Superman Through the Ages! Forum

A lot has been said about ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, however, the most interesting thing is that nobody is terribly excited, at least the way people were about Busiek's JLA recently. The consensus on this particular newsgroup seems to be one of the following: Morrison is okay, uninspired, and alright, but at least he knows Superman better than the guys writing his comic right now.

Incidentally, I'm more nervous about my buddy Grant's writing than Frank Quitely's art. Frankie's art is a little like sushi; an acquired taste that the first time it's in your mouth you want to retch it out, but if you chew it down you start to like it a little. Ditto for Frankie; his Superman looks like a big-chinned bendy-toy at first, but sticking with his work a while, one realizes how detailed and "busy" his work really is, how involved his backgrounds and designs are. Grant Morrison on the other hand...if he ever had an original idea in his entire life, I must have missed that issue. It took Busiek to breathe to life his concepts in his CSA story arc. Grant can't do characterization and he can't do mindblowing concepts. He is a walking advertisement for why comics creators should read books or magazines or anything instead of just going to see hit action movies.

But what if someone really great instead of just sufficient was on Superman? How wonderful would it be to tap dance like Fred Astaire all the way to the comics or candy store?

In short, who would be your writer/artist Dream Team, the one to make you excited about Superman again?

My Superman Dream Team:

WRITER: Kurt Busiek

I think I've written a post about this before, but the more I muse on it the better an idea it becomes and the more qualified "Mr. Silver Age" gets.

Superman is science fiction in nature and emphasis, but more importantly, a type of period space opera; LENSMAN, SLAN, or STARSHIP TROOPERS with Heat-Vision instead of "Primary Beams" and "Mind Bolts." Kurt Busiek is good at worldbuilding; he is good at building a setting so that it feels like a real place. Kurt works well with science fiction; if he was not a comics writer, he'd make a great science fiction scribe. Just look at Kurt's recent JLA arc. Not since Steve Englehart's eight issue JLA run or John Broome's GREEN LANTERN has there been such a detailed, thoughtful treatment of the Weaponeers of Qward, and his worldbuilding with the Crime Syndicate Earth, which rivals their original story for detail and degree of thought placed into their evil flip-world.

What will Busiek's Krypton look like? I don't know, but it will have two things going for it:

1) It will be very Silver Age, in spirit if not in precise details;

2) It will be very well thought through.

Anyone that's read Busiek's ARROWSMITH knows Busiek has a feel for pre-1950 science fiction and adventure stories; he frequently lists Milton Caniff as one of his greatest influences.

But the best qualification I can think of for Busiek?

No matter how big of a Superman geek you are, I assure you, Busiek is a million times bigger.  :D


ARTIST: Jerry Ordway

Mark Evanier once told a story about Jack Kirby when he worked at DC: Curt Swan once sighed and said that he was working on a really terrible Superman story. Kirby said, without irony or espionage whatsoever, "You mean it's possible to tell a bad Superman story?"

The past years under Mike "Dunderhead" Carlin have provided an answer to that question, proving the cynics right and the Kirby idealists wrong.

Through it all, though, was Jerry Ordway, going like a trooper he is, giving his all to what can charitably be described as chump scripts that missed the point of Superman. He, like Jack Kirby, felt that it wasn't possible to tell a bad Superman story. One wonders the heights he can achieve with a classic Superman, one that doesn't have to sport a Super-Mullet or eyes that glow red like the Terminator.

Nobody does grandiose superheroic action scenes with cars and cranes chucked better than Kirby, but Ordway comes close - watch the Black Adam/Captain Marvel fight in his POWER OF SHAZAM! miniseries and see if that doesn't get your fist pumping.

You're probably right about it resembling the "spirit" of the Silver Age Krypton, but it won't resemble their style of dress. Busiek never really liked the fashion sense of pre-Crisis Kryptonians--that's not that to say he liked the way the post-Crisis ones dressed, either. I'd think his version of Krypton would be more similar to the one in the Donner film.

But however he designed it, I'm sure he'd add a lot of new concepts. It wouldn't be a complete re-tread of any era.

As for my own Superman Dream Team...

Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: George Perez

Ooooh, good choices. Though for me, I'd have to specify the well-adjusted, intellectual, humorous Alan Moore of today, instead of the depressed Alan Moore of 1985-1990. A friend of mine who had only read the slow-paced, dead serious (with "dead" being the operative phrase) WATCHMEN (possibly Alan Moore's worst work - but still better than 75% of most comics, especially today) was amazed to hear it when I described that Alan Moore had a wonderful sense of humor. His humor and charm is what makes him a great writer; as is his skill with characterization. Look how well defined every single member of the giant cast of TOP TEN is, for example. Even Alan himself admits his work in this period was pretty lousy; once he started taking Prozac or whatever it was, he got back into the groove.

I for one, am glad to say they never got about to making Alan's dreary TWILIGHT OF THE SUPER-HEROES; there was not a single thing there that really struck me as being that amusing. Combine that with the wholesale, pointless slaughter that was wildly out of character that read like something out of an issue of WHAT IF...? (where was it ever demonstrated Captain Atom had it in him to kill anyone - to say nothing of Wonder Woman?) the abject Batman worship, and the tired, cliche theme of superhero world government, and one sees a humorless story that would have most likely been destructive to Alan Moore's legacy.

It's not a question of "dark" vs. "light" - I always thought this was a specious, meaningless distinction, with Superman on one side (standing for "science fiction") and Batman on the other (standing for "realism"). SWAMP THING, for instance, was very "dark" but was wonderful because it was so funny and had a bizarre charm and was filled with acid-trip wild ideas. MIRACLEMAN had an emphasis on plausibility that was almost Michael Crichton-esque, but it too, was humorous and well-plotted. WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA had none of the things that made the other works that they share qualities with work so well.

But today's Alan Moore today writing Superman - what a wonderful idea.



George Perez might be interesting as a Superman cover artist; remember the wonderful covers he did for JUSTICE LEAGUE when Gerry Conway was writer?

Though I'd lean towards Alan Davis more than George Perez myself, actually. Perhaps with inking by John Totleben or Rick Veitch?

Dream teams, Pair them up however you wish:

Writers:

Alan Moore
Elliot S! Maggin
Kurt Busiek

Artists:

Art Adams
George Perez
Neal Adams

This is going to sound like such a really morbid question, but...is Cary Bates still alive?

But I agree with you, SuperMonkey - Elliot S! Maggin, of the two great Schwartz-era writers, is the one I'd go with too. Not just because I love his take on Luthor, but because of the Schwartz writers he is the one that is most disposed to working on a modern comic. Consider:

Maggin used extended story arcs featuring recurring characters;
He developed the Superman world more in depth (with those bird-riding Vikings)
Maggin developed character interaction more - at one point, he either wanted to pair up Superman with Lois or kill her off completely

Bates, while a genius, used gimmick-centered stories that were resolved in less than a single issue, and while his stories were wonderful, there are different expectations of modern readers, who expect long-term benefits from readership. Maggin, who used multiple issue stories and subplots involving background characters, is clearly the one better suited to the 21st Century.



I dunno - that would mean one more thing on Neal's checklist before he has to do the sequel to BUCKY O'HARE AND THE TOAD WARS.

Though anything that would tear an old great like Neal away from "Amateur Geology" and the gradual descent into madness - is welcome.

Why Neal, though? I know he did JIMMY OLSEN covers, but he's more a Batman kind of artist, isn't he?

I have to disagree there. Watchmen is my favorite Alan Moore story (narrowingly edging out Miracleman) and, in my view, is everything a great comic should be. It had all the essentials a great super-hero book needs: action, drama, mystery, intrigue, and, perhaps most importantly, a good plot. Putting the Charlton heroes (or characters based on them) in a world where there existed a gray area was a stroke of genius on Moore's part. When I hear about all the awards the series has won (Kirby awards, Eisner awards, Hugo, ect) I'm never surprised.

As for Moore's worst work, I wouldn't want to speculate on that. I've literally liked everything I've read of his. Moore himself doesn't seem to regard The Killing Joke as a special piece of his work, though (despite the fact that many others do).

I'd like him to write Superman not only because he understands the character and won't be manipulated by fanboys, but also because he has incredible range as a writer. For example, he can write a story about eldritch horrors and he can also write a four-color super-hero story. Not many writers can do both successfully--Moore can and does quite often.

Writers: Evan Dorkin/Sarah Dyer
Artists: Chris Sprouse/Karl Story

Let's make Superman comics fun to read and easy on the eyes.
Eschew the dark and broody, the screwily squiggly, and the fugly.

Well he did more than just a few Jimmy Olsen covers, LOL.

Neal Adams super massive ego might be too hard to deal with, but he is friendly with Maggin, so I would team both of them together.

Neal's Superman Check List from his site:

ACTION COMICS (DC)
Cover only - #356, 358, 359, 361,362, 363(Layout by Carmine Infantino), 364, 366(Layout by Carmine Infantino), 367(Layout by Carmine Infantino), 370(Layout and half pencils by Carmine Infantino), 371(inks over Swan), 372, 373(inks over Swan), 374, 377(inks over Swan) , 378(inks over Swan), 379(Layout by Carmine Infantino), 398(Layout by Carmine Infantino), 399, 400, 402, 404(Inked by Giordano), 405(Inked by Giordano), 419(Inked by Murphy Anderson), 466, 468, 473, 485
#425 (July 1973) "The Short Walk To Disaster Contract" (6 pages) Written by
Len Wein, Adams pencils, Giordano inks the Human Target (1973)

ADVENTURE COMICS (DC)
Covers only - 365-369, 371-373, 375, 376(inks over Swan), 377, 378, 379, 381(inks over Swan), 382(inks over Swan), 383(inks over Swan)

ALL NEW COLLECTORS EDITION (DC)
#C-56 (1978) (72 pages) "Superman VS. Muhammad Ali" Script based on an
original story by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, adapted and penciled by Neal Adams, inked by Terry Austin and Dick Giordano

AMAZING WORLD OF DC (DC)
#8 (September 1975) Carmine Infantino sketch
Special (February 1976) (5 pages) Never before published Superman story.
Written by Len Wein, Adams pencils (no inks)

JIMMY OLSEN (DC)
Covers only - #109(Infantino Layout), 110(Swan Pencil), 111, 112, 115, 117(Swan Pencil), 118(Infantino layout), 120(Infantino layout), 121(Swan Pencil), 122(Swan Pencil), 132, 134, 135, 136, 147,148
Covers only (inks over Jack Kirby) - 137,138,141-144

JUSTICE LEAGUE (DC)
Covers only - #63(NOT ADAMS. Art by Mike Sekosky), #66(Infantino layout), 67, 70(Infantino layout), 74, 79, 81, 82, 86-89, 91, 92(Infantino layout), 95(partly penciled by Swan), 96, 97, 98, 138, 139
#94 Cover and (November 1971) "Where Strikes Demonfang?" Written by Mike Friedrich, Adams pencils pages 1, 5, 20 and 22

 LIMITED COLLECTORS EDITION (DC)
Covers only - C-39, C-46
#C-23 Reprint of House of Mystery #179 "Widow's Walk" (10 pages) and #186
"Nightmare" (12 pages)
#C-25 "Batman" Reprint of Detective #404 "Ghost Of The Killer Skies" (15
pages) Joker, Enemy Ace
#C-31 "Superman Park" (2 pages)
#C-38 "Superman" Reprint of Superman #254 "The Baby Who Walked Through
Walls" (7 pages)
#C-39 (October-November 1975) "Secret Origins Super-Villains" Reprint of
Superman #249 "The Origin of Terra-Man" (7 pages) Dick Dillin pencils, Adams
inks
#C-43 (February-March 1976) "Christmas with the Super-Heroes" Reprint of
Batman #219 "The Silent Night of the Batman (8 pages)
#C-48 (October-November 1976) Superman VS Flash, (6 pages) Plans for
Superman's Fortress of Solitude
#C-51 (August 1984) Treasury size Reprint of Batman #232 and 237
#C-52 "Best of DC" Reprint
#C-59 "Batman's Strangest Cases) Reprint

LOIS LANE (DC)
Covers only - #79, 80(Penciled by Swan), 81, 82, 83, 94, 95, 96, 87, 88, 89(Infantino layout), 90(Infantino layout), 91, 92(Penciled by Swan), 93(Penciled by Swan), 94(Penciled by Swan), 95(Penciled by Swan)

SECRET ORIGINS OF THE SUPER DC SUPER HEROES
Cover only - 1976

SUPERBOY (DC)
Covers only - #143,145-153,155,157-161,163,164,166-168,172,173,175,176,178

SUPERMAN (DC)
Covers only - #204, 205, 206, 207(Penciled by Kurt Swan), 208, 210,213(Penciled by Infantino), 214, 215, 218(Penciled by Swan), 219(Penciled by Swan), 231, 233,234, 235(Layout by Infantino), 236, 237, 240(Layout by Infantino), 241, 242, 243, 250(Loose Layout by Infantino),251(Layout by Infantino), 252, 263(Inked by Murry Anderson), 307, 308, 313(???), 314(Penciled by Kurt Swan), 317
#249 (March 1972) Cover and "The Origin Of Terra-Man" (7 pages) Written by
Cary Bates, Dick Dillon pencils, Adams inks
#254 (July 1972) Cover and "The Baby Who Walked Through Walls" (7 pages)
Written by Len Wein, pencils and inks by Adams
#257 (October 1972) "The Greatest Green Lantern Of All" (8 pages) Story idea
by Adams but his plot was not used (no Adams art)

SUPERMAN FAMILY (DC)
Covers only - #182-185
#171 (June-July 1975) Reprint of World's Finest #176

SUPERMAN FROM THE 30'S TO THE 70'S (CROWN and BONANZA BOOKS)
(1971) Reprint of many Neal Adams Superman covers in the gallery

SUPERMAN FROM THE 30'S TO THE 80'S (CROWN BOOKS)
(1983) Reprint of many Neal Adams Superman covers in the gallery

SUPERMAN GALLERY
#1 Adams pinup
 
SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
(1976) Adams redrew some shots of Superman over Ross Andru

SUPER-TEAM FAMILY (DC)
#1 (October-November 1975) Reprint of World's Finest #175
#2 (February-March 1976) Reprint of Brave and the Bold cover of #79 and
story from World's Finest 176

 WORLDS FINEST (DC)
Covers only - #174, 178-180, 182(Penciled by Kurt Swan), 183(Layout by Carmine Infantino), 185, 186(Layout by Infantino), 199, 200, 201(Layout by Infantino), 202, 203, 204(Giordano Inks), 205, 208, 209(Giordano Inks), 210(Giordano Inks), 211, 244-246, 258,
#175 (May 1968) Cover and "The Superman-Batman Revenge Squad" (17 pages +
cover) Penciled by Adams, inks by Giordano
#176 (June 1968) Cover and "The Superman-Batman Split" (18 pages + cover)
Penciled by Adams, inks by Giordano
#223 Reprint of Strange Adventures #206
#226 (November-December 1974) Reprint of Strange Adventures #207
#230 (June 1975) Reprint of Challengers of the Unknown #74
#302 (April 1984) Reprint of World's Finest 176

Perhaps at the beginning, but I haven't heard many positive comments on the various comic boards about the way the story progressed. Granted, there were behind the scenes circumstances which we don't need to go into here, but there seems to be a very negative sentiment toward the arc--it isn't like Busiek isn't popular on the Internet either. People really do like the guy.

I didn't have any problem with the run myself.

Last I heard (a couple of years ago) Cary Bates was indeed alive and well, but was busy being a recluse in the desert somewhere and not returning any of his phone calls.  I think maybe he was sick of it all and wanted nothing to do with comics or with fans or hollywood or something like that.


I'm still waiting for the next issue of Ms. Mystic.

Anyone who has browsed this site at all knows my first choice of writer:  Elliot S! Maggin.  But I think getting him on a regular monthly schedule could be tricky.  Perhaps making him Superman Editor (as he wanted to be) would be a better move.

Then you can have your other first choice of writer - say, Kurt Busiek or Mark Waid or Grant Morrison or someboy.  Maybe have those three handle the three titles?  Could be a good team, especially under Maggin.

Edit: also suggest Mark Millar (http://superman.nu/a/History/redson/) for writing duties.

I don't really have a strong feeling about the artist - to me, the story is much more important.

:s:

I think Maggin would make a great editor. Unfortunately, I can't see that happening. Plus, even if he did get the job there are a lot of mindless fanboys who might treat him badly. I wouldn't want to wish that on him.

Maggin would be a fine editor in my mind, he has a sense of the mythos...but I often find his stories one notch over what I want in a comic book....sorry all, that's just me...

He's doing cartoons:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383718/


I'd love to make the titles more distinctive from each other thematically (as opposed to artist/writer) before going beyond one title.  It'd go like this:

- Superman:  Just a place to tell good stories without any particular bias (other than not to overdo it on themes covered by the other two).  This would be the book most connected to DC as a whole -- crossover-bait.

- Action Comics:  Space stories...  Superman in exotic worlds, doing grand stuff, with less focus on his earthbound supporting cast (no Lois angst every few pages!).  Focus on the Super.  

- The Adventures of Superman (renamed to something else):  Heavy on the supporting cast, focus on SuperMAN, who may not even be the primary character in a story if someone wants to tell a good Jimmy story.


Art that distracts from the story doesn't work for me.

Wow, Supermonkey, I humbly stand corrected. That's one huge list.



Hear hear! Maggin has weaknesses, but knowing who Superman is, is definitely not one of them. Just imagine him as an editor with yea or nay powers over stories - Elliot, who more than anybody else understands what Superman is fundamentally about, would nix stories that are harmful, or clueless, or rewrite them so that they are in line with how Superman works. He could be the anti-Carlin: a dedicated professional that understands the character, who maintains a high story quality by ensuring destructive or conceptually flawed tales detrimental to Superman's greatness don't get past him.

I cannot think of a better choice for Superman editor.



This is totally true. Not to denigrate the contributions that artists make, but writers make or break the story. Englehart's INCREDIBLE HULK is remembered for his stories, not Herb Trimpe's clumsy pen; Gaiman's SANDMAN is remembered for his writing, not the smudgy guy that did the art. At the same time, writers bear responsibility for lousy stories more severely than artists do.

That said, some artists are better than others, which is why the question is asked.



I have noticed this, and I'm absolutely appalled. Here we have, in eight issues, arguably one of the greatest JLA stories ever written - and easily the greatest one of the Modern Era, and fans throw it aside when they aren't actively denigrating it.

Fanboys do not deserve Kurt Busiek writing JLA.

I have nothing against Grant Morrison (who is average instead of bad) but Busiek in eight issues totally outdid Grant's JLA in every single way: characterization (you can FEEL the heat of Ultraman's rage when he shatters the pearls Owlman gives Superwoman, and the Flash's antsiness compared to the Manhunter's placidity), worldbuilding (if you were to make a list of the things that we know about the Antimatter Universe Earth from Busiek's FIRST TWO ISSUES ALONE, and compare it to what we know from Morrison's Antimatter Earth story, the list would be easily longer on the side of Busiek), and in sense of history: we have classic characters like Red Tornado and Elongated Man (characters Morrison NEVER USED AT ALL), the appearance of the Construct, and even the Englehart-era JLA Sattelite every other writer's forgotten about makes a cameo, which Morrison only had appear just to blow it up. Busiek USED the DC Universe; they fight in San Fransisco, they meet the Titans and while the Power Company doesn't appear, there is an explanation why. Batman's pragmatism in Kurt's story made him a clever planner instead of an antisocial weasel whose characterization is being insensitive to those around him. Most importantly of all, Busiek was able to create a sense of fear with his JLA story, a sense of desperation that cast victory into doubt, something Morrison never was able to do; it's unsurprising when he created a law in his Key story that the JLA was always assured of victory; it sure did feel that way under him, didn't it?

But the fact that fans would prefer MORRISON - who, if he lived during the actual Silver Age would be considered DC's answer to Gerry Conway (at least until the actual Gerry Conway showed up at DC). Granted, Morrison was the first to use an all-star roster for the JLA in some time, but this is no particular distinction, because that's the single most obvious roster to have. In fact, Keith Giffen wanted to use an all-star JLA as far back as 1987, but because of political reasons (too elaborate to go into here) he was denied it. There's nothing special about Morrison's approach, nor anything special of his ideas or plot. And for his grotesque mischaracterization of Batman as a misanthropic loner whose mystique totally overshadows the other characters in ways detrimental to them, and Plastic Man as the "comic relief" (joining the tradition of Jar-Jar Binks, Scrappy-Doo, Alpha 5, and Snarf from the Thundercats as being the so-called "Comic Relief" that is in reality, the obnoxious character we hate more than anyone else) I cannot easily forgive him.

Picking a writer is the hard part.  There are so few I enjoy.

Artists are another matter.  I'll take:

- Steve Rude
- Mike Allred
- Darwyn Cooke

Much as I love Neal Adam's old work on Superman (plug: see my tribute at http://nightwing.supermanfan.net/artists/sm-nealadams.htm) I have to say he's lost it.  Nowadays he insists on drawing Supes with curly, almost brillo-like hair, and his work in general has a sketchier, rouger look than I care for (he apparently inks with a sharpie).  Plus, one of the requirements for any "dream book" would have to be on-schedule, monthly publication, so that lets Neal out for sure!

Cary Bates is still alive but done with comics.  He works in TV.  He's actually probably a lot younger than you think, having started in comics as a kid (not much older than Shooter was, I think).

All said, my real dream team is only going to be printing books up at Pearly Gates Publishing these days...Ed Hamilton, Curt Swan and George Klein.

Glad to hear the great Cary Bates is still alive and well.

That's something I noticed about these writer-types, is that after comics they go for animation. For instance, while watching an episode of the old eighties TRANSFORMERS, I noticed under "Story Consultants" a few familiar names in the credits: Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman. Thanks for giving those big robots some of the old Marvel spit and polish, gang!



Oh man, I can't believe Rude the Dude didn't come to mind right away, at least as some kind of cover artist.

He'd be a great interior artist, too - I almost hate to say, "hey, he really draws like Kirby," but I mean that as a compliment.



He's "retro," I suppose - but I cannot get used to his "cartoony" style, which may not be right for Superman, who has always had a degree of realism in art going all the way back to Curt Swan. Then again, I've only seen his work in MADMAN, so he may probably have something that qualifies him that I haven't seen.

Here's another person that might be an interesting Superman artist - Jeff Moy! What's he doing these days?



Hear-hear! I would add Kurt Schaffenberger to this list too, to do the Jimmy Olsen backups - that guy had class.

Funny thing: while thinking about my Superman dream team, I thought to myself: "Hey, has Jim Aparo ever done Superman? More a Batman sort of guy, but his might be interesting..." And then I remembered.

Rude has mastered Kirby's feel for weight and mass and dynamic compositions (and those groovy machines and vehicles).  But his figures and faces, to me, have the glamor and wholesomeness of Russ (Magnus) Manning's.  Toss in an Alex Toth-like mastery of blacks and you've got a kick-butt art style.  The guy's a maestro.

As for Allred, he did a great Superman in the "Superman/Madman Hullaballoo." I really dig his half-retro, half-underground art style, though his scripts can be on the odd side.

And the late and very great Mr Aparo did draw Superman on several occasions.  Actually I thought Supes was one of the very few characters he was unsuited for.  Too skinny or something, I don't know.

http://batman.superman.nu/bat-comics/outsiders1/?page=6

Few artists write as well as they draw. Paired up with a writer, though, the results might be interesting.



Ah, I have this issue.

Looking it over again, actually, now that I see it...

I like Aparo's Superman. He draws Superman's hair a specific way, a thick, lush mane of black locks that is the wildest dream of anyone that has ever considered going to the Hair Club for Men. Remember the Latin Barbie doll that was being sold some time ago? Aparo's Superman looks like the Latin Ken Doll.  :D

When it comes to comics the importance of the artist and writer is 50/50.
Comic books are not novels, and they are also not art books., they are comics. A great writer paired with a bad artist makes for a bad comic with good writing ;) A great artist paired with bad writer, is a bad comic with great artwork.

Mike Allred is a pretty great artist, IMHO.

See for yourselves:

(http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/s/smadtpb.jpg)
(http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/s/smad1.jpg)
(http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/s/smad2.jpg)
(http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/s/smad3.jpg)

Writers:  Jerry Siegel;  Edmund Hamilton; E Nelson bridwell; Cary Bates; Kurt Busiek; Alan Moore; Isaac Asimov; Otto Binder; & others.

    Artists:   Joe Shuster;  Jack Kirby; & others.  




    Well, we are talking fantasy here right?  The writers & artists we would love to see doing Superman stories?  Why limit ourselves to people who have worked with the character &/or are still alive?

Asimov (well, Asa Ezaak / Momentus) is already a pre-Crisis Superman villain:

http://progressiveruin.com/archives/2004_03_14_archive.html

No need for him to write Superman stories, unless Supeman stories happen to have a special spot in the Dewey Decimal System he hasn't covered.  :)  

I wish he would've had a chance to write a story about a Superman robot, though...  that'd be interesting.

Wow...that is the single greatest thing I've ever read.

The most telling detail, though, is the idea that Jimmy Olsen is a really, really big fan of "Asa Ezaak." Who thinks Jimmy Olsen is also a really really big fan of STAR TREK too?

Can you imagine Jimmy showing up to the Daily Planet with a condescending, self-congratulatory "I GROK SPOCK" shirt?

Clark Kent, that friendless nebbish, would push his glasses on his forehead even higher and say, "Jimmy, I don't get to say this very often, but I'm cooler than you."

I'd love to see villains based on real people.

Scott Baio, for example. Most people say HAPPY DAYS jumped the shark when Fonzie...well, Jumped the Shark. But I knew it was when Chachi bobbed in with his . At that moment, deep down, I realized what a true sociopath Scott Baio is. Can you imagine the cover of such an issue, with Chachi planting his foot on Superman's neck, his eyes aglee with manical fire, and his hand smashing a globe, with an electric bubble near his mout that reads:

"Soon, I'll be Charles in Charge...of THE WORLD! BWA-hahahaha!"

He's not serious enough to pull it off.  Observe:

http://www.goats.com/comix/9905/goats990527.gif

And besides, Scott Baio is a Marvel character, landlord to Kraven's son in the "Get Kraven" miniseries.  For there to be a crossover story with him, we'd have to find some sort of equivalent malevolence in the DC universe -- perhaps Zan the waterboy from the Wonder Twins.

Writer: Kurt Busiek, Grant Morrison, Elliot S! Maggin, Darwyn Cooke, Steve Gerber, possibly Mark Waid

I won't say Alan Moore because Moore really has said all he has to say about Superman through SUPREME.

Artist: Steve Rude, Cameron Stewart

For both art and writing, I'll have to nominate Matt Wagner (author of Grendel and Mage: The Hero Discovered/Unleashed) for his work on Batman-Superman-Wonder Woman Trinity.

Now this is a man who understands just not the characters of those three heroes, but also their iconic status, which he handles wonderfully.  His understanding of how to write and draw Superman is especially great; Wagner's Superman is just what Superman should be, in all aspects.

This came very close to happening:

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=389373

...And once again, I have a reason to utterly dispise Dan Didio...

How would Asa Ezaak/Momentous being based on Isaac Asimov disqualify Dr. Asimov from writing Superman stories?  Also he wrote more than just robot stories.  What about his "Foundation" series?

Tried posting this earlier in the week --computer foul-ups.

I agree with many here about the art side of things: Allred, Rude, Cooke, etc, --the modern heirs to the clear-line, silver-age art style.

In short, just about anyone featured in the World's Funnest.

I think Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez would do a great Legion of Superheroes.  Jaime's Legion girl illos for the 80s "DC Who's Who" were gorgeous.

Writers: I really can't think of anyone outside of Alan Moore who I would enjoy on a regular superhero comic --it's been awhile for me.  A bad comic with good art is redeemable to me, less so a good story with bad art.  Since the art in comics carries so much of the story, ipso facto "good art" mostly equals "good story" for me.  Otherwise, read a book.

Plotting: Ed Brubaker?
Humour: Dorkin/Dyer
Editing: Maggin didn't get the job back in the 70s because he seems to be too nice, too honourable.  Hard to find the combination of obnoxious personality (very common) with aesthetic sense (very rare).  I'm too attached to the Weisinger era, I guess.

Children's sci-fi writers currently working who would be good on Superman?  I'm thinking of Binder and Hamilton heirs here.

Writer - Matt Wagner
Penciller - the Kubert Brothers (they both want it badly)
Inker - Randy Emberlin (best inker the Spider-Man books ever had)

Get Liquid! or another top-rate coloring house in the biz to do the color work, and you'd be set.