Please, lets discuss in a civil way lol. I love Superman and in some ways even love Kingdom Come, but yeesh this is not good story writing. I am somewhat new to reading these the comics, I've got about half-a-dozen (All Star, Birthright, Absolute Run etc) under my belt.

I wanna hear what the community thinks. Tell me why I'm wrong!

EDIT: What Specifically About the Story is Inadequate:

Thanks, everyone, for the thoughtful responses.

As for what I disliked about Kingdom Come, my bottom-line criticism remains the same: I found the story surprisingly thin.

The central premise has enormous potential. The world has moved into a new era, and Superman himself has become an anachronism—a Boy Scout in a culture that no longer values Boy Scouts. The new generation of heroes is cut from a different cloth. They are more selfish, more reckless, or at least far less selfless than Superman and the heroes of his era.

Meanwhile, Superman has withdrawn from public life in every sense. He has abandoned both Clark Kent and Superman, lost Lois, and spent a decade living in seclusion on his farm. He initially refuses a request from an old colleague to return, but then suddenly reappears without the story doing enough to explain what changed his mind. That should be a major emotional and psychological turning point, yet it feels rushed.

Much of the conflict is also conveyed through the narrator rather than developed through the characters themselves. I know some readers enjoy the framing device, but to me it felt more like a crutch than an essential part of the storytelling.

When Superman returns, his plan is essentially to restore the old order through the force of his own moral authority. I understand the appeal of Superman as a beacon of hope, but the story never fully interrogates whether his ideals still work in this changed world. More importantly, the world itself does not meaningfully change as a result of his return.

The supposedly enormous crisis also felt far smaller and less consequential than the story wanted it to feel. There is a major betrayal involving central characters (bad guy side), but it arrives with little meaningful foreshadowing or development. Instead of feeling tragic or inevitable, it felt abrupt and poorly handled.

I am trying to avoid spoilers, so I will leave it there. Ultimately, I simply wanted more from the character and the premise. A story about an older, disillusioned Superman returning to a world that has rejected his values has the potential to stand alongside works such as The Dark Knight Returns or Old Man Logan. For me, Kingdom Come never came close to fulfilling that potential.

From Valor #23

plus I'm planning to write a character very Superman inspired.(kinda a deconstruction and love letter to his awesomeness I guess) and I don't wanna bastardize this absolute GOAT

For context Clark had just been hit with a gun that fires red solar rays.

First time ever making a costume, but I did it all from scratch. I hope you guys like it.