Is there a way to make everyone happy?

[Sacred Knight]

It could work again, but Superdad needs to go home first. The Earth One and Earth Two stuff worked because they were on different worlds. It won't work if they're both on the same Earth.

[L.R Johansson]

No, it's not possible to please everyone, and neither should they.

They should just focus on doing really good Superman-stories - that will be enough.

I kind of get the feeling that they are indeed trying to please everyone with this move, which is why I am quite hesitant about it.

Honestly, what I think is best, is probably if they let Superdad find his old Universe, and then have him go home - BUT...! Also then publish a single Pre-Flashpoint book, where Superdad meets up with the various lost characters and has some adventures.
Putting him in the new-52 U isn't REALLY what those fans want, now is it? I'm pretty sure they want to see his old world, with his old villains and allies, et c.

[Tayswift]

Do alternate answer could help, but I don't find justificative to have same character on different earths, specially that superman is white striaght male that is not lacking on comics right now

[Ascended]

I think the only way to make a Superman that everyone can get down with is to.....not combine them....but to expand Clark's own awareness of them.

Like, either through the natural evolution of his abilities or via exposure to some cosmic force (like the Source) Clark is aware of all his various versions. He'd remember pre-Crisis, post-Crisis, Elseworlds, cartoons, movies, whatever. And his personality would reflect that. In that way, every aspect of him is represented and could even be referenced and we can all say that a part of him is "our" version.

And you might even have him travel between those different versions for short adventures. Maybe for an issue he travels the Bleed and ends up in a Fleschier style world. Maybe for a few issues he's dealing with a post-Crisis style clutter earth. Not the exact same worlds perhaps, but ones close enough to appeal to those particular fans. You wouldnt want to do that too much or for too many issues in a row but they'd make for some damn fine done-in-ones, and many of us seem to enjoy those.

He'd be extremely concerned about social injustice and corruption, and as reporter he'd make that the focus of his work. It keeps the Golden Age roots, gives Clark something worthwhile to do other than write about himself, and it keeps Superman out of humanity's choices, as some fans think he shouldn't involve himself directly. These stories could be running subplots and occasionally bubble up to take the main focus as the subplot reaches its climax.

He'd be the super scientist of the Silver Age and go off exploring distant galaxies and strange dimensions. A regular dose of "big crazy idea" stories wont hurt anyone. Something like three-four issues out of every twelve, or roundabout.

He'd be more involved with his co-workers and have a number of friends in Metropolis and around the world, as highlighted in post-Crisis. When not off on a big crazy idea story he'd be in Metropolis doing post-Crisis type stuff.

Clark and Superman would be reflections of different parts of the same man, no "Clark is who I am" or "Clark is just a mask" stuff, they'd be different personality aspects played up or down. The only true mask would be Clark when he's at work. Not everyone gets their preferred version, but its a fair compromise where everyone gets shades of what they want. Hopefully enough to satisfy.

The marriage is a thing, there's no way to meet halfway there, so DC would just have to pick a direction (ie, chasing Lois, not chasing Lois but maybe chasing others, or married) and go with it.

Keep one of the Kents alive but leave the other dead in Clark's childhood as a poignant lesson on his limitations.

Keep with the Planet and its staff as his main supporting cast, classic style, but update the Planet itself so it feels contemporary. I think most of us are tired of the Planet feeling so out of context with the status of real news media.

Have Lex remain the businessman respected by the world but secretly be a evil genius supervillain. Say that he and Clark knew each other from their youths, but they weren't friends and didnt spend that much time around each other.

Remove the trunks but leave the costume alone otherwise.

Keep the power levels somewhere around pre-Truth levels. He's unarguably the strongest man on earth, but he's not the insane galaxy juggler of the Silver Age. Keep the powers traditional and dont add in new ones like the Super Flare. At least not without a sun dip.

Its not going to please everyone, but then, nothing is. But I think an approach like that, which confronts the different versions of the character and shows some love and respect for all of them, is as close as we're going to get. And it would also be DC acknowledging all those versions and their fans, rather than making them feel like they're being discarded for the "new" version/s.

I mean, half the stuff I wrote isnt something I would want to do or see personally, but if it meant getting the other stuff I do like, I could roll with it, and who knows, I might even come to enjoy those aspects I dislike.

[Doctor Bifrost]

I think the only way to make a Superman that everyone can get down with is to.....not combine them....but to expand Clark's own awareness of them.

Like, either through the natural evolution of his abilities or via exposure to some cosmic force (like the Source) Clark is aware of all his various versions. He'd remember pre-Crisis, post-Crisis, Elseworlds, cartoons, movies, whatever. And his personality would reflect that. In that way, every aspect of him is represented and could even be referenced and we can all say that a part of him is "our" version.

If they do this, I hope many readers will be happy with it for as long as it lasts. Because I like readers to be happy.

But it would be difficult to express just how much I personally would dislike this Dr. Manhattan-level-awareness version of Superman. I have always liked the fact that, for all his powers and experiences, Superman is basically... a man. Not a cosmically aware godlike entity. Not a metacharacter with tendrils into every piece of his publication history. A man.

My guess is that practically every person who has a "favorite" version of Superman would be turned off by a Superman who is all versions at once.

But maybe that's just me.

[Ascended]

If they do this, I hope many readers will be happy with it for as long as it lasts. Because I like readers to be happy.

But it would be difficult to express just how much I personally would dislike this Dr. Manhattan-level-awareness version of Superman. I have always liked the fact that, for all his powers and experiences, Superman is basically... a man. Not a cosmically aware godlike entity. Not a metacharacter with tendrils into every piece of his publication history. A man.

My guess is that practically every person who has a "favorite" version of Superman would be turned off by a Superman who is all versions at once.

But maybe that's just me.

Honestly, I have no idea if it would work. I actually doubt it.

I generally subscribe to the theory that you cant please everyone and you shouldn't try to.

But, as a thought experiment, I figured it would be fun to try and find a way that might actually get everyone onboard. I wasn't concerned with making everyone happy, but with providing enough hooks from enough versions that even the unhappy fans would be likely to follow along. Sure, they'd complain and bitch and moan, but if there was enough of "their" Superman in the makeup, they'd be compelled to read. And odds are, that would end up describing almost the entire fanbase. Pre-Crisis fans aren't going to want a Kent alive. Post-Crisis fans are going to want them both. With only one kicking, neither group is happy but they're each getting a slice of what they want out of it. And at least in their unhappiness, they'd have something to agree on.

Like I said, you cant please everybody. But this might (might!!) sink in enough hooks to pull people along, against their will so to speak.

[Jim Kelly]

I have two approaches to the cosmically aware Superman--either of which would be in my fan fiction if I ever did one.

One would use the ending of the Immortal Superman, from ACTION COMICS 387. Every version of Superman at some point in his lifetime has this adventure, where he loops back on his life--except he now lives a slightly different life--however it's not something he consciously experiences and he only remembers it for an instant and then it's gone like a dream.

The other approach would be that the Phantom Zone and all the other zones were, in fact, what Jor-El used to open a warp in space for Kal-El's space craft. So when Kal-El goes through these Zones--the Phantom Zone, Survival Zone, Imaginary Zone/5th Dimension--his infant mind can hardly process these altered states of consciousness. But again, like a dream, he doesn't remember them--however they exist in his subconscious. So throughout his liffe, he will have moments of super deja vu.

[adrikito]

It's certainly what I most like .. To not have reached this point with rebirth

Superdad series was not as successful as we thought.. I think I heard it was because he would not like superman .. Guys, one has to assume things are(He was dressed as Superman in justice league beyond, it is not enough?).. But no.. and now rebirth..

DC, You have turned this superdad into my enemy with rebirth.. I've lost all interest in him.

And as time passes... they get worse than I can get back to give it a try... It's not enough supedad in books of superman? Now I must see superdad in other books that I like? This august he appear in harley little book: WHY?