Ok, grade the whole Superman Red/Blue saga from the 90s for me

[tib2d2]

I've didn't read Superman during that part of the 90s, never read any issues during that weird Superman Red/Blue saga. I've heard very mixed reviews of it all.

For those who HAVE read it, give it a grade. We'll stick to the A-F school rating for this one, thanks!

[md62]

D. It was an entirely different character with different powers. I don't know about you but if I pick up a Superman book I want to read about Superman not "electric powers" guy. Having said that the powers were interesting. Morrison did the best with them in JLA of any writer.

[LordMikel]

B. It is a story arc. I worked at a comic store at the time and I remember one customer whining when were they going to bring back the real Superman? I called him out on the fact that he didn't buy superman comics so why did he care? If you go in with the mindset that this isn't permanent and how will they fix this, it isn't a terrible read.

[Patrick Gerard]

In general, the new powers and stories focused on them were strong.

What was weaker for me were the subplots. Millennium Giants never made much sense. Dirk Armstrong (aka Rush Limbaugh), the sale of the planet, Clark's unemployment, Scorn, the Kandor revamp effort (which I didn't care much for until Schultz showed up), Contessa. It was kind of a glum and murky era. Cyborg Superman lost his menace. Toyman lost his charm. Lex was unaccounted for. Brainiac 2.0 was bland. Vartox turned up at the end, kind of bland as well. Mongul was dead. Kismet went from enigmatic to a space sorceress with an angry ex-boyfriend.

The Loeb/Kelly era was a huge revival for me because they saved the Daily Planet, restored the Clark/Lois/Jimmy/Perry dynamic. They brought in Mongul II, restored Lex, reinvented Brainiac, reinvented Bizarro (with an oddball flair worthy of Ben Edlund's The Tick). It wasn't always Shakespeare but it was the first time everything clicked for me since the end of Reign.

I think Superman comics feel best when it feels like its own universe with certain core truths and with consistency for the supporting cast and villains.

[Truman Burbank]

It was a fair enough story that first appeared to be a nice nod to a famous Silver Age issue with modern twists (as the staff was prone to do), but the overall result was mixed up enough that I've often wondered if it was truly the creative direction the staff wanted to go or if it was the result of a mandate from WB/DC corporate to do something different since the legal issues with the Siegel family were flaring up at that time. So many of the core Superman elements were not being used at the time that, to me, it's always suggested interference.

I also can't help but think the response to the story contributed to the decision to replace the entire staff the next year, which is what started the Post-Crisis version down the road to the jumbled mess of the 2000s.

[manofsteel1979]

It was a fair enough story that first appeared to be a nice nod to a famous Silver Age issue with modern twists (as the staff was prone to do), but the overall result was mixed up enough that I've often wondered if it was truly the creative direction the staff wanted to go or if it was the result of a mandate from WB/DC corporate to do something different since the legal issues with the Siegel family were flaring up at that time. So many of the core Superman elements were not being used at the time that, to me, it's always suggested interference.

I also can't help but think the response to the story contributed to the decision to replace the entire staff the next year, which is what started the Post-Crisis version down the road to the jumbled mess of the 2000s.

Ive often wondered if both that,and the changes at the start of the New 52 were both influenced by the Siegel and Shuster legal stuff. I don't think it's a coincidence that both events happened in years where things surrounding that suit were reaching critical mass. It's interesting both were more or less reversed within months of when settlements were reached. of course we will likely never know.

As far as the OP.. the actual initial story about the power switch and the early stories of him acclimating to his new powers while trying to be the same Superman was interesting and actually fun,as was when they initially split Superman. The story fell apart IMO with the millinium giants story that ended it.