10 Things Everyone Always Gets Wrong About Superman

8. He Can't Be Written As Dark

One common complaint among critics of Man of Steel was that it was too dark for a Superman film. As Zack Snyder pointed out, though, these people weren't Superman fans - they were Christopher Reeve fans. The collaborations between Reeve and Donner will forever be remembered for their heart, charm, and epicness in making us believe a man could fly, but they had the negative side effect of creating this misconception that Superman could only be written as a lighthearted, goody two-shoes character, which simply isn't the case. As stated before, Superman is a much more complicated character than most readers tend to give him credit for, and a few writers have taken to exploring the more depressing elements of his mythology in acclaimed storylines. Alan Moore once again helped kickstart things with his epilogue/love letter to the Superman comics "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?". While paying homage to the Silver Age, the story dealt with the superhero fighting against an onslaught of his rogue's gallery after they discover his secret identity, and ended with a haunting finale that convinced everyone the Modern Age would be much darker. The Azzarello/Lee collaboration For Tomorrow dealt with a morose Superman depressed over his inability to prevent the disappearance of over a million people, Lois Lane included. So clouded is Clark's mind he even ends up in a fight with Wonder Woman. This isn't just limited to his mainstream appearances though. In two Batman arcs, The Dark Knight Returns and Hush, his more sinister side was showcased once again. Even Grant Morrison's gleefully expressive All-Star Superman series had its downsides as Superman spends his final days trying to ensure the world he leaves behind will be prepared for future dangers. So you see, this misconception that lead to many negative reviews of Man of Steel doesn't have as much grounding as audiences would like to think. Superman has plenty of shades of grey that a good writer can easily pick up on without sacrificing his core characterisation, as Scott Lobdell has unfortunately done with the New 52.