Superman #703 (theweeklycrisis.com)

2. A Real Grayson Move

WE DID IT!!! We finally made it out of Superman #701!!!

And 702 is…fine, I guess. We don’t get a spectacularly dumb moment in the issue, just a bunch of little ones that aren’t really worth mentioning.

But the stupid comes back full force in Issue #703, starting on page five, when Batman shows up to ask Superman what his problem is. Superman acts like a total jerk, because that’s what he does in this story. And, making this easier for him is the fact that the Batman in this story is actually Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing. Bruce Wayne is still dead at this point, so Dick must step in. So Superman gets to talk down to him like he’s a child.

Greaaaaaaaaaaat.

This isn’t a direct quote, but Supes basically says, “Hey, maybe your parents wouldn’t have gotten murdered if there’d been some dude like me walking around saving randos.” Dick reasonably responds that Superman’s operating on such a low level is a waste of his talents, and that he’d be better served saving the whole planet and stuff. What no one mentions is that there are LITERALLY THOUSANDS of DCU superheroes who are able to patrol around at street level, saving people. Superman doesn’t need to do this. And walking around Smalltown America is (as Grayson points out) incredibly dangerous. If any of Superman’s rogues gallery show up to fight him, he would be putting everyone in danger. He’s just a big walking target.