Warning: Spoilers for Black Lightning (2024) #2 ahead!There is no doubt thatSuperman, DC’s “Big Blue Boy Scout,” is the heart and soul of theDC Universe: a hero whose indefatigable strength is only matched by his seemingly boundless compassion. Yet this can have a deleterious effect on those who have to put up with it day after day, as a surprising argument has formed around how healthySuperman really is for the DC Universe.
Black Lightning (2024)#2 – written by Brandon Thomas, with art by Fico Ossio – initially finds Anissa Pierce, aka Thunder, in therapy reckoning with theaftermath of DC’sAbsolute Powerevent. She laments how her father, Black Lightning, always seems to make perfect choices. Later, local politician Councilman Harriman rails against all metahumans, except for, explicitly, Superman.
The two scenes make a compelling argument about the high moral standardset by Superman and Black Lightningcan have the side effect of demoralizing “lesser” heroes, making it difficult for the public to trust other metahumans.
DC Is Finally Confronting A Question Readers Have Asked For Years: Is Superman Too Perfect?
Black Lightning (2024)#2 – Written By Brandon Thomas; Art By Fico Ossio; Color By Ulises Arreola; Lettiner By Lucas Gattoni
Pushback against Superman’s seemingly infinite goodness is nothing new. Perhaps the most notable example would be Zack Snyder’s 2013 film,Man of Steel, infamous for postulating a Superman with a far more volatile disposition, leading to controversy when Superman executes his nemesis, General Zod, in the film’s climax. This philosophy of heroes being “no better than the rest of us” would go on toheavily influence Zack Snyder’s shaping of the DCUfilmography as a whole. While this vision is arguably excessively grim,it acknowledges the difficulty in relating to heroes who are frustratingly and unerringly perfect.
Thanks, DC: I Am Never, Ever Getting Over Superman’s Tragic New Origin Story
Superman already had one of the saddest origin stories in the DC Universe, but the latest addition to his background gives it a tragic twist.
Additionally, Anissa and Harriman’s frustration with Superman and Black Lightning has roots in real psychological studies. The psychology of comparison shows that people commonly judge themselves by what they perceive to be the standards set by others. When those standards are too high, it can lead to the demotivating impression that matching them is impossible and that even attempting to do so is futile. Harriman’s complaint expresses the opposite end of this comparison, where the standard set by Superman’s conduct is so high that the Councilman refuses to accept anything less than perfection as permissible by other heroes.
By Setting An Impossibly High Standard, Superman Makes Being A Hero Harder For The Rest Of The DC Universe
The Perils Of Trying To Live Up To The Man Of Steel’s Example
While it is better to have heroes with strong ethical fiber than not, it is important to acknowledge that constant comparison to such high standards comes with real psychological drawbacks. It is difficult to accept that being able to give a kind word or a hug has equal merit in a world where there are people who can singlehandedly save entire planets. When such high standards set the bar for the superhero community,the backlash can spur otherwise good heroes like Anissa into apathy or stir into discontent that allows tyrants like Amanda Waller to rise to power.
Superman may be an unequivocal force for good in the DC Universe, but readers can’t pretend that such a force doesn’t have consequences.
It may seem silly to argue against DC’s greatest role models in a world where there are definite and absolute evils for them to confront, butBlack Lightning#2 acknowledges that even the brightest light casts shadows. Harriman may be arguing in bad faith, but his actions still have consequences for the entire world; likewise, Anissa’s reluctance to act in the face of her father’s perceived perfection robs the world of another powerful hero.Supermanmay be an unequivocal force for goodin theDC Universe,but readers can’t pretend that such a force doesn’t have consequences.
Black Lightning (2024)#2 is available now from DC Comics.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
