Why does Superman get rebooted so much?

I mean seriously. Have you guys seen the new superman changes DC wants to do. I mean good lord. Stop changing superman so much damn it. I mean a change once every decade rule is fine. Like from bryne weak superman to the 90s mullet superman to the 2000s steroid superman and so on is "fine". but in the last couple of years they've been doing so many horrible things to superman. what do you guys think?Why does Superman get rebooted so much?It seems that every time we get a new artist or a new editor, we get a new makeover, to keep him fresh and contemporary.Why does Superman get rebooted so much?This isn't a regular change... DC is rebooting ALL of their books and changing all of the characters in some way. Face it, these characters get old and need updating every few years. If they didn't update Ironman he would still be a boring, bland, alcoholic with no personalty. If they didn't update Batman he would be the Punisher...Shooting guys left and right. If they they didn't update robin he would still he campy with no pants. Change is good! Give Supes a chance.Why does Superman get rebooted so much?The latest reboot might not be a bad thing. Straczynski has been doing a horrible job ever since he was handed over the reins of Superman. And Action Comics was actually turned into a Luthor Comic (i loved Cornell's run though). The latest change in status quo is as a result of company wide change. So, i expect them to revert back to old status although this time they might take more time than ever.



btw, Grant Morrison will helm the new superman, so there is no reason to complain.Why does Superman get rebooted so much?
This is a company-wide reboot, and the deal with DC reboots is that they tend to hit Superman fairly hard, as you yourself noted, Gentle Asker.



Answering the Q: I think the problem with it is, writing Superman isn't easy. He can't be hurt by anything of this Earth, literally. This means that a lot of the tension and drama that would normally be in a narrative simply can't exist for the character. This is a problem when you're actually trying to make the guy interesting, somebody people can relate to, so you can sell comics.



There's really only two ways around the problem (that are straightforward, mind you):



1) Weaken the character. The Byrne Superman was an example of a nerfed Superman, and even doing a throwback to the 1930s-spec character weakens him somewhat as well. Make the character beatable and you are able to re-introduce suspense to your narrative. Problem is: either the character gets killed at some point, or becomes stronger, which leads to the second way:



2) Make him soft in the head. It still is a running joke in some places that the Man of Steel needs tissues for his issues, because he's always crying....but even without that, a lot of writers have dumbed him down (taking away the super-science from the Fortress, making him more pacifist/less of a fighter, etc.) in an effort to actually let the bad guys have _something_ to exploit. Without, you know, exploiting the obvious and killing Lois, God forbid.



Honestly, both of these methods leave a lot to be desired, especially since _some_ writers like Grant Morrison know how to _write_ the character and keep him from being boring (even if he's closer to a god than a man). Granted, some of this means "writing on his level" or coming up with stuff that _only_ a Superman could deal with. Still, the point is, the guy isn't just a superhero--in some ways he's the prototype of THE superhero. So there is some license to be creative here.



Which ultimately, might be the real answer. Yes, Superman is difficult to write well. But it's not just that. DC Comics as _company_ has this culture of "don't mess with the icons" that can probably be suffocating if you're an artist or a creative type. Just _Try_ writing Batman as someone genuinely evil or psychotic and see how fast you get fired, corrected or sued. If not all three.



So these reboots can also serve as a chance for people to _find ways_ to reinvent the character. Or at least to get the shorts (which are still there) matching the tights. Exactly.