WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Superman #23, by Brian Michael Bendis, Kevin Maguire, John Timms, Alex Sinclair and Dave Sharpe, on sale now.
Over the last two years, Superman has had to deal with a lot of changes in his life. His dead father Jor-El came back, turned out to be a jerk and almost started a galactic war before he was sent back in time to die with Krypton. His son Jon Kent - aka Superboy - chose to spend a summer exploring the universe with his grandpa but ended up lost in the Multiverse and coming back home three years older even though only a few weeks had passed for everyone else. And then Superboy decided to take off for the future to hang out with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Lois Lane's dad General Sam Lane was killed by Leviathan in the midst of the collapse of every secret organization in the DC Universe. And as if all that wasn't enough, Clark, Lois, and the rest of the reporters at the Daily Planet learned that the paper is owned by a mafia boss.
In the middle of all of this, Superman chose to reveal his identity to the world, a move that shocked his closest friends and allies. The Justice League, knowing full well how often superheroes end up being mind-controlled, asked Superman to meet with Doctor Fate just to be sure no one was making the Man of Steel do things he shouldn't be doing.
Although DC's mystical hero clears Superman's thinking of any magical interference, the Man of Steel gets a much-needed chance to vent about his frustrations.
What really drives the issue is that for the first time since Bendis has taken over Superman's life, the Man of Tomorrow has a few minutes to really think about everything that has happened to him recently, and it nearly breaks him. The issue starts with Superman taking pictures with fans with a grin, but Clark's public persona starts to fade away once he and Doctor Fate enter the Tower of Fate. Soon enough, he's opening up to a young man he barely knows, just because the pressure of holding it all in has been almost too much for even Superman to bear.
The most painful moment for Superman, and for the reader, is when Clark admits that he is heartbroken that he wasn't there to see his son grow up. "After all the diapers and age-appropriate tantrums and all the trouble he'd get into with that little Robin... I wanted to watch my son grow up!"
In this moment, a core tenant of Bendis's run becomes apparent. This run isn't testing Superman's strength in terms of fights, it's about testing Superman's mental strength; his ability to always move forward and to have hope. But that doesn't mean Superman isn't feeling the effects of what has happened to and around him. All of this weighs on the Man of Steel in ways most people wouldn't consider.
We are used to seeing Superman as a hero that others can turn to; a man who may not have all the answers but who is always there to help. Even in his own books, we rarely get to see the moments where Superman needs to open up to someone else. And usually, the person he opens up to is Lois Lane, but where does he turn when everything that is happening to him is happening to her as well? He could go to Batman or Wonder Woman, but they would likely focus on fixing the problem, not just listening. In Doctor Fate, for a few minutes, Superman finds a person who will just listen - who will let him open up and say how he feels - and not judge. Like Doctor Fate says, "You don't need to blame, you can just be mad."
All of this serves not only to help us remember everything Superman has been through lately but what it is that makes Superman so special in the world of comics; he's a hero who all of DC's other heroes look up to. As a husband and a father who relies on his mental and physical strength as much as anything else, Superman is still dedicated to helping others before all else. With all the big fights and trips to other realities, the human part of Superman can get lost in the mix, but this issue helps us all remember that piece of the character and makes us appreciate him all that much more.