seriousfic

It's odd to reread Birthright now that I've read Irredeemable, since Waid's Luthor is characterized almost the same way as Evil-Superman. The difference being, Luthor is a neckbeard. As aloof as he is, the optimistic tone of Superman's universe makes it clear that people fearing what they don't understand isn't the be-all and end-all of Luthor's condition. He has a chance to fit in, or at least find a niche, but he's such a jackass that he looks at his own superiority complex and says "yes, I really am that great" instead of "hey, I should work on that if I don't want to be alone my entire life."

I used to think the added "Smallville" origin of Clark and Lex's friendship in Birthright was pointless, since it ends with Lex swearing that the whole thing never happened and Clark renouncing their friendship, but it does draw a nice parallel between the two. Lex holds himself above humanity, while Clark goes to great lengths to be a part of it.

At least, that's what it seems like to me. Then Irredeemable comes out and it seems like Waid sees himself as Lex/Evil-Superman, an unappreciated genius who's surrounded by idiots (mind you, ones who've given him great critical and commercial success). Makes you think. There's a line between creating a villain you personally can emphasize with and just indulging in the kind of negativity a character like that espouses.

Tl;dr - No one wants to read about your comic book fanboy revenge fantasies, Mark Waid.

Title: Flowers in August
Fandom: The Dark Knight/Superman Returns
Rating: PG
Word Count: 560
Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent
Summary: “Kal,” Bruce said, “do you ever think about Krypton?”

( Do you ever think of how many people you’ve saved on Earth compared to how many died back home? )

Title: Prep Time = Foreplay
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Bruce/Clark
Word Count: 611
Summary: When it comes to sex, Batman is never unprepared.

( Superman hovered, so nervous he was not quite sure whether to fly away or firmly set his feet down on Bruce Wayne’s very nice Persian carpeting. This made him easy to maneuver, as Batman tugged him like a balloon on the string through the penthouse, almost like a furniture mover at work. )