Five years wasted

[Lee Stone]

That was the lowest point for Superman that I've read, and I've been reading for almost "ever". I only remember hating Chuck Austen's stuff as much as Grounded, for different but similar reasons. It almost crippled the character for me, especially since SUPERMAN RETURNS had bored me to the point of apathy.

Flashpoint saved Superman.

Man of Steel by Byrne had already saved Superman.
Much like Perez saved Wonder Woman.
And Miller saved Batman (not that he really needed much saving).

What really hurt DC was flushing that all out instead of building on it.

It's become too easy for them to just scrap things and start over, instead of righting a ship.
Continuity-editing has become a crutch.