Am I the only one who has noticed that Supes hasn't had a solo presence in animated television format since 2000? Seriously, what's the hold-up? How's the guy supposed to get any respect and recognition if Batman and others keep overshadowing him? It can't be that hard. If they can pull off something like Young Justice, they can DEFINITELY do something for The Man of Steel. Producers just need to have an imagination and lose the laziness. All they need to do is put effort into both the Super and the man while most importantly, modernizing him so that the general public do not once again believe he is, "an overpowered, old-fashioned, naive, goody-two-shoe boy scout". Resume the latest tradition of his being relatable for today's world.
Clark Kent/Superman- Obviously, we should not only have a young Superman (perhaps attending his final year of college at Met-U while working part-time at the Planet), but have a Superman whom is a bit depressed about the opinions many people have about him due to his status as a powerful alien despite his good intentions. However, he remains optimistic in this regard as there are just as many who support and feel inspired by him. Also, since he grew up as one of us, he should have some personality traits comparable to us. Like, have him be easily angered, but still in control enough to restrain himself for obvious reasons. Don't regress back into the old days where he is passive and completely calm. This is the 21st Century after all. Of course, that doesn't mean he shouldn't smile, laugh, and joke every now and then; he's still Superman. As for Kent, he shouldn't regress into throwing off suspicion by way of acting like a clumsy wimp. To be honest, I never understood that. How can someone be that uncoordinated and akward not have attention drawn to him? Go for the assertive, intelligent Kent and if there is comparison between him and his heroic alter-ego, have Kent keep his small-town accent, his hair combed longer with Kryptonian metal, his glasses tinted to make his eyes look like blue instead of dark (and maybe even go as far as to create some light-blue contacts), and his being reluctant to do Superman stories at the Planet; focusing instead on crime lords, corrupt politicians, compromised government, and even crooked law enforcement. Most importantly, show Superman's intelligence by way of being inventive (like building a lead-lined suit to protect him from kryptonite) and instinctive (come up with strategies and tactics that his powers alone can't get him out of) and have Kent, after graduating from college, pursue one of his trademark positions in the comics as a foreign correspondent.
Supporting Characters- The typical Lane, Olsen, and White crowd. But throw in Steve Lombard to give Kent a rival and reminder of his time as a misunderstood, ostracized country boy (and whom he regularly gets back at with his powers as in the comics). Also, give Ron Troupe a more noticeable role compared to S:TAS by having him be something of a mentor to Kent, to provide a political (and positive) opinion on Superman, and for him to pursue a fling with Lois' little sister Lucy as in the old comics. Let's not forget his Superheroic allies like Supergirl, Superboy (Kon-El), and Steel. After all, Batman has Batgirl, Robin, and Alfred. You can't have Lois conveniently appearing to save his butt every single time you know. Also, how about a love interest other than Lois or Lana? Like maybe an updated version of Lori Lemaris or Lisa Lasalle from Superman: Earth One. I wouldn't even mind if they took inspiration from Smallville and gave him a Native American love interest just for the sake of diverse appeal.
The Villains- The way I see it, the best way to challenge Supes with these villains while keeping his (and their) power-levels consistent is to follow a certain formula. Like maybe, the first two years of his career (which would be two seasons), have him face only enemies that are Human (Lex Luthor, Bruno Mannheim, Morgan Edge, Glen Glenmorgan, Tony Gallo, Ruin, Thaddeus Killgrave, and updated versions of Bloodsport, Toyman, Terra-man, and Prankster), Meta (Amok, Anomaly, Ignition, Blackrock, Neutron, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Cyborg Superman, Parasite (both Jensen and Allen, respectively), Metallo, Kryptonite-Man, Conduit, Bizzaro, The Elite, Savior, and Nemesis Kid; the latter in order to create his connection to the Legion of Superheroes), and Supernatural (Mr. Mxyzptlyk, Whisper A'Daire, Blaze and Satanus, Silver Banshee, Skyhook, Atlas, an updated version of Adversary, and should they include Lori Lemaris and wish to give references to Aquaman, an updated version of Ronal); using only his wits and remarkable (but limited) powers and brawling skills. By Season Three onwards, years later when he is at the pinnacle of his incredible powers and abilities (like knowing Torquasm-Vo, Torquasm Rao, and how to fight with martial arts instead of brawling techniques), that's when he should start facing the cosmic big-bads: Darkseid, Brainiac, Doomsday, Zod, Imperiex, Mongul, Lobo, Massacre, Preus, Dominus, Wraith, Eclipso, and Amalak among many more.
All I'm saying is DC's star player should not be benched this much if he is going to stay relevant. The Man of Steel movie garnered significant attention (Negative and Positive) and gave Superman relevance for a new generation of fans, but that isn't enough. The Last Son of Krypton needs MUCH MORE recognition. I'm not saying lesser DC characters shouldn't get on Networks or anything, but certain characters, like Superman, deserve an immortal presence on the small-screen and not just in comics.
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