Category Archives: Superman
The DC New 52 Reboot Has No Patience
So Clark Kent quit his longtime reporter job at the Daily Planet last week, in Superman #13. For some reason, major news outlets thought this was news, and it was splashed all over the Internet and mainstream media. I didn’t write anything about it at the time because I don’t consider this news. And not just because it’s a story in a comic book – that stuff is totally news worthy.
And while I don’t think it’s news, I do think it’s a symptom of a larger problem at DC Comics: They’ve had zero patience in this first year, telling big, important stories without taking the time to establish and grow their characters. They’re screwing themselves over in the long run with the New 52.
The perfect visual metaphor
I’ve wanted to write this article for awhile now, and it’s taken many forms. But the big deal made out of Clark Kent quitting the Daily Planet really underlines exactly what I think is wrong with the New 52: they’re publishing for the short term only. Their events and stories are all designed for immediate sales and popularity, with seemingly little thought put into what the comics will look like 5 or 10 years from now.
Join me after the jump for more, and a deeper exploration of what it really means for Clark Kent to quit the Daily Planet.
Who Needs a Live Action Justice League Movie
When we can have one made out of LEGOs instead!
Despite the mouthful title of LEGO Batman The Movie: DC Heroes Unite, this is going to be a full length LEGO Batman movie, based off the recent video game (which I sadly have not played). It’s going to star Batman and Robin teaming up with the entire Justice League to take on the Joker and Lex Luthor!
So why even bother with a live action Justice League movie? There’s no way it’ll be as good as this. Heck, why bother with traditional animation anymore? All future superhero movies should be made out of Lego.
We’re living in a golden age of superheroes
DC Comics is Going to Try Again With Superman
This can’t be good news for the replacement writers on Superman and Action Comics. But DC has announced a brand new Superman comic – called Man of Steel – that will be written by superstar writer Scott Snyder and drawn by superstar artist Jim Lee. It will come out next year, not so coincidentally alongside a new Superman movie that is also titled Man of Steel.
Look at him break stuff like a pro!
Jim Lee, of course, is one of the most popular comic book artists of the modern day, and one of the big wigs at DC Comics corporate. He was also the artist entrusted with starting the New 52’s flagship Justice League series.
Scott Snyder is currently writing the spectacular and incredibly popular Batman series, and is the mastermind behind both the Court of Owls and the current, highly rated Joker storyline.
So clearly DC Comics is banking hard on this new Superman series.
But that makes me wonder how the new creative teams of the current Superman comics – Action Comics and Superman – must now feel. I mean, jeez, why don’t DC just hang big signs around their neck that their comics won’t matter in the wake of Man of Steel? I can’t imagine that the Superman comics are doing so well that Superman could support three ongoing series. Batman is doing it, but just barely. And Superman is not as popular as Batman.
DC has actually had a bit of trouble with Superman in the New 52. Grant Morrison has been writing a pretty popular Action Comics, but he’s leaving in the new year, to be replaced by Andy Diggle. Not to talk down on Mr. Diggle’s work, but he’s no Grant Morrison. Nobody is Grant Morrison. Though personally, I haven’t been a big fan of Morrison’s Action Comics. Considering it was supposed to be the main Superman title in the new reboot, Morrison went really insane really fast, which I thought was disruptive in the context of a reboot.
And then Superman the series has had four different writers in just one year, with Scott Lobdell taking over in September. And readers of my blog will know that I’m no fan of Scott Lobdell’s work on Teen Titans – though I am sort of enjoying his work on Red Hood and the Outlaws. But Scott Lobdell is no Scott Snyder or Grant Morrison or anybody else. Not to be mean, but he’s not an A-list talent in the comic book world. After losing George Perez – who was very vocal about why he left Superman – and Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens, it seems like DC just looked around their office for someone who wasn’t mad at DC Comics and just threw Lobdell into the slot.
So clearly Superman has been floundering in the New 52, whereas characters like Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman have exploded out of the gate. This new Man of Steel comic may turn things around and give us some quality Superman stories…but why not put Snyder and Lee on one of the existing Superman books? Why try to support 3 identical Superman comics?
Though I definitely think I’ll be buying Man of Steel when it comes out. Snyder and Lee are great!
Abandon All Reason and Bear Witness to the Justice League of Animals
It’s good to know that insanity still exists in the world of cartoons.
That was just…there are so few words. A toilet joke? Aquaman as a baboon? Lex Luthor as a liger? That is just brilliant. And I know a certain someone who is going to love Wonder Wombat.
This isn’t going to be a full series, but instead just another bunch of cartoon shorts aired alongside the DC Nation cartoon block. Like those Super Best Friends Forever cartoons that were so good. I definitely like where DC’s head is at with all these cartoon shorts.
Joker as a fish? You guys crack me up
Superman and Wonder Woman Sitting in a Tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
Long the fodder of Elseworlds tales and creepy fan fiction, DC Comics has decided to go ahead with an in-canon, for realsies, kissing and everything relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman. This is the New 52 people, you’re living in it!
But speaking as a longtime comic book reader and occasional curmudgeon, I am absolutely, 100% in favor of this hook-up.
I think new romantic relationships between classic superheroes is a good thing. It’s new, it’s exciting and it’s much better than just resting on the old, classic, long-boring relationships. Superman and Lois Lane? Please. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson? Been there, done that. Gambit and Rogue? Sayonara, Sugah!
Give me Superman and Wonder Woman. I want to read about Iceman and Kitty Pryde. And, most especially, I want Spider-Man and Captain Marvel!
The absolute worst thing that DC could do instead would be to create a brand new love interest for either Superman or Wonder Woman. Just look at Carlie Cooper in Spider-Man comics. She was created for the sole purpose of eventually becoming Peter Parker’s new girlfriend. Whatever stories the writers tried to give her, like being a police investigator, were just window dressing for her eventual existence as Peter Parker’s girlfriend. There was no drama. No ‘will they/won’t they’ playfulness. When a new female character is created solely for a relationship – or male character, for that matter – it’s just so fun to read.
This, however, will be fun to read. Wonder Woman is not beholden to Superman. She’s not around just to be his girlfriend. She had a lot going on right now. In fact, her comic series is a lot better and much more critically acclaimed than Superman’s title. He’s the one in dire straits here. So I, for one, want to see where this relationship goes. It’s going to debut next week in Justice League #12. I think it has a lot of potential.
What do you guys think? I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments!
Henchman-4-Hire 