Future State: Superman books

[Superlad93]

I don't know if it has occurred to anyone else, but it seems that Lewis is actually reinventing the Superman and Clark Kent dynamic via Jon Kent and Jake Jordan The Guardian.

His Jon section, while extremely introspective and character driven, is ultimately operating on a scale and level befitting Superman. And the struggle for Jon is keeping in touch with that humanness while aspiring to the near deific levels of his father. In a lot of ways this is very much the Silver age Superman insofar as the stories are ultimately about his internal conflict and insecurities made flesh and scaled waaaaay up.

While Jake's section of the story is so effected yet removed from Jon's that while he and the people of the city feel the fallout, they don't actually have a clear enough picture as to why because its ultimately the dealing of gods, and they're left to interpret. And most people don't know this, but Jake is actually a reporter (super reporter, but still reporter), and that's why Lewis ultimately makes his story a detective story (and a damn good one too!). And Jake takes the everyman aspect of a Clark Kent and replaces the bumbling with being a person of color and 9 to 5 average Joe who just wants to feel like a little more than he is.

If going forward the main Superman book functions like this, where it's Jon wrestling with internal conflict while literally wrestling with TIME LUCHADORS, and Jake deals with the fallout and gets the scoop alongside Lois, Jimmy, and the rest of the Planet staff, then that sounds like a damn fine Superman book to me.

[Superlad93]

I was far more interested in Guardian's story than Jon's.
Jon's decision to bottle Metropolis was completely nonsensical. Lewis really didn't sell that very well.

Brain Cells manipulated both him and the events around him to get to that moment. He controlled the people around Jon while also attacking Jon's inherent insecurity in order to get Jon to specifically do this. Jon more or less breaks it down in the last two pages, and BC confirms.

BC's a really cool villain.

[manwhohaseverything]

Hopefully, they keep the internal conflict to bare minimum.I don't want another "i am too conflicted for drama to literally do anything cool" superman.I want jon to do some cool things. You know Punch gods and stuff like that.

[Superlad93]

Hopefully, they keep the internal conflict to bare minimum.I don't want another "i am too conflicted for drama to literally do anything cool" superman.I want jon to do some cool things. You know Punch gods and stuff like that.

The two aren't mutually excusive. That was a failing of past Superman writers not understanding that the internal conflict has to have an external expression and personification. That was the whole trick to the Silver age Superman. That version of the character was full of self doubt and feelings of inadequacy, and we saw it all personified in his battles and adventures.

Lewis very easily has the scale, scope, and imagination down (TIME LUCHADORS!!!!), so I'm not actually all that worried. So the idea will likely be that he'll punch gods and stuff of that nature to get over any emotional hang ups that he's dealing with.

Plus his creator owned work is very high energy and high concept while very much being character driven.

[manwhohaseverything]

The two aren't mutually excusive. That was a failing of past Superman writers not understanding that the internal conflict has to have an external expression and personification. That was the whole trick to the Silver age Superman. That version of the character was full of self doubt and feelings of inadequacy, and we saw it all personified in his battles and adventures.

Lewis very easily has the scale, scope, and imagination down (TIME LUCHADORS!!!!), so I'm not actually all that worried. So the idea will likely be that he'll punch gods and stuff of that nature to get over any emotional hang ups that he's dealing with.

Plus his creator owned work is very high energy and high concept while very much being character driven.

I am also talking about jon coming across as character that lacks the strength of resolve and whiny by later writers if not pkj.He's gonna mess up.But,you can't just sit around crying about it.That would be bad.

[Superlad93]

I am also talking about jon coming across as character that lacks the strength of resolve and whiny by later writers if not pkj.He's gonna mess up.But,you can't just sit around crying about it.That would be bad.

Well, it seems very likely that Lewis will get the Superman book after PKJ's crossover, so he seems to be in good hands.

[NaVi]

I mean, at the end of the day it's all metaphor, right? Doomed planets, Kryptonite, and the whole deal. So, the idea of reconciling with yourself and what you think makes you worse leading to what makes you great is a valid and easily understandable metaphor to make. Extra points when you tie the self doubt to being human, and reconciling with those human feelings leading to your power. That said, I appreciate why someone could be frustration by that idea on a technical level even if this is about fictional creatures.

One of the problems with Superman is that he is too human, he could easily be a metahuman, now they tell you that what little krypton he has (his powers) is not at the level of a half Kryptonian half human. All I ask is that the Kryptonian side of the superverse be explored and its worth proved, what good is it to be told that Kryptonians are one of the most powerful and advanced species in the universe, if then a human (one of the weakest and stupid species in the universe) is smarter, stronger and better in every way. I understand why they do it but I also understand that they are comics, they are for fun, not to give you life lessons every 5 minutes. comics go downhill because they think they are more than they really are.

[manwhohaseverything]

One of the problems with Superman is that he is too human, he could easily be a metahuman, now they tell you that what little krypton he has (his powers) is not at the level of a half Kryptonian half human. All I ask is that the Kryptonian side of the superverse be explored and its worth proved, what good is it to be told that Kryptonians are one of the most powerful and advanced species in the universe, if then a human (one of the weakest and stupid species in the universe) is smarter, stronger and better in every way. I understand why they do it but I also understand that they are comics, they are for fun, not to give you life lessons every 5 minutes. comics go downhill because they think they are more than they really are.

You know at one point gohan was the strongest saiyan.Not goku or vegeta.Kara was stronger at one point as well.These things will revert back with the superman title.As for humans being intellectual equals to supermen.That's just them needing to scale up characters like batman that are popular.I can understand these guys shouldn't stack up with writers not letting go of the pretense of realism and what not.If this was a manga batman would be cutting mountains and throwing planets as a human.American comics is rooted in fantasy.They just don't want to admit it.So,they keep batman "human" by having him use buzz words like "Intelligence" and "martial arts" when having their cake(fantasy) and eat it too(realism).

[Korath]

I find the idea of Clark being inherently superior because he his kryptonian when it comes to intellect rather dumb. Kryptonians were more advanced than humans because their civilization(s) rose earlier than on Earth. And they proved to be rather dumb, refusing to heed call of Jor-El, rejecting space travel and the likes.

I mean, we are all super-geniuses compared to the average man from 5000 years ago. By a wide margin. It doesn't make us inherently superior when it comes to brain power or intellect. And hybrids are often depicted as better than the sum of their parts in fiction (in reality, I'm not sure that there exist a viable - read fertile - mammal hybrid species on Earth, for instance. But, then again, a Kryptonian and a Human should be absolutely incomtpable genetically speaking, and as far as I know, Jon wasn't created by mixing Lois and Clark's genes).

[NaVi]

I find the idea of Clark being inherently superior because he his kryptonian when it comes to intellect rather dumb. Kryptonians were more advanced than humans because their civilization(s) rose earlier than on Earth. And they proved to be rather dumb, refusing to heed call of Jor-El, rejecting space travel and the likes.

I mean, we are all super-geniuses compared to the average man from 5000 years ago. By a wide margin. It doesn't make us inherently superior when it comes to brain power or intellect. And hybrids are often depicted as better than the sum of their parts in fiction (in reality, I'm not sure that there exist a viable - read fertile - mammal hybrid species on Earth, for instance. But, then again, a Kryptonian and a Human should be absolutely incomtpable genetically speaking, and as far as I know, Jon wasn't created by mixing Lois and Clark's genes).

Kryptonians are not smarter because their civilization was born earlier, they are smarter because they are a more evolved species, comparing a Kryptonian with a human is like comparing a human with an ape.

[Vordan]

Well, it seems very likely that Lewis will get the Superman book after PKJ's crossover, so he seems to be in good hands.

I’m not as sure of that myself anymore. Been thinking it over and I can’t figure out why they wouldn’t just give Lewis the Superman book off the bat if they’re planning for him to take over, rathe Ethan have PKJ write both until Sept.

[manwhohaseverything]

I find the idea of Clark being inherently superior because he his kryptonian when it comes to intellect rather dumb. Kryptonians were more advanced than humans because their civilization(s) rose earlier than on Earth. And they proved to be rather dumb, refusing to heed call of Jor-El, rejecting space travel and the likes.

I mean, we are all super-geniuses compared to the average man from 5000 years ago. By a wide margin. It doesn't make us inherently superior when it comes to brain power or intellect. And hybrids are often depicted as better than the sum of their parts in fiction (in reality, I'm not sure that there exist a viable - read fertile - mammal hybrid species on Earth, for instance. But, then again, a Kryptonian and a Human should be absolutely incomtpable genetically speaking, and as far as I know, Jon wasn't created by mixing Lois and Clark's genes).

Scale up that 5000 years ago to a million years ago.There will be a clear difference in brain power and intellect.Also,Intellect doesn't necessarily dictate decisions.Organic beings tend to be irrational and emotional.Hence,not excepting their planet is about be toast due to fear of having to deal with that.Also,morals developed by cultures and history can be a factor as well.A sentient species can willingly choose death for a principal or ideal or a belief they want to uphold,you know.In this case,there were many backgrounds given in many continuities such as kryptonian colonization using their advancements.There isn't a set scale for how advanced kryptonians are meant to be.As for the mixing,he is called a man of tomorrow,not alien of tomorrow.So i have to believe he is somewhat similar genetically to humans at some level.

[Korath]

Kryptonians are not smarter because their civilization was born earlier, they are smarter because they are a more evolved species, comparing a Kryptonian with a human is like comparing a human with an ape.

Nonsense.

Beyond the lucky effect Yellow Sun has on them, I've seen nothing to prove that they are naturally superior to humans when it comes to intellect. If it was the cse it'd be next to impossible for Clark to mingle with us, for starter, no matter his upbringing. Or Jor-El wouldn't have sent him on Earth. You don't send newborns to apes !

Scale up that 5000 years ago to a million years ago.There will be a clear difference in brain power and intellect.Also,Intellect doesn't necessarily dictate decisions.Organic beings tend to be irrational and emotional.Hence,not excepting their planet is about be toast due to fear of having to deal with that.Also,morals developed by cultures and history can be a factor as well.A sentient species can willingly choose death for a principal or ideal or a belief they want to uphold,you know.In this case,there were many backgrounds given in many continuities such as kryptonian colonization using their advancements.There isn't a set scale for how advanced kryptonians are meant to be.As for the mixing,he is called a man of tomorrow,not alien of tomorrow.So i have to believe he is somewhat similar genetically to humans at some level.

No, I don't buy it. Kryptonians were more advanced but not inherently superior to humans when it comes to brain power. And a million years ago, we weren't even the same species. We didn't even had started to form stable settlements - we did so something like 10 to 5 thousands years ago, if I remember right ? It's a ridiculous short span of time to go from first settlements to the place we are today. it should be enough in itself to showcase the fact that Kryptonians aren't supposed to be inherently superior to Humans in the brain departement : if they were truly so superior to Earthlings, then they couldn't have refused to heed Jor-El's warnings, because it wouldn't make sense for super-intelligent beings to do so.

[Ra-El]

It wasn't bad, but I agree with the AipT reviewer, I liked more when Grant Morrison wrote it.

[Prime]

Did anyone read Death Metal 7?