Classic Superman stories they should remake?

[DABellWrites]

"The Return To Krypton" Except this time, Clark doesn't know, and he follows the rocket. I'm sure this has been done, but still my pick.

[bat39]

"The Return To Krypton" Except this time, Clark doesn't know, and he follows the rocket. I'm sure this has been done, but still my pick.

Which one are you referring to? The original 1949 story in which Superman traced the origin of kryptonite back through time and learnt about his kryptonian heritage? Or the 60's version where he gets trapped on Krypton before his birth, befriends Jor-El and Lara, and meets Lyla Leroll?

Pretty sure there was a 'remake' of sorts in 2001 where Superman and Lois travel back in time to a very Silver Age-ish Krypton. I think it was part of the plan, back then, to retcon Krypton into being more like the classic version, but it didn't take root?

[K7P5V]

Pretty sure there was a 'remake' of sorts in 2001 where Superman and Lois travel back in time to a very Silver Age-ish Krypton. I think it was part of the plan, back then, to retcon Krypton into being more like the classic version, but it didn't take root?

Correct. 2001 had an updated version of "Return to Krypton", and it was most enjoyable

[DABellWrites]

Which one are you referring to? The original 1949 story in which Superman traced the origin of kryptonite back through time and learnt about his kryptonian heritage? Or the 60's version where he gets trapped on Krypton before his birth, befriends Jor-El and Lara, and meets Lyla Leroll?

Pretty sure there was a 'remake' of sorts in 2001 where Superman and Lois travel back in time to a very Silver Age-ish Krypton. I think it was part of the plan, back then, to retcon Krypton into being more like the classic version, but it didn't take root?

I read the 1960s. So, that one. Also, since we got the 2001 story, I think it's due for another update, again. It's been 21 years.

[Johnny Thunders!]

Superman Red/Superman Blue: Superman decides to try and boost his intelligence using some Kryptonian device. A rogue sabotages the machine and we have two Supermen, red and blue. One of them decides he can solve all the worlds problems and the other is more hands off. Maybe the other one goes Rorschach on criminals and the other needs to reign him in, later they fight the Bizarro triplets Bizarro Purple, Bizarro Green, and Bizarro Orange.

[Stanlos]

Panic in the Sky would be my choice, if only to see if Superman would still choose Slade to help lead & organize his assault force...

That was zTHE most bizarre choice ever with WW, MM, Captain Atom, Aquaman, Agent Liberty at his disposal.

[Jim Kelly]

Superman's Return to Return to Return to Return to Return to Krypton

SUPERMAN 61 (November-December 1949)--3rd story, "Superman Returns to Krypton" by Bill Finger and Al Plastino

SUPERMAN 123 (August 1958)--3rd chapter, "Superman's Return to Krypton" by Otto Binder, Dick Sprang and Stan Kaye

SUPERMAN 141 (November 1960)--"Superman's Return to Krypton" by Jerry Siegel, Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye

"Return to Krypton" (part 1)* story arc in SUPERMAN 166 (March 2001) [preface] by Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuiness and Cam Smith; SUPERMAN 167 (April 2001) by Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuiness and Cam Smith; THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 589 (April 2001) by Joe Casey, Duncan Rouleau, Jaime Mendoza and Mario Alquiza; SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL 111 (April 2001) by Mark Schultz, Doug Manke and Tom Nguyen; ACTION COMICS 776 (April 2001) by Joe Kelly, Kano and Mario Alquiza

"Return to Krypton" (part 2)* story arc in SUPERMAN 184 (September 2002) by Geoff Johns, Pascual Ferry and Cam Smith; THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 606 (September 2002) by Joe Casey, Duncan Rouleau and Mario Alquiza; SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL 128 (September 2002) by Mark Schultz and Karl Kerschi; ACTION COMICS 793 (September 2002) by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry and Cam Smith

*collected in SUPERMAN: RETURN TO KRYPTON (2004)

Any others I should know about?

[williamtheday]

Same here! By good, I mean that it's not a dark and cynical deconstruction of Superman's world. I've never understood the hype that story gets. I much prefer "The Amazing Story of Superman Red and Superman Blue!" as the perfect ending for the Earth One Superman, though All-Star Superman also works.

I like to think that was Superman trying to wake himself up from the "pperfect" dream...
some part of him realised it was false.

[Robanker]

That was zTHE most bizarre choice ever with WW, MM, Captain Atom, Aquaman, Agent Liberty at his disposal.

Being a pedophile has nothing on you if the readers wish they were you because you're cool, I guess.









I don't really get the appeal of Deathstroke after Judas Contract. The whole "slept with a minor" thing is several bridges too far.

[Myskin]

I have more or less given up corporate comics, but one classic story I'd really like to see redone with a modern sensibility is Golden Age Superman's first encounter with Lex Luthor.
I'd say that it is a more or less impossible task unless they wanted to radically modify continuity (which they could do...), but it would be interesting nonetheless.
For those who haven't read it, the story is one of the most pulp-ish things ever published in Superman books, with a red-haired Luthor way more similar to Fu Manchu than a mad doctor or a billionaire, an entire cult built around him (kind of...), airships and a secret HQ hidden in the clouds.
Again, Batman's first encounter with the Joker is way easier to adapt in modern books (and they actually did it, in Ed Brubaker's Man Who Laughs and probably somewhere else).

[Jeffrey2]

The Death of Superman (Superman #149) The original death story and, unlike Doomsday, Superman stays dead. Supergirl takes over as Earth's guardian and at his trial Lex Luthor offers to retore Kandor to its normal size if he is let go. Luthor's reformation and finding a cure for cancer convinced the world but particularly Superman that Luthor was a reformed man. Superman builds Luthor an orbiting satellite lab so he could carry out his research and be protected from the criminal element which was bent on killing Luthor for his having reformed. Superman was totally convinced that Luthor was a new man and posed no threat so, when a call goes out from the satellite that Luthor needed to speak with Superman, the Man of Steel had no qualms and flew to the satellite and to his death at Luthor's hands.

The story was told in one issue unlike Doomsday which was told over many issues. Things are left out and other things don't make total sense which a redo could address. For instance, after Superman's murder there is no mention of Clark. Clark is not at the funeral and its left there. A single issue could be written to address Clark's absence with the eventual realization by the people of Metropolis that Clark was Superman. Superman's body is placed in a crypt under a huge statue of Superman in Metropolis Park which makes no sense. Scientists and criminals would try to steal the body and experiment on it. Rather, Superman should be buried at the Fortress.

So much could be included/added in a redo with the story spanning many issues.

[BBally]

I would like to see a modern take on Miracle Monday, though Morrison's final arc on Action Comics could be see as a modern take on Maggin's story.

[Stanlos]

Being a pedophile has nothing on you if the readers wish they were you because you're cool, I guess.









I don't really get the appeal of Deathstroke after Judas Contract. The whole "slept with a minor" thing is several bridges too far.

Right? The obsession with him and Black Adam is disturbing.

[Adekis]

I have more or less given up corporate comics, but one classic story I'd really like to see redone with a modern sensibility is Golden Age Superman's first encounter with Lex Luthor.
I'd say that it is a more or less impossible task unless they wanted to radically modify continuity (which they could do...), but it would be interesting nonetheless.
For those who haven't read it, the story is one of the most pulp-ish things ever published in Superman books, with a red-haired Luthor way more similar to Fu Manchu than a mad doctor or a billionaire, an entire cult built around him (kind of...), airships and a secret HQ hidden in the clouds.

I would like, in general, to see Golden Age Superman stories adopted with more of a pulp sensibility. I wish Superman had been part of "First Wave," back when that was a thing.

Panic in the Sky would be my choice, if only to see if Superman would still choose Slade to help lead & organize his assault force...

Ha. A fun idea is to have Cavill choosing Elba's Bloodsport for Slade's role here. A character with whom he has some personal history (unseen), but who he knows from what happened in TSS has a sense of morality under all that grit. But! that's playing pretend with movies and actors rather than comics I suppose!

Right? The obsession with him and Black Adam is disturbing.

Here's a weird question: do you think it's better to excise Slade's most heinous crimes from his backstory in order to make his reality match his image?

This isn't uncommon in superhero media or fandom. People who full well that Batman has shot and killed people in comics and movies, will say in full seriousness that Batman never uses guns or kills anyone, and shouldn't. And it's not because these fans are in denial, it's because when you're dealing with these kinds of mythic fictional characters, their broad impression is often more important than the minutia of their stories. It's not like real people. We don't (or shouldn't) dismiss all of Superman because of the bad ending to Superman 2 or The Stolen Costume.

And on the other hand, a character like Dr Light, whose most horrific crime against Sue Dibny eclipses everything else he has ever done, basically has long since stopped being fun, because you (colloquial) can't think of him without thinking about r*pe. I would erase that if I could, if I thought it was possible.

But in Slade's case, his most heinous actions with Tara Markov are part of the story that made him popular in the first place! I think in Black Adam's case, it's more that people just don't know if he's really had sexual misconduct. I know I don't know anything about that... and you know what, I don't need to know, don't want to know. His defining moments are, classically, of cartoonish villainy, or else pre-Flashpoint & beyond, of Dr. Doom-esque noble-demonhood.

But Slade Wilson... like I said, he kind of doesn't exist without that story. So it's weird, and I don't know what to do with it except to either 1) Retcon it or 2) just... stop using Slade because he's a total creep in addition to a villain.

[marhawkman]

Seconded! That would be amazing!

They actually did do something similar to this, twice: once in the "DC: Retroactive" line in 2011, and once in Action Comics #1000 ("The Car" story), and I'd love to see that expanded upon. Something like "Multiverse: Superman Family" You could have new writers and artists take on stories set in various parts of DC's history, bring back original teams for stories, and even continue stories from whichever continuity you'd like (with a "put the pieces back in the box when you're done" idea, for the most part).

I've made mention before, but, the Lisa Kent story from way back in the day would be nice to use here. https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Lisa_Kent_(Earth-91)

Yeah, it could reasonably be described as a bad possible future. I mean it's something like 20 years after what was, at the time, the present. It's also a world where almost everyone thinks Superman has been dead for over a decade. Instead he's disfigured and crippled.... Which Lisa has decided to find a cure for... even though no one actually knows how or IF there is a way to cure the condition.