Maybe that was too negative a word.Hafrael said:I don't understand why you use the word "hiding". They've been allowed to have themselves unconstrained by continuity, I would say it's more like being "freed" by the Elseworld's label.
I'm just saying there wasn't a big red disclaimer on What's So Funny at the time it was published that said "don't worry, this isn't in the mainline continuity." I enjoy Elseworlds comics, but (aside from artistic freedom) it communicates something different when a story is released as part of a character's official history as when a story is released as a 'what if' limited series.
I agree that the big characters in DC/Marvel comics seem sterile to me. Both publishers do release interesting material under their other imprints, though.
The 'depowering' bit was in the animation. I believe Superman actually gave Black a concussion, temporarily depowering him. He showed up a couple more times to try to make Superman snap. The rest of The Elite joined with Black's sister and then the Justice league.Hafrael said:I haven't read the comic in quite a while, but I do remember having quite a few problems with the way Superman was portrayed. I might be mixing things up with the adaptation as I've seen that more recently, but wasn't it nonsensical that Supes would use his powers to remove the powers of Manchester Black and his friends, but not the actual supervillains? Or even pretend to stoop to their level just to prove a point? I liked it in Kingdom Come because there was so much more pressure, that Superman breaking and going completely nutzoid felt very real.
It's been a while since I've read Kingdom Come, but I like Mark Waid. (And I can't forget Superman's confrontation with Captain Marvel. Yikes.) Since you're a fan of Kingdom Come you've probably seen Irredeemable, so I'm just going to mention it and nod knowingly instead of asking.