DC 52 Superman - thoughts?

[Captain Canuck]

Even in the recent Superman movie they changed his morality. Putting his secret ahead of saving others. Superman of old would have found a way and would never have been ok with people dying to protect his identity.

 

"

Clark Kent at 13: I just wanted to help.

Jonathan Kent: I know you did, but we talked about this. Right? Right? We talked about this! You have...!

[calms himself]

Jonathan Kent: Clark, you have to keep this side of yourself a secret.

Clark Kent at 13: What was I supposed to do? Just let them die?

Jonathan Kent: Maybe; but there's more at stake here than our lives or the lives of those around us. When the world... When the world finds out what you can do, it's gonna change everything; our... our beliefs, our notions of what it means to be human... everything. You saw how Pete's mom reacted, right? She was scared, Clark.

Clark Kent at 13: Why?

Jonathan Kent: People are afraid of what they don't understand.

Clark Kent at 13: Is she right? Did God do this to me? Tell me!

"

[Dale Roberts]

Even in the recent Superman movie they changed his morality. Putting his secret ahead of saving others. Superman of old would have found a way and would never have been ok with people dying to protect his identity.

 

"

Clark Kent at 13: I just wanted to help.

Jonathan Kent: I know you did, but we talked about this. Right? Right? We talked about this! You have...!

[calms himself]

Jonathan Kent: Clark, you have to keep this side of yourself a secret.

Clark Kent at 13: What was I supposed to do? Just let them die?

Jonathan Kent: Maybe; but there's more at stake here than our lives or the lives of those around us. When the world... When the world finds out what you can do, it's gonna change everything; our... our beliefs, our notions of what it means to be human... everything. You saw how Pete's mom reacted, right? She was scared, Clark.

Clark Kent at 13: Why?

Jonathan Kent: People are afraid of what they don't understand.

Clark Kent at 13: Is she right? Did God do this to me? Tell me!

"

 

 

Other than kryptonite, his biggest weakness has been that he cared about people and the fact that he was a good man with lines that he would not cross. And he would never have let people die to keep his identity a secret.

 

That being said, I can understand how he might kill Zod (a purely evil being potentially capable of ending all life on his planet) to protect the innocent, if it was the only choice. Just as a police officer should act and used to act, to protect and serve. However, generally Superman has been able to find a way around this.

 

 

[Thawk]

In terms of his "rules" - I like the idea that Man of Steel played with: those rules have to come from a place of real conviction. Allowing his Dad to die and killing Zod could be the foundational elements which define his character to set those rules and never break them ("never again will I allow innocent people to die because of me," and/or "never again will I allow killing someone to be the only option left").

 

So I don't mind the exploration of how those things came to be true about Superman, but I fundamentally agree that what makes him "SUPER" (more than just a hero) isn't only his powers, but that he CAN find ways without having to consistently compromise with a tragedy like murder or innocent life lost. Exploring those things on rare occasions can add weight to a story, but done with any sort of frequency just means they're abandoning the "Super" part of hero.

[Davenport]

Other than kryptonite, his biggest weakness has been that he cared about people and the fact that he was a good man with lines that he would not cross. And he would never have let people die to keep his identity a secret.

 

That being said, I can understand how he might kill Zod (a purely evil being potentially capable of ending all life on his planet) to protect the innocent, if it was the only choice. Just as a police officer should act and used to act, to protect and serve. However, generally Superman has been able to find a way around this.

You're right and comics actually dealt with the aftermath of Superman having to kill Kryptonians in the "Superman: Exile" arc that introduced Mongul, War World and other modern-mythos elements.

 

Superman was so devastated by his choice he removed himself from Earth. Headed out for deep space, alone. It's really a damn good arc in the Gilgamesh /Hercules epic traditions.

 

 

Superman eventually returned to earth a changed man. Leading right into that "Death of" arc that followed short time later.

 

 

 

[CAMPER49]

I gave up buying the "Superman" titles when JRJR started drawing him.

Seemed like a good time to stop.

 

[Thawk]

I gave up buying the "Superman" titles when JRJR started drawing him.

Seemed like a good time to stop.

 

It was - you should try your hand at the stock market...