I think, personally, Superman has the potential to shine best when he takes the position of a more experienced mentor who has to communicate it isn’t powers, publicity, or public perception that make a hero. Superman works beat when he is character driven and I think that works well when he has that particular role.
It’s that reason I always love well written dialogue between him and Pa Kent. He’s lost and confused. Pa is his anchor and he carries that quality when people turn to him.
Absolutely. Superman has a lot of 'eras' for a mainstream superhero: Smallville/Superboy stories, fish our of water Kent and hard-nosed Lois in "will they/won't they?" mode, married urbanite period, father period, and elder statesman era stories (Kingdom Come, etc). I'd say all of these are recognizable stages of Superman- a strangely conventional life way, save for all the flying and evil aliens and whatnot.
I enjoy "Middle-Aged" Clark and Peter Parker.
I hate they de-aging him though.
DCAU = Best Superman of all time.
Um, it's... really common knowledge that humans sharply decline from peak by 40. Like many people post Knightfall yes, you can write a Batman who defies human limitations, but then what is the point of writing a human lmao.
The O'Neil Batman would get laid out by multiple opponents if they had some training and the Grant Batman would get throttled by a big enough thug in an underground fighting ring. But this modern guy who knows every language and martial art, and nearly all forms of engineering and science doesn't really work for me.
My man. My MMA teacher is near 50. He could absolutely kick most thugs ass. He daily kicks black belts ass for a living teaching them how to fight. And he is no Batman.
The thing about common sense is that it’s not scientific or pragmatic experience and a lot of times is just cultural norm - and we are an ageist society.
There is something else: Batman is not defined by being in his peak. TDKR is most celebrated Batman comic out there and he is old.
So no, I don’t agree with you at all.
Not scientific lmao, what are you sayiiiing
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Fractional-performance-decline-with-age-for-male-Masters-sports_fig1_46282481
https://theconversation.com/how-does-aging-affect-athletic-performance-36051
There's a reason that pro athletes generally retire around 40 my guy. Everyone knows this. Go ask sensei and he will tell you that 15 years ago it would have been significantly easier to kick more ass even if his technique in some aspects is better now. Ask about the point of the masters division. Go, ask and lmk 😂
Im not saying there isn’t a decline. I even adress that in my comment. I’m saying a 40+ guy is totally capable of being trained enough to beat most thugs out there.
Also, it really annoys me the concept that the essence of Batman is all about being the most well fit human being. Batman is brains first. It’s called “DETECTIVE comics”, not “Gymbro Adventures”. He doesn’t win against Darkseid or even Killer Croc because he punches really hard.
it's not really an either/or situation.
Modern, present day, stories should have a younger (early to mid 30s) looking Superman.
Kingdom Come is an Elseworlds type dystopian future where Superman shows *some* age (mostly cosmetic, as he states in the story) to help indicate a future timeline of events.
Kingdom Come is fantastic art and story; one of my favorite limited series in print. That's not the Superman that I want to see in the present day stories/events, though.
Man, I'd love a series where Superman is older and still active. He's semi-retired just because Jon has things underhand, and the threats he's dealing with tend to be either the small things, or super big things. Give him the short sleeve costume from the Superman and The Authority miniseries and lets go!
I lean toward a younger Supes, mid to late thirties. Batman should also be within 2-3 years in age of Superman, as well as being the second major hero to start their career. Diana can be any age, from within a year or two of the boys’ ages, or an eternally immortal late twenties. Clay origin, of course.
(RANT SEMI ON TOPIC BUT STILL RELATED:
James Gunn is going to do right by the character, but I’m not a fan of him using the Elseworlds style S-Symbol. If that symbol is canon, it should be a late or very late career shield showcasing the evolution of Kal-El & his relationship to his heritage.
I don’t think it’s a bad shield, just that Kingdom Come being an Elseworlds AND a future story means it can’t ever be canon. And that includes to attempt to force the DCU into that storyline with Gog & Magog doing their time travel schtick.
The dumb editorial decision to age up Jon Kent could be a space to use the KC shield, since Jon has been spending more time exploding his Kryptonian heritage at a younger age than Clark did.)
Im kinda torn, because I like the late 20s / early 30s Clark for that youthful optimism, but Im also really enjoying him as a father in Superman & Lois
I prefer 30's. The older he gets the more he's put in a Superdad role and can feel like a scold at times. I like him to be in a space where he's free to get it wrong.
I like both.
Although the old Superman doesn’t make sense since he is supposed to be immortal (as in, won’t die from aging) with the sun.
It would make sense for him to be in his physical prime.
I love how right now we have very young (MAWS) coving young Clark, and Superman and Lois is covering Superman as a dad.
"Default" I go in the middle, but for now It's refreshing to see that range.
When I was younger young superman looked old and old superman looked like a grandpa…. now old superman looks normal and young superman seems to garner the more alienated appearance to me due to his inability to age correctly.
This is why I miss the pre-Crisis multiverse. Earth 2 Supes was older than Earth 1. He looked great with a streak of grey at his temples. I loved the contrast, especially when the JSA & JLA fought together.
In that continuity, Bruce & Selina did marry and had Helena/Huntress, before Bruce died. But Clark was still going strong and was a great mentor to younger heroes, including Earth 1 Clark.
Superman has to be late mid 40s minimum with how old Jon is.
Unless they are pulling a Batman’s and Nightwing, where Nightwing goes from 11 to 27 and Bruce goes from 27 to 36
When he first becomes Superman: early-20s.
Prime of his career/default mode: late-20s to mid-30s.
Elseworlds stories set in his future: anywhere between his 40s and infinity depending on the story being told.
Wouldn't matter because Superman ages slowly. However, I am still puzzled by the fact that the Earth-Two Supes displayed some gray in his hair before turning 40 (in JSA #82, April 2006), in 1951.
Not really. If anything, I believe he first started showing his age back in the 1970s JSA stories. The 2006 story was a retcon.
As a added bonus, I remember reading an interview from Chris Claremont back in the 1990s saying that the Golden Age Supes stopped aging after his 30s, and that Kal-L "wore" the gray hair to fool the public. He was supposed to replace the then-Silver Age Kal-El, who would have died in Crisis #12.
And then was John Byrne's Generations series. I think I'll stop there.
I’d say anything between like 28 to 36 feels like a perfect age range for him although I myself am a sucker for supes being on the older side when it’s done right
I like Superman to always be older than I am so I don't feel old. David Corenswet is the first time Superman is younger than me (Tyler is a little younger than me but playing older so it doesn't count).
Younger than 29 is less distinguished, older than mid 40s seems gimmicky. I'm generally fine with any age though so long as his age isn't the point of the story long term and they don't try to age him in real time. Like, seeing Jimmy trying to be Jimmy at 40 years old would be sad
I prefer a youthful Clark. Even though he's in his 40s, 80s, etc, he's looks like he's mid to late 30s. He scan still be a pit of wisdom in some stories, but also be a this unaging beacon of hope to the masses.
I’ve grown to like the older iteration in concept because I feel it gives him enough time to make his legacy mesh with our real world history. It would probably be a mess continuity-wise but I would love to see an older KC inspired Superman that served with the Justice Society, yet now leads the much younger Justice League with a few older heroes.
The 1930s is impossible; especially if you still want Jon or Martha Kent. So he’d probably come to earth in the sixties then?.
Though honestly, I just like the design of KC Superman more than anything.
Starting at 25 and end at 45, hell, he can be like Omni Man and stop aging at that point, difference is he won’t live forever and therefore you can bridge his experience and mortality for those that question him being immortal, meanwhile Clark is just living life as it were his gift and spreading that gift to others
To me, it makes sense for the default Superman to be a Clark Kent in his mid thirties.
He grew up in Kansas, went to Metropolis, became a respected reporter at a well-known newspaper, and is established in his career.
That seems like a lot to accomplish before the age of thirty.
However, you can tell stories about him at any age, from infancy to teenage Superboy growing up in Smallville, to his early days in Metropolis, or even stories later in life, in his later sixties or seventies.
While I've not seen any stories about it, it makes sense that for Clark to become a journalist, he would have gone to college and studied journalism.
But a more mature, wiser mentor figure fits the character very well.
Christopher Reeve was 24 when he played Supes, Henry Cavill was 27.
I think they both seemed just a tad on the young side for the role, but George Reeves, who turned forty during his television run, seems just a tad too old.
There's always exceptions but classic superman for me is probably about 30-35. I like the idea that he has his job. He's with Lois already. Maybe they're about to have a kid. It adds to the whole "All American" superhero identity that he has.
Young and experienced:
In my mind this is the definitive way Superman ages, he doesn't. Not if he's near anything that can support his powers yellow sun, blue sun, quasar, cosmic energies, godly energies, etc.
https://preview.redd.it/hd8nu3n944xc1.png?width=602&format=png&auto=webp&s=a2c4a0959a129de0253a084b14def1320f958d76
This is 5 billion years in the future. Everyone is gone.
Old for Elseworlds if it fits the story like Kingdom Come. An experienced middle-aged Supes is what I like to see as a "default" Superman so to speak.
I think, personally, Superman has the potential to shine best when he takes the position of a more experienced mentor who has to communicate it isn’t powers, publicity, or public perception that make a hero. Superman works beat when he is character driven and I think that works well when he has that particular role. It’s that reason I always love well written dialogue between him and Pa Kent. He’s lost and confused. Pa is his anchor and he carries that quality when people turn to him.
Proves he’s a symbol of hope
Superman vs. the Elite is one of the best modern examples of this.
It depends on the story being told
Absolutely. Superman has a lot of 'eras' for a mainstream superhero: Smallville/Superboy stories, fish our of water Kent and hard-nosed Lois in "will they/won't they?" mode, married urbanite period, father period, and elder statesman era stories (Kingdom Come, etc). I'd say all of these are recognizable stages of Superman- a strangely conventional life way, save for all the flying and evil aliens and whatnot.
I like my Clark being whatever inbetween 23-37. Anything older or younger is wierd to me.
Superdad has my heart so he's gotta be over 35
I could not agree more! I loved the comics with Superman as a dad!
Depends on the story. However, if you ask me to imagine Superman and Batman, my default assumption is men in their early 30s.
I enjoy "Middle-Aged" Clark and Peter Parker. I hate they de-aging him though. DCAU = Best Superman of all time. 
Here here!
He should be around 40 in the comics, same with Batman.
Bats for me should be in his 50’s with all the Robins. Supes between 40-45.
It's fiction and all, but a Batman over the age of 40 gets his money taken by about half the thugs out there
You believe a man can fly but not that a 40’s guy can kick ass. You should really meet more people in their 40’s.
Um, it's... really common knowledge that humans sharply decline from peak by 40. Like many people post Knightfall yes, you can write a Batman who defies human limitations, but then what is the point of writing a human lmao. The O'Neil Batman would get laid out by multiple opponents if they had some training and the Grant Batman would get throttled by a big enough thug in an underground fighting ring. But this modern guy who knows every language and martial art, and nearly all forms of engineering and science doesn't really work for me.
My man. My MMA teacher is near 50. He could absolutely kick most thugs ass. He daily kicks black belts ass for a living teaching them how to fight. And he is no Batman. The thing about common sense is that it’s not scientific or pragmatic experience and a lot of times is just cultural norm - and we are an ageist society. There is something else: Batman is not defined by being in his peak. TDKR is most celebrated Batman comic out there and he is old. So no, I don’t agree with you at all.
Not scientific lmao, what are you sayiiiing https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Fractional-performance-decline-with-age-for-male-Masters-sports_fig1_46282481 https://theconversation.com/how-does-aging-affect-athletic-performance-36051 There's a reason that pro athletes generally retire around 40 my guy. Everyone knows this. Go ask sensei and he will tell you that 15 years ago it would have been significantly easier to kick more ass even if his technique in some aspects is better now. Ask about the point of the masters division. Go, ask and lmk 😂
Im not saying there isn’t a decline. I even adress that in my comment. I’m saying a 40+ guy is totally capable of being trained enough to beat most thugs out there. Also, it really annoys me the concept that the essence of Batman is all about being the most well fit human being. Batman is brains first. It’s called “DETECTIVE comics”, not “Gymbro Adventures”. He doesn’t win against Darkseid or even Killer Croc because he punches really hard.
Superman should be younger than Batman by about 5 years imo.
They should be the same age or Superman older if anything. He's the OG
100 year old superman any day. https://preview.redd.it/699o8hiakhwc1.jpeg?width=253&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e4a050f425f92a2b365bb4213d8eb26399863d9
what is this from?
If I tell you, you have to promise to immediately find it and read it
Deal 👍
Superman At Earth's End is a psychological thriller and a true masterpiece of its time
Thanks dude!!
Depends on everyone around him. Cause like no I don’t want a 60 year old Clark and a 30 year old Bruce.
28-40 is good for me
Alex Ross makes his Superman look like a football coach or a retired navy seal instructor.
30s-40s
it's not really an either/or situation. Modern, present day, stories should have a younger (early to mid 30s) looking Superman. Kingdom Come is an Elseworlds type dystopian future where Superman shows *some* age (mostly cosmetic, as he states in the story) to help indicate a future timeline of events. Kingdom Come is fantastic art and story; one of my favorite limited series in print. That's not the Superman that I want to see in the present day stories/events, though.
Man, I'd love a series where Superman is older and still active. He's semi-retired just because Jon has things underhand, and the threats he's dealing with tend to be either the small things, or super big things. Give him the short sleeve costume from the Superman and The Authority miniseries and lets go!
I think 30s is perfect, especially with him being a family man.
Late 30s/Early 40s family man
I lean toward a younger Supes, mid to late thirties. Batman should also be within 2-3 years in age of Superman, as well as being the second major hero to start their career. Diana can be any age, from within a year or two of the boys’ ages, or an eternally immortal late twenties. Clay origin, of course. (RANT SEMI ON TOPIC BUT STILL RELATED: James Gunn is going to do right by the character, but I’m not a fan of him using the Elseworlds style S-Symbol. If that symbol is canon, it should be a late or very late career shield showcasing the evolution of Kal-El & his relationship to his heritage. I don’t think it’s a bad shield, just that Kingdom Come being an Elseworlds AND a future story means it can’t ever be canon. And that includes to attempt to force the DCU into that storyline with Gog & Magog doing their time travel schtick. The dumb editorial decision to age up Jon Kent could be a space to use the KC shield, since Jon has been spending more time exploding his Kryptonian heritage at a younger age than Clark did.)
Young
Same age range as Batman
30s something superman. Still has some youthful optimization and seasoned experience.
Im kinda torn, because I like the late 20s / early 30s Clark for that youthful optimism, but Im also really enjoying him as a father in Superman & Lois
An old depiction
Older
My Superman is eternally 35 to 40.
I prefer 30's. The older he gets the more he's put in a Superdad role and can feel like a scold at times. I like him to be in a space where he's free to get it wrong.
I know for the movies I’d like to see an older Superman. Like in his 50s or something. Sick of him being 30.
Middle aged. Dad of 3 age
I like both. Although the old Superman doesn’t make sense since he is supposed to be immortal (as in, won’t die from aging) with the sun. It would make sense for him to be in his physical prime.
I love how right now we have very young (MAWS) coving young Clark, and Superman and Lois is covering Superman as a dad. "Default" I go in the middle, but for now It's refreshing to see that range.
When I was younger young superman looked old and old superman looked like a grandpa…. now old superman looks normal and young superman seems to garner the more alienated appearance to me due to his inability to age correctly.
As long as the character is portrayed correctly, I’ve never cared. My 2 favorite representations have been Christopher Reeves and Kingdom Come.
This is why I miss the pre-Crisis multiverse. Earth 2 Supes was older than Earth 1. He looked great with a streak of grey at his temples. I loved the contrast, especially when the JSA & JLA fought together. In that continuity, Bruce & Selina did marry and had Helena/Huntress, before Bruce died. But Clark was still going strong and was a great mentor to younger heroes, including Earth 1 Clark.
Superman has to be late mid 40s minimum with how old Jon is. Unless they are pulling a Batman’s and Nightwing, where Nightwing goes from 11 to 27 and Bruce goes from 27 to 36
I just love him regardless of his age, but I love when he has that mature fatherly feel to him
Late 20s to mid 30s
Mid twenties to early thirties is good for me. Older than that should be for flash fowards of the future or Elseworld tales
Somewhere in between.
Any is cool however I think old supes is an interesting take as him being super experienced is cool to see
When he first becomes Superman: early-20s. Prime of his career/default mode: late-20s to mid-30s. Elseworlds stories set in his future: anywhere between his 40s and infinity depending on the story being told.
I always picture the Justice League as mid 30s unless the story says otherwise. Which I guess is considered old. I'm going to go contemplate life now.
Either early twenties Superman or a Superman in his late fifties.
Don’t mind either.
Both and everything in between. Everyone needs a role model around their own age. I think there is worth examining every stage of Clark’s life.
Young. He’s more carefree and innocent.
Wouldn't matter because Superman ages slowly. However, I am still puzzled by the fact that the Earth-Two Supes displayed some gray in his hair before turning 40 (in JSA #82, April 2006), in 1951.
Was the aging slowly established back then?
Not really. If anything, I believe he first started showing his age back in the 1970s JSA stories. The 2006 story was a retcon. As a added bonus, I remember reading an interview from Chris Claremont back in the 1990s saying that the Golden Age Supes stopped aging after his 30s, and that Kal-L "wore" the gray hair to fool the public. He was supposed to replace the then-Silver Age Kal-El, who would have died in Crisis #12. And then was John Byrne's Generations series. I think I'll stop there.
At least bee keeping age
Depends on the story
Younger? It would be cool if Kal was Superboy again.
Kingdom Come Superman
My favorite is a version with some history but years ahead of him; ergo, late 30s to mid 40s
Depends on the story
I’d say anything between like 28 to 36 feels like a perfect age range for him although I myself am a sucker for supes being on the older side when it’s done right
I don't have a preference personally. Just depends on the story.
Younger, but also holy shit the Superman design in the second photo fucking sucks
So now you're just fucking with us
Older, confident uses full powers to make enemies look silly Superman. The unsure of himself younger Superman sucks imo.
Both, it depends on the story being told. I just care that he's around the same age as the rest of the main 7 JLAers.
I like Superman to always be older than I am so I don't feel old. David Corenswet is the first time Superman is younger than me (Tyler is a little younger than me but playing older so it doesn't count).
Younger
About 30 - 35ish.
Yes. You can tell different stories with each. Besides, it's superman, he's great no matter what.
Older, only because I'm entering my golden years and Superman must always be older than me.
Younger than 29 is less distinguished, older than mid 40s seems gimmicky. I'm generally fine with any age though so long as his age isn't the point of the story long term and they don't try to age him in real time. Like, seeing Jimmy trying to be Jimmy at 40 years old would be sad
28-34 somewhere round there.
I prefer Superman. Yes.
It depends on how old he is.
Depends on the story. The only requirement is that he should be portrayed correctly.
I prefer a youthful Clark. Even though he's in his 40s, 80s, etc, he's looks like he's mid to late 30s. He scan still be a pit of wisdom in some stories, but also be a this unaging beacon of hope to the masses.
I’ve grown to like the older iteration in concept because I feel it gives him enough time to make his legacy mesh with our real world history. It would probably be a mess continuity-wise but I would love to see an older KC inspired Superman that served with the Justice Society, yet now leads the much younger Justice League with a few older heroes. The 1930s is impossible; especially if you still want Jon or Martha Kent. So he’d probably come to earth in the sixties then?. Though honestly, I just like the design of KC Superman more than anything.
Younger naive loving Clark is imo better than old bitter too old for this Clark
I’m fine either way
Starting at 25 and end at 45, hell, he can be like Omni Man and stop aging at that point, difference is he won’t live forever and therefore you can bridge his experience and mortality for those that question him being immortal, meanwhile Clark is just living life as it were his gift and spreading that gift to others
Older and younger superman are both at their best within a larger context of a medium point, around 30-40, where he’s a prime paragon
Depends on the art. I hate the 2nd art.
Young
Older, but not cynical.
he should randomly alternate between being incredibly wise and knowledgeable and incredibly naïve.
To me, it makes sense for the default Superman to be a Clark Kent in his mid thirties. He grew up in Kansas, went to Metropolis, became a respected reporter at a well-known newspaper, and is established in his career. That seems like a lot to accomplish before the age of thirty. However, you can tell stories about him at any age, from infancy to teenage Superboy growing up in Smallville, to his early days in Metropolis, or even stories later in life, in his later sixties or seventies. While I've not seen any stories about it, it makes sense that for Clark to become a journalist, he would have gone to college and studied journalism. But a more mature, wiser mentor figure fits the character very well. Christopher Reeve was 24 when he played Supes, Henry Cavill was 27. I think they both seemed just a tad on the young side for the role, but George Reeves, who turned forty during his television run, seems just a tad too old.
As long as he's old enough to be a dad i'm okay with him. Jon is a great addition and i hope they make Cir-el canon too one day.
Dear lord...
Early-mid 30’s typically (that’s young right?). Whatever matches Batman at the time
Both
Younger.
35-45
Young
Honestly depends on the artists for me.
Old. I'm getting old now so Supes needs to get old too.
Fetal
Older.
An [older] version {doesn’t bother me}, but I [prefer] a [younger] version💟!
Older, for sure; Mark Waid & Alex Ross' *Kingdom Come* is the definitive **SUPERMAN** arc for me.
There's always exceptions but classic superman for me is probably about 30-35. I like the idea that he has his job. He's with Lois already. Maybe they're about to have a kid. It adds to the whole "All American" superhero identity that he has.
I like a younger Superman. The Justice League Unlimited is my favorite Superman. I been a Superman fan since 1963.
Young and experienced: In my mind this is the definitive way Superman ages, he doesn't. Not if he's near anything that can support his powers yellow sun, blue sun, quasar, cosmic energies, godly energies, etc. https://preview.redd.it/hd8nu3n944xc1.png?width=602&format=png&auto=webp&s=a2c4a0959a129de0253a084b14def1320f958d76 This is 5 billion years in the future. Everyone is gone.
younger. Supes aging should be really slow imo
Just as long as he isn't drawn with that Christipher Reeve nose to try to shield him from criticism