10 Lessons Marvel Could Learn From DC’s Best Superman Comics

Marvel Comics is seen as the bastion of “relatable” and realistic characters, with heroes such as Spider-Man and the X-Men exemplifying this the most. On the other hand, DC Comics’ Superman is sometimes seen as too old-school or overpowered to be relatable in the same vein. Despite these connotations, there are many things that Marvel could learn from some of the Man of Steel’s best comics.

The best Superman stories embody different themes and concepts, showcasing how well-rounded the hero is. Some are action-packed slugfests against fearsome foes, while others are more contemplative and introspective. This means that the oldest superhero has a lot to teach his “children” at Marvel Comics, especially those with powers similar to his own.

10 Superman-Level Heroes Need Superman-Level Threats

One issue with those who have never read Superman comics is the misconception that he has only a few foes who can pose a threat to him. In actuality, many of his most recurring enemies can take the fight to the Last Son of Krypton. Be it Zod, Bizarro, Doomsday, Mongul or others, these enemies are more than worthy of facing his yellow sun-powered strength.

Besides Conduit, Metallo, Titano, Kryptonite Man and Lex Luthor, most of Superman’s enemies don’t need kryptonite to hurt him

On the other hand, some of Marvel’s most powerful heroes lack even half as much of a rogues gallery. Such is the case for The Sentry, Blue Marvel and especially Carol Danvers, with even Thor largely defined solely by his bouts with Loki. Heroes of this level need powerful opponents to combat them, thus justifying the characters being written as so strong. Otherwise, said strength can make the “overpowered” criticism of Superman feel right at home with certain Marvel characters.

9 Superman Is Defined by His Love Interest

Lois Lane Debut: Action Comics #1

Lois Lane is the archetypal love interest for a comic book superhero and acts as Superman’s foil. She’s dedicated to the truth, while he has a secret identity. Likewise, she’s often shown to only see Clark Kent as a colleague (or even a nuisance), whereas Superman instantly intrigues her. She’s an interesting character on her own, but she and the Man of Steel definitely complement each other. This can even be seen in the success of My Adventures with Superman, which hinges a lot on their relationship.

The New 52 reboot was highly controversial for retconning the Lois/Clark marriage, though Rebirth restored it

Fans loved it when DC Rebirth restored the Superman/Lois marriage and gave them a child, with the Rebirth Superman series by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason especially beloved. On the other hand, many classic Marvel romances have been forgotten, especially with Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson. Marvel must remember that while superhero comics aren’t slice-of-life stories, the relationships between the characters are crucial to their popularity. Likewise, allowing characters to age and marry is a great way to entice older fans.

Supergirl Debut: Action Comics #252 by Otto Binder and Al Plastino

The most well-known member of the Superman Family is Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Superman’s cousin, Supergirl. Other characters include Steel (an inventor wearing an armored suit) and Superboy (a clone that combines Superman and Lex Luthor’s DNA). Kara isn’t the only version of Supergirl, however, and she was once replaced after Crisis on Infinite Earths with divergent concepts. These included a shape-shifting protoplasm version of Supergirl with no real ties to Superman beyond a similar costume, with these takes on the Maiden of Might being largely forgotten.

The lack of the “true” Supergirl right after Crisis was due to DC wanting to keep Superman as the “Last Son” of Krypton

The more marketable idea of Supergirl being a Kryptonian like Superman has been back for years. Likewise, the connection between Superboy and Superman only increases with subsequent retcons. Sadly, Marvel doesn’t follow the same rules with sidekicks. Ms. Marvel has different powers and origins than Carol Danvers, and the various Spider-Woman are usually unrelated to Spider-Man. In the case of the latter, this has been a big reason they’ve failed to become popular: they have no real ties to the hero they’re spun off from. Sidekicks need to be related, at least conceptually, to their hero, lest they fall by the wayside like Earth Angel Supergirl.

7 Some Superheroes Need a Day Job

Daily Planet First Appearance: Action Comics #23 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Ever since he debuted in Action Comics #1, Superman has had the role of a reporter in his alter ego of Clark Kent. This vocation has allowed him to keep his ear to the ground and his eye on trouble. It also exposes him to a variety of now classic cast members, from Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White to Cat Grant, Ron Troupe and Steve Lombard. Stories such as Superman: Secret Origin and Superman: Earth One do a great job of showcasing how these everyday office employees add meaning and normalcy to Superman’s life.

Clark Kent’s newspaper was initially named the Daily Star after a real-world paper

If Superman has a day job, then perhaps major Marvel characters also need somewhere to hang their hats and have a firm supporting cast. Iron Man seems increasingly distant from his entrepreneurial tasks as Iron Man, while characters such as the Fantastic Four, Ant-Man and others largely lack these elements. Ironically, the lack of such concepts in their stories makes them as unrelatable as some see Superman to be, as nothing is grounding the larger-than-life characters. While over-the-top and completely zany comics have their place, ongoing stories with major characters still need narrative glue to keep readers interested.

6 Even a Superman Has a Quaint Hometown

Smallvile’s First Appearance: Superboy #2 by John Sikela and Ed Dobrotka

Though he moved away to the big city of Metropolis, Superman grew up in the Podunk town of Smallville. The hometown environment of Smallville honed Clark Kent into the hero he later became, and in the Silver Age, it was the setting for several zany adventures. Even modern stories showcase the humanity and humble nature of Superman and his hometown, with Superman For All Seasons and Superman of Smallville being great examples.

Marvel doesn’t have the same setup for many of its characters, especially since most of them were born and raised in New York City. These heroes need a place to look back upon and reflect upon the developments of their lives while also offering a retreat from their worries. Cyclops of the X-Men once had that in Alaska, but given the Marvel Universe’s supposed realism, more heroes should come from small towns.

5 Superman Works Best While Still On Earth

Superman does have adventures in space here and there, and this is usually how he faces foes such as Brainiac or Mongul. It’s nice to see him throw around his weight and face these fellow aliens on their own turf. At the same time, non-cosmic or multiverse books such as Superman: American Alien, Superman For All Seasons, Superman: Peace on Earth and even Kingdom Come are all considered some of Superman’s best adventures. Likewise, they all keep the flying man firmly tied to Earth and aren’t cosmic in scope.

The initial stories in the post-Crisis continuity had it to where Superman required a breathing apparatus to fly in outer space

Certain Marvel characters have abandoned their previous scopes and gotten way too big. Black Panther is a great example, as the second half of the Ta-Nehisi Coates run involved an intergalactic empire of Wakandans. Carol Danvers became a cosmic hero after becoming Captain Marvel, and even the mythos of Venom is a far cry from his “Lethal Protector” days. Given that the biggest and supposedly most overpowered superhero is best known for books focusing on Earth, going cosmic in the Marvel Universe might be a mistake, especially when it doesn’t fit the character.

4 Superman (Temporarily) Proved That Death Mattered

Ms. Marvel’s Forgotten Death: The Amazing Spider-Man #32 by Zeb Wells and Patrick Gleason

The Death of Superman was an iconic story that radically changed comic books forever, though the same can be said for Superman’s subsequent resurrection. When the Man of Steel laid down his life against the monstrous Doomsday, the DC Universe as a whole mourned him. While others came to fill his place, the void showcased how big of a hero he was and how much he affected the lives he touched.

The idea behind The Death of Superman was actually pitched as a half-hearted joke by comic book writers

Given how common death is in the Marvel Universe, more stories should touch upon the impact of these characters. For instance, Marc Spector (a.k.a. Moon Knight) recently died, and while he’s not nearly as big a character as Superman, it would have been nice for this death to be touched upon more. Deaths often feel like cheap ways to hype up a character’s resurrection and fail to establish why anyone should care. A notorious example was the recent death of Ms. Marvel, who was promptly brought back soon afterward. As it did with Superman, death should mean something, especially if it’s a character that’s supposed to be important.

3 The Role of Other Heroes

Superman has several super allies, namely Batman, Wonder Woman and other members of the Justice League. These characters all fight alongside each other for their own version of truth, justice and the American Way. While they might team up a lot and be featured in team books, other DC heroes are still separate from Superman’s actual supporting cast. That can be seen in the stories Superman: Up In The Sky or Superman: Unchained, which feature other heroes without making them stars.

In some continuities, Superman and Batman aren’t founding members of the Justice League

On the other hand, the Marvel Universe has gotten far too small, with several solo titles feeling like team-up books. This takes away from the individual heroes’ worlds and their supporting casts. The success of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s The Amazing Spider-Man stemmed from how relatable and likable they made Spidey’s life, and this was independent of the wider Marvel Universe. Marvel comic books should get back to this and emulate the balance of some of the best Superman stories.

2 Rivalries Can Go Back to Childhood

Lex Luthor’s First Appearance: Action Comics #23 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

The villainous Lex Luthor might be the best example of making the hero’s chief villain into someone that the hero knows. In many continuities, including current DC canon, Lex and Clark Kent grew up together in Smallville. This adds a degree of gravitas and even tragedy to his story, as his relationship with Superman could have been so much different had things changed slightly. The best showcase of this concept was Superman: Birthright, which modernized the Silver Age youth of these two iconic characters.

After Crisis, Luthor was changed to be much older than Clark and has no ties to Smallville

For the most part, Marvel Comics lacks this with its most iconic heroes. The closest example is Spider-Man being friends with Harry Osborn, the son of the Green Goblin, who eventually became a new version of the villain. When Marvel heroes, new and old, are given new foes to fight, having them come from the characters’ younger days is an easy way to make these adversaries stick with readers.

There are numerous Elseworlds and other alternate universe stories where Superman and the rest of the DC Universe are taken outside their normal status quo. A great example is Superman: Red Son, where the Man of Steel crash lands in the Soviet Union as a baby, or Superman: Speeding Bullets, where Kal-El is found and adopted by the Waynes in Gotham City. Part of why those stories work is because the “normal” setup for the character is so firmly established, allowing for these divergences to be done.

Superman’s Metropolis was an Elseworlds comic that put the Man of Steel in a world inspired by German Expressionism movies

On the other hand, this isn’t quite the same with many characters at Marvel, including the publisher’s biggest heroes. Iron Man, Captain America and Captain Marvel barely have a regular status quo, which may be why they lack the same iconic stories as Spider-Man and the X-Men. After all, even Kelly Thompson’s well-received Captain Marvel run had her bouncing from an alternate universe and back again in many arcs. Thus, writers must firmly cement and maintain a status quo for Marvel characters across multiple years before shaking things up too much.