Superman in Doomsday Clock

[Soubhagya]

Agreed.

Now, all the characters involved in the marketing are going to generate more hype and interest than Clark would. And the early advertising already told us he was there, so that's sort of an "established fact" the marketing can move beyond. I get that.

But DC has burned me so many times, I take everything they do with a heavy dose of cynicism. I dont like that I do this, but it's been shown time and again that the current regime see the character and his role and potential in a very different light than I do.

I agree with you here. There is so much potential with Superman. LOSH, Supergirl, Conner Kent. This is just scratching the surface. I have not read a lot of Events. But DC One Million was an enthralling look into the future. I can understand the obsession with dystopian futures. But the likes of DC One Million is brilliant. All these fights, these victories shall matter. And a future which is actually a DC fan culture was awesome. That look was possible due to Superman.

Nowadays all they do is either make him weaker to prop up others, kill him, make him evil or the ever favorite origin story. Had there not been Rebirth i would not have been here.

Thank you for mentioning Superman and LOSH. I am going to read that pretty soon.

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

that statement is perfect

But what's wrong with it? Isn't Superman, despite being an alien, someone who embodies what we typically think of as the best of human-like qualities? Empathy, compassion, love, and the drive to do what's right? Johns' point wasn't "Superman thinks of himself as Clark Kent first and foremost and hates his Kryptoninan heritage!" It was that Superman is an empathetic dude in contrast to Manhattan, who was born human but became cold, detached, and clinically-minded.

That might be what writers mean whey they refer to Superman as being "the most human" of superheroes, but the phrasing is all nonsense.

A person isn't "more human" than anyone else. In terms of characterization, what would make Barry, Wally, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan, etc, any less "human" than Superman?

[TruthAndJustice]

Superman: most human of aliens. Dr. Manhattan: most alien of humans. (Well, former humans.)

I think that's all Johns meant to say.

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

Superman: most human of aliens. Dr. Manhattan: most alien of humans. (Well, former humans.)

I think that's all Johns meant to say.

He did say most human of superheroes, so he wasn't just talking about aliens. But even if he were talking specifically about aliens, what would make Superman more "human" than other alien superheros?

[TruthAndJustice]

He did say most human of superheroes, so he wasn't just talking about aliens. But even if he were talking specifically about aliens, what would make Superman more "human" than other alien superheros?

He doesn't long for his birth world, like Supergirl or Martian Manhunter. He was raised by Earth humans and thinks of them as "Ma" and "Pa." He's Earth-person (American, even) first and Kryptonian second.

[C-Dot]

I think Superlad is most likely right. It makes sense that Lex would be the one with brain cancer since him being the smartest man was emphasized so much.

It would be very devastating for Lex since his intellect is his super power, and he ends up with a cancer that not only debilitates you physically but mentally as well.

Last time Lex had cancer, he got scientists to clone him a new body and masqueraded as.....

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

He doesn't long for his birth world, like Supergirl or Martian Manhunter. He was raised by Earth humans and thinks of them as "Ma" and "Pa." He's Earth-person (American, even) first and Kryptonian second.

What does this have to do with being human? Do attitudes and beliefs make someone more or less human than someone else?

What exactly does it mean to be human?

[Sacred Knight]

I don't buy into "Earth First, Krypton Second" ideal anyway. It again is not utilizing the duality, rather taking sides, which in the end only diminishes the character. There's absolutely no reason it even has to be a contest, he can and should love Earth and fight to protect it every day but at the same time lament the loss of Krypton and love the things he's seen of it via second-hand info and even first-hand adventures.

In every single way, literally and metaphorically, Superman was designed to be a character of two worlds. I'll never understand the drive to lessen one over the other.

[Ascended]

I don't buy into "Earth First, Krypton Second" ideal anyway. It again is not utilizing the duality, rather taking sides, which in the end only diminishes the character. There's absolutely no reason it even has to be a contest, he can and should love Earth and fight to protect it every day but at the same time lament the loss of Krypton and love the things he's seen of it via second-hand info and even first-hand adventures.

In every single way, literally and metaphorically, Superman was designed to be a character of two worlds. I'll never understand the drive to lessen one over the other.

Homogenization?

[Sacred Knight]

Certainly possible. At least I can't think of another reason.

[Ascended]

Certainly possible. At least I can't think of another reason.

In all honesty, it's likely just an attempt to make Clark more understandable, relateable, and "human." I've seen people here call it "Marvel-ization" and while I think that's a term that might be a little too loose for casual use, I do think it's fairly accurate here.

There's a lot of characters in comics who are completely and utterly beyond "human" and a ton who are Everymen, or at least fairly normal.

Clark's something different in that he's got a foot solidly placed in both world of the Everyman and the lonely god. He's both Clark Kent and Superman, and both of those roles are as equally true as they are equally false. And I think he's fairly unique in that. It's a mental construct that no real person could ever maintain and remain sane. And it's one of the most interesting things about Clark, but also hard as hell to write.

[TruthAndJustice]

I don't buy into "Earth First, Krypton Second" ideal anyway. It again is not utilizing the duality, rather taking sides, which in the end only diminishes the character. There's absolutely no reason it even has to be a contest, he can and should love Earth and fight to protect it every day but at the same time lament the loss of Krypton and love the things he's seen of it via second-hand info and even first-hand adventures.

In every single way, literally and metaphorically, Superman was designed to be a character of two worlds. I'll never understand the drive to lessen one over the other.

This wasn't true until after 1948. The original, "Golden Age" iteration of Superman didn't even know he was from Krypton until that year, in a story which finally introduced Kryptonite into the comics. Personally I see Krypton as a means of explaining why Clark has super-powers and little more than that. Dwelling on Krypton was one of the things that made Superman comics in the 1970s usually very, very boring.

[Ascended]

This wasn't true until after 1948. The original, "Golden Age" iteration of Superman didn't even know he was from Krypton until that year, in a story which finally introduced Kryptonite into the comics. Personally I see Krypton as a means of explaining why Clark has super-powers and little more than that. Dwelling on Krypton was one of the things that made Superman comics in the 1970s usually very, very boring.

During the 50's and 60's, dwelling on Krypton is one of the things that made Superman comics very, very compelling and interesting too.

[stephens2177]

Superman does the undoable.

[Miles To Go]

Superman does the undoable.

For some reason, I thought you were maybe linking to something that wasn't showing up, but you're probably just counter-arguing something else.