Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Top Ten Most Interesting Stories to Come Out of the New 52

      Chase Magnett
      September 13, 2011
      Columns, Top 10
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Collecting Profile: Stan Lee

      Chase Magnett
      November 9, 2019
      Big Two, Collectibles, Marvel Comics, Miscellaneous Comic Book Content
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • 3.0

      Alien: The Original Script #1 - This One's For The Fans

      Chase Magnett
      August 7, 2020
      Dark Horse, Indie, Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 5.0

      Black Dynamite: Slave Island (one-shot) [Ray's review]

      Chase Magnett
      April 23, 2011
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Eric Stephenson (Part 2): Market Habits, Competition and What's Next

      Chase Magnett
      April 29, 2011
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Small-Press Super-Heroes of the '80s: Zenith

      Chase Magnett
      November 21, 2014
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Columns
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Comics Bulletin Exclusive Preview – Winterworld #5 from IDW

      Chase Magnett
      December 5, 2014
      News, Previews
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • 'The Mercenary: Cult of the Sacred Fire' is an Awesomely Fun Jolt of Otherworldly Adventure

      Chase Magnett
      November 28, 2017
      Books, Indie, Reviews
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN'S UNIVERSE
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Big Two

Leading Questions: Superman Flies Solo

Chase Magnett
October 20, 2016
Big Two, Columns, DC Comics, Leading Question

Every week in a new installment of “Leading Questions”, the young, lantern jawed Publisher of Comics Bulletin Mark Stack will ask Co-Managing Editor Chase Magnett a question he must answer. However, Mark doesn’t plan on taking it easy on Chase. He’ll be setting him up with questions that are anything but fair and balanced to see how this once overconfident comics critic can make a cogent case for what another one obviously wants to hear.

So without any further ado…

SUPERMAN: Does he work better on his own like Godzilla or does his presence in a superhero-filled universe benefit him?

This reminds me of the question you asked about a month ago regarding Marvel and DC Comics different genre roots. That’s not a reprimand though because we’re swerving from the broad to the specific here. I stated that DC characters work perfectly as the center of their own unique universes there and mentioned Superman about 10 times (according to CTRL+F). So for anyone that wanted an answer to this question, but didn’t want to hear me ramble, there you go: Superman works just like Godzilla.

Anyway, the key to my argument there was based in how many DC Comics characters share DNA with the pulp hero tradition. That is most certainly true of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s creation of Superman. His roots have been thoroughly tied to the likes of Doc Savage, Tarzan, and John Carter in Gerard Jones’ history Men of Tomorrow. But to chalk Superman up as an amalgamation of pulp heroes is to dismiss his importance to the superhero, one of the most culturally relevant genres of today. No matter how much Siegel and Shuster may have admired the forgotten work Gladiator what they did in response to it was something truly unique.

While there are other good and valid reasons for his importance, Superman coming first is a key to his enduring popularity. He was the model before there was a model and it’s one readers have seen re-crafted every month in his own comics, in facsimiles like Captain Marvel and Apollo, and just about every other superhero comic to some degree since. You can’t pick out a superhero story today that doesn’t belong to a family tree in which Superman forms the trunk. Even as some concepts like the secret identity have become outmoded, much of his essence remains important.

It’s easy enough to say that his early popularity and invention of the genre show that he functions perfectly well on his own. And you would be right. It’s the same thing you see with Godzilla, both in the original film from 1954 and Shin Godzilla, the best remake of that origin to date. In the same way Superman gave us the superhero story, Godzilla delivered the kaiju story fully formed. In both of their earliest appearances you can find almost everything that is important to a much broader set of future stories already being done exceedingly well.

While you can never deny the constant evolution of art and how so many different sources influence each new creation… Well, you still don’t tell Robert Johnson how to play the blues or Humphrey Bogart how to play a hound dog or Superman how to save the day. What these sorts of creators and creations did were so utterly unique and important that they stand apart and cannot be improved upon through means of addition.

Even in the decades following Superman’s creation when other creators, most importantly Curt Swan, populated an entire Superman family to surround the character, they were all iterations on the Superman idea. Whether we’re talking Supergirl or Beppo the Super Monkey, these are characters who all essentially pose a “what if” question to Superman. Supergirl has taken on a story and life that is all her own in preceding decades, but it stems from an origin of “What is Superman was a girl?”

When you look at the Superman family, you’ll also notice that many of the most famous characters don’t have a name that starts with “Super-”. Instead, you’ll find that Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and Lex Luthor form the core of his supporting cast and they are all very human. While providing some animals or family members who could also fly and lift heavy objects offered fodder for stories, the heart of Superman’s best tales has never relied on there being other superheroes around him. That aspect of his family is about as essential as the various shades of Kryptonite, which is to say fun, but superfluous.

And here’s where I make the leap between Superman not requiring other superheroes to be the best version of the character to stating why the best version of the character exists in a relative vacuum. It’s not just that Siegel and Shuster’s creation can stand on his own well, it’s that he has never needed anything more.

Consider the best Superman comics. How many of them involve a team or shared universe? All-Star Superman, Secret Identity, “The Last Days of Superman”, It’s a Bird, and Birthright are all as close as you come to universal standards. In each of these comics Superman exists as the sole superhero or close to it. In two of them, Secret Identity and It’s a Bird, he’s not even a real superhero, but a fictional idea so powerful it is infused in the real world.

Of course, that list is obviously a bit biased. There are some truly great Superman stories that do feature other popular leads. “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”, “For the Man Who Has Everything”, and Red Son are all widely praised as well and contain the concept of the DC shared universe. Ask yourself whether any of these stories could exist without the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern and you might be surprised though.

Let’s take Red Son, for instance. This story features all of those Justice League members I just mentioned, but what does it have to say about any of them? Ultimately Batman is a suicidal prop used to explore paranoia and terrorism in the face of an authoritarian government. Wonder Woman is used similarly to represent Superman’s sacrifice and alternative utopian ideals. Hal Jordan is even more of a tool than normal, a two-dimensional prop for Lex Luthor. While you can see their roles rooted in how readers might know each of them, none of them enhance the story by providing Superman additional superheroes to interact with. They’re merely the most obvious means of presenting an alternative idea (or threat).

Superman isn’t more interesting in that story because he has to square off against Batman or because of how he fights alongside Wonder Woman; he is more interesting because of how he interacts with the ideas they represent. He doesn’t need other superheroes in this story or any other in order to enhance his identity or the themes he represents. That sort of logic follows the same course in which his incredible power is his defining characteristic. Sure, you can wonder about whether Superman could beat up a squadron of Green Lanterns, but that doesn’t tell you anything about the character.

Like other beloved figures with incredible power, wisdom, and compassion in literature (e.g. Jesus and The Buddha) his stories aren’t about what he can do, but what he chooses to do and how it impacts the world around him. Whether he’s interacting with Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, or Lex Luthor, what is most fascinating is how he responds to human beings and how they respond to him.

That’s probably why the true supporting cast of Superman stories is entirely composed of non-superpowered people who have remained in those roles for so long. Through all of his iterations Lex Luthor has represented the foibles of man and our obsession with power. Lois has been the partner who provided a more human side to a godlike being. Perry and the Kents offer the role of mentors and guardians. Jimmy is the pal who reaches greatness by working with Superman. Superman’s presence shapes the lives of all these people and reveals their importance as archetypes.

You can’t make Superman more interesting by adding a pantheon of gods around him because he’s already the complete package when it comes to moral figures. That concept of a pantheon is certainly great on its own, but it can exist entirely independent of Superman. There’s nothing about the Justice League that requires Superman. On the other hand, Metropolis, the Daily Planet, and Smallville are all things that require this one figure to become iconic.

Superman isn’t at his best when teamed up with Batman or any of his other peers. It’s fun to contrast those characters and see them play off of one another, but those comparisons don’t reveal anything that wasn’t clear before. Superman is iconic when he’s interacting with us. Whether it’s with any of his most iconic human relationships or simply with a girl named Regan for a single page, Superman interacting with humanity is what exposes the essence of his character.

No matter how much fun it may be to see him punch out villains with other costumed folks, you’ll never know why Superman matters until you see him as one of us.

GodzillaJerry SiegelJoe ShusterSuperman

Share On:
Tweet
ICYMI — Small Press Comics Criticism and Whatnot for 10/10/16 to 10/16/16
Steve Dillon: An Open Letter From a Fan

About The Author

Chase Magnett
Comics Theorist

Chase is a mild-mannered finance guy by day and a raving comics fan by night. He has been reading comics for more than half of his life. After graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with degrees in Economics and English, he has continued to research comics while writing articles and reviews online. His favorite superhero is Superman and he'll accept no other answers. Don't ask about his favorite comic unless you're ready to spend a day discussing dozens of different titles.

Related Posts

  • Collecting Profile: 6 most expensive comic books

    nguyen ly
    February 13, 2021
  • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – Monster Mash!

    Daniel Gehen
    October 9, 2020

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders