I think he should be. Being from a race of advanced people I would prefer him super smart , a fast learner with all the bells and whistles that come along with it.

He would not gloat or anything but I would like to see him build things to solve problems and so fourth.

Has he done any of that lately?

He read every medical textbook in a span of a few minutes. He has extremely high information processing speeds.

wow awesome

@arthurkerr

yes he is, however you can see this respect thread:

http://www.comicvine.com/superman/4005-1807/forums/new-52-superman-capability-thread-1628483/#116

if you see the end of the post # 43 you can see that there is whole section dedicated at his intellect and operational capability.

Unfortunetaly we haven't seen, him use much of his brains for quite some time.

For the exception of him learning total human medical knowledge in a matter of minutes, and processing the data of all the types of telescopes in the world in a matter of seconds; we never again saw him use his super-brain in other situations where it could've been of use.

Like during fights and when confronted with problematic situations.

Ιt always depends on the writer. Morrison is the only one who clearly touched on his intellect. And while Lobdell's supposedly was, we never clearly saw it.

@squalleon:

Yeah. Lobdell's mention of Superman untapped psionic power, was really good. But unfortunately he never went beyond that.

Maybe because DC was already thinking of introducing the solar flare power, although in my opinion having Superman awaken and use those psionic powers would've been more useful than having a power that regardless of the intensity he uses it, he gets depowered.

Nah. Lobdell, didn't go for it because he just didn't plan it. The idea of solar flare came along after JRJR had already signed for Superman AND Johns came on board.

@squalleon:

Either way, it was a great waste of something that had serious potential.

More so because the solar-flare power is revealing to be the most stupid, less credible power Superman has.

Even less credible than talking in the vaccum of space. At least there, I can assume that Superman isn't actually speaking like we do, but just has he can see in the entire EM spectrum, then my theory is that he can modulate his vocal cords to transmit at specific frequencies. Like for example when he's talking to his JL communicator, he modulates his vocal cords to the frequency of the communicator, and when he's talking with another kryptonian they can simply modulate to radio frequency or anyother and has such "talk" to one another.

But the solar-flare... At first the big question was, given Superman power levels and that he released all his stored energy, why wasn't the explosion way bigger. But we had to take into account that he had survived a planet blowing up, and that Ulysses was trying to drain him of his energy. But the second time... He only had to dissipate the Doomsday mist, and he didn't created nowhere near the same level of destruction he caused the first time, so one has to assume he used much less energy, but still he ended up depowered.

Strange!?.... No. Just simple idiocy.

Not when Batman is around. He need Batman to explain to him everything in the N52, even how his powers work.

Even though he has a super-computer...built by Jor-El.

Or Hiro or Doc. Veritas or or or. New 52 Superman has literally always someone to do his thinking for him.

@squalleon: Veritas is gone. Lobdell didn't even give her an origin. =D

Actually he did. A half-a$$sed one :P

@squalleon: what was it?

She was a regular scientist that Superman saved from a black hole or something and as a result she and her colleagues all look the same (Varitas' original appearance). Stupid, I know.

@squalleon: Souns Lobdell enough.

@superguy1591: @squalleon:

Actually it wasn't a black hole but something called the sea of maelstrom. Whatever that is.

And Shay did have some serious potential. Removing her, was another one of DC greatest mistakes in the N52. Before the relationship between Kal and Diana, I actually believed that Shay had the potential to fill in the spot left open by Lois. And incredible enough with all the Origins comics not one had her origin story.

Also she was somehow bound to the Block. And she couldn't leave it without wearing a special suit has seen at the end of Doomed. The why her assistants all looked like her, they never clarified if it was some kind of defense mechanism, she put in place to protect herself or if it was a result of her connection/bound to the Block. After all neither Superman nor Supergirl looked like Shay.

But yeah, Superman in the pre-N52 was much more independent in terms of the scientific stuff. Now, he just relays too much on Bruce, Hiro or Shay (I still hope she'll return). To the point where Bruce knows more about Superman powers than he does. Has seen in Unchained.

@heavenlydarkdragon: Not just Unchained, Batman had to explain his powers to him in Johns' run too.

It's like they went for a younger Superman and thought that youth equals "needs people to hold his hands along the way" instead of a less mature version of Superman.

Brash Superman made sense, stupid Superman does not.

We've all gone through this before. Writers are much more comfortable writing Superman as either dumb muscle or just somewhat clever. They are intimidated by the thought of Superman actually using his full potential. It's practically why Superman has that Superflare in the first place.

The only people that I can think on the top of my head that actually write him as smart as he is strong is Grant Morrison.

(I don't count Scott Lobdell because he sucks...)