Should We Consider Superdad A New Version of Superman?

[Ascended]

Title pretty much says it all.

Should we consider Superdad a continuation of post-Crisis, or a new version unto himself?

It wouldnt be the first time two versions of Superman shared a history that diverged at some nebulous point, and while there's clearly a lot of post-Crisis in Superdad, there's also a fair dose of pre-Crisis in there too, and perhaps most importantly, a big chunk of something new.

Would the impact of Reborn alter your opinion? Would you say "yes" if we learn Superdad is really an "ultimate" Superman who has lived most of his publication history (with certain contradictions removed) but "no" if Superdad is just post-Crisis who took a five year vacation?

[Last Son of Krypton]

A new version. There isn't much left of pre-Flashpoint in him outside of the marriage. His past is gone, his world is gone, even the costume is different. And writers as Tomasi don't give a crap about his past continuity and treat him just as a Superman with a family/son.

[Patrick Gerard]

I don't know. I think it always sticks in my craw a bit how much people want to subdivide versions of things.

I never cared for people treating Levitz's recent Legion as a new version.

I think it's best NOT to be all that analytical here.

There are four Supermen in my book.

Golden-Age, Silver-Age, post-Crisis (whose origin kept changing but did so in-story), and New 52.

I'd be up for any kind of half baked foolery to argue that there are fewer versions than that.

It doesn't work too well if, every time somebody tries to merge or compromise between two versions, people start treating that as a new version.

[Sacred Knight]

I might. It depends on what all is added in that's new compared to the post-Crisis Superman of the 80s and 90s. If there's some significant changes comparitavely I might consider him a whole new version. Otherwise, I will consider him picking up from where the 90s left off.

[Adekis]

I'd say so. He doesn't seem like a straight port of the pre-Flashpoint Superman to the post-Flashpoint world.

[DochaDocha]

I'd say so. He doesn't seem like a straight port of the pre-Flashpoint Superman to the post-Flashpoint world.

Agreed. It's sort of like comparing Brandon Routh to Christopher Reeve.

[Ascended]

I might. It depends on what all is added in that's new compared to the post-Crisis Superman of the 80s and 90s. If there's some significant changes comparitavely I might consider him a whole new version. Otherwise, I will consider him picking up from where the 90s left off.

Im inclined to agree.

I think, as of right now, we can safely consider this post-Crisis Superman after a five year vacation that brought a new costume and new status quo to his life, but is generally just an evolution of that character.

But despite the shared history, there are things about Superdad that don't really line-up with the general post-Crisis version. His temper is far shorter and burns hotter, he seems a bit more comfortable with his otherness than post-Crisis usually was, and I'd say that he might be written as more intelligent too, though that one is hard to pin down. I'm not sold on it either way.

The inclusion of pre-Crisis stuff that Superdad remembers does make me a bit inclined to think we might have a new version on our hands though. Granted, a lot of Silver Age stuff got worked into the mix in the latter years of post-Crisis but generally that was more about re-introducing elements, not re-introducing past stories (with the exception of the Legion, but even that was warped around the continuity of the day). That reference to rainbow Batman is a very different thing than bringing back Kara and Krypto; they were re-introduced to continuity but rainbow Batman brings his continuity back with him.

So I guess we'll see what Reborn has to say.

[Kuwagaton]

But despite the shared history, there are things about Superdad that don't really line-up with the general post-Crisis version. His temper is far shorter and burns hotter, he seems a bit more comfortable with his otherness than post-Crisis usually was, and I'd say that he might be written as more intelligent too, though that one is hard to pin down. I'm not sold on it either way.

That's just the effect of the writer, like how Austen did Superman around when Morrison did and there was a big difference.