"He's a simple farmboy at heart"

[George Taylor]

Superman is more than a "simple farm-boy", it's not what defines but it's a part of his upbringing. I think he's Superman, the Man of Tomorrow whose example inspires a whole lot of people for centuries and fights not only for the common man but for everybody at his core by using his gifts for the greater good.

Which raises the question as to why Zod and co turned out the way they did...

Perhaps Brainiac's claim doesn't necessarily apply to every Kriptonian.

[adkal]

Which raises the question as to why Zod and co turned out the way they did...

Perhaps Brainiac's claim doesn't necessarily apply to every Kriptonian.

Perhaps - the wording, however, if I remember correctly, makes it seem more race-specific. Having said that, though, we don't yet know exactly what Zod and Co did - we know Zor warned Kara about him and his followers but not what they had been doing, etc.

[Auguste Dupin]

Perhaps - the wording, however, if I remember correctly, makes it seem more race-specific. Having said that, though, we don't yet know exactly what Zod and Co did - we know Zor warned Kara about him and his followers but not what they had been doing, etc.

That said, because your specy has tendencies towards peace doesn't mean there are no exception. No rule is absolute.

[wyokid]

I disagree. Morrison gets it very well.

Oh I can absolutely agree to this, All Star Superman was completely Man of Tomorrow and Morrison's commentary on Superman and DC's handling of the character in the recent issue only helps support that.

[Fate's Faith]

Yeah the whole Byrne reboot was basically in the wake of 80s Regan Americanism. They even gave him a birthing matrix so, you know, that he wasn't a filthy foreigner.

You know, I think you have that all wrong. I saw the Bryne version simply an answer to the previous incarnation in which Superman seem to be solely focused on Krypton instead of the world that was actually his home. It wasn't just some interest. It was an overriding interest. So the Bryne revision just gave us a version that wasn't so fixated on Krypton to the point it wasn't the world he was born on. Nothing to do with Americanism. Pre-Crisis, several stories (and I think the famous "For the Man Who Has Everything") showed that Superman had a preference between Krypton and Earth. And since Krypton was dead, he settled for Earth. I was fine with the revision since I had seen the other already. I actually think the current is the best of both. He has a strong desire to make Earth better not only for us but himself with an understandable interest in the world of his birth. He's not torn in this version just like he wasn't in the Bryne revision. He still seems to feel Earth is completely his home. But he's not cut off from Krypton either in believing it a cold alien world to what he's known. It was, once again, a tragic end to a promising world.

[Jimmy Bond]

It's true that the Bronze Age Superman was fixated on Krypton, but this was resolved before Byrne's reboot, at least the way I look at it. I always saw some of the Elliot S! Maggin stories, but especially Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything" as in a way popping the bubble.

[NotSuper]

Yeah the whole Byrne reboot was basically in the wake of 80s Regan Americanism. They even gave him a birthing matrix so, you know, that he wasn't a filthy foreigner.

Yeah, the subtext was all too obvious. It reminds me of those idiotic "American BY BIRTH" bumper-stickers.

Taking away Superman's immigrant status--and making it something for him to be ashamed of--was one of the worst missteps in Superman's comic history. I'm glad it's gone.

[NotSuper]

Which raises the question as to why Zod and co turned out the way they did...

Like others have said, there's always exceptions. Most humans aren't psychopaths, for instance, as most of us have empathy. But psychopaths still exist.

[Mr. Holmes]

Yeah I doubt Morrison intended for Brainiac's "moral imprint" to be absolute. I think it's just a distinction like between us or Kryptonians and a hypothetically savage/war-like race.

[NotSuper]

You know, I think you have that all wrong. I saw the Bryne version simply an answer to the previous incarnation in which Superman seem to be solely focused on Krypton instead of the world that was actually his home. It wasn't just some interest. It was an overriding interest. So the Bryne revision just gave us a version that wasn't so fixated on Krypton to the point it wasn't the world he was born on. Nothing to do with Americanism. Pre-Crisis, several stories (and I think the famous "For the Man Who Has Everything") showed that Superman had a preference between Krypton and Earth. And since Krypton was dead, he settled for Earth. I was fine with the revision since I had seen the other already. I actually think the current is the best of both. He has a strong desire to make Earth better not only for us but himself with an understandable interest in the world of his birth. He's not torn in this version just like he wasn't in the Bryne revision. He still seems to feel Earth is completely his home. But he's not cut off from Krypton either in believing it a cold alien world to what he's known. It was, once again, a tragic end to a promising world.

That's not true. Sorry, but if you read Byrne's interviews from the time he makes it clear that he wanted Krypton to be "anathema" to Superman, to completely divorce him from anything to do with that culture. There's strong elements of xenophobia in the work, particularly in regards to the Cold War. Krypton is basically intended to be Space Russia with Earth as America (and the Kents even originally think that Clark MUST be a Russian experiment--wonder why they didn't think he was an American one?). Furthermore, the idea to make Clark stereotypically American--football hero, Casanova with the ladies, being a gigantic yuppie, ect.--all support this. The idea that emerges by reading the text and the interviews is that DC wanted to make Superman less of "the Other" in order for people to be able to read him while keeping their biases against foreigners. I think this kind of tribalism is pretty terrible and served to hurt and diminish the character.

I don't think we should encourage or enable tribalism in people as I feel it's one of the most destructive attitudes human beings have.

[Lexrules]

That's not true. Sorry, but if you read Byrne's interviews from the time he makes it clear that he wanted Krypton to be "anathema" to Superman, to completely divorce him from anything to do with that culture. There's strong elements of xenophobia in the work, particularly in regards to the Cold War. Krypton is basically intended to be Space Russia with Earth as America (and the Kents even originally think that Clark MUST be a Russian experiment--wonder why they didn't think he was an American one?). Furthermore, the idea to make Clark stereotypically American--football hero, Casanova with the ladies, being a gigantic yuppie, ect.--all support this. The idea that emerges by reading the text and the interviews is that DC wanted to make Superman less of "the Other" in order for people to be able to read him while keeping their biases against foreigners. I think this kind of tribalism is pretty terrible and served to hurt and diminish the character.

I don't think we should encourage or enable tribalism in people as I feel it's one of the most destructive attitudes human beings have.

Russia was the enemy at the time and the biggest threat for nuclear war. I sense a lot of anti American stuff here and it bothers me to no end.

[NotSuper]

Russia was the enemy at the time and the biggest threat for nuclear war. I sense a lot of anti American stuff here and it bothers me to no end.

Then you're projecting. No one is saying Russia wasn't dangerous, just that danger and fear causes xenophobia and nationalism, which tends to poison culture.

[Lexrules]

Then you're projecting. No one is saying Russia wasn't dangerous, just that danger and fear causes xenophobia and nationalism, which tends to poison culture.

And this has nothing to do with being anti American. I sure hope not.

[NotSuper]

And this has nothing to do with being anti American. I sure hope not.

No, of course not. There's no reason for you to assume that.

[The Frozen Reptile]

1. John Byrne may have born in the UK, but I believe he grew up in Canada and now has American citizenship from when he was married; maybe he was expressing a bit of satire...

2. I believe that Pre-Crisis, the Kents sold the farm and bought the store when Clark began school; that is when Lana became the girl next door, would make him more a small-townee than a farmer...

3. Although a valid opinion, being Anti-American is a waste of time, especially if you like anything that their culture has brought us, (like Superman...). You can hate the ideology, but don't hate the people.

4. I just like making lists...