MAN OF STEEL (2018) Event mini-series Discussion thread (SPOILERS)

[Sacred Knight]

If these three issues have suggesting anything to me thus far, its that I'm very glad he picked Superman over Batman. His Batman cameo was nice, but its a small sample size of his voice. On the other hand we're to the point now where at least the voice and characterization of Bendis's Superman is clear. And its fantastic.


I'd go so far as to say in that a summer in which Batman is getting married, Superman is stealing the thunder a bit. Can't remember the last time I could say that.

[Myskin]

Bendis is proving that it is possible to write a detective story focused on Superman without making it appear as a Batman story with Superman as the main character.

[RepHope]

So you think it’s horrible but you’re going to keep buying it?

A perfect summary of comic fandom in general lmao. Plenty of people are doing that with King’s Batman, and Slott’s Spider-Man. The X-fandom is basically that in a nutshell.

[Qwerty]

Not enough daily planet this issue. Hardly any infact.

[Robanker]

Seems to me Bendis has proven in three issues that we'd have all been better off with him writing Batman. His awful dialogue and drawn-out plots would still be a problem, but there's only so much damage he could really do to the character since Batman is DC's bread and butter.

Superman, though? DiDio said this in the LA Times interview a few months ago:



If the character is "accessible" and relatable, why is there a "constant need" to contemporize him? That's classic DiDio, talking out of both sides of his mouth.

The bottom-line is, DiDio and Lee will allow just about anything to happen to Superman for the sake of bullshit like "contemorizing" him instead of letting the character's unique nature and mythology define the stories. Here's what Lee said in the same interview:



Modernizing a mythology is what Johns did with the Brainiac arc and New Krypton. Though the execution that followed was poor, Johns updated the concept and the ramifications of what it would mean to have 10, 000 Kryptonians suddenly living on Earth. Bendis, meanwhile, is outright destroying elements of Superman's mythology to prop up his unremarkable villain.

If Rogol Zaar did destroy Krypton, that's all we need to know he's a massive threat to Superman. Having him destroy Kandor is overkill and is a cheap stunt designed to add some angst to Superman. It's disrespectful not only of the mythology of Superman but also, bad writing.

If the Lois/Jon revelation is going where I suspect it is, I won't be buying Bendis' Superman run. Speaking of which, here's something to consider regarding the mystery pilot of that craft:

Attachment 67094

Attachment 67095

Colors and outfit (pants/tunic) seem to match up.

It could also lead to a reveal that Oz saved Kandor and uses that to prove to Jon that maybe his dad's way doesn't always work in the end. Maybe his dad was looking out for a threat he may have known about that Clark couldn't have. We saw Kandor destroyed. Oz wants Clark to come to his side. We don't know what he's capable of, should he be involved. Do I think that happened? No. I think Zarr filed Kandor under Fist and called it a day, but in cape comics anything can happen and few things stick forever.

We're halfway in. I really don't like Didio either and I'll be frustrated beyond belief if some of your theories come to pass, but so far Bendis has been doing a great job writing a Superman who is lighthearted, but takes things seriously. He writes a fun, confident Superman that has a unique voice and I'm hanging on every issue. That's enough for me to see where he's going with this. I'll drop the book if it moves down a path I don't want to follow the same as I've done for Gotham's caped crusader. Comics are too expensive to be paying $4 an issue for something I actively dislike. It's okay to feel frustrated that a property you enjoy is being mishandled. I feel that way often about the DC brand. Just buy what you like and hope that your beliefs are in line with the purchasing market.

I do think we should wait for the dust to settle on this story before completely flipping out. It's okay to be worried and frustrated over the idea they'll do something catastrophically stupid with Superman, a lot of the more rational posters here were when the Crisis rumor broke, but the right thing to do is wait and see. I find it hard to do that a lot of times too, so I know that's not a short order. For all we know, the super family "splits" to tackle a threat on multiple fronts but can't be open about it despite being as close as ever. The story could end with a heel-turn Jon impaling his dad with a javelin of gold kryptonite or Lois delivering a haymaker to a depowered Zarr for the knockout punch for all we know.

[SiegePerilous02]

Seems to me Bendis has proven in three issues that we'd have all been better off with him writing Batman. His awful dialogue and drawn-out plots would still be a problem, but there's only so much damage he could really do to the character since Batman is DC's bread and butter.

I haven't gotten the third issue, but nothing I saw in the first two indicates he'd bet better at Batman than Superman. He's nailed the character's voice and personality, and Clark is dealing with whatever issues he has without also moping around and not doing his job. He seems more recognizably Superman than he has in a while.

[Flash Gordon]

Only 3 joints so far, and I already like Melody Moore a ton. Hope to see lots of her.

I think I've just been dying for some fresh air in the Superman mythology. New characters and set ups. Just something interesting to latch onto. So, cheers to that!

[jackolover]

Once again, somebody breaks into the Fortress of Solitude. How many people have done that in these past few years? Vandal Savage, Zod and his Revenge Squad, Tim Drake/Savior, old Lex Luthor and now Rogol Zaar. You'd think Superman would try to develop better security systems. If Arkham Asylum is the easiest place in the DCU to break out of, then the Fortress is the easiest place to break into.

I like how upset and depressed Superman feels about Kandor's destruction. His reaction is that of a person seeing a very valuable family souvenir being destroyed. To make matters worse, Superman knew every Kandorian by name. It's gonna be very difficult to make Rogol a sympathetic character after that stunt.

Again, there is still no answer to where Lois and Jon currently are, but we get to see the silhouette of a mysterious man. Maybe it's Lex, maybe it's Mr. Oz or someone else entirely.

So far, Bendis is doing a good job at building up dramatic tension and every issue I've read leaves me more anxious for the next.

One of the things I identified about Bendis’ Jewishness is that it could penetrate the Marvel culture, by reflecting the Jewish experience of being vulnerable and powerless in many situations. It showed up in Marvels Bendis era, as a theme of gradual betrayal by society, and shows up in DC with the betrayal of Rogol Zaar with how Supermans invulnerability is being dismantled here.

[Scott Taylor]

Bendis is proving that it is possible to write a detective story focused on Superman without making it appear as a Batman story with Superman as the main character.

Indeed. And its interesting that Batman basically acknowledges that he's being upstaged. By more effective detecting. I'm not completely sure that I want Superman to have that role in anything but small doses. Its like anything Superman can do - and he can do anything - small doses are ok but if it becomes a status quo he just wins all the time.

[Myskin]

Indeed. And its interesting that Batman basically acknowledges that he's being upstaged. By more effective detecting. I'm not completely sure that I want Superman to have that role in anything but small doses. Its like anything Superman can do - and he can do anything - small doses are ok but if it becomes a status quo he just wins all the time.

Technically speaking, a lot of Golden Age Superman stories - the majority, I'd say - were detective tales or gangster stories with a lot of action. There were some whodunits and at least one of them focused on a serial killer (the Archer, who was the first costumed villain whom Superman faced). In later years, as a genre, detective stories have become an exclusive territory of Batman tales, but with Bendis Superman is taking back something which has belonged to his lore since the beginning.

[Flash Gordon]

Indeed. And its interesting that Batman basically acknowledges that he's being upstaged. By more effective detecting. I'm not completely sure that I want Superman to have that role in anything but small doses. Its like anything Superman can do - and he can do anything - small doses are ok but if it becomes a status quo he just wins all the time.

Well, Clark Kent is an investigative journalist...

[Anthony W]

Just read issue 3.

So far so good. Bendis is doing a good job with writing a Superman that is both powerful and relatable. Lois is being kept to a minimum. I have no problem with that she was always a character that worked best in small doses IMO. The villain on the other hand is kind of...there. It's never a good thing when you can actually feel how hard the writer is working to put a character over.

The only thing I really didn't like was the "The newspaper is being sold...oh noes..." Been there done that. Clark needs to calmly remind Perry that Lex owned the paper once and they lived through that and this stuff happens all the time and to man up.

[Atlas]

So you think it’s horrible but you’re going to keep buying it?

I'm reading Man of Steel and then will determine if Bendis has earned my money and respect with my favorite character. So far, I have a feeling where he's going with this and I don't like it. He has three more issues to change my mind.

[TheNewFiftyForum]

So regarding the Lois/Jon plot, does anyone else think that Lex being responsible is a misdirection?

For what it's worth, Bendis has outright said that he'll be giving Luthor a rest for his first stories, but I guess we'll see. Anyway, I'm still enjoying the arsonist plot, as it's a high stakes mystery that still managed to feel personal to Clark Kent, but Bendis decompressed writing is starting to get to me. The main plot is moving at a snail's pace.

[Miles To Go]

Lois is being kept to a minimum. I have no problem with that she was always a character that worked best in small doses IMO.

It may be your opinion, but "keeping her in small doses" is not why people love or gravitate towards the character. She's a vital and lasting part of the mythos because she's more involved in things.