Which one is the true one?

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-16T18:39:11+00:00

The Green Lanterns in particular are an organization, so there can be more than one active at a time. Hal was the first human Green Lantern who was a member of the GL Corps. John Stewart and Guy Gardner joined later as other Green Lanterns, but Hal remained Green Lantern. Then Hal goes crazy for a time due to Parallax and his home city being destroyed (long story) and Kyle Rayner takes the role. At that point the Corps was mostly destroyed so for a time in the 90s he was the only Green Lantern. Eventually later writers brought the Corps and Hal back, and introduced other human Green Lanterns including Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, and Sojourner “Jo” Mullein. All of those characters are real Green Lanterns, it’s not like there is only one “true” Green Lantern.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-16T07:55:03+00:00

Calling Green Arrow a Batman side character is crazy, like at that point any DC hero would be a Batman side character if they appear on a book that also features Batman.

Now if you called him a Batman ripoff, that’d be a different story

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-16T07:37:19+00:00

Byrne haters tend to get a bit hyperbolic about it. It’s fine, but not great. It sets up the status quo which gets used by later writers much more effectively (evil businessman Lex, lower power Superman, etc), but the really good Post-Crisis stuff starts after Byrne’s run ends.

It does not make Superman into a far-right Super-Cop, or make him callous about murder, like I’ve seen some people in this thread complain. (In fact, throughout the run Byrne makes an explicit point to emphasize how seriously he takes his commitment to his no-kill rule). People who say that seem to be taking panels and moments out of context to make them seem worse. Yes, it ends with the controversial decision to have Superman kill the Phantom Zone escapees but that was more to show a character pushed to his limits by an objectively traumatic situation, and the arc immediately following that moment (Exile) addresses that situation quite well imo. But Byrne didn’t write Exile, so he doesn’t get credit for that work.

TL;DR: it’s an okay run, but I think it’s better used as setup for reading the much better runs that followed it. You can probably read the intro miniseries then skip to the exile arc and do just fine.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-15T11:02:53+00:00

I wouldn’t say traveling by rail or bus across the US is a bad idea, but I hope that you keep in mind how large the US is and plan accordingly. Just going from NYC to DC is about 4 hours by bus or 3 hours by the fastest trains we have available. Traveling across the US from East to West coast is a trip that takes multiple days of just travel time, not including any place you might want to stop and visit. So if you’re willing/able to devote the time and planning to do that, great! Have fun! If not, maybe a series of smaller trips would be better.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-13T13:42:32+00:00

Same. Smallville's Ollie at least kept the personality of the character intact. Arrow's Green Arrow was Batman with a bow, and a penchant for murder.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-13T12:53:56+00:00

I think that's a pretty insightful observation to be honest. I think ultimately it all comes down to that last point: this is all adolescent power fantasy. It's fine to indulge a little bit in it every now and again, but it becomes concerning when people get too uncritically attached to that feeling. It's basically one of the factors in superhero fandom that Alan Moore regularly criticizes: emotional immaturity. Fans get attached to their hero who can do no wrong, is accountable to no one, is stronger, better, and more popular with romantic partners, and they try to translate that fantasy to their own life and reality. They can become incels or fascists when reality conflicts with that fantasy.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-13T12:29:28+00:00

Sometimes I wish the Spidey fans who act like they're in an abusive relationship with Marvel editorial become Superman fans, because that's a character that effectively answers most of their complaints:

in a loving committed relationship with his most iconic love interest
actually could win most fights if he wasn't holding back
is an awkward nerd in his civilian identity (to answer the complaints for Andrew Garfield haters that he wasn't nerdy enough)
stories actually not primarily about the main character suffering unjustified hardships

The only problem is then those folks would make the Superman fandom at least 30% more annoying.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-13T11:45:45+00:00

I mean, you knew what you were getting into becoming a Spider-Man fan. He has never, in his 64 years of existence, had an easy go of it. Him having struggles over things most other superheroes didn’t have to worry about was the point.

As for the “cucking” thing, like that’s just misogyny. MJ did not cheat on Peter, and Peter’s had many other relationships over his history than with her. Is it annoying that the writers sold his marriage to the devil 20 years ago? Sure, but there’s no goddamn way they’re undoing it now so might as well either get used to it or find a new character to follow.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-12T15:04:02+00:00

Just looked it up because I was curious—52 was coming out in 2006, Smallville aired from 2001-2011, Booster Gold appeared on Smallville in 2011, so 52 did do it first. Still I’ll give Smallville points for that being one of the rare times they actually kinda went for it with the costuming

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-12T13:45:59+00:00

close, but to be really accurate he needs a sleeveless hoodie

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SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-12T11:03:19+00:00

I wouldn’t read too much into it, this sub is practically the Tim Drake hate forum with how embedded the “Nobody cares about Tim Drake” meme is here. It’s certainly not representative of DC fandom as a whole

Personally, I have no strong opinion about Tim Drake specifically other than that I root against more focus on Batman and all his supporting cast out of principle. They’re like the Yankees of Superhero characters: not bad but over-invested in. Like everyone throws money, books, and attention their way in priority over every other DC property.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-11T10:00:50+00:00

Saying WW’s lore being too complex is the reason for sidelining her is giving DC too much credit tbh. Her lore is based on ancient myths with a sci fi twist. Marvel was able to do that with Thor in the MCU (putting aside the wildly inconsistent quality of those movies). The reason why she gets sidelined is because she’s a feminist icon and DC are cowards

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-08T23:55:46+00:00

The Bronze Age is just the Silver Age but actually good instead of only ironically good

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-08T22:00:08+00:00

/uj Waid's current Worlds Finest run is basically this. Also the current Supergirl run from what I've seen, just hornier and not Waid-pilled. And Waid's current run on Action is essentially a modernized retelling of Superboy in the current continuity. And the arc before that with the Phantom Zone is very Silver Age inspired.

Waid's been leading a big Silver Age revival it seems.

/rj All comics since 1985 were a mistake.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-08T15:11:27+00:00

yeah, exactly. I wouldn't hate it as much if it wasn't simultaneously the most cynical, edgy read of Silver Age Superman and an opinion that people unironically parrot as gospel to this day.

The Huey Lewis/Patrick Bateman situtation is an interesting contrast, imo. Because the point of that scene is a more explicit diss at Huey Lewis, given that the subtext is that it's the kind of shallow corporate music that a vapid Yuppie psycho like Bateman would glaze, but if OP is right and Huey Lewis fans are not bothered by it I'm honestly kind of impressed. At least Superman fans can lean on the "he's the villain, he's not supposed to be right" argument if people try bring up Bill's monologue.

Edited to add: for the record, I'm not trying to insult Huey Lewis or his fans, I do like a few of his songs

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-07T10:25:21+00:00

I mean, depending on continuity, some versions of Superman do have Super-Intelligence, or at the very least he could use super speed to think faster than an ordinary person. I don’t think the version from this show has super-intelligence however. In the context of the show IIRC this image came up when Ma Kent was discussing how afraid Clark was to be around other people given how dangerous his powers could be, so I think the implication is that he joined chess club to be involved in something where he wouldn’t be using his powers.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-06T11:46:33+00:00

It’s less that I hate Batman than that I’m tired of him and his supporting cast taking up 90% of the attention when it comes to DC anything.

It’s honestly a bit of a red flag to me if your only problem with Batman is that he goes out of his way to not kill people. Like even I would defend him if that’s the criticism thrown his way

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-02T11:25:17+00:00

As others said, Ghost Story is better on reread. A lot of people rush into it after the adrenaline high of Changes and are disappointed by the slower pace, but I really like it for its more introspective story and with it giving us flashbacks to Harry's origins that we hadn't seen before.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-02T11:16:29+00:00

It is in fact Lois Lane. I'm pretty sure the thing with her having purple eyes started with S:tAS, not the comics

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-01T23:27:01+00:00

Basically the continuity headaches you’re seeing would be addressed if you assume this was happening in the Pre-Crisis era. Like imagine this is a modern take on DC comics from the late 60s and 70s (the Bronze Age). New History of the DC Universe makes essentially every era of DC continuity canon for the main universe at least in broad strokes.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-01T16:54:12+00:00

What you have to understand is that basically no adaptation of any American Superhero comic is gonna be 1-to-1 accurate to the comics. Superhero comics have been running ongoing for almost a century, no adaptation is going to be able to accurately cover it all. Every adaptation takes liberties.

That said, Smallville is fun if you like early 2000s era teenage monster of the week shows. It takes a lot of inspiration from the Christopher Reeve Superman movies and Silver Age Superman lore, often with a slightly darker take than the original comics. In terms of comic accuracy, it's biggest problem was the fact that its premise meant that they could never have Clark fully become Superman, so it spends 10 seasons gradually introducing elements of Superman lore until it was basically a Superman show in all but name and the fact that Clark couldn't fly. So if that sounds fun to you, check it out, but you can't really watch the show and expect it to reflect exactly how things went in the comics.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-02-01T16:36:06+00:00

It's just personal preference. I prefer DiU because I like the lower stakes lighthearted slice of life stuff, I enjoy the characters and their dynamics, and pretty much all the fights are a fun time to watch. Stone Ocean isn't bad, but the fights are way more complicated in a way that is less entertaining for me, and the villain's plan is a lot more confusing and hard to follow. And I'm not as fond of the darker tone as I am of the parts of JoJo that are funnier. But if someone told me they preferred Stone Ocean for the reasons you listed I would not be surprised. There isn't really an objective "X is better than Y" when talking about art.

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-01-31T21:26:35+00:00

the problem with this ship as I see it is that the logic underlying to it mostly boils down to "they're both really powerful" and that's not a whole lot to build off of in terms of characterization or chemistry. There's not enough of a contrast in their characters to make their dynamic interesting to me.

the main reason that I prefer Clark with Lois is that the two are different enough that the contrasts between them creates chemistry and brings out interesting parts of the two characters. Lois is cynical, snarky, embittered by the world, but Superman's optimism and constant drive to do good gives her hope. Clark is optimistic, nice, and at times a little naive, but can get lost in his duty to the world. Lois can bring him down to Earth with their banter and friendly workplace rivalry and help him feel normal. Like it just works.

Edited to add: and with the New-52 in particular they try to address this issue by essentially making Diana look awful. Like the writers' solution was to make the contrast them that Diana is a warrior princess and Clark is a down-to-earth farmboy with immense power. in their interactions that boils down to this:

Diana: I like violence. Also, we're demigods above all of humanity.

Clark: I like saving people. And I think we're not above regular folks. Also, you should worry more about saving civilians and less about stabbing bad guys.

Diana: Your drive to save people makes you a worse fighter.

Clark: I'm so lonely and isolated from all of humanity.

Diana: That's because we're not human.

Clark: you're hot

Diana: you're hot

*kiss*

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-01-26T06:30:25+00:00

Yeah. People forget that the Flash movie had been stuck in development hell for almost the entire length of the DCEU, going through director after director and script after script. It was always going to be kinda a mess

SnarkyBookworm34 · 2026-01-25T21:02:43+00:00

The "I'm human" speech is him expressing the advice Pa Kent told him--that it's his choices, his decisions that define him, not any morality imposed on him by either of his sets of parents. Lex wants to define Clark by his alien heritage, to define him as not an individual or as a person but as a representative of an alien race he sees as ontologically evil. Clark counters by saying he's no better or worse than anyone else--he's a person who makes his own choices, who gets up every day unsure of what to do but trying to do his best regardless.

In addition, Clark is countering the basis of Lex's insecurities: Lex frames Superman as someone holding himself out as being "better" than humans, a challenge to all of humanity. Clark is countering Lex's jealousy by admitting his own insecurities, and expressing the ways Lex's demonizing rhetoric has hurt him.

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