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Hello, everyone! I hope you're enjoying a nice day and I hope that we, as Superman fans, could talk about character-driven stories within the Superman franchise.

What is a character-driven story, you may ask? According to MasterClass , a character-driven story is "a story that focuses more on character development than it is on plot. Character-driven stories are often found in literary fiction. A good short story is often focused on one or two fleshed-out characters as opposed to a detailed plot. A character-driven plot is the type of story that is driven by emotion as opposed to a high concept plot."

Over the course of my years as a consumer of fiction and entertainment, I've come to believe that characterization, character writing and character consistency are the most important things in a story. Good characters can and ultimately will make or break a story. No matter how basic or rudimentary your story is, it can always be elevated by the quality of your character writing. You can make the most intriguing story ever, with shocking twists, smart commentary and thrilling action; but if the characters are bland, one-note cardboard cut-outs, nobody will care about the story.

Yes, in theory, a work of fiction should have a healthy balance between good character writing and good story progression, but if I had a choice, I'd pick characters over plot any day. Characters are the reason why we, the viewers, are emotionally invested in fiction. In fact, some of the best works of fiction out there emphasize characters over plot.

Ghostbusters (the original movie, not the 2016 reboot) doesn't really focus on its main story till the last third of the movie. For the first 2 thirds, the movie is about the main characters' wacky encounters with the supernatural. Similar statements can be made for Men in Black and Iron Man. Spice & Wolf should be the most boring anime series ever because every episode focuses on economic systems that went extinct by the Age of the Enlightenment, but the two protagonists have such great chemistry with one another that the show earned a respectable fanbase. The Hobbit is literally just about Bilbo Baggins walking from one place to another and all the stuff that happens along the way, yet because Bilbo and the people around him are so well-realized, it's considered a classic of the fantasy genre. Waiting for Godot is a 2-scene play about a couple of tramps biding their time and waiting for the story to begin, yet what they do as they wait is endlessly entertaining.

Characters mean a lot to me, and suffice to say, Superman is one of my favorite characters in all of fiction. Some of the best Superman stories are character-driven, not plot-driven. All-Star Superman (considered by many to be the best Superman story ever) is primarily focused on answering the question "what would Superman do if he found his life would end soon?" Yes, there's a conflict with Lex Luthor as the primary antagonist, but that doesn't really come into the forefront untill the last phase of All-Star Superman. Superman: Secret Origin (my favorite Superman origin story), much like All-Star Superman, places more focus on Superman's internal struggles than on his conflict with Lex Luthor. The very underrated Superman: Grounded is literally about Superman walking from one corner of America to another, but what made the story so entertaining to me is how well-realized Superman and his supporting cast were, especially when Chris Roberson was at the helm. Up in the Sky, Man of Tomorrow, Superman for All Seasons and Red & Blue don't have long, overarching story arcs are basically character studies on the Man of Steel, sometimes from the perspective of other characters like Lois Lane, Batman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor.

Have I made my point clear yet? I love stories that focus on Superman's personality, internal struggles, moral challenges and emotional nuances because they allow me to better relate to the character, not to mention they're useful in debunking the supremely annoying misconception of Superman being this overpowered, unrelatable god that has no function other than to inspire people to be good and has no personality beyond eagerness to do the right thing. These stories teach us not to take Superman for granted because, just like us, he has hopes, dreams, fears and doubts. The dramatic tension of those stories come not from whether or not Superman will save the day and stop the bad guy but how his moral compass will be tested in the process, what kind of emotional response he will have, and how his decisions will affect those around him. Superman's moral conflicts are not meant to prove Superman always right, but to test his morality and sense of justice in situations that have no easy answers, or at least, easily agreed-upon answers. The most important element of those stories is that the Man is more important than the Super.

Well, that's all I have for you this time. Now, it's your turn to tell me what do you think about this. What are your favorite character-driven stories starring Superman? Do you prefer character-driven stories or plot-driven stories for Superman and his community? Should there be a balance between both aspects, and if so, how can that balance be achieved? Is the saga as a whole better suited for plot-driven stories or would you prefer if it went for a more character-driven route? Whatever your opinions might be, please deliver them in a polite and civilized manner. We're all Superman fans here, we just see things differently. Once again, I'd like to thank you all for taking the time for reading my opinion pieces and I always feel obligated to remind you that posting my opinions on this website doesn't make my opinions are any greater or more valid than yours. At the end of the day, I'm just glad to have this privilege and this honor to share my opinions with you. So leave a comment below, thanks for your time and stay safe out there!

Description
Hello, everyone! I hope you're enjoying a nice day and I hope that we, as Superman fans, could talk about character-driven stories within the Superman franchise.

What is a character-driven story, you may ask? According to MasterClass , a character-driven story is "a story that focuses more on character development than it is on plot. Character-driven stories are often found in literary fiction. A good short story is often focused on one or two fleshed-out characters as opposed to a detailed plot. A character-driven plot is the type of story that is driven by emotion as opposed to a high concept plot."

Over the course of my years as a consumer of fiction and entertainment, I've come to believe that characterization, character writing and character consistency are the most important things in a story. Good characters can and ultimately will make or break a story. No matter how basic or rudimentary your story is, it can always be elevated by the quality of your character writing. You can make the most intriguing story ever, with shocking twists, smart commentary and thrilling action; but if the characters are bland, one-note cardboard cut-outs, nobody will care about the story.

Yes, in theory, a work of fiction should have a healthy balance between good character writing and good story progression, but if I had a choice, I'd pick characters over plot any day. Characters are the reason why we, the viewers, are emotionally invested in fiction. In fact, some of the best works of fiction out there emphasize characters over plot.

Ghostbusters (the original movie, not the 2016 reboot) doesn't really focus on its main story till the last third of the movie. For the first 2 thirds, the movie is about the main characters' wacky encounters with the supernatural. Similar statements can be made for Men in Black and Iron Man. Spice & Wolf should be the most boring anime series ever because every episode focuses on economic systems that went extinct by the Age of the Enlightenment, but the two protagonists have such great chemistry with one another that the show earned a respectable fanbase. The Hobbit is literally just about Bilbo Baggins walking from one place to another and all the stuff that happens along the way, yet because Bilbo and the people around him are so well-realized, it's considered a classic of the fantasy genre. Waiting for Godot is a 2-scene play about a couple of tramps biding their time and waiting for the story to begin, yet what they do as they wait is endlessly entertaining.

Characters mean a lot to me, and suffice to say, Superman is one of my favorite characters in all of fiction. Some of the best Superman stories are character-driven, not plot-driven. All-Star Superman (considered by many to be the best Superman story ever) is primarily focused on answering the question "what would Superman do if he found his life would end soon?" Yes, there's a conflict with Lex Luthor as the primary antagonist, but that doesn't really come into the forefront untill the last phase of All-Star Superman. Superman: Secret Origin (my favorite Superman origin story), much like All-Star Superman, places more focus on Superman's internal struggles than on his conflict with Lex Luthor. The very underrated Superman: Grounded is literally about Superman walking from one corner of America to another, but what made the story so entertaining to me is how well-realized Superman and his supporting cast were, especially when Chris Roberson was at the helm. Up in the Sky, Man of Tomorrow, Superman for All Seasons and Red & Blue don't have long, overarching story arcs are basically character studies on the Man of Steel, sometimes from the perspective of other characters like Lois Lane, Batman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor.

Have I made my point clear yet? I love stories that focus on Superman's personality, internal struggles, moral challenges and emotional nuances because they allow me to better relate to the character, not to mention they're useful in debunking the supremely annoying misconception of Superman being this overpowered, unrelatable god that has no function other than to inspire people to be good and has no personality beyond eagerness to do the right thing. These stories teach us not to take Superman for granted because, just like us, he has hopes, dreams, fears and doubts. The dramatic tension of those stories come not from whether or not Superman will save the day and stop the bad guy but how his moral compass will be tested in the process, what kind of emotional response he will have, and how his decisions will affect those around him. Superman's moral conflicts are not meant to prove Superman always right, but to test his morality and sense of justice in situations that have no easy answers, or at least, easily agreed-upon answers. The most important element of those stories is that the Man is more important than the Super.

Well, that's all I have for you this time. Now, it's your turn to tell me what do you think about this. What are your favorite character-driven stories starring Superman? Do you prefer character-driven stories or plot-driven stories for Superman and his community? Should there be a balance between both aspects, and if so, how can that balance be achieved? Is the saga as a whole better suited for plot-driven stories or would you prefer if it went for a more character-driven route? Whatever your opinions might be, please deliver them in a polite and civilized manner. We're all Superman fans here, we just see things differently. Once again, I'd like to thank you all for taking the time for reading my opinion pieces and I always feel obligated to remind you that posting my opinions on this website doesn't make my opinions are any greater or more valid than yours. At the end of the day, I'm just glad to have this privilege and this honor to share my opinions with you. So leave a comment below, thanks for your time and stay safe out there!