Post-Crisis Superman

[The Joker]

These days, I don't have the trust nor faith with DC bringing back either Bronze Age/Pre-Crisis/Earth-One Superman, or Byrne's Post-Crisis Superman for a variety of reasons. I've come to terms quite a long time ago, that those guys are long gone. Any return, for either or, would likely result in being rather detrimental to their standing, than anything remotely helpful or enduring.

Rebirth Superman, for me, represents a more acceptable version of Superman after, what? Six years of New52's Superbro. Sure, Rebirth Superman is essentially a Superman with a hodgepodge of history from previous versions rolled into one, but that's been the case for quite awhile now, and appears to be DC's preferred method when it comes to Superman. Birthright, Infinite Crisis, Secret Origin, New52, Rebirth, hell I am probably forgetting the other 15 to 20 origin's, and changes to his history that's been implemented over the years. Dan Jurgens, to his credit, did a respectable job in getting the New52 taste out of the mouth's of disgruntled fans, but I understand the current Brian Michael Bendis' run is changing a lot of what Jurgens did in his rebirth run. The pattern continues on.

[Travesty]

I'm not sure if this is the right topic, but I don't wan to start a new thread just for this. I saw this online, and of course, it was only a matter of time. DC drops "the American way" from Superman's catchphrase. The new catchphrase is "truth, justice, and a better world".

They destroy everything they get their hands on.

Every single thing

https://screenrant.com/dc-superman-catchphrase-change-the-american-way-political/

[thecolorsblend]

I'm surprised it didn't happen during 2001-2009, tbh.

Also, the original mantra was "truth and justice". The bit with "the American way" came about, I think, from the 1950s George Reeves show. Which makes sense, America was getting deeper into the Cold War, McCarthyism was a thing, America had a good economy at the time (unlike a certain communist regime in the east), etc. It adds up.

From 2001-2009, people made all kinds of suggestions for what the catchphrase should be "and peace" was one of those more popular ideas, as I recall. From 2009-2017, for some reason "the American way" didn't seem to bother anybody. Very strange, that.

Anyway. In the final analysis, DC has proven time and again that they don't understand Superman anymore. There's an argument that DC collectively lost the point when it comes to Superman back in the Nineties and the character has been chugging along on rapidly dwindling inertia ever since. Is it rly such a big surprise that the famous catchphrase is getting messed with? As I say, I expected it years ago, that's the only surprise.

[The Dark Knight]

I'm not sure if this is the right topic, but I don't wan to start a new thread just for this. I saw this online, and of course, it was only a matter of time. DC drops "the American way" from Superman's catchphrase. The new catchphrase is "truth, justice, and a better world".

They destroy everything they get their hands on.

Every single thing

https://screenrant.com/dc-superman-catchphrase-change-the-american-way-political/

Dean Cain has been vindicated. In a 2020 TV interview he said: "I wouldn't today be allowed to say Truth, Justice, and the American Way. With those telling negative stories having an agenda...they hate capitalism, they hate law and order, they hate America."

Predictably, Cain received abuse from the usual suspects. Tom King called Cain a motherf***er, and sought to 'prove' Cain was wrong by tweeting 'I put it in a comic this year'. Thing is though, Tom, it was a thought bubble from another character and not Superman. Thus again proving Dean's point.

Everything is a conspiracy theory until proven six months or a year later. Will there be an apology to Cain? Not a chance. Every man and their dog knew the American Way catchphrase had been shunned for years, but for some reason we had to pretend otherwise. Globalism is the game, not love of country.

[The Joker]

Remember that 2011 issue where Superman renounced his U.S. citizenship, where DC quickly pulled back and declared it a "imaginary story" that wouldn't be in continuity?

Good times.

Kinda reminds me of that line in Superman Returns; "Truth. Justice .... all that stuff!"

On par for the course these days. Hell, I'm surprised the current brass of DC haven't put out an Absolute Edition of the renouncing of citizenship story by now.

[The Dark Knight]

Superman: Son of Kal-El #1 contains this piece of dialogue which again shows where their thinking is at: "It's easy to punch a ninja. A little harder to punch the climate crisis, inequality, the erosion of a free press, and the rise of demagogues." So many false problems and wrongly assigned perpetrators in that quote. And it's only a snapshot of the sad state of affairs within the so called entertainment industry, which is full of mainstream zombies and very few critical thinkers.

[thecolorsblend]

I recently reread the Time & Time Again storyline from 1991. And boy, does it hold up or what?

The shtick of the story is that Superman gets thrown through various eras in time, he has an adventure in the 1940s, three separate adventures with the Legion (Dan Jurgens is a self-professed Legion junkie from way back), an adventure in prehistoric times, dukes it out with Morgaine le Fay alongside Merlin and The Demon Etrigan in the time of Camelot (6th or 7th century AD) and basically this entire storyline is a ball.

One of the better chapters is Superman's adventure in occupied Warsaw in 1942 in SUPERMAN #54. There he encounters Mr. Z. What's cool about this is that Mr. Z was first introduced in SUPERMAN #51. From Superman's perspective, his first meeting with Mr. Z was #51. But from Mr. Z's perspective, their first meeting was #54. I just adore how they were out of sync with each other like that.

There's something spiritually perfect about Superman having adventures in the Forties. That was obviously important to somebody involved with the creation of this story because two separate issues follow Superman in 1942 America and then 1942 Warsaw.

Anyway. This whole storyline is tons of fun and I recommend it to everyone who considers himself a Superman fan. Read it again for the first time. Because this bad boy HOLDS UP!