What is The Absolute Worst Superman Story Ever?

[Mr. Holmes]

It's an overrated and badly executed story, but it's far from the worst really.

[The Man From Room X]

I avoid any Chuck Austen like the plague; is his Superman that bad?

Action Comics #775. Yeah, I said it.

I love Superman as a character, but that wasn't a story, that was a half-assed, poorly-written fan-fiction/rant that was so whiny and pathetic I wanted to buy more copies of The Authority just to spite it.

It's an overrated and badly executed story, but it's far from the worst really.

Yup, its an overhyped story that doesn't really deserve recognition. Certainly not enough to make a movie out of it *shakes head*

[Superman Priime]

In before Superman and Wonder Woman in Asgard for 1,000 years.

Action Comics #775. Yeah, I said it.

I love Superman as a character, but that wasn't a story, that was a half-assed, poorly-written fan-fiction/rant that was so whiny and pathetic I wanted to buy more copies of The Authority just to spite it.

LOL, surely you jest. That was a great story.

And where are the Authority now? A shadow of their former glory.

[Mr. Holmes]

I avoid any Chuck Austen like the plague; is his Superman that bad?


Yup, its an overhyped story that doesn't really deserve recognition. Certainly not enough to make a movie out of it *shakes head*

Try to imagine how Rob Liefeld would write Superman and there you go. It's the peak of super-dickery.

Like the people complaining about the Silver Age Superman or Lobdell's Superman have no idea.

LOL, surely you jest. That was a great story.

And where are the Authority now? A shadow of their former glory.

Nah Authority completely redefined superheroes to this day; it's influence is everywhere.

As a property might not be where it once was, but that's because of hack management from DC. But its legacy lives on.

[flottanna]

You mean Earth-One Vol.2 not Grounded.

Nah I was talking about grounded Vol 2 I haven't read earth 2 vol 2 yet. Bought it though.

[MykeHavoc]

Stupid and silly Silver Age stories get much more of a pass because they were harmless. That Jimmy Olsen story, for example, is so crazy and so silly that it's actually cool. Plus Jimmy Olsen was a humor book anyway. In the Silver Age, anything could happen no matter how crazy and stupid it was and usually did. That was the fun of it.

I actually agree. I just like to mention it every chance I get so people are aware of it's existence. There's nothing quite like taking mind altering substances and flipping through my 'The Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen' TPB.

[Superman Priime]

Try to imagine how Rob Liefeld would write Superman and there you go. It's the peak of super-dickery.

Like the people complaining about the Silver Age Superman or Lobdell's Superman have no idea.



Nah Authority completely redefined superheroes to this day; it's influence is everywhere.

As a property might not be where it once was, but that's because of hack management from DC. But its legacy lives on.

I don't see how, unless you mean superheroes like those on teams like Dark Avengers.

Even teams like the X-Men, as gritty as they've been over the years, never sunk to the levels of the Authority. Teams like the Avengers, Justice League, FF and Justice Society still set the standards for superhero teams.

[Mr. Holmes]

I'm not sure you've even read Authority.

Authority wasn't about being gritty. It was about style, mood, and personality. It was immediately followed upon by Millar and Hitch on Ultimates which got absorbed into the main Avengers team, especially with Hickman now directly homaging Ellis. Now you have Johns and Reis taking the widescreen sensibilities and plot structure of the book.

Superheroes might not actually be topping over dictators and evil governments, but the awareness and debate about where to draw the line is prevalent. Not to mention the recent direction Cyclops is going in currently in Uncanny X-Men.

We live in the post-Authority era of comics now.

[lovelikewinter]

Superman and Barda make a porno. Byrne insulted Kirby's wife and was misogynistic in one go!

The Pocket Universe Supergirl Arc. When Superman executed the PZ criminals, it became obvious that Byrne had flawed views of the character and rendered his stuff invalid in my mind.

Rucka's Action Comics during New Krypton. I got the books from the library and was pissed I wasted my time. Did he ever apologize for it?

JMS's Grounded. It read like most of his stuff, the rantings of a tired old blowhard still trading on the one success he has 20 years ago.

[abhilegend]

Superman/Barda porno. By far the worst story I ever read, not just in comics. Followed closely by Superman:At Earth's End and Superman:Distant Fires.

[Auguste Dupin]

Superman/Barda porno. By far the worst story I ever read, not just in comics. Followed closely by Superman:At Earth's End and Superman:Distant Fires.

Only read the Superman/Barda porno, but yeah I would tend to agree. I feel dirty just remembering it......brrrr.
Although Darkseid sitting on Mister Miracle's couch to give him a porn tape featuring his wife was hilarious, in a "I can't believe they actually went there" way.

[hellacre]

For Tomorrow.
Sacrifice arcs which led to Infinite Crisis...it really did not do anything for Superman as a character at the end of it all.
Grounded.

All are consequences of Superman/Clark again mindcontrolled,whines and doubts...oh my god.

[BBally]

Grounded vol 2 was pretty bad. Loved the first one.

Hmm.... Usually it's the complete opposite, Roberson actually made that arc readable.

[manofsteel1979]

Steven Seagle and Scott Mcdaniel's SUPERMAN run comes to mind, followed closely by Austin's ACTION and the first half of GROUNDED.

I actually dislike Austin's writing more than Seagle's. The saving grace that keeps it #2 in that list was Ivan Reis's art during Austin's run. Mcdaniel's art, while it worked somehow on the Batbooks he drew, just did NOT work on Superman. That was a perfect storm of terrible writing and terrible art.

[Coyote2010]

I don't think its the worse Superman story, I'm conflicted about it though, and since people brought up 775, I have problems with "Must There Be A Superman", immigrant farmworkers needing to organize, they don't wait around for Superman. They organize on their own to take care of themselves. That book doesn't get the farm workers right.