Anyone else unhappy with the Superman Comics?

[Flash Gordon]

And what about Injustice ?

INJUSTICE is even worse, but it wasn't mentioned in the post I was responding to.

[The Beast]

man of action, more like man of whine

I couldn't agree more, it's been pretty hard to take from the get go.

In his third issue of Action Comics, Morrison has Clark sulking in his apartment, with his costume in the trash a la “Spiderman No More” and apologizing to a picture of the Kents. Then it was downhill from there, with every Super cliche imaginable making an appearance. Pak is one of the worst offenders, his Superman walks around with a proverbial "WWJKD?" bracelet on, chastising himself for punching down on a semi regular basis. The only one who kicks ass on that title is Lana Lang, so much so that Action Comics reads like an old Jimmy Olsen comic. Lana Lang is practically a Mary Sue she’s just so perfect; electrical engineer/archeologist/soldier and space adventurer all rolled into one with more conviction in her beliefs than our hero. Are they building her up to fridge her or what? Soule’s take is not much better, his Wonder Woman has a lot less emotional baggage than Clark; Gods of War don’t worry about playing for keeps so much I guess. IIRC, Clark was the first to say “I love you” and now he’s whining at Diana to hurry up and reciprocate. Sure, he’s got Doomsday to cope with but still, c'mon Superman, you're so money and you don't even know it. Is that Doomsday, or is that just Clark with no inhibitions? Either way, Clark continues to come across as the reacher in that relationship.

And Lobdell came up with gems like this:



Neurotic alien who constantly second guesses himself and walks on eggshells =/= fun or "badass." With the New52 version of Superman, there’s too much contemplation and not enough action for the ultimate super hero.

The Doomed event is a hot mess, where Superman does emotional gymnastics to come to grips with justifiable homicide. It's straight out of the bronze age playbook where an introspective Superman does his best Peter Parker impersonation. Superman has been a luke warm pile of "meh" since the reboot, lacking any real innovation compared to WW, Aquaman, Flash or anyone else from the Justice League for that matter. DC needs to stop writing Superman as a self-aware, institutionalized icon and just write him as an action hero.

I hope this is what Johns means to change with his take on things. CBR's review nailed it; "Superman" #32 doesn't make any apologies for what led to this creative takeover, nor does it need to. Instead, it just tells an excellent story that speaks for itself, and captures both the nature and the scope of the character. Johns and Romita deliver the kind of Superman story that readers want, and give the franchise a kind of pseudo-reboot that was sorely needed."

[Sacred Knight]

Wow. Couldn't possibly disagree more. Its astounding to me that anyone would use Morrison and Pak's version of Superman as evidence of a whiny Superman. They, Morrison most since he started the relaunch, is responsible for ditching that trope.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

I couldn't agree more, it's been pretty hard to take from the get go.

In his third issue of Action Comics, Morrison has Clark sulking in his apartment, with his costume in the trash a la “Spiderman No More” and apologizing to a picture of the Kents.

Yup, that sure was one singular panel in which he was sad out of a 19 issue run of him kicking ass and taking names, alright.

Pak is one of the worst offenders, his Superman walks around with a proverbial "WWJKD?" bracelet on, chastising himself for punching down on a semi regular basis.

Yeah, god knows why anyone would want evidence of the most powerful being in the universe exercising minimum self-restraint and forethought before just annihilating whatever's in front of him. Ever read Chuck Austen's Superman? Not even remotely kidding or being sarcastic when I say his take on Superman is one I think you'd enjoy.

[devinofthedead]

Love Supes at the moment. Greg Pak is killing it on Action, and Grant Morrison's run was fantastically ridiculous!

BM/SM is also Pak killing it on a Supes title.

I didn't read Superman until the Johns JRJR, but their first issue was TITS! Can't wait for more!

[Superlad93]

Ok so gonna just point out that during that part in Morrison's run where Superman seems to have given up needs to be put into context. He'd just been dehumanized by being captured and tortured, called an "it" etc. The right after his identity was exposed. After that the people that he saved in the first issue turned on him, the guy that he thought he put away got off free and turned the people on him, and on top of that he is now subjected to xenophobia cuz everyone now knows he's an alien and most hate it. All this happens with in the span of an afternoon becoming a lot to handle. Then right after all that he tries to save a little cat for a girl and not only does the girl scream for help but people come running to attack Superman verbally and physically.

Superman's not hurt physically but what this tells him is that the people don't want what he's selling. His whole life mission is thrown in his face in one afternoon and no one seems to be down for it. This is why he has the moment of doubt......but since he's freakin Superman it's but a moment! In that same issue he jumps right back into the fight regardless if they hate him or not, cuz he's Superman.

Don't see how John's Superman looking at pictures of his parents simply because no one wanted to hang out with him that day gets a free pass, but Morrison's Superman going through all of that doesn't. If people don't like Morrison's work because it's him then say so but don't disguise it.


As for Pak's Superman.......what you described is not whining. It just isn't. It's showing restraint and an understanding of when to use the right amount of force. Pak's Superman is indeed a man of action.

Soule's Superman pretty much only half of Pak's Superman. Due to the romance novel structure of the book he seems to be written a bit softer than nearly everywhere else. That scene on the moon was indeed whining.


Lobdell's Superman didn't whine that's for sure. That dude took NO sh#t from anyone. Some say he may have been too callous in fact, but not whiny.

[Ascended]

Pak is one of the worst offenders,

You are now dead to me.

Seriously though, I could not disagree more. But then, my love for post-52 Superman is well known, as is my disdain for the 2000's era and what post-Crisis Superman devolved into.

[Sacred Knight]

Hell I don't even think it has to be looked at from the point of the correct context to not be worth criticism (not saying you're not right in that context though, you are of course). But I mean, this is what, his first months on the job, weeks maybe? I have issues when a veteran Superman who knows what he's all about questions himself. Not when the guy who is in his first days being the world's first public superhero falls on a rough patch.

[Ascended]

Lobdell's Superman didn't whine that's for sure. That dude took NO sh#t from anyone. Some say he may have been too callous in fact, but not whiny.

This is why Lobdell got a pass from me despite his terrible storytelling ability. He understood the core concepts of the character and wove some really fun ideas into the mythos, all the while staying as far away as possible from the dreaded post-Crisis character who pretended to be Superman for over a decade.

I'd love to see Lobdell used as an editor, assuming he has the skill set for it. He cant write for anything but his conceptual understanding rocks. If he could resist the urge to force everything into constant crossovers, he'd be great. Or at the very least better than Matt Idelson was.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Lobdell's Superman didn't whine that's for sure. That dude took NO sh#t from anyone. Some say he may have been too callous in fact, but not whiny.

He was pretty insanely callous, at least in what I read. It read almost like Lobdell was trying to write the exact opposite of PC Superman--which to my surprise, I liked even less. He had some solid ideas, but his Superman was so much of a 'bro', very often bordering on 'outright douchebag', that it just bugged the hell out of me. The low point so far, at least for me, of New 52 Superman. He really just came across as a hyper-confrontational, self-righteous jerk under Lobdell's pen (and Supergirl got it even worse).

[Flash Gordon]

I echo the sentiment that Lobdell would make a good "concept man" for the SUPERMAN line, or an editor (if he has the chops). I loved his SUPERMAN, and he really 'got' what Supes is all about. His writing is atrocious, but his ideas are just fantastic. Had he been a better writer, I think his run would have been amazing.

[Blacksun]

I echo the sentiment that Lobdell would make a good "concept man" for the SUPERMAN line, or an editor (if he has the chops). I loved his SUPERMAN, and he really 'got' what Supes is all about. His writing is atrocious, but his ideas are just fantastic. Had he been a better writer, I think his run would have been amazing.

Lobdell doesn't get what Superman is. Not from what he wrote talking how superman is about humm whining and tragedy

If by "not so much", you mean "not at all".
Johns gave us Perry White lecturing him for not having friends (Perry White of all people. I mean, have we ever seen the guy with a friend at all?), desperately trying to reach his superheroic friends so he can share a steack with someone , and lokking at pictures of his dead parents with a sad expression on his face.
How did you put it, again? Ha, yes. "Ho, poor, lonely Clark. Bouhouhouh".
As for Snyder....."Everyone will age and die and you will be all alone", and "I can't sleep at night because of the threat of nuclear weapons, bouhouhouh".

Well, lonely people most of times when give advices about friendship/romance talk about self experience, like not doing the same mistakes.
Johns supes did the same whine that pak superman did. Pak did flashbacks to when his parents were alive and never adressed how much he was lonely. Johns only looked at the pics in a conforting way, not in a cry baby way. Johns is just getting the real about new 52 superman, of course he could have ignored all and pretend new 52 superman where he is now is the coolest thing.

Snyder presented a possibility of people aging and superman not, again dealing with future problems. But is not like Superman cares at all and go all angsty about it. He just accepts Superman can die and go for battle.

[Mantis Girl 94]

I have been reading comics for over 10 years. The first SM I read were from my dad's collection with 60's and 70's Superman. They were fun to read but no where near the quality of what Marvel was putting out. Each issue pretty much was a one-shot and the closer we got to the 80's SM the worse it became. Brynes SM was not overly too bad, but it still didn't put SM into "my level of awesome".

The New 52 is just what SM needed. I don't think anyother hero needed it as much. BM could of stayed the same along with GL and Flash. But SM comics (even though there have been some dud issues) is overall the King of DC comics right now! Pak made the best Hulk Story of all time and I hope he is on track to do the same for Superman!

I LOVE the new 52 SM, and if it wasn't for the new 52 I know for a fact I wouldn't even be reading Kal's books.

Superman, Action, SM/BM, and Unchained are cannot miss books in my opinion!

Long live the current SM! If not for the new 52 I wouldn't even glance at the covers!

[toddx77]

The New 52 is just what SM needed. I don't think anyother hero needed it as much.

THIS. I am loving the new 52 Superman and have not enjoyed the character this much since December of 2008. When the whole World of New Krypton started in January of 2009 I hated the direction of the Superman franchise. Even after it ended putting Lex in Action was stupid and while I liked issue 600 of Superman and it was nice to have Superman back in "Superman", Grounded wasn't as good once JMS left and that the only Superman book tha had Superman in it lol. The only Superman books I actually really liked between 2009 and the start of the new 52 was Secret Origin and Earth One.

My favorite is Superman/Wonder Woman as not only do I love the relationship, but Soule's writing is great. I feel like Soule's Superman and Wonder Woman are the best interpretations of the characters. Pak's Action is also great and Action Comics great and I do like it a little bit better than Morrisons run, but regardless when the new 52 began it was nice to have Action Comics actually feel like Action Comics again. I really liked Johns first issue of Superman and look forward to his run since I loved his time on Action. Batman/Superman I enjoy when it is having a good arc lol. I loved the first arc, Jae's artwork went perfect with that book, and while the second arc was ok I stopped when the Earth 2 crossover started. I was enjoying Unchained, but dropped it because I wanted to cut back on some books and felt that was the easiest Superman book to drop.

I also agree that Doomed is taking way too long. I loved the first arc of Superman/Wonder Woman and was hoping to see where Soule would go from there, but now have to wait until the third arc.

[Sacred Knight]

I'd say Wonder Woman and Aquaman needed the relaunch more. But just a bit more.