The state of Superman comics

[Sacred Knight]

Does anyone know how each superman title ranks in sales??? I reckoned that Lobdell's title is still going strong despite its quality(?)

Unchained sells best, followed by Superman/Wonder Woman, then Action, then Superman.

Action is the best Superman title though, in my opinion, by an incredibly huge margin.

[Blacksun]

Does anyone know how each superman title ranks in sales??? I reckoned that Lobdell's title is still going strong despite its quality(?)

Unchained ranks better, on top 10 comics. Lobdell and Pak are in 34-35k range out of top 50. Soule is on top 50 around 43k

[R0NIN]

Pak and Kuder's Action has been one of the best comics I've read in a long while! They're kind of doing what Waid did with Daredevil. Taking the fun of the Silver Age and combining it with modern sensibilities. Which was what Grant and Quitely did on All Star. Obviously All Star is in a league of its own as one of the best comics ever created but if your book can resemble All Star in the slightest you're doing something right. If they can get Unchained back on track and released in the same month as one of Johns and Romita's books, Superman could have the two top spots on the monthly sales charts!

Superboy is going to require a complete tear down job. Jon Lane Kent is such a horrible character. Please bring back Connor!

100% RIGHT AND AGREED.

I'm liking Superman Wonder Woman as well. I always wanted them to get together official if only for a bit.

Such a shame about Adventures. That was such a good book. How's Smallville? I hear it's pretty decent.

Looking forward to seeing what Johns does with Superman.

Superboy and Supergirl have been IMO terrible and cringe worthy since the relaunch.

Superboy just needs to be the Son of Superman and Wonderwoman and set in the future with the Legion of Superheroes.

[misslane]

I think Lobdell's book was pretty close to Morrison's CHAMPION OF THE OPPRESSED.

In what possible ways has Lobdell's Superman title portrayed its Superman as a Champion of the Oppressed? I don't believe he's helped a single oppressed person during the entire run. He's saved people from alien and other cosmic threats, but he hasn't taken any real action against systematic oppression. The only act that comes remotely close was Clark's speech against Edge's corrupted form of journalism. Ultimately, that courageous stand ended up being nothing but hot air since Lobdell appeared woefully disinterested in actually writing Clark as a muckraking freelancer.

[misslane]

Lobdell's is the furthest off. But I don't think I agree that Soule isn't even close. The plot of SM/WW to this point hasn't really granted a lighthearted atmosphere yet nor any social justice themes. Its been more of a ...rock'em sock'em plotline thus far, for lack of a more enlightened term. But the characterization is hardly any shock to the system when compared with Action, imo.

If Soule's Superman/Wonder Woman isn't very lighthearted and doesn't feature social justice themes yet, then how is it like Morrison's and Pak's work?

In the end though, the more like Pak's Action, the better.

Yes.

Still not caught up on Unchained, nope. I decided to wait until the run was finished because of the delays. Whenever I mention it its with the caveat that I've only read the first four.

It's probably best not to pass judgment of the whole of something if one has only read a part.

[Superlad93]

Morrison's Action Comics set us off on the right foot. He gave us the template for the Superman of the new 52 in a big epic way. Morrison actually got down to the "core" as Snyder would put it (rolls eyes).

Then out of nowhere, like the godsend he is, Greg Pak came in and absolutely crushed it on all things Superman with his Action Comics and Batman/Superman books. His characterization isn't the only draw but by god it's one of the high points to say the least. For the first times since the new 52 started and Morrison's run ended I feel like I'm reading the same character but put in new situations (isn't that what a running continuity is supposed to be?).

Basically Morrison and Pak saved Superman for me in the new 52 by just simply writing good fun yet sophisticated stories with GREAT character work. Big wide emotions, out of this world action, and heart like you' can only get in a Superman book. I sometimes feel like I'd be selfish to ask for more writers of their kind on the Superman books. But I don't think that right! Why can't writers come onto these books with this sort of super imagination and understanding of the character?

Contrary to my little rant it's not actually a bad time in the Superman world. It's actually rather good (great for some) Unchained is bland as hell with a bland Superman to go along with it but it's doing well and not harming the Superman world in any way (maybe in characterization of the man himself at times though). It's written just fine and is building up a few things very well. It just doesn't seem to have any heart or soul to it if you ask me.

SM/WW is a well written book with a pretty bland Superman in it who comes off as too love sick for my taste. The book reads more like a romance novel than what I'd want a comic book to read like and it beats you over the head with their relationship at every turn (and I'm down for their relationship). But with that said it's still a wonderfully written book (not a fan of the art) regardless of my taste for the subject matter.

Johns and JRJR coming up soon and the Doomed event before it makes of interesting reading ahead of us.

[Superlad93]

Aw snap

10 characters

[Kid A]

I get the sense that Johns's Superman is just going to feel like a continuation of Superman Unchained. Just with way better art (I'm not a Lee hater, but his stiff and rushed art on Unchained is what makes it bad as opposed to just boring), and less overwrought monologuing.

Hopefully I'm wrong.

[Blacksun]

I get the sense that Johns's Superman is just going to feel like a continuation of Superman Unchained. Just with way better art (I'm not a Lee hater, but his stiff and rushed art on Unchained is what makes it bad as opposed to just boring), and less overwrought monologuing.

Hopefully I'm wrong.

I hope you are right...IDK I just want a great superman book

If Soule's Superman/Wonder Woman isn't very lighthearted and doesn't feature social justice themes yet, then how is it like Morrison's and Pak's work?

Like a guy said in the WW boards, you just have to look deeper, Preference with a atomic microscope to see it. I don't see this Superman giving a damn about other people that aren't called WW. well favorite superman book from the writer is Red Son, so yeah

[Bruce Wayne]

I get the sense that Johns's Superman is just going to feel like a continuation of Superman Unchained. Just with way better art (I'm not a Lee hater, but his stiff and rushed art on Unchained is what makes it bad as opposed to just boring), and less overwrought monologuing.

No. Because it's a one time thing by Snyder & Lee that has absolutely nothing to do with the main books up to the point that it's not even under edited by the current Superman line editors.

[Kid A]

I don't mean actually continuing Unchained's plots, I mean similar style of writing and characterization.

[Auguste Dupin]

I get the sense that Johns's Superman is just going to feel like a continuation of Superman Unchained. Just with way better art (I'm not a Lee hater, but his stiff and rushed art on Unchained is what makes it bad as opposed to just boring), and less overwrought monologuing.

Hopefully I'm wrong.

What? No! Overwrought monologuing are half the fun.
But yeah, I guess the whole "dark secret from the past and Superman like character that will shatter the protagonist to the core" does sound like the exact same f.cking thing.

[Flash Gordon]

In what possible ways has Lobdell's Superman title portrayed its Superman as a Champion of the Oppressed? I don't believe he's helped a single oppressed person during the entire run. He's saved people from alien and other cosmic threats, but he hasn't taken any real action against systematic oppression. The only act that comes remotely close was Clark's speech against Edge's corrupted form of journalism. Ultimately, that courageous stand ended up being nothing but hot air since Lobdell appeared woefully disinterested in actually writing Clark as a muckraking freelancer.

Obviously Lobdell's SUPERMAN was way more Silver Age camp, but he was still the same Clark that Morrison wrote. At least I thought so.

He was dealing with cosmic threats, sure. He had the same voice though. I wish Lobdell had the chops to pen better stories cause he had interesting ideas.

[Flash Gordon]

God, I'm dreading Johns' SUPERMAN. I love JRjr, so I'm inclined to flip through it but I know what Johns thinks is Superman's voice and it doesn't sync up with my ideals at all.

['Dax]

The only very good Superman to come out after the New 52 is Pak and Kuder on Action Comics. Superman/Wonder Woman is mediocre. Everything else is bad. In my opinion, even Morrison's run on Action Comics was not very good. No, I'd say it was definitively bad.

I have no expectations at all for Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. on Superman. I don't like Johns' works. His writing is terrible. It baffles me how he sells. I, also, hate Romita's art. But I might as well give their run a chance and check out the first few issues.