10 Smartest Decisions In DC Superhero History
6. Rebooting Superman - John Byrne's Man Of Steel
One thing that those not among the comics faithful may not realise is that many of the depictions of comic book characters we would consider most definitive are not the original ones.
While Bob Kane and Bill Finger's formula for Batman was successful, it wasn't until Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers came along in the 1970s that many of the character's most defining aspects were introduced. The same goes for Marvel's X-Men, with the original Stan Lee-Jack Kirby comics lacking many of the characters and elements that would turn the mutants into a global powerhouse; the publisher would have to wait for the creative duo of Chris Claremont and John Byrne for that.
Speaking of Byrne, it's also largely him who we have to thank for the definitive incarnation of Superman, along with the likes of Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve, whose 1978 portrayal so effortlessly captured the warmth and majesty of the character.
Byrne's work on Supes came in the wake of 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths, which rebooted the then ludicrously convoluted DC multiverse in order to create one, streamlined continuity. A number of changes were implemented, but the Man of Steel saw the biggest focus, with the reboot having been implemented in part due to the character's near unending array of superpowers, as well as his convoluted backstory and supporting cast.
Byrne managed to deftly distil the character's history into the new continuity, and in turn redefine several aspects of Supes' mythology. Later creators would roll back some of his changes, but in the decades since, no one has quite managed to leave as big an imprint on the character.