Superman Sucks

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Permalink Reply by Ant on January 31, 2009 at 10:23am

Superman has reached the point where he should only show up during epic comic events.

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Permalink Reply by Darth Kal-El on June 22, 2009 at 8:48pm

I totally agree, I love Superman but the ideas and story's that have been tied to him have all been disappointing, Singer really messed the superman line up, it was having trouble before that but then with the release of Superman Returns, everyone forgot superman again. I mean come on they can make a spectacular Batman movie but can't do the same with supes? I could write thousands of stories that would use his powers and still remain in the lines of what Superman stands for. I just read, The Last Days of Krypton, what a great book, something to start from. If they wanted to do a beginning story that would have been where to start. We know who superman is but what makes him that way? not just ma and pa Kent, that he is superman because of who his parents were and the bloodline he carried. And that the act of sending kalel off to another world would make him the worlds greatest hero. But imagine if superman ever did turn bad, not just with red kryptonite but chose to be evil, imagine Darth Vader to the 10th power. I personally think that most writers just dont have the imagination to utilize superman the way he needs to be, dont rag on the man rag on the idiots who can't write him. Oh and Lex has been a tired enemy since before infinite crisis, he is a joke just like the joker, the one man superman cannot kill without becoming evil, same as batman with joker. They are only still alive because the writers don't know how to make this incident without the landmark characters.
on a side note: if anyone is interested in reading some superman star wars crossovers let me know, I have been writing the saga of Darth Kalel for some time, with the help of some star wars expanded universe parts i have been able to join them and follow the canon lines as well.

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Permalink Reply by MDS on November 28, 2008 at 11:20am

Because you are more "heroic" when you control yourself WHILE battling someone.

If you just went ahead and went full force, all out, devastatingly powerful. Then you aren't really being heroic about anything, you are just being animalistic.

And as far as Lex goes.... That was his origins "Brains/Brawn", but they have altered it over the years.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on November 28, 2008 at 11:47am

To be honest I was always more of a Dragonball z fan than superman growing up. My favorite part was when they did finally go full power and give their all to save Earth. Everytime they held back their powers they got their asses kicked and would say something like "you shouldn't have been so cocky!" I mean it's just fueling your ego to say "I don't need to try even close to my hardest to beat you" and just like in dragonball that is always superman's dumb mistake which leads to his down fall. If you try not to just go full force you're making a game of it or something. How much force should he go? 50%? 25%? 1%? where do you draw this arbitrary line on levels of effort? Unless it's 100% it seems... less noble. If superman melted lex luthor with his eyes, Lex Luthor wouldn't get away with half of the shit he does. By not doing all he can to stop villains, what kind of symbol is he upholding? Justice or pussification? I mean maybe the first time you meet Lex Luthor you don't have to kill him, but come on by now superman should have caught on. and he doesn't even have to kill him. Doesn't he have crazy super speed? He could just ...like... fly in and carry him off to jail. Instead of every time trying to talk things over and being pwn3d with kryptonite. EVERY TIME.

I just realized I don't care anymore. I guess superman just isn't for everybody. No one is going to convince each other of anything here. You don't have to reply if you don't want to.

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Permalink Reply by Iffy on November 28, 2008 at 3:51pm

Honestly, it got pretty old with Goku going Super Saiyan 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 all the time because it went from, "oh shit, SSJ1 he's unstoppable" to "oh SSJ4...so, this again...boring." Seriously, how many more hairstyles and colors do you need for a character to undergo before he's at his peak of performance? It became clear after a while the people who wrote the character were just running out of ideas to make him relevant, and all it was for the character was how can we hide the fact that he's not that much on substance? Make him another level of Super Saiyan! Sell more toys and video games! HUZZAH! (and add one shitty live-action movie, too)

Sure Superman doesn't use all his strength against his enemies, but the scary thing is he doesn't even need to and they still are defeated. It's like knocking on a door and someone answering it; no matter how much pressure you know you can exert, you will still have the same result of someone answering the door. And I think common sense will tell you that it's obvious why Superman doesn't just kill Lex Luthor; because that would be the way Lex defeats Superman, is by having him turn his back on what makes him who he is in the first place. And besides, this is the comic book industry. How are you supposed to sell comics about your flagship superhero when he completely destroys all of the evil in existence? There would be nothing left for him to do! If Batman killed the Joker, then there would be no point continuing to write for his title, not to mention he'd lose to the Joker for the battle they have over each other's sworn principles. Besides, comics have characters who are three dimensional. You have Superman fighting foes like he's Goku, going Super Kryptonian every other issue, he wouldn't be Superman anymore. He'd be a one dimensional Goku clone, uninteresting and without substance. We like eternal struggles between hero and villain. That's why we continue to see Batman and the Joker fight,.and that's why we continue to see Lex and Supes fight.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on November 28, 2008 at 4:32pm

yea im not gonna defend dragonball z, it is 1 dimensional. i was just kind of using it to illustrate a point, but what's the difference between these 2 statements you made:

Honestly, it got pretty old with Goku going Super Saiyan 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 all the time because it went from, "oh shit, SSJ1 he's unstoppable" to "oh SSJ4...so, this again...boring." Seriously, how many more hairstyles and colors do you need for a character to undergo before he's at his peak of performance? It became clear after a while the people who wrote the character were just running out of ideas to make him relevant, and all it was for the character was how can we hide the fact that he's not that much on substance? Make him another level of Super Saiyan! Sell more toys and video games! HUZZAH! (and add one shitty live-action movie, too)

and this one


this is the comic book industry. How are you supposed to sell comics about your flagship superhero when he completely destroys all of the evil in existence?


To say the reason he doesn't defeat Luthor is because you need the series to continue says that the series is settling for quantity over quality which is because and also why it sucks.

And what does this part mean?
because that would be the way Lex defeats Superman, is by having him turn his back on what makes him who he is in the first place.

what are you suggesting makes him who he is? Is it not trying his hardest to stop villains despite having all the potential in the world, or being sure he is the victim of another rediculous circumstance for himself to fall into one of lex's traps time and time again for the soul purpose of continuing the world's most contrivance-driven series?

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Permalink Reply by Iffy on November 28, 2008 at 6:02pm

And you say you don't care anymore. Sounds to me like you do.

The difference between Goku and Superman is while one character hasn't reached his full potential in strength, another is already at its peak. But the defining thing is the writers don't really know how to give more depth to Goku , so they resort to making him take on all these transformations. All it does it augment his appearance, maybe make him stronger, but lacking any sort of depth.

When people continue to keep people relevant to Superman's universe
around, then that universe has more room to develop these people, thus why Superman, Lois Lane and Lex friggin' Luthor are still around, and will continue to be so. Superman's world has taken on a life all on its own, and simply having him man handle a guy and completely take down a villain is indicative that there's no place else to go with that universe. Which explains why Dragon Ball is gone, and Superman continues.

And why Superman chooses to use restraint is indicative of his role as a hero; there is a definitive line which he will never cross, and that just doesn't go for him. Batman and Spider-Man as well both have a moral code which involves them to never breach a certain line. They choose not to kill their enemies, because doing so undermines who they are.

So you already know what I'm suggesting with my statement: that would be the way Lex defeats Superman, is by having him turn his back on what makes him who he is in the first place. Superman is the embodiment of what it means to be a good guy. Truth, Justice, and the American--that's what he fights for, and what he will always strive for. He doesn't kill because killing someone reduces him to the role of a murderer, the very thing he strives never to become. That also infringes on those principles he had ingrained in him when he was raised in Smallville, right up to the point he donned the cape and suit. How does not succumbing to evil temptations have any indication of weakness?

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Permalink Reply by Mike on November 28, 2008 at 6:29pm

That's a much better point than your last one. I guess on paper his character as a symbol is justifiable but only after 2 discussion board pages worth of arguments. Your explanation makes sense, but it must just be the execution that is done so poorly. Superman's villains seem less striking, his stories always seem more predictable and the supporting characters seems more useless than in Batman or Spiderman for example. There are so many little details that are so annoying that it adds up to a subpar franchise.

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Permalink Reply by spyro republic commando on November 28, 2008 at 11:42pm

I loved superman but the stories all became the same and the villain was always Lex because the new writers are afraid to do something else and piss people off

Permalink Reply by Iffy on November 28, 2008 at 11:54pm

Now, now. I gave you more clarity to my points, so that doesn't undermine any of what I said . I will submit to you that you bring up relevant arguments that Superman should be better read than he is now, and any suggestions for how DC Comics can help make The Man of Tomorrow relevant as hero for comics today are welcomed. I know for me, making him face much more gray areas instead of black and white would intrigue me.

Permalink Reply by sinshenlong on July 7, 2009 at 11:23pm

Dragonball z is pretty deep right up to the frieza saga-all the rest was a plot to extend the franchise. There was only supposed to be one super saiyan and goku was not one dimensional.

How many times was Goku faced with the decision to kill his villain or let him live? Or embrace his saiyan heritage and help destroy the planet because hey its easier? Dont knock the series man sure its not as deep as superman but its still got its props just that after frieza...it got pretty ridiculous

Permalink Reply by Mike on November 29, 2008 at 12:11am

how would i make superman better?

Well fuck lois lane and jimmy. get rid of them, get him out of the news paper thats peter parker's job. he needs new supporting characters that actually contribute something other than becoming hostages and bargaining chips.

His villains, you're right, this is where he needs more gray area. he needs to be really challenged with a moral dilemma. It's easy to say Darkseid is pure evil so I have to just beat him. batman is more interesting because he breaks laws and has the cops on his ass. and the people he fights are other human beings. and also he's more of a detective which is more interesting than being metropolis' bodyguard.

The man himself needs an upgrade too. I don't know what exactly, wardrobe change, attitude change, morals. I want him to stop being such a god damn boyscout. He's so 2d.

And if another person with a joker icon suggests that they make superman "darker" so help me god im gonna havta choke a bitch.

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