Yeah we gotta break DCAU Superman into the Daly STAS and Newbern’s JL incarnations in order to properly judge them:
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Daly Superman isn’t that bad. He’s acting within the confines of the Post Crisis Superman, so there’s some aspects I’m not fond of, but overall he’s not a bad Superman at all. He’s polite but not a pushover. He thinks of himself as Clark Kent first and foremost, but doesn’t reject his Kryptonian heritage wholesale. He’s clever, frequently wearing suits designed to protect himself against his foes who can counter his powers, showing that he’s not a naive idiot. He’s a serious journalist and is treated as such. He cares about civil liberties and takes his job seriously. He’s got a sense of humor such as when he “reveals” his identity to Lois sarcastically. His Rogues Gallery showings are solid, I love Metallo in particular losing his ability feel as a consequence of his powers. Clancy Brown Lex and Ironseid are as iconic as Hamill Joker for me.
Alright ready for my hot take? This guy
sucks.
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He’s not your protective dad or your supportive big brother, he’s your grumpy ***hole uncle who you have to watch out for when he’s had a few beers. His big arc, the Cadmus arc, is one of the best animated storytelling arcs ever, but it’s totally built upon him being an easily emotionally manipulated moron who
knows Lex is baiting him, and
still makes a complete fool of himself. Batman walks all over Newborn Supes in JL to an even greater extent than Daly got in his crossover, and JL Superman is honestly just an unpleasant person over all. He’s just a huge dick, to the extent they even used Captain Marvel to contrast how much of a douche he had become.
JL Superman openly flirts with the idea of being a fascist, when Lois confronts him over all the **** the JL has done, his big defense is literally “I know we come on a little strong sometimes but it’s for the people’s own good.”
https://twitter.com/TheDCUniverse/st...79080655847424
Wtf Supes? This guy’s struggle is basically “I know fascism is wrong, but
damn would it feel
good to implement.” Glad I found that pic, because Injustice Superman pretty clearly has his roots in DCAU Superman.
Ultimately contrast his “iconic” moment with DCAU Batman’s. Batman’s big moment is comforting Ace about her impending death by showing he understands her trauma, and sincerely wants to help her. Thanks to his actions, Ace passes away peacefully and Batman refuses to break his no kill rule, showing that he’s a man of principles to the end.
DCAU Superman’s big moment? He talks **** to Darkseid, throws a punch,
and still ******* loses the fight, having to get bailed out by Lex. He’s just a dumb thug who punches hard, that’s how Timm and co. characterized him, and that’s what he remains until the end. He’s not inspirational, or the heart of the team, or it’s conscience, he’s pure muscle. He sucks, plain and simple.