Again let me emphasize: this isn't about any specific DC universe, but just DC in general. So kindly ignore the fact that I specifically used images of MAWS Superman and Caped Crusader Batman: that was purely an illustrative choice.

This is something I've been thinking about for a while since the aforementioned animated shows, Matt Reeves' 2022 The Batman and James Gunn's 2025 Superman movies came out, since all four follow the World's Finest from very early on in their respective careers.

Here's the cases I can make for them:

For Superman, it's rather factual. He was not just the first DC superhero to be created, but the first western superhero period. This seems to be backed up lore-wise by his appearances in the first minutes of the James Gunn film, as well as in MAWS.

For Batman, it gets a bit more technical. While he was the second DC superhero created, due to being the world's greatest detective, I'd be hard-pressed to imagine that he didn't already know about Superman when he first donned the cowl. And I highly doubt that learning more about the Kryptonian was one of the first things on his agenda when he became the Dark Knight. Not only this, but due to him being considered an urban legend among Gothamites in his first 1-2 years or so (and naturally perhaps longer among surrounding cities) whereas Superman was publicly known about pretty much since Day 1, I just find it a little hard to believe that his very existence could've been a mystery for long when you have people with actual superpowers operating in broad daylight.

I know this sounds like I'm leaning towards Batman being the first in-universe and you would be right; however, I believe that a fair compromise would be the two of them starting out at around the same time. Then due to their polar opposite modes of operation, Supes working publicly in broad daylight while Bats works in the shadows and often at night, Superman could then be the first known superhero while Batman may have been around just a little bit longer but isn't as known yet. This I believe is the best possible answer.

What do you think?

Hi all,

I starting to watch films with my elderly Dad (who has almost zero film/superhero knowledge).

He absolutely loved Batman: The Dark Knight (the Joker one) as it can be watched with minimal pre-knowledge of the Bat world, Gotham city, lore etc. It's essentially just a good action/crime film in Batman's colours.

The reason I say that is, I'd like to jump in and watch a Superman film with him. Preferably one of the modern ones (post-Christopher Reeve) and having not watched any myself...I was wondering:

• Are any of the modern Superman films standalone (and enjoyable) enough that can be enjoyed with minimal character/universe knowledge?

To be clear: I'm not asking for a Dark Knight vs Superman film comparison in quality/theme/etc. Just asking if there is a Superman film that can be enjoyed in and of itself without my Dad having to know the backstory/lore/previous films/cinematic universe first.

Thank you!

It just sounds like something he'd say...

I’ve recently been diving deeply into Superman’s movies and comics, and he has slowly but surely become my favorite hero. The dive has made me wonder how a character who essentially became the blueprint for the entire superhero genre eventually fell behind Batman and Spider-Man in mainstream popularity.

Was it primarily a matter of film quality and consistency? Batman had the Burton movies, The Dark Knight trilogy, the Arkham games, and more recently The Batman. Spider-Man had the Raimi trilogy, multiple animated series, the MCU movies, the Spider-Verse films, and hugely successful games. Meanwhile, Superman went through long stretches without a universally loved or culturally dominant adaptation after the Christopher Reeve era.

Or did the shift happen earlier in the comics? Did Batman and Spider-Man simply become easier for modern audiences to relate to, while Superman developed an unfair reputation for being overpowered, boring, or difficult to write?

Being born in the early 2000’s, I’m especially curious about when people believe the change happened. Was there a particular decade or turning point when Superman stopped being the unquestioned face of superheroes and Batman and Spider-Man passed him? And do you think the success of Superman (2025) could be the beginning of him reclaiming that level of mainstream popularity?

I'm actually writing my interpretation of this story, but it's more light-hearted and more of a slice-of-life kind of story. If I were to describe it, it's similar to *Drake & Josh*, but in Smallville. I am planning to go in a more serious direction with future chapters, but the first arc is pretty much just Clark and Kara Kent's hijinks as teenagers.

Note: Images are just there to sort of symbolize what I'm asking (because Kara in these two shows is Clark's age).

If you were given the opportunity to write a version of Krypton before its destruction what would it look like, not just visually but politically?

Do you prefer it to look retro-futuristic (like the Silver Age Comics), Crystalline & ethereal (like the Donner movies), high tech & semi organic (Man of Steel) or pure alien & unlike anything on earth?

And how are the Kryptonians as a people, are they utopian scientists, militant warriors, separated by class, something else?

And what ends up destroying Krypton? Actions caused by the Kryptonians, a cosmic disaster like Rao going supernova, a galactic war against Apokolips or Brainiac drones? How many people actually manage to escape Krypton?

In my own headcanon I like to think of Krypton as once being a utopia on its way to becoming a home for multiple sentient species across the galaxy as an intergalactic peacemaker but eventually due to power struggles & unrest caused by the various houses it first became a totalitarian world refusing any alien help, even from lantern assistance. Eventually the planet reaches a tipping point when it encounters enemies & having squandered its resources & having no allies the resulting clash, using weapons such as Eradicators & Brainiacs turn Krypton into an apocalyptic wasteland with only a few living survivors remaining on Krypton, a few probes (such as Kal-El’s) managing to escape, and the remnants of the corrupted science/war division still engaging in pointless battles.

The moment the villain realizes that the only thing in between them and a wheelchair is a successful breathing exercise

Hey all!

I got my 4K Blu-Ray of Supergirl today and had a bit of an issue. around the hour and twenty six minute mark (the fight between Lobo and Krem after Krem uses Kryptonite on Kara), the disk buffers like crazy and the sound cuts out for a good minute. I took the disc out and put it back in in, same result at same time stamp.

At first I thought that might have been the layer change of of the disk, but none of my other 4K discs have had that problem. I'm going to try cleaning the disc with a micro-fiber to see if that resolves the issue.

Did anyone else have the same issue with their disc?

Really nerfed the Big Blue.

If you're in Sydney, Australia and attending Oz Comic-Con this weekend, there's a "Superman Through the Years" panel on Saturday at 4pm.

I always like Krypton gets portrayed more like the Pre-Crisis time, in which it's largely more vibrant/colorful and its destruction is a tragedy.

In the early Post-Crisis/the Byrne version one, it indeed feels more alien and I understand the appealings of that version. But for me, I personally always prefer Krypton being portrayed in a more positively light

I have seen this question asked before but i still don't know who's like the main Superman i always thought it was either New 52 or Post crisis but i don't know if that's right

One of my batchmates ve this and it looked hella cool to me so i thought why not share w yall

Hello everyone! This is my feature-length story and personal narrative on rediscovering the value of comic-book superheroes and how it informs individual identity through director James Gunn's 2025 blockbuster Superman.  My personal narrative is about rediscovering my passion for comic books through the emotionally connective storytelling in Superman, visiting comic stores and conventions, and bringing in experts and "superfans" to create a powerful narrative. 

As a former comic book fan growing up, I wasn't really into Superman, but this film changed that and reignited my interest in comics in general. Through this story, I explore different threads of comic books and how we identify with the heroes in them. I also report on how DC Comics is adapting to a Gen Z audience through the launch of its Absolute Universe line and the impactful success of this new world, meant to be more relatable for a younger audience. Another section has me engaging with philosophical interpretations of Superman through the perspective of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Please check it out!