Source: Superman #708 (2011)
Type: Alternate future
Your Superman Squad member of the week is Superego, "a 'good idea' who patrols the realm of the collective unconscious, rarely taking physical form."
Why such an obscure and abstract Superman for our 350th anniversary? Well, I thought it might give us an opportunity to discuss the IDEA of Superman. Beyond truth, justice and American way, comic book readers certain have a specific image of him, or else there wouldn't have been so much Internet furor over (take your pick) the so-called "brooding Superman" or the socialist hero of Action Comics. Clearly, in the realm of pure fiction, these are as legitimate as the Silver Age's super-jerk, Donner's camp boyscout, or Byrne's hairy showboat. And yet, some of the redesign ideas, as promoted and/or executed, caused a rash of "That's not who the character IS" not seen outside Doctor Who fandom.
Well then, why not? Or to put it another way, what makes a proper Superman? It's not simply that he be a Messianic figure. The brooder of the new Superman #1 saved people and still irritated a part of fandom. Despite his first few decades, must Superman be friendly, generous to a fault, and a pacifist at heart? Must he, in fact, represent the very best of us? The last 25 years have certainly solidified that impression. For the DC Universe itself, Superman had become an inspiration to others. It's not that Superman always did the right thing in his own books - though he often did - it's that other heroes thought he did, looked up to him, and said so. In the legacy-driven post-Crisis DCU, Superman's role was to be THE legacy hero from which all others developed.
And thematically, it's very true no matter how the timeline evolved. Superman WAS the first superhero, so when we see him, we don't just think about him, we think of the entire genre of superhero comics. The idea he represents, the "good idea" Roberson calls Superego, is the superhero ideal. Different powers, different takes on the genre, different costumes, but all twists on Superman himself.
In the New DCU, the collapsed history and "superheroes are new" premise have largely done away with DC's legacies. It's time to look for a new theme that will carry us through the next couple decades. What it is, I can't tell yet. The change of direction is nowhere more evident than in Superman. Like everyone else, he's younger and has yet to really prove himself. Superman isn't particularly looked up to, chased by cops and future Justice Leaguers as an "alien". Members of his legacy, Superboy and Supergirl are new and unstable elements. He is not their mentor (yet). Even his costume's been changed so that it no longer looks like the prototypical superhero uniform. Perhaps there's a good reason why people have reacted so negatively to the new costume. Superman's been robbed of being an icon, and the DCU has lost its thematic template. It's a change that has proven visceral.
But perhaps you have a completely different idea of what Superman represents?
Type: Alternate future
Your Superman Squad member of the week is Superego, "a 'good idea' who patrols the realm of the collective unconscious, rarely taking physical form."Why such an obscure and abstract Superman for our 350th anniversary? Well, I thought it might give us an opportunity to discuss the IDEA of Superman. Beyond truth, justice and American way, comic book readers certain have a specific image of him, or else there wouldn't have been so much Internet furor over (take your pick) the so-called "brooding Superman" or the socialist hero of Action Comics. Clearly, in the realm of pure fiction, these are as legitimate as the Silver Age's super-jerk, Donner's camp boyscout, or Byrne's hairy showboat. And yet, some of the redesign ideas, as promoted and/or executed, caused a rash of "That's not who the character IS" not seen outside Doctor Who fandom.
Well then, why not? Or to put it another way, what makes a proper Superman? It's not simply that he be a Messianic figure. The brooder of the new Superman #1 saved people and still irritated a part of fandom. Despite his first few decades, must Superman be friendly, generous to a fault, and a pacifist at heart? Must he, in fact, represent the very best of us? The last 25 years have certainly solidified that impression. For the DC Universe itself, Superman had become an inspiration to others. It's not that Superman always did the right thing in his own books - though he often did - it's that other heroes thought he did, looked up to him, and said so. In the legacy-driven post-Crisis DCU, Superman's role was to be THE legacy hero from which all others developed.
And thematically, it's very true no matter how the timeline evolved. Superman WAS the first superhero, so when we see him, we don't just think about him, we think of the entire genre of superhero comics. The idea he represents, the "good idea" Roberson calls Superego, is the superhero ideal. Different powers, different takes on the genre, different costumes, but all twists on Superman himself.
In the New DCU, the collapsed history and "superheroes are new" premise have largely done away with DC's legacies. It's time to look for a new theme that will carry us through the next couple decades. What it is, I can't tell yet. The change of direction is nowhere more evident than in Superman. Like everyone else, he's younger and has yet to really prove himself. Superman isn't particularly looked up to, chased by cops and future Justice Leaguers as an "alien". Members of his legacy, Superboy and Supergirl are new and unstable elements. He is not their mentor (yet). Even his costume's been changed so that it no longer looks like the prototypical superhero uniform. Perhaps there's a good reason why people have reacted so negatively to the new costume. Superman's been robbed of being an icon, and the DCU has lost its thematic template. It's a change that has proven visceral.
But perhaps you have a completely different idea of what Superman represents?
Comments
Superman doesn't need armor. I think dressing him up in armor would only confuse the casual reader. He is not Iron Man but the Man of Steel.
Also, "hairy showboat" is the best description of Byrne's Superman I've ever read!