How would you do it?

[adamishere1]

Hey all, long time Superman fan, something that recently caught my attention is I've been re-reading Superman from post-crisis up until the New 52 and there are certainly some bad storylines. Grounded for one, the who New Krypton arc, wasn't done well. So my question is, How would you have done it? And by that I mean which Superman storylines, be it pre-flashpoint or New 52 or even from the stuff since Rebirth, how would you have done the big storylines. What changes etc

[Miles To Go]

I'm a fan of it and consider it the ''Reverse One More Day'', but Superman Reborn could have been handled far better than it was. It should have been extended as a six parter, and New Fifty Two Superman and Lois should have hung around a bit so they could earn how they felt for one another instead of being influenced by the wibbly-wobbly energies of their pre-flashpoint selves.

Mxy could have tried breaking New Fifty-Two Supes by showing Diana's conversation with Steve from ''The Lies'' where she throws their ''easy'' relationship under the bus, only for Lois to try and offer solace and comfort for Supes, telling Mxy that she believes in him, and from that, Clark realizes his love for Lois never died. THEN you could have PF's energies merge with them. It was very much editorial mandate they squeeze all of that in to justify the new landscape of the Rebirth timeline, but if felt like a random and almost minimally promoted way of doing it...had this actually happened in the first Rebirth issue instead of bringing back just Wally and teasing the button mystery, it might have made more sense as far as placement meant...but then that would undermine the whole ''It was never a reboot'' marketing that was going on all the time. Yeah, whatever happened to that again?

And Grounded's another one...the second half should have been inter-spread every issue or two where he was on a tour in the first half.

[Sacred Knight]

Nah, I think they did right by just ignoring the Clark/Diana stuff. No reason to use Rucka's shoddy retcons in that regard. He did enough damage to Diana's characterization in that moment, and Jurgens would have just done more of the same had he picked up on that crap. It was going away, they knew it, they had no respect for it, so they just ignored it. The far better option in an otherwise overall clunky situation. Now had they had the desire to end the relationship in a manner respectful of the stories that came before, then I would have been more receptive to the idea. But that wasn't the case in the slightest, and furthermore, time would have still been an issue even in that case, as how long do you want the two Supermen around to work these types of things out? In the beginning when Rebirth started I was hoping New 52 Superman would come back and be around a while, but it was just because I was against the changes, logically it wouldn't have worked for long.

In the end its just another example of bringing the Convergence Superman back in the first place being a mistake in of itself. Without that nonsense, they would have had more time to devote to characterization and moving past the stuff they wanted to move past while they "Rebirthed" the current Superman and Lois in more timely manners, just like everyone else.

[Miles To Go]

Nah, I think they did right by just ignoring the Clark/Diana stuff. No reason to use Rucka's shoddy writing and retcons in that regard. He did enough damage to Diana's characterization in that moment, and Jurgens would have just done more of the same had she be used anymore. It was going away, they knew it, they had no respect for it, so they just ignored it. The far better option in an otherwise overall clunky situation.

I'd figure you'd disagree, which is fine. I side with you in that the situation was awkward enough as it is, but creatively you can spin ideas like it in a positive that benefits where you're going. It hurts 'shippers, but does'nt hinder honesty by acknowledging consequential moments in that Super's life that could inform his future.

Ah well, you can't please 'em all. No matter what they did, it'd piss people off. That I reluctantly agree with

[Sacred Knight]

I would make no bones about it, had they just done Rebirth with the current Superman, sure I still would have been annoyed because I overall enjoyed what was going on before. The means of the changing obviously wouldn't have changed that so I'll never pretend that I wouldn't have still complained about some things in any other scenario. But at the same time it would have been so much better story-wise. There would have at least been the opportunity for some decent closure to the ideas they wanted to move past, even if I didn't necessarily agree with them that they need to be moved past in the first place. Because they would have had the time to do it. Would they have resulted in good stories? I don't know, that's always a question, but there would have at least been the chance. Instead we got a rushed "death" of one Superman, and a ridiculous status quo of another living on Earth incognito for 10 years during all of continuity as it existed to that point. All monumental wastes of time to set up that could have been better spent crafting their intended changes and folding the past back into the characters they had. Even Jon could have been introduced via this method, albeit a bit differently. And in the end they would have gotten the exact same things.

[rui no onna]

I'm a fan of it and consider it the ''Reverse One More Day'', but Superman Reborn could have been handled far better than it was. It should have been extended as a six parter, and New Fifty Two Superman and Lois should have hung around a bit so they could earn how they felt for one another instead of being influenced by the wibbly-wobbly energies of their pre-flashpoint selves.

I think it was fine. I reckon part of the reason Rebirth crossovers have been well received is because they don't overstay their welcome. For the most part, one month and you're done.

[Miles To Go]

I think it was fine. I reckon part of the reason Rebirth crossovers have been well received is because they don't overstay their welcome. For the most part, one month and you're done.

I agree with that too, I loved Night of the Monster Men and The Button, they were more cohesive

[Atomic Man]

Regarding New Krypton:

With lives lost on both sides, Allura decides that the only means of peace is to move New Krypton and its residents somewhere they will be free of the powers that corrupted them. Allura asks the GL Corps for aid in finding a new location for New Krypton, one orbiting a red sun.

Superman, Supergirl, the New Kryptonians themselves, and some superpowered heroes on Earth work together with the New Gods to build Mother Box satellites around New Krypton, enough to transport the planet to its new location in orbit of a red dwarf. The transport is a success, and the New Kryptonians gradually lose their abilities and find peace without powers. Superman and Kara prepare to return before their own powers wane, but Kara decides to remain on New Krypton to spend time with her mother for a while. This would occupy the next year or so in the Supergirl title.

Superman returns to Earth in the Superman title and is relieved that the threat to both of his worlds is gone. Days go by, with the usual work at the DP, fighting crime in Metropolis, and adventuring with the JLA. Superman can't seem to escape the feeling that something's not right, though; he feels he's being watched at times and that there's something off about Lois and everyone else in his life.

Meanwhile, in Action Comics, we see what we think is the same story that's unfolding in Superman, though from Lois' perspective. Outside of Martha Kent, she knows Superman better than any other living person on Earth. She's relieved Clark's back, but she feels there's something wrong with him. She can't quite put her finger on it, but nothing gets by Lois Lane. While she doesn't press the issue out of respect for Clark's feelings over "losing" New Krypton, she knows that something isn't right.

Clark and Lois would discover the truth in their respective titles: Clark returned to an illusory Earth; he was quickly shrunken and placed in this "Bottle Earth" by a reborn Brainiac. Like the Krypton seen during Loeb's run, this Earth and its inhabitants are so brilliantly-designed that, at first, Clark has no idea things aren't what they appear to be.

Meanwhile, Lois discovers her own truth one day: Metropolis and the Earth itself have been shrunken and bottled, and Superman is, in fact, a duplicate Superman created by Brainiac.

The two stories would run concurrently in Action (taking place on Earth-A) and Superman (on Earth-B) for a year, after which the separate threads would come together for the second part of the story. "Crisis On Two Earths!" might be a good title to borrow from a not-so-great animated movie.

The final chapter in the story would be a mini-series event featuring the entire DCU and finding a way to restore Earth and defeat Brainiac and his forces.