Superman General

So, as a guy who doesn't read a ton of new 52 material, mostly because there's no comic books in like...thirty miles of my house, how is Superman's character different, if it is at all. Is he, like, an asshole?

He has sex with Wonder Woman.

Ok, that part I knew. But apparently people aren't fans of Superman's new character, so I was wondering what changed.

There are some people who can't get over the fact that he lost the red trunks. People don't like how the Kents are dead, or how Clark & Lois are only friends. And when he first started, he was a more social active hero (like throwing a wife beater through his window into a river, terrorizing a Corrupt Corporate Executive for his illegal activities, etc) when he was first starting out as T-Shirt-&-Jean Young Supes.

Other than that, he's still the same good guy. People may try to accuse him of superdickery, but it's largely overblown "nut mai Sooperman" stuff. People have more complaints about his current main writer, Scott Lobdell, than the character as is right now.

Well...he didn't start out as a Boy Scout (Action Comics).

He didn't start out a boyscout in the Golden Age either.

I guess that's kind of what the early issues of Action were going for. Like tossing a wifebeater through a wall and holding some businessman/politician/lobbyist by the ankle in mid-air. That sort of stuff.

Read Morrison's Action Comics run and you'll be fine. He's still likeable, he's just younger and more hotblooded and has a way to go before becoming the more classic hero. But there's still an earnestness to what he does.

Just don't read the crap Superman stories. So basically just Action Comics 0-18, Batman/Superman and potentially Paktion Comics from # 25 and onwards.

The Lobdell issues on Superman & Action aren't terrible, per se, but they are a Broken Base. I's skip the Superman issues between Perez and Lobdell, with all of that Daemonite/Hellspont stuff, and that does include the first Superman Annual.

Thanks, guys. I was just worried that something had happened to make Superman...well, not Superman. Glad that's not a problem.

The main difference I find between this Superman and the one of old is that he feels more lost at time, because he no longer has Ma and Pa to act as an emotional crutch whenever anything goes wrong. This version feels more alone than ever.

Also, his relationship with Lois is much different, with her basically having gotten tired of waiting around for Superman and resumed an active sex life with her new committed boyfriend. Clark doesn't take this all that well, and even while involved with Wonder Woman has a hard time putting his feelings for her aside.

This Superman is also a lot more confident in his abilities (and he should be, considering that he's vastly more powerful than he was in early Post Crisis).

Right. I remember that one page where he effectively bench-pressed the Earth for...seven days? And only got one drop of sweat out of his workout.

Lobdell Superman is like the Silver Age crossed with DBZ.

Shit is amazing

...That does sound fun...:$

Oh boy it is.

ALLYSUN-SOLARTRIX OF THE SUNTURIAN EMPIRE!

An entire Alien race made of red sun energy.

And let's not forget that he was sunlight-starved at the end of it.

To make the dbz comparison even deeper; he was basically "training to become stronger!" after he lost a fight to an alien.

Them the next villain was Kryptonian Broly

Oh my fucking God, are you serious? XD

Also, what's the deal with Superman: Unchained? Apparently it's really good?

No, he's not kidding. "Kryptonian◊ Broly◊" is the best, most accurate Fan Nickname I've ever heard in my life.

edited 17th Oct '13 12:20:20 PM by KingZeal

The Plot's pretty close too.

It also gave us pages like this◊:

edited 17th Oct '13 1:29:48 PM by HyperAlbion

@Sharknado, Unchained is alright. Jim Lee's art is good as always and its interesting to see Snyder work with Superman.

The only real issue is the (huge) fallacy that General Lane brings up.about Superman compared to Wraith.

• Clicks on Kryptonian Broly link* A-Yup, that's a Broly. Is it the same power differential?

• Clicks on the Red Sun people* Yup, that's awesome. Would like to know what she was gawking at, though..

Holy shit, why have I not been reading the new Superman stuff?

H'el (Kyptonian Broly) has the standard Kryptonian powerset, but he also has psionic powers to work in his favor as well. He also managed to turn Supergirl against Superman (who she could barely understand was supposed to be her baby cousin) and Superboy (a clone) by appealing to her desire to revive Krypton and seducing her (and not telling her that reviving Krypton would kill Earth).

So H'el doesn't have the "Legendary Kryptonian-Leagues above everyone else" thing, but he was, technically, superior to Superman in tactical terms at the time.

As for the sun people, you'd have to read the comic. The way he defeats them is great. He threw water towers towards the city before he got into battle and the counting was how long it'd take them to make it to the battlefield.

It works so well because crazy plots like that; were Superman knows whats going on but you dont, are a Silver Age staple.

Hell; this is only the second page

Yeah Ive been liking Lobdell's Superman. Its not high art, but its fun. I kinda want to see what he could have done with Helspont as Clark's Frieza if they hadnt dropped the demonite plot completely over every book