DC’s Rebirth isn’t just a catchy event name that builds on two rather excellent revivals of classic Silver Age comic books. It’s an actual Rebirth for its greatest hero and company icon, as Superman will be experiencing some cha-cha-changes later this year. And yes, the poor fella has been through plenty of them already, a journey that is going to have some very grim consequences, but will see the real Man of Steel reborn.
Confused? Okay, let me lay it down for you. Door’s locked, so don’t bother trying to gnaw the chains off and consider this your one and only SPOILER warning.
Right, so that whole deal with Superman being depowered? That was a magnificent arc, some truly great character-building as the last son of Krypton had to make do with fewer powers and a lot more mortality on his plate. Throughout that gauntlet, Superman was looking for a way to increase his powers back to his old standard, even going so far as to harness the power of Kryptonite to help save the day when Vandal Savage’s big plan was set into to motion.
Long story short, Superman won, Savage lost and the man of steel got all of his powers back. Also, he’s dying. Like properly dying.
Unlike a John Cena/ Rock match that has been advertised as being only once in a lifetime, the Superman of the New 52 universe is going to die. Nothing can stop that, as his ravaged body is slowly decaying and he only has mere months left to live. But that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a Superman left to guard the planet. In fact, there’ll be Supermen working around the clock, including the one and only original Superman from the pre-New 52 universe.
After the events of Convergence, this Superman and his Lois Lane survived to settle down in the New 52 universe, though this Clark Kent decided to operate under the radar. With the New 52 Superman knock-knocking on heaven’s door, the Superman we all grew to love will be taking over. And with a new costume to boot:
The design above comes from Tom Derenick, who posted the turnaround art on his Facebook account. It’s the new and old styles, merged into one costume. Out with the mandarin collar, solar flare explosion and seam lines, in with the classic spit-curl hair-style, open neck and red elements that echo the design of the Man of Steel Superman costume. Nice. Also, no red undies, so double-nice.
Remember, there’ll also be another Superman in action, as a Chinese native inherits the powers of the deceased last Kryptonian. That series will be written by Gene Luen Yang, and will go on sale on shelves as The New Super-Man. One of many other Superman that are being hinted at.
Last Updated: April 12, 2016
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 12, 2016 at 13:03
He needs a new costume because Zod’s blood is all over the last one. tee hee
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:14
Oh snap! #cough
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:25
I laughed so hard my neck hurts
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 12, 2016 at 13:35
I know a great Kryptonian chiropractor.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:37
Can you get cracking on his number please?
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:06
Vandal Savage needs to feature in a live action film, he can be played by Vince McMahon
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:14
You’re FIIIIRREEEDDDDD!!!!
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 12, 2016 at 13:09
Will Chinese Superman be powered by Japan?
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:16
I want North Korean Superman – a young Kal El gets taken in by Kim Jung Un’s grandfather and becomes a super-powered version of this weird guy…. The only foreigner in the “North Korean army”.
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000YHBW4oSbgtw/s/900/900/XCE00564SPA.jpg
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:17
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Cao_de_Ben%C3%B3s_de_Les_y_P%C3%A9rez
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:43
And then Dave Skylark visits him and dies when he’s incinerated by Superman’s lasers. Aaron Rapaport makes it out alive when Batman rescues him
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 14:29
Dude’s got cool medals though. I wish I had a few of those, I’d wear them everywhere.
miaau
April 12, 2016 at 14:12
One of my old Mad Magazine’s had Jewish Superman. Could not be circumsized, so the Rabbi declared it the Schmeckel fro heaven.
He became a doctor, proud Jewish mother in the wings. He did X-rays while you wait.
MAD Magazine, was truly mad back then. Now? not so much.
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 14:28
MAD magazine lost its mojo. It’s just not the same any more. I remember loving the old Spy vs Spy comics.
miaau
April 12, 2016 at 14:29
Yes. Years ago, the Mojo was lost. Truly.
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 14:31
Utterly spent… maybe they flew to close to the sun? Maybe when Time Warner bought them they fired all the funny and demented writers..
Those same writers are now working for Donald Trump!
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 15:45
Never missed an issue back in the day
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 15:44
I loved it when it was still Black & White
EmperorK
April 13, 2016 at 04:23
Was he a racial supremacist who lied about the Holocaust like the real life Jews?
EmperorK
April 13, 2016 at 04:24
He’s gonna be powered by rice and slave labor building toys for man children.
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:13
Chinese Superman should be an interesting read – hopefully they’re not afraid to push the envelope like with Superman: Red Son.
EmperorK
April 13, 2016 at 04:17
I heard they’re going to focus on his small penis and workers trying to suicide at Apple factories.
Strawman Jim
April 13, 2016 at 09:52
It’s not the size of the member but what you do with it…. uh.. that’s what I heard.
Jan Prins
April 12, 2016 at 13:19
I want a South African Superman.
I can like to Bliksem that Lex Luthor in the teef…
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:27
Someone needs to pen this – Johannes Pretorius van Rensburg, Karroo boerseun, superman, low-level government administrator… during Apartheid South Africa! Holy shit… it would be amazing! The stories that could be told!!!
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:28
He laughs at the batmobile as cruises in his Toyota HiLux
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:29
HAHAHAH!
Jan Prins
April 12, 2016 at 13:43
You had me until Apartheid South Africa.
Because Afrikaners = Apartheid.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:45
Me = Apartheid? Well, I am highly in favour of segregating all things EA from the gaming industry
Jan Prins
April 12, 2016 at 13:49
You know what I would looovee to segregate from the gaming community: Age old hate for something that… you know what???
Just let it go…
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:57
Why? People can’t let apartheid go 😛
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 14:27
That’s lacist! EA is just misunderstood!
iusedtobe(a)regular
April 12, 2016 at 15:09
Bwahahahaha, that was f*^#ing funny!
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 14:25
No man, that’s not what I meant. You set it in a dodgy time period, South African superman can be british or zulu even, but he essentially finds himself on the wrong side of history.
Imagine that, a guy that’s practically immortal and invincible… getting carried along the zeitgeist. A genuinely good person doing bad things because he thinks it’s for the greater good.
Jan Prins
April 12, 2016 at 16:21
Not bad. Not bad. Though I would then have him as an Afrikaner, complete with PW Botha issued knuppel and silly police hat. Then, at the end, when he repents of his sins, it might plant the seed in some readers heads that not all Afrikaners cries their eyes out that Apartheid has indeed come to an end.
Erasmus
April 13, 2016 at 01:17
Apartheid was set up to fail on purpose by zionists. It was given fanfare initially and, if you have the balls to look at it objectively, offered the highest life standard for blacks in Africa.
Then they murdered Verwoerd, demonized him, and injected unworthy people into the leadership positions in order to ferment class-conflict. Typical Marxist plot really.
Additionally, the Boer people are not Afrikaners. All the Boers ever wanted was to reinstate their rightfully owned Boer Republics.
South Africa will never work unless you separate the different racial groups. Of course everyone is too high on liberalism to admit this.
EmperorK
April 13, 2016 at 04:21
Or to know that.
EmperorK
April 13, 2016 at 04:19
You’d better check your facts guy, commie racist blacks = #WhiteGenocide
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 12, 2016 at 13:31
Superman is so rof hy kan ‘n kobra oop mond soen
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 13:32
Jislaaik…
The D
April 12, 2016 at 18:43
“Lex Lufor”
Strawman Jim
April 12, 2016 at 14:38
I always assumed that the New 52 was supposed to make the DC universe less complicated (like Crisis did back in the 1980s), but it sometimes seems as though they’ve just managed to make the water muddier.
At least Aquaman is still a boss!
EmperorK
April 13, 2016 at 04:20
The old one was better. They blew it. Comics are terrible now and there are too many minorities and women and gays.
What Burns My Bacon
April 12, 2016 at 18:00
I wish they brought back the iconic Superman uniform (plus the red trunks.) Heck, at this rate, I wish they would bring all the characters back from this Superman’s universe, which includes members of the Justice League of America and the Man of Steel’s supporting cast.