How to make Superman relevant

[Superlad93]

Like Jon Clark said, "has anyone ever made a hero intentionally relevant?" The answer is usually if not exclusively no. More often than not you end up with strange joke of a character who's like an amalgam of "top 40 hits" in pop culture. They become destined to have time and pop culture turn on them and pass them by. Relevancy is usually made by setting trends or redefining already present trends. The character creates a sort of pocket universe in pop culture that we visit and attune our thinking to that particular universe and then enjoy the ride. Batman has been doing this since his big popularity boom in the 80's. Under a truly hawkish gaze, his world makes little to no sense and has more in line with Alice in Wonderland than it does with hard nosed crime dramas.

Shows like Adventure Time, Gumball, or Steven Universe all spun out of creators just wanting to do something interesting with what they knew. Things like D&D are not culturally relevant anymore but they are the literal crux of the wildly successful show Adventure Time.

Superman's got a much better shot at relevancy if the creators at work get more creative and outgoing with the aspects (obvious and hidden) of Superman's little pocket of pop culture. Push and polish those aspects. If you want relevancy then bring in an influx of fresh eyes who have something to say about the character.

- Give him some moral complexity. Have him kill a little more - be less of a boyscout. Enough of this "new aged Jesus" crap.

Also this doesn't equal moral complexity. I'm not as opposed to a Superman who kills as I used to be, but the act of killing doesn't make anyone more or less complex morally. One could argue that not killing makes one pretty complex morally (seems to work for Batman) or Max Landis' idea that Superman will go for the kill if your power and perceived danger makes you an "adult" in this world of relative "children". The idea that his responsibility no longer extends to you. Both pretty interesting takes on the characters morals if handled well. Hell I've even been semi-championing a complete pacifist Superman just to see it done and done well.

But ultimately I might be wasting my breath because...

[ManSinha]

One way - and this has been discussed in other threads - is to amp up his intelligence - similar to his powers - and have him outclass everyone else - yes I do mean that
No more "dumbing down" to prop up humans like Luthor and Wayne - he is the apex of Kryptonian evolution with genetics from one if not two of the most brilliant people on that planet - stop playing two sides between the physical and the mental aspects of the character

[Dispenser Of Truth]

(Deleted post)

[Last Son of Krypton]

Thematically, he's now more relevant than ever. He's a character who fights for the underdogs and, in a sense, he is an underdog too.

[llozymandias]

One way - and this has been discussed in other threads - is to amp up his intelligence - similar to his powers - and have him outclass everyone else - yes I do mean that
No more "dumbing down" to prop up humans like Luthor and Wayne - he is the apex of Kryptonian evolution with genetics from one if not two of the most brilliant people on that planet - stop playing two sides between the physical and the mental aspects of the character

Both Superman & Luthor are characters that have been "dumbed down" for too long. Jerry Siegel wrote both Kal & Lex as super-geniuses. But Lex had the greater intellect. In the origin Jerry wrote (in 1960) Lex (in his early teens, if not late pre-teens) created a working antidote to kryptonite. Something Superman was never able to do even after decades of research & experimentation. Some have asked how Superman keeps beating Lex, when Lex is smarter. The answer is trickery & guile. As I see it either Lex or Kal should be easily capable of making Bruce feel like a dumber version of Forrest Gump. If Kal acts like Bruce is his intellectual equal (or superior) it's more likely that Kal is humoring Bruce. Or he is letting Bruce have some dignity. Now if Lex treats Bruce like an equal, it's more likely that Lex is setting Bruce up for some serious humiliation.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Both Superman & Luthor are characters that have been "dumbed down" for too long. Jerry Siegel wrote both Kal & Lex as super-geniuses. But Lex had the greater intellect. In the origin Jerry wrote (in 1960) Lex (in his early teens, if not late pre-teens) created a working antidote to kryptonite. Something Superman was never able to do even after decades of research & experimentation. Some have asked how Superman keeps beating Lex, when Lex is smarter. The answer is trickery & guile. As I see it either Lex or Kal should be easily capable of making Bruce feel like a dumber version of Forrest Gump. If Kal acts like Bruce is his intellectual equal (or superior) it's more likely that Kal is humoring Bruce. Or he is letting Bruce have some dignity. Now if Lex treats Bruce like an equal, it's more likely that Lex is setting Bruce up for some serious humiliation.

Well, I'd say Bruce is still more skilled in his very specialized areas of expertise, and Superman would recognize that. But yes, I'm all for super-genius Superman as God and Siegel intended. Given that he's from a planet of them, it'd be odd if he wasn't.

[Ascended]

Well, I'd say Bruce is still more skilled in his very specialized areas of expertise, and Superman would recognize that. But yes, I'm all for super-genius Superman as God and Siegel intended. Given that he's from a planet of them, it'd be odd if he wasn't.

It always bothers me when Clark is written as just being of average (or below) intellect. He comes from a planet where the janitors and fast food workers are all smarter than the smartest man earth has ever seen. Clark himself is the child of that world's greatest mind, and depending on the continuity, his mother is nearly as smart. So Clark just being of average human intellect really just makes the guy seem like he's mentally disabled. Bruce might be a better detective, maybe even better with forensic science, and Lex should have his area of expertise too (genetics perhaps) but Superman should be a super man, beyond us in virtually every way conceivable but walking the path we might follow to someday become his equals. Making him less is, in effect, to limit the potential of the human race.

[Jon Clark]

Well, I'd say Bruce is still more skilled in his very specialized areas of expertise, and Superman would recognize that. But yes, I'm all for super-genius Superman as God and Siegel intended. Given that he's from a planet of them, it'd be odd if he wasn't.

That would work if writers actually gave Bruce a "very specialized area of expertise" but Batman has become the resident expert in whatever field he needs to be.

Also when was the last time Krypton was a planet of geniuses? Jor-El is usually given as one and some of the Zoners were mad scientists, but is Zod really shown to be any more talented than your average military dictator or Faora/Ursa any smarter than say Lady Shiva? The claim that Kryptonians were smarter always struck me as being the same argument that people in 2015 are smarter than those in 1915 based on how complex the tech we use is.

[Tra-EL]

Superman is always relevant. Sure there are some angsty nolanbatfanboys who've never read a single superman comic who think Supes is boring. However, in reality Superman has persevered for over 75 years because he's incredibly interesting and has been the subject of hundreds of stories with no sign of stopping.

I've had this debate with countless number of people and I agree 1,010% /thread!

[Dr. Banner]

I don't see how such an enduring, iconic and popular character is not relevant. Maybe relevant has a different meaning here.

[JBatmanFan05]

...I'm just going to back away slowly and never enter this thread again.

Amen.

All the comics can do, at least, to help Superman regain some prior popularity is, IMHO, to really look at All-Star Superman and own up that that style and that tone and that lack of darker realism is way to go for Superman and his world. Then you get Morrison or other top talent to do that.

If DC continues to treat Superman comics like Batman comics, just with different colors, then the character will continue to flounder.

[jimishim12]

Just work on his world building(Metropolis is the worst offender), make the enviroment less realistic and more phenomenal like Superman so people won't see the obvious of a lion in a den of sheep. Superman is too powerful and perfect to live in a story where the aspect of fictional humans that he lives with are tied to real life and they are completely boring and lame compared to a living god like alien(peak level humans don't count).

Batman's world does this, every thing about human capabilities compared to the actual super humans are exaggerated because Batman symbolizes apex human potential, everyone in the story that is a major role in the story is a badass treated as a mythological character which ties to Bruce's ongoing fight against crime. It's the go to wish fulfillment of human street levelers being superheroes as themselves and not a make believe figure of otherworldly power.

[magha_regulus]

That would work if writers actually gave Bruce a "very specialized area of expertise" but Batman has become the resident expert in whatever field he needs to be.

Also when was the last time Krypton was a planet of geniuses? Jor-El is usually given as one and some of the Zoners were mad scientists, but is Zod really shown to be any more talented than your average military dictator or Faora/Ursa any smarter than say Lady Shiva? The claim that Kryptonians were smarter always struck me as being the same argument that people in 2015 are smarter than those in 1915 based on how complex the tech we use is.

The last time was during this New 52 Continuity. Grant Morrison officially rought krypton back as a planet of super geniuses in Action Comics. Lobdell also had the Kryptonians as Super Geniuses in his run (though granted he didn't really do a good job convincing the reader that was the case) Zod and Faora were shown developing super technology to free the phantom zone villains in a Superman/ Wonder Woman issue.

My biggest issue with how Superman is how writers seem to forget his super intellect. Its not even a power of his, its a fact of his alien heritage, something built into his biology. We're back to having even the slowest Kryptonian youth taking remedial calculus before they are 5 years old! I think its a core character trait that really needs to be the focus of some stories. Superman is an inventor from a world governed by scientists.

[magha_regulus]

The last time was during this New 52 Continuity. Grant Morrison officially rought krypton back as a planet of super geniuses in Action Comics. Lobdell also had the Kryptonians as Super Geniuses in his run (though granted he didn't really do a good job convincing the reader that was the case) Zod and Faora were shown developing super technology to free the phantom zone villains in a Superman/ Wonder Woman issue.

My biggest issue with how Superman is how writers seem to forget his super intellect. Its not even a power of his, its a fact of his alien heritage, something built into his biology. We're back to having even the slowest Kryptonian youth taking remedial calculus before they are 5 years old! I think its a core character trait that really needs to be the focus of some stories. Superman is an inventor from a world governed by scientists.

The general populace was shown having conversations about the latest scientific and philosophical theories. Baby Kal El himself was shown sitting on a ledge without his parents worrying because all Kryptonian babies were too smart to fall off. This was all in Grant Morrison's Action Comics run.

[Mantis Girl 94]

I agree that I wish Kal was shown smarter. But I don't know how being from Krypton or having genius parents makes it a sure thing that he will be smart.

He was raised by Ma and Pa Kent and educated in the Kansas School system. I think he has the potential to be smarter but I don't think the way he was raised supports him being a super genius.