys powerset and moveset needs some presentation upgrade. Don't go political, can he atleast have interesting fights and thought provoking conundrums?you know riddle me this kinda deal.Also, i would appreciate more swashbuckling mentality than the boyscout mentality.

[Kuwagaton]

I’ve started to realize just how much expectation has been stacked on top of the poor guy, with how Superman is expected to touch on being an immigrant, in spite of how he arguably feels more at home on Earth than on Krypton, with how he started the Golden Age of comics, with how he’s considered the first popular superhero, and with how he’s considered one of the most successful superheroes of all time, perhaps many have felt an obligation to put him on a higher pedestal in such a way that perhaps they’ve lost track of what I think many would reasonably agree was Siegel and Shuster’s original intention. Like I mentioned before, in that while even they very much incorporated social and political aspects into their earliest stories, that was only a means to achieve the feeling of having read enjoyably well-written stories, and that enjoyable stories were most likely Siegel and Shuster’s main intention, all things considered, at the end of the day.

Yeah, I think the WWII propaganda was just a very natural thing and not simply expected and forced. I think it was two guys (well, and a ninja army behind the second guy) telling good stories with that backdrop basically as a coincidence.

Superman is my favorite because he navigates as a character in less certain times. There's a lot more competition and a lot of things that cover different grounds better. There's just no way to suggest that Superman gives you what Black Panther gives you. But then people think he should succeed exceptionally in spite of that. It's tough.

When someone has a fun story to tell he's at the highest tier as a hero. I mean there's like, Silver Surfer, but Superman has the story range on top.

I'd love to see the Adventures of Superman hardcover line continue with artist spotlights. Doug Mahnke would be my first choice, as he generally does the consummate sci-fi hero.