Superman doesn’t need fixing because he’s more relevant than ever

It's weird, I was ready to agree hard with this piece from the title alone but I've read it three or four times now and I don't know what argument it's making. I don't know if it's trying to make one at all, really, it just feels like a brief listing of Superman stories and events that are kind of interesting and not boring. But yeah, Superman's appeal is generally misunderstood, along with much of the DC stable of heroes since the movies never capture the spirit or appeal of their comic or cartoon versions.

For me, much of the appeal of Superman stories is in the exploration that power is not the solution to all problems. This article references it in how Superman can't just take down Lex Luthor since he's never directly at crime scenes to be caught red-handed, and has plenty of legal protection. But beyond that, there are plenty of stories where Superman interacts with everyday, regular people and can't really use his powers. He has to empathize, console, cheer up, and celebrate with others in order to save the day. Superman's purpose, as a character, is to show that raw power is rarely a solution so much as it is a tool towards a solution.

A lot of the tension with Superman stories can come from others' expectations of and from him, such as supporting the nationalism of the US without any consequences (explored pretty well when Lex Luthor becomes the POTUS!) or when supervillains goad him into knuckle-dragging fights. This is true of a lot of the DC stable. Their powers are interesting and fun enough but the real appeal of their stories come from the philosophies and psychologies they encounter and face, either literally in the text or metaphorically. I've always enjoyed how the best DC comics always seem to question the very notion of having power at all and how to manage that responsibility, as opposed to overcoming power with more power.

Interestingly, the one piece of media I didn't see referenced there was the Justice League, either comic or cartoon. Not the two mention of how Superman is generally a founding member or that one one-off version, but the actual canonical comic one and the celebrated cartoon series. One of the major differences between the JL and the Avengers, and arguably the main reason the JL has been the de facto superhero superteam until the MCU enshrined the Avengers into the zeitgeist, is that the Avengers are a method to add interpersonal drama between the superheroes whereas the JL was more focused on having the heroes fill in for each others' limitations and flaws and come together as a cohesive superteam.

Everyone brings their strengths to the table and fill in for each others' weaknesses. When they fight, it's minor interpersonal conflict that they learn to get over and work together through to become better friends and address the matters at hand. They don't go around fighting each other, that would be stupid and antithetical to the purpose of their superteam. Superman is not their leader but he is their moral heart and their source of inspiration to rally around. He isn't the police, he is their reset point for when they feel they may have lost the plot. Yes, he's the Big Gun and can always come in to smash any problem they face but that's never what the Justice League need him to be in the end.

Compounding this, the other thing I didn't see mentioned is Superman's relationship with Batman—my favourite buddy cop duo. These two almost perfectly complement each other, and they really bring out elements of each other you can't get from individual stories. Where Batman is dark and brooding, Superman is optimistic and happy. Where Superman is goaded into mania losing his temper, Batman is always grounded and rational. Where Batman can be blind to other people, Superman is always empathetic and considerate. Where Superman can get overwhelmed and feel lost, Batman is always focused and determined. They're best friends.

So of course that's exactly the opposite of what happened with the DCCU. Instead we get a limp-wristed Superman concept, a waste of Henry Cavill, and some of the most directionless and insipid superhero media ever made. Worse, the cultural consciousness of these superheroes is forever tainted—how many times have you heard "Batman's real superpower is money"? Ugh.

I dunno, I feel like the general understanding of superheroes has lost the plot and then some. There was recently that thread about Alan Moore here and I think he spotted it very early from inside the comics industry and got out of it. Looking at how superheroes have morphed since then, it's here. I grew up loving superheroes but I don't feel like I can engage in any of the superhero subcultures that exist right now. That we need an article like this to point out that it's possible to make good Superman stories at all as if that's a surprise to some people is a symptom.