Sneak Peek Superman-Batman

So it's been confirmed.

Superman powers are all going away.

He no longer will have heat or X-Ray vision, or any other kind.

He's mostly vulnerable and has it seems his strength is hanging on by a thread.

So the questions have all but been answered about at what power level he'd stay. And the answer seems to a big round zero.

I just hope DC Comics knows where they're heading with all of this.

I have posted the sneak peek in the ''Superman related Sneak Peeks'' thread.

You can all check it out there.

Btw. He is way too weak. In Action he seemed way stronger. In B/S he looks like above peak human.

@squalleon:

He's basically at human level. Not entirelly there yet, but I'd bet even Batman has more strength and stamina than Superman now.

And can we still call him that? Superman. Because even his will seems shaky. He basically even said so himself, when he was fleeing.

Wow, this "Batman" is stronger than "Superman". and the second acts as a criminal. His powers have fallen to metahuman level ..

Increible. Luthor to rescue.. Several of his fingers are not covered (a failure?) .. A new armor? That green glasses and armor seems kryptonite....

This luthor Seems livelier. I liked these pages, especially Lex.

Lol Superman ran from Jim Gordon

@vickbat:

Metahuman... If only it was so.

No. He's almost at human level.

Could barely handle a taser, when he pulled that stunt with the light pole and said he felt like the shoulder on his left arm was going to pop loose. That my friend isn't metahuman, it's him at human level, almost.

Make no mistakes it seems his powers are really going to drop to zero.

I think it will be good to see Clark still being a hero without the full use of his powers. I doubt it will last long anyway and they will be able to write more varied Superman/Batman team up stories with his power levels dropped.

I like what they're doing with the character and how he will face these new challenges without his powers. Its a shame that these kind of stories seem to happen a lot recently where the hero suddenly loses the ability to harness his powers or has some sort of moral waver. Just seems to be going in a circle. However I do like the look of this particular story and would like to see where it is going.

@heavenlydarkdragon: I wouldn't classify Superman's Truth power levels as peak human, a peak human couldn't do some of the things Superman tanks and does in Truth. He is however low level superhuman at best based on previews, hell he's been degraded to a street level character now thanks to this status quo.

But that's such a repetitive cliche which has not only been done before (and done better than this I might add) but it also shows the writer's lack of imagination. If Superman needs to be depowered for the story to work, the writer is missing the point of what makes Superman tick. Trying to limit Superman for the story to work highlights the crutches imposed by the writer to fail in creating challenges tailored for Superman to deal with at full power. Besides, Superman/Batman stories have seemed to work with Superman at full power, Superman's the pinnacle superhuman, Batman's the pinnacle human, both have their own strengths, approaches, similarities and differences that make for a legendary dynamic. I'm not sure how Superman and Jim Gordon will mirror that dynamic, what will they bond over? Their shared shaved heads?

@lvenger: I don't disagree with any of that, Supes is my favorite character but outside of a few story arcs it's been one average or outright disappointment after another. I'm just trying to be optimistic about it. I feel bad about complaining to much because I really don't know how they could improve the character or even what type of stories arcs I would want to see him involved in.

@azza04: I know how you feel about the disappointments of Superman story arcs, they weren't exactly scarce in the Pre Flashpoint line either. But I truly believe that there was far more good than bad in that universe, which cannot be said for New 52 Superman IMO. I'm not feeling optimistic nor holding in my complaints because everything about Truth is a depressing, uninteresting and disrespectful towards the makings of a Superman story that I cannot help but feel negative towards this storyline. I've given the New 52 years to win me over on Superman and all they've done is pile disappointments on top of failed instability. I don't see how Truth's direction or storylines will do any good for improving Superman's character in the slightest, especially when this preview confirms my problems.

@lvenger: It's not easy to be optimistic for Supes immediate future, especially with the whole Wonder Woman break up drama that's supposed to be coming. I expect more mopey Superman is on the way.

@azza04: IIRC that was Johns who said that about how the break up would end and the SM/WW romance is mostly covered in its own book. I think the break up will happen there as Johns is too busy with Justice League and his TV script projects.

Heh

Johns also said the break up will come soon.

I think those plans for the break up ended when DC saw the opportunity of another title in Sm/Ww.

Yeah, DC seem to want to milk the SM/WW romance for all it's worth, despite the fact the couple has become more stale than Swiss cheese. They seem unaware of when enough is enough, especially when, despite my disdain for the concept of shipping, the 'Clois' fanbase is more than riled up enough about Superman being with Wonder Woman rather than Lois. And Lois being the one to out Clark Kent = Superman to the world has been the equivalent of a middle finger to that camp so they're massively ticked off about Truth perhaps even moreso than I am.

Sm/Ww brings $$$.

Wait, it is too early to tell, I can see it not sucking. Maybe Lois was forced to do it. I need details for that.

@squalleon: How do you see it not sucking? Lois is supposed to be Clark's friend and a journalist of high ethical principles. Betraying Superman's secret identity in exposing it to the world goes against what Lois stands for. Some of the Lois fans actually tweeted female journalists and they found what Lois is doing in exposing Clark Kent = Superman goes against the Harm Limitation Principle. One of the top ethical principles in journalism that any self respecting journalist wouldn't break, let alone Lois Lane.

I don't know. I can't believe they are stupid enough to do it. I imagine something else will be at play :P
I seriously hope I am right.

@squalleon: Even Lois being manipulated/mind controlled into exposing Clark's secret identity by someone like Xa-Du won't calm the Lois fans that much. They'll still see it as DC using Lois as a pawn to further some 'dudebro' (I know, it's a stupid word and I dislike female fans who believe this BS) agenda. To them, it's the male creators who have abused Lois and left her in the sidelines throughout the New 52 only to use her poorly and unwisely when she does play a role in Superman comics.

Well, for that I don't care, that's their problem. But I least it will make more sense.
I personally won't be satisfied with mind-control, since just now with Doomed we good the same.

I also think Xa-du..This man just wants to make suffer superman

He manipulated the woman I stabbed Clark and the others assasins... because no Lois? While indecisive he gave him a shove... At the very end of the ANNUAL it was saying that things would continue in June .. Let that not just manipulate all I wanted ..

But how to fix the truth? traveling back in time? I think Smallville was, Lois forget the first time I knew Clark's secret.

Xa-Du is definitely one of the main suspects.

So yes the Annual showed that he is involved somehow.

Mxyzptlk will appear and fix everything, count on it :P

Well, I will trust in him. See the truth well, but only one saga. Superman cape and truth together no.

I am trying to understand. Can you repeat that last sentence?

Ones a loose canon Superhero who recently got a major power zap, the other is a by the books cop who now has a robot suit. Tune into the hit new cop show to see these two butt heads while fighting crime

Goodbye "Truth", in the next saga, everything back the way they were.. Superman will Superman again no Clark Kent/Superman...It is what I want.

"Truth" is the epitome of temporary change so you don't have to worry about it. It will return to normal in the next arc.

OK. Thanks..Is a good notice.. I have seen the cover of Deathstroke 9 of august, Clark dressed as Superman... It may be the End of "the Truth"..

Mind control and mental powers is almost a trope in recent Superman comics in of itself. The Psi-War arc had a 3 way telepathic war between the HIVE Queen, Hector Hammond and Psycho Pirate. Doomed featured a Brainiac controlled Lois Lane with mental powers and the Doomsday Virus trying to take control of Superman. Horrorville had those Smallville citizens who gained telepathic powers from the Phantom Zone. And Batman/Superman Annual #2 had Xa-Du use subtle mental powers to send villains after Superman and make that woman stab Clark. At this point, it really is just more of the same plots and types of stories for Superman at this point, I wouldn't mind some variety once in a while where Superman faces more physical threats.

We can only hope for that right now, especially since Pak said these changes are affecting Superman going forward. I'm not looking forward to Superman's post Truth status quo either.

Ιts probably before Truth. Since Wonder Woman is dressed in her current costume too.

It depends on what "Truth" is. Is it the complete tale of revelation of the identity,the power loss and the return to normal. Or just the first and the return of the powers.

I think the only thing that will probably continue after Truth is Lee. I think the whole point of a whole year "Truth" is that it will tell the story of a Superman who lacks the Clark identity only to gain it in the end.

well, but it might end Deathstroke 9 gets his powers and can be Superman again..

Xa-du if you are the culpable many will hate you forever ..unlike what Joker did to Barbara .. This can not end well(like oracle) in any form.. "the Truth" change the life of Superman..

Anyway, the hero I admire most is Batman ... I have to thank that he will return one day, exactly like before, no changes...

If Gordon stays armor, goodbye commissar(nothing will be as before..) but Batman will again be Batman with Bruce Wayne, Gordon should find another name for armor ..

@vickbat: @squalleon:

At this point I believe Xa-Du is most likely the one responsible for at least Lois strange behavior. And by strange behavior, I mean the betrayal.

Has for Superman powers going haywire, if it was only him I'd have a ton of theories. But seeing that both Superman and Supergirl, had the same problem, or at least that's what DC made to look. The only explanation that most likely fills the bills, is that their forced trip to Kandor and Superman detonating Batman, stick with red sun matter, did more damage than they initially realized. At the time they said that all Kandorians within the range of the explosion, had most likely lost their powers permanently, and both Kal and Kara seemed unaffected. Maybe they were wrong. And this lost of power is simply showing that.

Kinda like a bonus for Xa-Du. DC wanted to make Xa-Du, Superman's Joker. And normally in Batman comics the Joker has plans inside plans, inside plans.

His new power level does seem rather inconsistent throughout the various sneak peeks. In the other one he was still clearly superhuman while here, he looks like he is barely above peak human or something.

I disagree, he doesn't look weaker in any of them. He looks about Golden Age level in all.

In B/S he has trouble with Batman and he is afraid of hurting his arm when he tries to turn with the motorcycle. Its far from getting hit by a truck in Superman and leave unharmed and standing up to the fortress of solitude enough to rip the indestructible cape and break a huge amount of ground in AC.

You never know. She may do it willingly. I hope not, because I imagine that if I new the secret ID of the world's greatest hero, I would first wonder why he has one.

I think the power loss may be a coincidence. I think it would be mentioned at this point that Supergirl will be part of the storyline too.

I personally hate the term "Superman's Joker". And I think it degrades Xa-Du.

It could be a combination of all those story possibilities wrapped into one yearlong story. Which could most likely result in some rushed stories and unresolved plot points.

There are enough characters in the Superman Family to be working with, why should Lee remain post Truth? It's just like Lobdell's aborted Generation X concept Kid Doomsday or whatever having a comic whereas Supergirl, Superboy, Steel and even Hiro/Toyman don't have a solo series, or regular series to their name.

I prefer to be rushed rather than have to deal with this premise for years :P I imagine after the fiascoes that were Lobdell and Johns dropped run, DC would prefer to play it safe rather than try something like these. Personally I prefer some normal writing before something like Truth.

Well, if she is his character he will definitely give her focus. Like Lupe on Greg Rucka's run. Hiro is also kind of "his" character too. As to way she should get more focus other than his preference, it is because maybe someone other wants to tackle the aforementioned characters or maybe they don't fit in any story.

I prefer if the family doesn't play much in Superman's stories. I don't like Superman with a sidekick it never works as right as Superman solo. Superman is better when he interacts with normal humans rather than other meta-humans imo.

@squalleon: I'd rather Truth gets rushed in a few months and be done with rather than it lasting for an entire year of Superman stories. But considering Johns and Lobdell's runs were status quo changing risks in of themselves, I'm still unsure why DC are repeating the same formula again for Truth.

Who's Lupe? I can see Hiro being used a lot though, Pak writes him waay too much like Amadeus Cho for obvious reasons. They might be kind of similar in personality but it's clear why Pak is using Hiro in some of his stories.

Yeah a Superman sidekick doesn't work as well as Batman or Wonder Woman mentoring a protege. But if done right, Team Superman has some story potential for a few arcs or mini series. Nonetheless, I agree Superman's character interactions definitely play off better with normal humans rather than superhumans, that's an area current Superman comics could stand to improve on.

Its just since Morrison ended, we only got mediocre stories and a lot of disappointment like Diggle and Johns. That's why I prefer consistency to risky storytelling of repetitive tropes at this point.

She is the Lt. of Metropolis Special Crime Unit. She is called Lupe Teresa Leocardio. So in some way she is another L.L. character. It seems everyone wants to introduce one of them :P I think Hiro is a bit more playful than Amadeus but he is almost exactly like Cho. He is also asian, so it also has to do with diversity reasons since Pak is half-Korean himself.

At least I see that in the main Superman titles during "Truth" the main titles have to do with normal folk, Jimmy, Lois, the metropolis police, Lee Lambert.

@squalleon:

""I personally hate the term "Superman's Joker". And I think it degrades Xa-Du.""

I never said I liked the terms also. I don't. Xa-Du is the Phantom King, and that's that. Not a copycat of the Joker. He's his own villainous self.

""I think the power loss may be a coincidence. I think it would be mentioned at this point that Supergirl will be part of the storyline too.""

Not necessarily. With the TV series coming out, and all that, they might have shown that last scene on the last issue, just to point Us in the right direction. After all I haven't read anything about Supergirl comics for quite a while. Are they dropping it? Is it just a pause?... DC has been very quiet about the subject.

""You never know. She may do it willingly. I hope not, because I imagine that if I new the secret ID of the world's greatest hero, I would first wonder why he has one.""

I mainly believe that she'll do it willingly. That in her mind, the fact that her best friend kept such secret from her, it's from her point of view a betrayal on itself. But after reading some of the stuff Lois fanbase has been writing, I can't also rule out the possibility of Lois not having any direct responsability for the exposure. Maybe she writes the article but sits on it, and someone else releases it for her or even Perry stumbles upon the article by chance and decides to run it without Lois knowledge. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt until the comics start coming out.

Could be remembering it wrong but in the other sneak peek, the one where he was eating with Jimmy and that guy attacked them, he seemed stronger. To me anyway.