@@Superlad945 apparently the reason the silver age was named earth-1 was because of a mix, so if things worked out how they should've we'd be thinking of barry, hal and the entire silver age of dc as earth-2.
I find this comparison really strange because there are so many different varieties of shark that all look incredibly different. Nurse sharks, hammerhead sharks, great whites, kitefin sharks, sand sharks, which one of these do you think is perfectly designed, and then I still am going to bring up that it clearly does change because of all the varieties
*Fun fact:* The original Red and Blue Superman would re-appear in a cameo during the "Infinite Crisis" event, along with other forgotten Silver Age characters like the original Crime Syndicate, when Alexander Luthor tries to restore the original Multiverse
Red and blue superman also appeared in an episode of “Justice League action” cartoon. Along with red and blue Batman, Wonder Woman, and Lex Luther. Unfortunately no red and blue green arrow though.
@@DrLynch2009 if they were going to fuse pre and post new 52 superman anyways, why bother killing off new 52 superman and replacing him with post-crisis superman? Just have the red and blue fusion happen before the death of new 52 superman story.
I never once believed it would be a permanent change. Did anyone? I enjoyed it while it lasted. I even collected the action figures based on Electric Blue and Red Superman.
I had stopped reading comics frequently back then (I think I bought less than 10 comics between 1992 up to that point) Electric Superman is what got me back in full time. I thought it was going to be permanent, giving him a new look for the late 90's going into the new millennium. I loved the new look, I have no problem with the original costume but the changes were fine with me, even the N52 costume and the Rebirth was welcomed.
I hated the blue/red SUPES,but,I always was a self-righteous prick. LOL. At least that's what my sgts told me in the army. LOL.And I told them they tin-plated,wind-up toy soldiers with a GOD complex. OUCH.I even got into a fight with my platoon sgt,we didn't like each other. I WON the FIGHT. LOL.
I feel that, despite it not working well for Superman, it’s worked pretty well with all the other characters it’s been given to. Lana as Superwoman was fun. Jon having electric blue powers makes him stand out a bit from his dad. Livewire using the blue suit is also neat. I know there’s people who love Red and Blue for Clark, but imo it’s fine if it’s just a phase for him.
I've always thought that the switch to Electric Blue Superman was a rather random and strange choice, so I really appreciate the explanation behind the change. Great video!
I feel that most of the regular writers on Superman, like Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel and Louise Simonson, didn't know what to do with Superman Blue. The only writer who impressed me during this period was Grant Morrison on JLA. Not only did Morrison figure out a plausible way for Superman Blue to move the Moon, but in a story set during JLA #5, published in JLA Secret File #1, Morrison had Superman Blue audition for the League. In this audition Superman Blue shows off just what Morrison felt could be done in interesting ways with this power set.
Which is hilarious because the other folks were the ones in on the meeting deciding it, and Morrison was basically just dumped with the idea and told to make it work. I enjoy JLA, but there is a disjointed-ness for me due to editorial decisions and status quo shifts: okay Superman's blue now, okay he's back to normal but Wonder Woman is now Hippolyta cause Diana's dead, okay you're used to Connor Hawke and Aztek, well they're gone and now we have Plastic Man, Huntress and the New Gods. I loved a lot of the individual storylines and big ideas, but I don't think it ever amounted to more than just a collection of cool moments. I'd put it mid tier Morrison, which is still miles above most comic writers' best stories.
I vividly remember blue suit superman, not because i was reading comics then, but just because of how much it seemed to impact things. I remember seeing Blue everywhere. Truthfully i never knew anything about it besides the costume. Personally I really liked it, but the justification and result seems very one note. Blue as his own character with interesting adventures and antagonists would be cool, just have the S as a similar justification as Steel.
The story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is definitely one of the best and most emotional comic book stories ever written. Alan Moore paid a magnificent final tribute to the dying Silver Age's continuity by deconstructing the silly tropes of that era in the same style he would use years later while writing Watchmen, showing us an emotionally broken and utterly powerless Superman uncapable of stopping the sudden tragedies that are affecting him and his loved ones, and the villains acting in a much darker way than their Comic Code Authority politically correct versions. Apart from that, the fact Silver Age Superman author Curt Swan himself made the art of this final classic story makes the experience much more emotional. This story is so satisfying and conclusive that it makes the last episode of Dragon Ball GT look like Lost in comparison.
gt's a series of wasted potential but damn if that ending doesn't conclude dragon ball (not gt, gt didn't do anything to improve that ending) in the best way possible. Also, I love how WHTTMOT? manages to make a "Imaginary story" possibly canon with the line "this is an imaginary story, but aren't they all?" Its easily the best ending for silver age superman and maybe the best superman ending ever.
I've always been fascinated by the design change. I think it looks amazing. It doesn't work as a permanent change, but looking at it like an episodic event in the character's history is amazing to me.
I loved this period, the additions and drawbacks to his powers were a fun wrinkle and wound up a refreshing change that actually enhanced my appreciation for the classic form. Bringing it back every once in a while can be fun.
@@dn22pkkdd476 I know it's popular to hate a new concept on an established idea but If Its something I like, I'll always share my enjoyment of it . Nothing's ever gonna change my honesty on that .
I loved Superman Blue. I never for a moment though it would be the new status quo forever, and I greatly enjoyed Superman having to think of ways of using his new esoteric powers to save people after years of being used to his original power set. There's a good reason I remember WAY more stories from this era than from the ones immediately preceding and/or following it.
As someone who only follows DC superficially, the Red & Blue era of Superman was very strange and I just let it pass me by. Thanks for the great video summing it up! It’s as though it condenses all of the 90’s comic book sensibilities into one odd storyline
I always thought that superman blue is a transition between a Kryptonian and the phenomenon that made Dr. Manhattan, and I was hoping Doomsday Clock was going to confirm.
This is one I've wanted to see for a while, and I wanted to read it for myself, but I couldn't find any collections or even a reading order online, so I'm pretty happy to see this one from you! My friend is not as into comics as I am, but he likes to watch comic videos about the history and whatnot. He has some physical issues, but he has a lot of Valiant and stuff like that. I know you're probably very busy, but could you possibly look into a comic called Hard Corps? He's interested in it and asked if I knew anyone who'd made a video on it, but I couldn't find any. Anyway, thanks for another great video!
Great video mate! I remember when this was mainstream news in the UK and there was a whole segment on it on the News at Ten. I have their first comic of these somewhere!
DC has been dedicated to ruining him since TDKR became the recurring Status Quo and it was deemed that Byrne’ing everything about him to make him more palatable to people who never liked him was a good idea. Morrison’s JLA Take on Blue Supes wrestling Angels with ease proved that he understood the essence behind the character meant more than the costumed packaging
I remember a news cast when they changed his look and they said it was an odd choice because the Superman S was the second most recognized symbol worldwide, after the cross.
I like how Superman has this weird connection to electricity. Lightning can transfer his powers, That Livewire episode empowering a villain by hitting her and him at the same time. I think I read an issue once where he was hit by a bolt and it messed him up (but I can't remember which one and I was a kid, so I may be remembering wrong). I wish DC would make it an official weakness. Not just that "lightning hurts him" but more like it makes his powers glitch out.
Red and Blue Superman remain one of my favorite incarnations of the character. After Death and Return, this was an interesting side story. What’s killing the character is Hollywood believing they “understand” him, when they obviously don’t.
As a Superman fan since I was a lad, I loved Superman Blue. The costume change and different powers were exciting because the core of the character remained the same. I bought every issue of Superman Blue I came across. But when Superman Red came out, I was so mad that I tuned out completely.
gotta say, as an 8 year old comic book fan that used to spend an hour every week choosing what to spend my £5 pocket money on, the first time I saw the Electric Blue Superman, I was blown away. It was cool
I missed out on this when it happened. My mom was in the midst of a religious fervor and comics (among many other things) were outlawed. To me this seems a bit like when Marvel made the Hulk gray again in the 80s, which is my favorite version of Hulk. Sometimes changes like this work out, sometimes not. Maybe instead of splitting into two Supermen, the more he used his powers or if he turned the power up too high he'd change into Superman Red. Or maybe every time he turned his powers on he never knew if he'd become blue or red? I didn't dislike what I saw in this video, I'll look into it and see if I can pick up any trade paperbacks with Superman Blue. Thank you for the vid, I really enjoyed it.
Personally, if I had the task of majorly shaking up superman, I would've had conner kent become the new superman (kind of like knightfall). Clark's ability to discharge solar energy from his body expands beyond his eyes and during a battle he looses control, releasing all his solar energy at once and destroying a city, also depowering him for a short while. Devastated, clark decides to leave earth to master his new powers and passes on the mantle to conner, with him becoming earth's superman. This way, you can break up the 4 superman comics into multiple different stories. Superman follow's conner grappling with his responsibility on earth, meanwhile you can have space adventures with clark as he masters his new energy blasts, able to shoot them from his hands like starfire, meaning that when clark inevitably returns to earth and conner becomes superboy again, you can still have a lasting impact by giving superman a new ability that isn't totally random.
Thank you for making this video. I always have seen this around, but never could make sense of it. Just that this is the coolest looking Superman I have ever seen. Now I see the correlation to SSJ4 Goku and Superman Blue. Aesthetically cool concepts with loads of potential from the 90s that writers give to everyone for sale boosts, poor story execution that makes their stay underwhelming. Personally, I see a lot of fun potential with the light spectrum powers and abilities, especially since Clark has been showing more bio-electricity recently. Clark struggling as he learns to control. Even the rivalry between Red and Blue. There should be a universe where this is permanent change. On top of my head. The Blue and Red rivalry could be rebooted and expanded by tieing it with Clark's half brother Tal-Rho aka Morgan Edge, who was recently introduced in the CW's Superman and Lois. This could be used to highlight them as foils, but also for Tal-Rho's redemption arc becoming a Superman, maybe ending with a Heroic sacrifice that ultimately returns the status quo. They could have a brother rivalry as they teach themselves how to use the abillities and inadvertenly helping each other with aspects they are struggling with or just hadn't ocured to them as chances for familial bonding and reconciliation. Superman Blue taking notes from My Adventures with Superman, where we can really focus on Superman's struggle as he learns these new abilities inside and out through lots of trials and errors. Also, as an extenstion of the Bio-Electricity. Livewire could be the villain to fit with the theme who is drowning herself in the power like a drug. Maybe when Superman Blue starts going down a negative story arc he becomes Superman Red before eventually evening out. A story not simply about responsibility, but everything Superman. Truth of the matter, justice are the consequences of mistakes made both willingly and unwillingly, and hope for a better tomorrow as everyone adapts to these changes. Maybe plant some seeds for a Live Wire redemption or a chance to return back to normalcy. Maybe he even seeks the aid of Static Shock as Static had to figure out his powers on his own without a mentor, so acting like a mentor to Big Blue has character potential for Static as well. I also just like the concept of Superman Blue and Red marrying Lois Lane and the other marrying Lana Lang. In a way it could turn into a Ben Reily scenario where the doppelgangers develop individuality and having that explored with both main love interests would be really interesting. No matter if the Blue and Red Supermen emerge from a split Alternatively, both Blue and Red could be forms that are restricted to different aspects of Superman's powersets. Doesn't matter if the writer goes with restricting the Light Spectrum to the 2 forms or it can shift from Light powers to classic powers. But I like the idea that this is a form that Superman places on himself, either to better control his power or place limiters on himself.
As a kid around 11 years old (when it was released in my country) I actually really loved "Zapp-Supes". Thought it was a cool storyarc and really got me into the comics more seriously than ever before. Around the same time No Man's Land was published in my country, so both my favorite heroes had a lot going on in their lives, which I think I could also relate to after arriving at high school (or our equivalent of that) and starting to get Into puberty and all that. Retrospectively, knowing what I know now it boggles my mind that this ever happened 😅
I liked the Superman Red/Blue storyline, and never believed it would be a permanent change. The change provided some interesting stories something that is needed with a character that 85+ years old.
I think that there is a character in the Superman Mythos that the Electric Blue powers would be perfect for: The Eradicator. It was originally a computer program, so it somehow surviving it's death in Coast City by turning to energy, and it taking decades to reconstruct itself a la Dr. Manhattan seems like a great way to bring back both the character and the powers.
I liked the stories and the Costume. We all knew it wouldn’t be permeant but it was cool for a little while. I also loved Jean Paul Valley as Batman, Az-Bats was my favorite 90’s redesign
I felt at the time it was just the newest sales booster. We had just gone through the "Death" so even though they said they didn't plan to bring back the old look we always knew he'd be back. Once they got to the Red/Blue phase I thought it was cool. Jon Bogdanov drew an awesome electric Supes and I told him so a comic show.
Excellent video review i understand why grant Morrison has been so adimant with change especially when it came to superman but un his jla run he was able to have superman blue use his powers in interesting ways
If I'm being honest the Electric blue Superman would be the perfect incarnation for a video game given that when he was in that state he lost his invulnerability Because he was stuck in a containment suit.
I know I didn't grow up in the 90's when Superman blue premiered but I really enjoyed Superman blue I never thought it was gonna be a permanent change it was just something that was great while it lasted And I understand not everyone loved this storyline after reading it I've always felt deeply fascinated by this storyline Because of the fact Superman had electrical superpowers I realize that this story may not be as great as the death and return of Superman but we can all look back on this fondly and remember some great moments and elements that came out of this storyline
From the little that I have read of it, I really like Electric Blue Superman. The costume and power change is cool as hell, and the idea that he becomes essentially human when not powered up was just ripe of drama and story potential
Great video, as always! As much as I’m a huge Superfan, I’ve never read Superman Blue stuff. It seems uninteresting to me for the same reason the whole Post-Crisis (80s/90s) Supes does: it’s too ashamed of being “silly” to explore the premise’s full potential, to get as weird and big as the coolest Superman stuff usually is. From what I can gather, we don’t get deep into how his new super-senses changed his perceptions and limits, a new Fortress of Solitude adapted to his new capabilities, new relations with Kryptonite, an Electric Bizarro Superman, or stuff like that. The Red and Blue divide could’ve reflected different eras of Supes, different power scales for more grounded/ more cosmic stories, anything beyond “angry one/collected one”. Could’ve been an interesting temporary experiment if it went beyond “the basic superhero stuff but crackling this time”, I guess
When Electric Blue and Red Superman first came out, I stopped reading it. He wasn't even technically a physical being anymore. He was now living energy. I hated it.
Gimmicky? Yea, 100%. It was the 90's we were kinda getting used to it. The design was cool tho. I was reading the new JLA book at the time and remembered being like OK, I kno its not gonna stick, so let's just have fun with it and see where this is going.
I thought blue and red was a fantastic redux of the 60’s blue and red story. I also kind of liked that it pissed a lot of people off when it clearly wasn’t permanent.
There's one element of that year I'm glad you pointed out. I remember there being NO clear explanation for how Superman became electric; NO clear explanation for how he split in two; and NO clear explanation for his he was restored. I call that SLOPPY WRITING. I was also really bored by how they were doing year-long storylines in which virtually nothing happened in any given episode. It was like 1st-season ROCKY & BULLWINKLE stories that went on for 40 episodes apiece, except, at least, those were funny.
They also incorporated the Red/blue Superman dynamic in one of his Rebirth titles. Apparently new 52 was red and post crisis is blue. They fused into a new Superman that had the memory of both
Not gonna lie, this is probably one of my favorite Superman runs for the fact that it at least tried something new and lighthearted. I'd rather have fun and wholesome Silver Age fun instead of continuous edgy, dark material that only seems to get traction by current fads or political controversies.
I've heard about this Superman Red/Blue thing for years (hell, I saw a newspaper article on it when I was a kid), but never knew what the hell it actually was and what happened.
what's awesome is even though it wasn't meant to be for Clark himself, the Red and Blue symbol stuck around on Kara as the Zor-El design for the House of El, and the powers have been gifted to his son Jon as a sort of power boost. I kinda love it.
The REAL truth about the 90's version of Superman Red and Superman Blue was the fact that the families of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were suing DC once again. This is ALSO the reason why DC created the New52.
I think i was one of the few readers that enjoyed the change up. They got my attention once again after only a few short years earlier shaking things up with the reign of Supermen. Great synopsis here!
Ya know what? Morrison and Porter made Blue Supes work pretty damn good. I started collecting those JLA books in the late 00's/early 10's and it was the first time I had a book with the fabled electric blue Superman I heard about from my friends when I was a kid. Morrison had some fun with Superman adapting and learning about what he's capable of and Porter.. well, he just drew the hell out of it like he always did. Shout out to John Dell too and the colorist, whose name escapes me.
You could even argue that what Dan slott did with superior spiderman by changing the fundamental character instead of the powers was more successful than electric blue superman, of course that could be chalked up to comic interest changing from the 90s to 2010s
This storyline happened during the height of my collecting. I had every issue, and I HATED every one. I actually bought the variant foil covered Superman Forever because I was SO glad it was over!
It's so difficult, on the one hand I understand the desire to shake up the status quo, especially when sales are going down, on the other hand every time writers shake it up too much I think most readers just can't wait for it to end.
I remember one thing they did during this arch that kept me interested was giving Perry White cancer. I cared so much about that storyline that I tolerated this bizarre chapter in Superman’s history
I really did like Superman Blue and Superman Red. More so, like with every drastic changes in comics, it was obvious that things would return to the original state.
Id also love to see a video regarding the wasted potential and marvel forgetting nova's exists in general becuase sam alexander hasnt been seen since champions other than his appearance in marvel voices recently and rich rider hasnt appeared since marvel 1000 and annihilation scurge
I remember buying this comic when it came out, and thinking it was some crazy new beginning that would be considered a huge milestone down the line. So this was one of the few comics that I saved in its cardboard-backed plastic sleeve, thinking it would be worth big money some day. Now I bet hardly anyone remembers it.
I first read about "Electric Blue Superman" in an "Off-topic" section of an old Mega Man fan site a long time ago, with the writer basically saying "What were they thinking!" and they even cited the Silver Age story it was derived from. Personally, I have no idea why they even made the change, considering Superman's powers and costume were already iconic at that point.
Have you already covered the Injustice comics? Jon is currently in that universe chasing Ultraman, and using and learning about his new, blue electric powers.
I personally liked Superman Blue. I knew that it wouldn't last forever, but it was fun for the year or so that it did. It was interesting seeing Superman have to figure out how to defeat old villains with his new powers. I still own a few Superman comics with Superman Blue in them from 97' and '98
This is one if the examples of what mad dc polarizing in the 90s this and stripping wonder woman of her status again as well as killing the gl corps. I can go on and on
Thank you for this video. This stuff happened right when i got into comic books. So this Version of superman was the one i got to know first.. hated it.
An opportunity was missed here. For example, they might have had only Superman Blue revert to normal but kept Superman Red intact. That would allow the writers to have their cake and eat it too. Future interactions between the Supermen would be interesting as Red's personality diverged from OG Clark's. Oh well.
▶ If you enjoyed this video, consider supporting Owen Likes Comics on Patreon:
www.patreon.com/owenlikescomics
I'm really considering being a Patron. You've made great videos and occasionally reply to comments ( which I Definitely appreciate ! )
Silver Age DC editors: "These alternate stories are purely imaginatory"
Alan Moore: "Aren't they all?"
bro single handedly destroyed canon with that one line.
@@Superlad945 apparently the reason the silver age was named earth-1 was because of a mix, so if things worked out how they should've we'd be thinking of barry, hal and the entire silver age of dc as earth-2.
Superman is like crocdiles and sharks. So perfectly designed that it doesn't need to change. And stuff like this only further proves that comparison.
Excellent analogy
True
Also, he can fight giant crocodiles and sharks. Win win!
I find this comparison really strange because there are so many different varieties of shark that all look incredibly different. Nurse sharks, hammerhead sharks, great whites, kitefin sharks, sand sharks, which one of these do you think is perfectly designed, and then I still am going to bring up that it clearly does change because of all the varieties
Well, Grant Morrison said he is "our greatest idea in the history of humankind" soooo
*Fun fact:* The original Red and Blue Superman would re-appear in a cameo during the "Infinite Crisis" event, along with other forgotten Silver Age characters like the original Crime Syndicate, when Alexander Luthor tries to restore the original Multiverse
Red and blue superman also appeared in an episode of “Justice League action” cartoon. Along with red and blue Batman, Wonder Woman, and Lex Luther. Unfortunately no red and blue green arrow though.
It also was used during the Tomasi/Gleason run on Superman to pull an anti-One More to fix the New 52 Superman shit show.
Infinite Crisis was in 2005
@@andrewkind2820 I though infinite crisis was 2006
@@DrLynch2009 if they were going to fuse pre and post new 52 superman anyways, why bother killing off new 52 superman and replacing him with post-crisis superman? Just have the red and blue fusion happen before the death of new 52 superman story.
I never once believed it would be a permanent change. Did anyone? I enjoyed it while it lasted. I even collected the action figures based on Electric Blue and Red Superman.
I didn't know they made toys! Now I want them!
@@drewtodd4471 There’s figures by both Mattel & DC Direct and they both look great
I had stopped reading comics frequently back then (I think I bought less than 10 comics between 1992 up to that point) Electric Superman is what got me back in full time.
I thought it was going to be permanent, giving him a new look for the late 90's going into the new millennium.
I loved the new look, I have no problem with the original costume but the changes were fine with me, even the N52 costume and the Rebirth was welcomed.
I hated the blue/red SUPES,but,I always was a self-righteous prick. LOL. At least that's what my sgts told me in the army. LOL.And I told them they tin-plated,wind-up toy soldiers with a GOD complex. OUCH.I even got into a fight with my platoon sgt,we didn't like each other. I WON the FIGHT. LOL.
I enjoyed the series, but I knew we'd see the true super suit again.
I understand the pushback against it, but i really like the powers and costume of superman blue, he looks amazing. Truly design at its finest.
I want Superman to look like Superman. But as a look, I love it Got no issue with someone else having it :)
I feel that, despite it not working well for Superman, it’s worked pretty well with all the other characters it’s been given to. Lana as Superwoman was fun. Jon having electric blue powers makes him stand out a bit from his dad. Livewire using the blue suit is also neat. I know there’s people who love Red and Blue for Clark, but imo it’s fine if it’s just a phase for him.
I've always thought that the switch to Electric Blue Superman was a rather random and strange choice, so I really appreciate the explanation behind the change. Great video!
I feel that most of the regular writers on Superman, like Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel and Louise Simonson, didn't know what to do with Superman Blue. The only writer who impressed me during this period was Grant Morrison on JLA. Not only did Morrison figure out a plausible way for Superman Blue to move the Moon, but in a story set during JLA #5, published in JLA Secret File #1, Morrison had Superman Blue audition for the League. In this audition Superman Blue shows off just what Morrison felt could be done in interesting ways with this power set.
Which is hilarious because the other folks were the ones in on the meeting deciding it, and Morrison was basically just dumped with the idea and told to make it work. I enjoy JLA, but there is a disjointed-ness for me due to editorial decisions and status quo shifts: okay Superman's blue now, okay he's back to normal but Wonder Woman is now Hippolyta cause Diana's dead, okay you're used to Connor Hawke and Aztek, well they're gone and now we have Plastic Man, Huntress and the New Gods. I loved a lot of the individual storylines and big ideas, but I don't think it ever amounted to more than just a collection of cool moments. I'd put it mid tier Morrison, which is still miles above most comic writers' best stories.
“Superman Blue: Electric Bluegaloo” was certainly an interesting time for the character.
I vividly remember blue suit superman, not because i was reading comics then, but just because of how much it seemed to impact things. I remember seeing Blue everywhere. Truthfully i never knew anything about it besides the costume. Personally I really liked it, but the justification and result seems very one note. Blue as his own character with interesting adventures and antagonists would be cool, just have the S as a similar justification as Steel.
Playing "Resonance" and "If I'm Wrong" - you know how to get me to love a video, Owen!
Did I choose to use exclusively electronic music for a video on Electric Superman?
... Maybe
The story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is definitely one of the best and most emotional comic book stories ever written. Alan Moore paid a magnificent final tribute to the dying Silver Age's continuity by deconstructing the silly tropes of that era in the same style he would use years later while writing Watchmen, showing us an emotionally broken and utterly powerless Superman uncapable of stopping the sudden tragedies that are affecting him and his loved ones, and the villains acting in a much darker way than their Comic Code Authority politically correct versions. Apart from that, the fact Silver Age Superman author Curt Swan himself made the art of this final classic story makes the experience much more emotional. This story is so satisfying and conclusive that it makes the last episode of Dragon Ball GT look like Lost in comparison.
Man fucking hate gt but each time i see the scene of kid goku napping on the dragon I just wanna burst into tears.
gt's a series of wasted potential but damn if that ending doesn't conclude dragon ball (not gt, gt didn't do anything to improve that ending) in the best way possible. Also, I love how WHTTMOT? manages to make a "Imaginary story" possibly canon with the line "this is an imaginary story, but aren't they all?"
Its easily the best ending for silver age superman and maybe the best superman ending ever.
I've always been fascinated by the design change. I think it looks amazing. It doesn't work as a permanent change, but looking at it like an episodic event in the character's history is amazing to me.
I have a few Superman Blue comics and I always considered them weird, till recently I still thought they were located in another earth.
I loved this period, the additions and drawbacks to his powers were a fun wrinkle and wound up a refreshing change that actually enhanced my appreciation for the classic form.
Bringing it back every once in a while can be fun.
This may sound weird but I actually liked the new Superman. It's just when they gave him a red counterpart that got a little weird.
🦸🏻♂️Yeah Red and blue version was confusing and I own them😂
Yea that’s really weird and your in the minority mean
You are a man of class and taste.
@@dn22pkkdd476 I know it's popular to hate a new concept on an established idea but If Its something I like, I'll always share my enjoyment of it . Nothing's ever gonna change my honesty on that .
I actually liked it too
I loved Superman Blue. I never for a moment though it would be the new status quo forever, and I greatly enjoyed Superman having to think of ways of using his new esoteric powers to save people after years of being used to his original power set. There's a good reason I remember WAY more stories from this era than from the ones immediately preceding and/or following it.
I would like to be a fly on the wall for those annual superman meetings.
As someone who only follows DC superficially, the Red & Blue era of Superman was very strange and I just let it pass me by. Thanks for the great video summing it up! It’s as though it condenses all of the 90’s comic book sensibilities into one odd storyline
Can't wait for your video on Superman: Ruby and Sapphire
I always thought that superman blue is a transition between a Kryptonian and the phenomenon that made Dr. Manhattan, and I was hoping Doomsday Clock was going to confirm.
I've never heard of Superman Blue/Red before seeing this video just now. This status quo change is fascinating to me
This is one I've wanted to see for a while, and I wanted to read it for myself, but I couldn't find any collections or even a reading order online, so I'm pretty happy to see this one from you! My friend is not as into comics as I am, but he likes to watch comic videos about the history and whatnot. He has some physical issues, but he has a lot of Valiant and stuff like that. I know you're probably very busy, but could you possibly look into a comic called Hard Corps? He's interested in it and asked if I knew anyone who'd made a video on it, but I couldn't find any. Anyway, thanks for another great video!
Great video mate! I remember when this was mainstream news in the UK and there was a whole segment on it on the News at Ten. I have their first comic of these somewhere!
I completely forgot this existed until I was reading an issue of Peter David's Supergirl where Superman Red appears
DC has been dedicated to ruining him since TDKR became the recurring Status Quo and it was deemed that Byrne’ing everything about him to make him more palatable to people who never liked him was a good idea.
Morrison’s JLA Take on Blue Supes wrestling Angels with ease proved that he understood the essence behind the character meant more than the costumed packaging
Superman Blue looks really cool though. Great video as usual Owen 💙
I remember a news cast when they changed his look and they said it was an odd choice because the Superman S was the second most recognized symbol worldwide, after the cross.
I like how Superman has this weird connection to electricity. Lightning can transfer his powers, That Livewire episode empowering a villain by hitting her and him at the same time. I think I read an issue once where he was hit by a bolt and it messed him up (but I can't remember which one and I was a kid, so I may be remembering wrong). I wish DC would make it an official weakness. Not just that "lightning hurts him" but more like it makes his powers glitch out.
I’m glad you covered red and blue instead of just electric blue. Ty for that.
I actually liked this and i feel like Superman should be able to transform into this version at will, whenever he feels it's necessary.
I have the entire run of this change and love it i liked his new abilities, we all new it wouldnt last but this was fun to me.
Love this storyline. So glad DC did it and would love to see a screen version of it (though I realise that's not going to happen.)
Red and Blue Superman remain one of my favorite incarnations of the character. After Death and Return, this was an interesting side story. What’s killing the character is Hollywood believing they “understand” him, when they obviously don’t.
As a Superman fan since I was a lad, I loved Superman Blue. The costume change and different powers were exciting because the core of the character remained the same. I bought every issue of Superman Blue I came across. But when Superman Red came out, I was so mad that I tuned out completely.
gotta say, as an 8 year old comic book fan that used to spend an hour every week choosing what to spend my £5 pocket money on, the first time I saw the Electric Blue Superman, I was blown away. It was cool
I missed out on this when it happened. My mom was in the midst of a religious fervor and comics (among many other things) were outlawed.
To me this seems a bit like when Marvel made the Hulk gray again in the 80s, which is my favorite version of Hulk. Sometimes changes like this work out, sometimes not.
Maybe instead of splitting into two Supermen, the more he used his powers or if he turned the power up too high he'd change into Superman Red.
Or maybe every time he turned his powers on he never knew if he'd become blue or red?
I didn't dislike what I saw in this video, I'll look into it and see if I can pick up any trade paperbacks with Superman Blue.
Thank you for the vid, I really enjoyed it.
Personally, if I had the task of majorly shaking up superman, I would've had conner kent become the new superman (kind of like knightfall). Clark's ability to discharge solar energy from his body expands beyond his eyes and during a battle he looses control, releasing all his solar energy at once and destroying a city, also depowering him for a short while. Devastated, clark decides to leave earth to master his new powers and passes on the mantle to conner, with him becoming earth's superman.
This way, you can break up the 4 superman comics into multiple different stories. Superman follow's conner grappling with his responsibility on earth, meanwhile you can have space adventures with clark as he masters his new energy blasts, able to shoot them from his hands like starfire, meaning that when clark inevitably returns to earth and conner becomes superboy again, you can still have a lasting impact by giving superman a new ability that isn't totally random.
Thank you for making this video. I always have seen this around, but never could make sense of it. Just that this is the coolest looking Superman I have ever seen. Now I see the correlation to SSJ4 Goku and Superman Blue. Aesthetically cool concepts with loads of potential from the 90s that writers give to everyone for sale boosts, poor story execution that makes their stay underwhelming.
Personally, I see a lot of fun potential with the light spectrum powers and abilities, especially since Clark has been showing more bio-electricity recently. Clark struggling as he learns to control. Even the rivalry between Red and Blue. There should be a universe where this is permanent change.
On top of my head.
The Blue and Red rivalry could be rebooted and expanded by tieing it with Clark's half brother Tal-Rho aka Morgan Edge, who was recently introduced in the CW's Superman and Lois. This could be used to highlight them as foils, but also for Tal-Rho's redemption arc becoming a Superman, maybe ending with a Heroic sacrifice that ultimately returns the status quo. They could have a brother rivalry as they teach themselves how to use the abillities and inadvertenly helping each other with aspects they are struggling with or just hadn't ocured to them as chances for familial bonding and reconciliation.
Superman Blue taking notes from My Adventures with Superman, where we can really focus on Superman's struggle as he learns these new abilities inside and out through lots of trials and errors. Also, as an extenstion of the Bio-Electricity. Livewire could be the villain to fit with the theme who is drowning herself in the power like a drug. Maybe when Superman Blue starts going down a negative story arc he becomes Superman Red before eventually evening out. A story not simply about responsibility, but everything Superman. Truth of the matter, justice are the consequences of mistakes made both willingly and unwillingly, and hope for a better tomorrow as everyone adapts to these changes. Maybe plant some seeds for a Live Wire redemption or a chance to return back to normalcy.
Maybe he even seeks the aid of Static Shock as Static had to figure out his powers on his own without a mentor, so acting like a mentor to Big Blue has character potential for Static as well.
I also just like the concept of Superman Blue and Red marrying Lois Lane and the other marrying Lana Lang. In a way it could turn into a Ben Reily scenario where the doppelgangers develop individuality and having that explored with both main love interests would be really interesting. No matter if the Blue and Red Supermen emerge from a split
Alternatively, both Blue and Red could be forms that are restricted to different aspects of Superman's powersets. Doesn't matter if the writer goes with restricting the Light Spectrum to the 2 forms or it can shift from Light powers to classic powers. But I like the idea that this is a form that Superman places on himself, either to better control his power or place limiters on himself.
As a kid around 11 years old (when it was released in my country) I actually really loved "Zapp-Supes". Thought it was a cool storyarc and really got me into the comics more seriously than ever before. Around the same time No Man's Land was published in my country, so both my favorite heroes had a lot going on in their lives, which I think I could also relate to after arriving at high school (or our equivalent of that) and starting to get Into puberty and all that.
Retrospectively, knowing what I know now it boggles my mind that this ever happened 😅
Also you should cover more Morrison like klaus action comics snd his batman run
I liked the Superman Red/Blue storyline, and never believed it would be a permanent change. The change provided some interesting stories something that is needed with a character that 85+ years old.
I think that there is a character in the Superman Mythos that the Electric Blue powers would be perfect for: The Eradicator. It was originally a computer program, so it somehow surviving it's death in Coast City by turning to energy, and it taking decades to reconstruct itself a la Dr. Manhattan seems like a great way to bring back both the character and the powers.
I liked the stories and the Costume. We all knew it wouldn’t be permeant but it was cool for a little while. I also loved Jean Paul Valley as Batman, Az-Bats was my favorite 90’s redesign
As a child of the 90s I actually like Superman Red and Blue. Would love to see it in live action someday.
Amazing gotta love these 90s videos
Grant Morrison used him best in JLA, which kind or rendered Supes own books superfluous. Supes wrestled with an actual real angel. Hard to top that.
If nothing else I'll admit the design is pretty cool, especially that S logo
I felt at the time it was just the newest sales booster. We had just gone through the "Death" so even though they said they didn't plan to bring back the old look we always knew he'd be back.
Once they got to the Red/Blue phase I thought it was cool. Jon Bogdanov drew an awesome electric Supes and I told him so a comic show.
Very good video! I'll have to ask Karl Kesel about all this when I see him at Rose City ComicCon in Sept.
Excellent video review i understand why grant Morrison has been so adimant with change especially when it came to superman but un his jla run he was able to have superman blue use his powers in interesting ways
Loved this. Thank you!
Awesome video! If you do anymore about 90’s comics, I’d love to see some about the Walter West arc in The Flash or the Hippolyta as Wonder Woman arc.
Great timing, I started JLA a while ago and was so confused
If I'm being honest the Electric blue Superman would be the perfect incarnation for a video game given that when he was in that state he lost his invulnerability Because he was stuck in a containment suit.
I know I didn't grow up in the 90's when Superman blue premiered but I really enjoyed Superman blue I never thought it was gonna be a permanent change it was just something that was great while it lasted And I understand not everyone loved this storyline after reading it I've always felt deeply fascinated by this storyline Because of the fact Superman had electrical superpowers I realize that this story may not be as great as the death and return of Superman but we can all look back on this fondly and remember some great moments and elements that came out of this storyline
I had fun with it. Everyone knew it wasn't permanent. I liked when he generated an electro magnetic field to repel the moon from the Earth.
Not going to lie I loved Superman blue and still do. Wasn't reading superman much at the time and at 11 that costume really interested me.
From the little that I have read of it, I really like Electric Blue Superman. The costume and power change is cool as hell, and the idea that he becomes essentially human when not powered up was just ripe of drama and story potential
Great video, as always!
As much as I’m a huge Superfan, I’ve never read Superman Blue stuff. It seems uninteresting to me for the same reason the whole Post-Crisis (80s/90s) Supes does: it’s too ashamed of being “silly” to explore the premise’s full potential, to get as weird and big as the coolest Superman stuff usually is.
From what I can gather, we don’t get deep into how his new super-senses changed his perceptions and limits, a new Fortress of Solitude adapted to his new capabilities, new relations with Kryptonite, an Electric Bizarro Superman, or stuff like that.
The Red and Blue divide could’ve reflected different eras of Supes, different power scales for more grounded/ more cosmic stories, anything beyond “angry one/collected one”.
Could’ve been an interesting temporary experiment if it went beyond “the basic superhero stuff but crackling this time”, I guess
When Electric Blue and Red Superman first came out, I stopped reading it. He wasn't even technically a physical being anymore. He was now living energy. I hated it.
Electric Blue Superman sounds like a gatorade flavor
Gimmicky?
Yea, 100%. It was the 90's we were kinda getting used to it.
The design was cool tho.
I was reading the new JLA book at the time and remembered being like OK, I kno its not gonna stick, so let's just have fun with it and see where this is going.
If "Superman Blue: Electric Boogaloo" isn't used as a tag line then this was all for not, lol.
I remember having the secrets of superman's suits comic, and been so confused by it
I thought blue and red was a fantastic redux of the 60’s blue and red story. I also kind of liked that it pissed a lot of people off when it clearly wasn’t permanent.
There's one element of that year I'm glad you pointed out. I remember there being NO clear explanation for how Superman became electric; NO clear explanation for how he split in two; and NO clear explanation for his he was restored. I call that SLOPPY WRITING.
I was also really bored by how they were doing year-long storylines in which virtually nothing happened in any given episode. It was like 1st-season ROCKY & BULLWINKLE stories that went on for 40 episodes apiece, except, at least, those were funny.
They also incorporated the Red/blue Superman dynamic in one of his Rebirth titles. Apparently new 52 was red and post crisis is blue. They fused into a new Superman that had the memory of both
Great video. I barely remember Blue Superman. Keep up the great content and thanks for another great video
Thanks so much, Pat! I really appreciate that
Not gonna lie, this is probably one of my favorite Superman runs for the fact that it at least tried something new and lighthearted. I'd rather have fun and wholesome Silver Age fun instead of continuous edgy, dark material that only seems to get traction by current fads or political controversies.
I've heard about this Superman Red/Blue thing for years (hell, I saw a newspaper article on it when I was a kid), but never knew what the hell it actually was and what happened.
I can only imagine if the blue superman costume would have caught on! Imagine a dynamic change in the pop culture that would’ve had.
what's awesome is even though it wasn't meant to be for Clark himself, the Red and Blue symbol stuck around on Kara as the Zor-El design for the House of El, and the powers have been gifted to his son Jon as a sort of power boost. I kinda love it.
The REAL truth about the 90's version of Superman Red and Superman Blue was the fact that the families of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were suing DC once again. This is ALSO the reason why DC created the New52.
I think i was one of the few readers that enjoyed the change up. They got my attention once again after only a few short years earlier shaking things up with the reign of Supermen. Great synopsis here!
Great video
Ya know what? Morrison and Porter made Blue Supes work pretty damn good. I started collecting those JLA books in the late 00's/early 10's and it was the first time I had a book with the fabled electric blue Superman I heard about from my friends when I was a kid. Morrison had some fun with Superman adapting and learning about what he's capable of and Porter.. well, he just drew the hell out of it like he always did. Shout out to John Dell too and the colorist, whose name escapes me.
You could even argue that what Dan slott did with superior spiderman by changing the fundamental character instead of the powers was more successful than electric blue superman, of course that could be chalked up to comic interest changing from the 90s to 2010s
This storyline happened during the height of my collecting. I had every issue, and I HATED every one. I actually bought the variant foil covered Superman Forever because I was SO glad it was over!
It's so difficult, on the one hand I understand the desire to shake up the status quo, especially when sales are going down, on the other hand every time writers shake it up too much I think most readers just can't wait for it to end.
I wouldn't mind seeing them bring the blue form back. Use it like Dragon Ball.
I would absolutely love to see a Superman series with goofy Dragon Ball style power scaling
Only in the 90s could something like this actually happen
I remember Superman Red only appearing with the JLA in thr last issue of Conner Hawke's GA series.
I remember one thing they did during this arch that kept me interested was giving Perry White cancer. I cared so much about that storyline that I tolerated this bizarre chapter in Superman’s history
I really did like Superman Blue and Superman Red. More so, like with every drastic changes in comics, it was obvious that things would return to the original state.
I remember purchasing the issue when he adopted the blue costume. I thought the design was pretty cool but somehow I knew it wouldn't last long.
Wow Owen. This video was pretty **puts on sunglasses** electrifying.
😎
@@OwenLikesComics Yeeeeaaaaaaah
Id also love to see a video regarding the wasted potential and marvel forgetting nova's exists in general becuase sam alexander hasnt been seen since champions other than his appearance in marvel voices recently and rich rider hasnt appeared since marvel 1000 and annihilation scurge
I remember buying this comic when it came out, and thinking it was some crazy new beginning that would be considered a huge milestone down the line. So this was one of the few comics that I saved in its cardboard-backed plastic sleeve, thinking it would be worth big money some day. Now I bet hardly anyone remembers it.
I first read about "Electric Blue Superman" in an "Off-topic" section of an old Mega Man fan site a long time ago, with the writer basically saying "What were they thinking!" and they even cited the Silver Age story it was derived from. Personally, I have no idea why they even made the change, considering Superman's powers and costume were already iconic at that point.
Why were people on a Megaman website talking about Superman?
I liked electric superman because I knew the old look would eventually return
Have you already covered the Injustice comics? Jon is currently in that universe chasing Ultraman, and using and learning about his new, blue electric powers.
To be honest, Superman Red/Blue desing and powers look pretty good... On an original character
I liked blue and red. It was a refreshing change.
I personally liked Superman Blue. I knew that it wouldn't last forever, but it was fun for the year or so that it did. It was interesting seeing Superman have to figure out how to defeat old villains with his new powers. I still own a few Superman comics with Superman Blue in them from 97' and '98
This is one if the examples of what mad dc polarizing in the 90s this and stripping wonder woman of her status again as well as killing the gl corps. I can go on and on
Thank you for this video. This stuff happened right when i got into comic books. So this Version of superman was the one i got to know first.. hated it.
In hindsight, the electric blue thing is kinda cool. It's just so '90s. The really awful part to me was him splitting into two, lol.
An opportunity was missed here. For example, they might have had only Superman Blue revert to normal but kept Superman Red intact. That would allow the writers to have their cake and eat it too. Future interactions between the Supermen would be interesting as Red's personality diverged from OG Clark's. Oh well.