As of DC Rebirth the amount of Superman characters has skyrocketed! You have two new Superwomen, Supergirl, a new Superboy, a new Chinese Superman, Lex Luthor as Superman, Steel, The Eradicator, Cyborg Superman, and Bizarro somewhere around there too! I guess with Batman recruiting some old and new sidekicks our buddy Superman had to play catch-up. But there are two Superman characters that are most important and a lot more different than you may think. New 52 Superman! Post-Crisis Superman! What's The Difference!?
Superman and Superman? Let me explain. See, DC Comics has had a lot of in-universe reboots with the two most important being "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and "Flashpoint". To make it easier to understand, the longest established version of Superman was in comics from 1986 (when Crisis on Infinite Earths ended and gave an updated origin to Superman) and 2011 (just before another reboot). So if you watched Superman in the cartoons that's basically the same character. You know, everything good and wholesome. And with underwear. The New 52 Superman was in comics from 2011 (after the reboot) to 2016 (he died recently. We'll get there). If you've seen any of the more recent animated DC films, there he is. No underwear.
We all know where Superman comes from, but in 1986 DC Comics asked writer John Bryne to give it to us again. This was the beginning of the post-modern Superman. In 1938 Superman premiered and had basically any superpower he'd need for any situation, but over time the powers got so predictable one of the big changes that needed to happen was how powerful Superman was. Hence the 86' Superman who has better defined powers. But what was more of a focus was Superman's personality, what kind of man he is. We all know Superman has been the moral center of superheroes since his conception, but in a 1980's world what does that entail? Well, Clark Kent was still awkward but he was polite, he was humble, he didn't cross anyone unless it was part of his job as a journalist. As Superman you saw him just as often solve problems verbally as you did physically, just because Superman could stop someone with violence doesn't mean he has to. It's the 1980's that saw the birth of the "Speechy" Superman, the Superman who knew exactly what to say and when to say it. He wasn't perfect, but at heart he was incorruptible. And when we look at Lex Luthor, that was the point. In the 1980's we saw the first version of businessman Lex Luthor, a Luthor who solved problems with money, resources and knowledge. Superman had superpowers, but still had issues to solve. Lex Luthor, on the other hand, had no powers and no problem he couldn't fix. It was this difference that defined both Superman and Lex Luthor and allowed Superman to grow into the character we all see him as: a father figure. Well, most of us anyway.
In 2011 DC Editorial decided Superman was boring because they went to the internet. Superman-along with a majority of characters-was aged back five or ten years and given a redesign by Jim Lee. No underwear, collar, weird lining. They tried to make Superman hip. One such adjustment was breaking up Superman's marriage to Lois Lane. Yeah, Superman and Lois had been husband and wife since 1996 and-again-were like the Mom N' Pop of comic books. But marriage means age and DC instead set the New 52 Superman up with New 52 Wonder Woman. Who had issues of her own, I swear. This Superman wasn't written as a moral center, but more of a man trying to find his footing. He had all the right intentions, but it felt like the world he operated in didn't allow him to be the best he could be. This Superman was a bit weaker and inexperienced, but had a new power called The Solar Flare. A beefed-up version of Heat Vision that fired an explosion of solar energy and left Superman powerless after being used. It was a risky power and Superman made good use of it. Recently this Superman had gone through the ringer: Lost most of his powers, went through Kryptonite Chemotherapy, became powered by Apokolips (space Hell), and finally absorbed enough solar radiation from a villain to be turned to dust. All the while knowing he was on his last days and doing his best to leave behind a legacy. It was only in his last days did this Superman focus on building a family and leaving a footprint on the Earth. Now, of course, both Supermen have died. But New 52 Superman stayed dead. For now anyway, we know how comic books are. But if Superman is dead for good, who will take his place? All the new Super-characters? No. Superman will take Superman's place.
As if DC Editorial actually listened to Superman fans for once, the Post-Crisis Superman has returned to the DC Universe. As it turns out the 1986-2011 versions of Superman and his wife Lois Lane had been living in secret on this new/current DCU Earth. While new versions of Superman, Batman, and The Justice League defended the planet, old Superman lived as normal man and even got to raise a son with Lois. And when New 52 Superman died, the old Superman felt it was his responsibility to come out of hiding and use his twenty-five years of experience to defend this new Earth. And thus, our Superman has returned with a wife and a super-son. It may be confusing, but trust me it's better when you see it for yourself. Props to New 52 Superman, but with classic Superman back and center stage I think we're going to see DC Comics become a nicer place. A place where being a hero isn't about power, its about the men and women who have it. It's not about death, it's about life. With our Superman back, DC Comics isn't about realism, it's about Hope.
Thanks for reading.
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