Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Superman Comic Books! => Superman! => Topic started by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 11:33:35 AM



Title: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 11:33:35 AM
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dcnu-superman-lois-lane-break-up-110718.html

Superman and Lois Lane are breaking up, and that's not the only major change coming to the world's most iconic superhero.

September's Action Comics #1 and Superman #1 will introduce several major alterations to the character, sources at DC confirm.

Husband and wife since 1996 in the comics, the new status quo will find Clark Kent and Lois Lane not only unmarried, but not even together. Lois will have a new, as-yet unrevealed, boyfriend, and Clark will be a bachelor.

Additionally, Superman's alien origins will be emphasized in a big way, with the character described as "more Kal-El from the planet Krypton than Clark Kent from Kansas." Superman's deep connection to his Kryptonian heritage also explains his new costume, as seen on the cover of Superman #1. It's "ceremonial armor" from his home planet, with the traditional red trunks abandoned.

Perhaps part of the reason Superman's embracing his alien nature is the loss of his adopted parents. Jonathan and Martha Kent are both dead in DC's post-Flashpoint continuity, a pronounced change from the recent past, and a return to the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths status quo in that regard.

Action Comics, which focuses on Superman's early superhero career, depicts a "younger, more brooding" Man of Steel, who "can leap tall buildings but can't fly in space."

Kal-El's present will be told in Superman, with a "new status quo at the Daily Planet." Additionally, DC says the series will show that "there's a price to pay for being Superman" and a a brand-new villain, one more powerful than the Man of Steel, will debut.

DC's impending relaunch consists of their entire existing slate of DC Universe titles being scrapped, with 52 new titles debuting in their place this September. The first, Justice League #1, is the initial appearance of Superman's new look and in stores on August 31.

Since the announcement of the "DCnU" relaunch, rumors and speculation have flourished that Superman's marriage was as good as dead, but this is the first confirmation from the publisher. Last month, DC co-publisher Dan DiDio told the site PopcornBiz that the marriage was being "reexamined."

Action Comics #1 is scheduled for release on September 7, with Superman #1 out on September 28.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 01:12:11 PM
From DC's The Source blog...

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/07/18/the-new-man-of-tomorrow/

He has been called the Man of Steel, the Last Son of Krypton and a strange visitor from a distant planet.

He is Superman, the Man of Tomorrow. As part of DC COMICS – THE NEW 52, this September will usher in a new Superman for the new century.

In the pages of ACTION COMICS, writer Grant Morrison and artist Rags Morales will present humanity’s first encounters with Superman, before he became one of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes. Set a few years in the past, it’s a bold new take on a classic hero.

* This Superman is very much an alien, one struggling to adjust to his adopted home. In the series, he must come to terms with both the loss of his home world, as well as the loss of both of his adopted parents. He is more Kal-El from the planet Krypton than Clark Kent from Kansas. He’s a loner trying to find his place in the world.

* The series’ first storyline will explore the origins of Superman’s costume, as it evolves from a look that includes jeans and work boots to a new look: a suit of battle armor that pays tribute to his Kryptonian past.

* His great powers have limits. When the series begins, Superman can leap tall buildings, but his ability to fly is in its infancy.

And in the SUPERMAN ongoing comic book series, by writer George Perez and artist Jesus Merino, will be set in present day continuity and will unleash a series of new challenges for Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent.

* Clark Kent is single and living on his own. He has never been married.

* Lois Lane is dating a colleague at the DAILY PLANET (and his name isn’t Clark Kent) and she has a new position with the paper.

Timeless and modern, classic and contemporary, but younger, brasher and more brooding, this is Superman. The New Man of Tomorrow.

ACTION COMICS issue 1 goes on sale on September 7 and SUPERMAN issue 1 goes on sale September 28.




Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: Great Rao on July 18, 2011, 01:21:57 PM

* Lois Lane is dating a colleague at the DAILY PLANET (and his name isn’t Clark Kent) and she has a new position with the paper.


I hope it's not Olsen (too young) or Lombard (too stupid) - that leaves Ron Troupe.  I'm also guessing that her "new position" is Editor in Chief and that there is no Perry White on staff.

Whoever it is though, I'll be very thankful if she's not dating Lex - as Byrne had her doing in 1986's Man of Steel.  Yuch... :P


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 01:59:02 PM
Cover & solicits to Superman #2...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/SUPERMAN_2.jpg)

SUPERMAN #2
Written by GEORGE PEREZ
Breakdowns and cover by GEORGE PEREZ
Art by JESUS MERINO
On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The all-new adventures of Superman continue! Everyone can see the new villain who’s attacking Superman – except The Man of Steel! How can he stop a threat that none of his super-senses can detect? Meanwhile, a Daily Planet reporter starts digging up some dirt on Superman, including a secret that could ruin him forever!


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 02:33:15 PM
Cover & solicits to Action Comics #2...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Action-Comics-2.jpg)

ACTION COMICS #2
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT
Cover by RAGS MORALES
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
1:200 B&W variant cover by RAGS MORALES
On sale OCTOBER 5 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
In his weakest moment, Superman is taken down – but by whom? And if the world wasn’t ready for a man with super powers, they’re utterly unprepared for the rage of a Superman cornered! The cornerstone character of the new DCU continues his debut adventure!



Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 03:17:28 PM
Cover & solicits to Supergirl #2...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/SG_Cv2.jpg)

SUPERGIRL #2
Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON
Art by MAHMUD ASRAR and DAN GREEN
Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale OCTOBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Get ready for a super-smackdown as Supergirl fights her cousin, The Man of Steel! What could cause these two to come to blows? Can the teenage Supergirl hold her own against the adult Superman? Well, let’s just say she’s got a trick or two up those fancy new sleeves of hers...


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 03:18:26 PM
Cover & solicits to Superboy #2...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/SB_Cv2.jpg)

SUPERBOY #2
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by RB SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by ERIC CANETE
On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has put a lot of effort into creating their Superboy, and they intend to make sure he performs to their standards. And what better opportunity for him to demonstrate his raw power than to throw him into an alien prison riot? Good luck, Superboy... you’re going to need it!


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: India Ink on July 18, 2011, 03:54:50 PM
The cape does look a little silly with the T-shirt and the jeans, but I suspect it serves some in-story purpose. Maybe it gives him his power.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 18, 2011, 06:40:06 PM
DIDIO, LEE Say DCnU SUPERMAN Changes Make Him "Accessible"

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dcnu-didio-lee-explain-superman-changes-110718.html

DC Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee are calling the reboot of Superman "more accessible," as the hero starts over his story in the comics universe in September.

"We've made Superman such an iconic figure over the years that we've lost some of the character and the ability to tell stories with that character," said Dan DiDio, co-publisher at DC. "There's so much continuity that's been built on this character. We really wanted to get a Superman that is more accessible to the audience."

DiDio said Action Comics by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales will take place five years in the past at the "dawn of the age of superheroes," with Superman introduced as more of a young, isolated alien who's trying to find his place in the world, without his parents to help him. The comic will show him developing his costume, starting out in a pair of jeans, and discovering his powers, since he cannot fly but only leaps over tall buildings.

"We wanted to get back to some of the grass roots of the character," DiDio said.

"And the best way to do that is to really go back to the early days of the character, where you see him in his formative years, learning his powers, and learning how people react to him, as we'll be examining in Action Comics. But also, we want to re-examine his relationships, because we think there's a lot of fertile ground about him and the people he deals with."

The "relationships" part of Superman's story will be examined in Superman by George Pérez, which will take place in the present day of the DC Universe. Clark Kent will have a new status quo at the Daily Planet and will be a bachelor.

Lois Lane will have a new boyfriend, which is quite a change from the current situation, where Clark and Lois are married in the DC Universe.

"Marriage brings about a certain degree of comfort and security in one's life," Lee said. "If you have a life partner, you always have someone to rely on. So from a story conflict point of view, it makes for a less dramatic story. I think a lot of writers can agree that one of the most dynamic periods of Superman's history was that period where there was a love triangle between Clark Kent, Superman and Lois Lane. There's a lot of tension and interest you create in the characters by having that kind of dynamic."

But Lee said the new Superman will not be just revisiting the same old love triangle. "We're introducing other elements into it," he said. "Through that, we're really updating who the character is and making Superman a character that you think you know, but maybe not. We have some surprises up our sleeves. And I think Grant has some incredible ideas about not only what he wants to do with Superman but Clark Kent, and really updating the whole mythology so that people can relate to it on a more personal level."

The marriage choice — along with the decision to have Jonathan and Martha Kent be deceased in the Action Comics — was also related to Superman being isolated in these stories.

"We wanted to have that sense of isolation that might come with being an alien among men," DiDio said. "The two choices that were made, with both his parents being dead and not being married, isolated Clark a little bit more, so that he really had to do more exploration about mankind. There wasn't that one strong human tether that he was bonding with and learning through.

"He's had so much learning and understanding from the days with his parents, but the rest of the discovery is on his own," DiDio said, confirming the Clark will have been guided as a youth by the Kents, before their death. "If we had him married to Lois right now, he would always have a strong base to work from. We wanted to explore much bigger and wider stories with him. It's really the learning and growing of this character that is going to be the basis for so much of what Grant and George are going to be doing with their series and with Superman."

The theme of isolation will be further emphasized as Clark Kent has a sense of being an "alien." That sense of alien separation is not only being heightened in Superman and Action Comics, but also in Supergirl, where Clark's cousin will arrive on Earth for the first time.

"That's one of the things we're trying to explore much more," DiDio said. "We've told so many great stories over the years where Superman has embraced his human side and built stories around that side of the characterization. Now we're flipping it around a little bit and really embracing his alien side, so we can understand what it's like to be a man from another world, living amongst men, but not feeling like you're a part of it, but belonging to them all."

"I think the issue of self-identity and knowing who you are is something that's universal, and obviously, it's a very powerful theme," Lee said. "I think characters, not just Superman but other superhero characters, have a very public face and also a private, personal identity. I think it's that exploration between the two that's going to make part of the September relaunch very interesting on a story level."

DiDio said there was very little dissent among ranks at DC about changing the status of Clark Kent from married to unmarried.

"We actually had, last year, a very large writers meeting about the general direction and tone of the DC Universe, and one of the conversations that was the biggest conversation in the room was about the marriage of Lois and Clark, and it was a much discussed topic," DiDio said. "Most people saw the benefits of making this change, because they saw what the story potential was and how much they could open up their ability to examine the character in a bigger way, once we decided to move in this direction."

And when the Superman writing team got together, DiDio said everyone agreed that the marriage should go. "It gave us more potential for the stories at the starting point. We needed a really strong starting point here, and we felt this was a great way to do it," he said.

Part of Superman's introduction to the DCU will also be told in Justice League, the new comic that Lee is drawing for writer Geoff Johns. In the comic, which also takes place five years in the past (like Action Comics), the Justice League team members will come together for the first time. This new Superman will be among those heroes that discover each other in Justice League during the "dawning of the age of superheroes."

"It's really about re-introducing the concept of superheroes in the DC Universe, and doing it in a more contemporary, timely way," Lee said. "We wanted a situation in Action and in Justice League where we show the first public emergence of these so-called super-beings and how they impact society, politics, the world.

"In many ways, it starts out in a way that one would imagine in today's day and age with fear and caution, and people literally freaking out about this," he said. "It's through the introduction of a character like Superman and the Justice League that the public starts understanding and accepting these characters for who they are and sees them as heroes for the very first time, coining the word 'superhero.'"

DiDio admitted that one of the motivations for rebooting Superman was the fact that the last time it was done — by John Byrne in the mid-1980's after Crisis on Infinite Earths — the Superman comic was a huge success.

"It was done once before, and very successfully," he said. "We're hoping for the same luck here."

"[John Byrne] took the origin that we knew and updated it and added new subtleties and nuances," Lee said. "For me, that was my heyday of collecting Superman comic books. It really felt like this was my version of Superman. I know it really created a lot of excitement for that character, not just among die-hard DC fans, but across all comic book readers in general."

When asked if the upcoming Man of Steel movie, which is filming now, had any influence on the decision to reboot Superman in the comics universe, DiDio said: "Not at all."

"That said," he added, "I doubt they would ever start a series or anything where Superman was married at the beginning."

But Lee said the goal of creating DC Entertainment to work more cohesively with Warner Bros. was not to make all the stories in the different media line up perfectly. "This is really about making sure that the source material, which is the comics, remains as contemporary and fresh and exciting as possible," Lee said. "Comics are the drivers and the creative content. Comics is where we can take the creative risks and creative chances with the characters. It's our responsibility to keep them exciting and fresh. The overall mission of DC Entertainment is to allow filmmakers or people who work in games or animation the opportunity to go through and find things that interest them and that they think has potential in other media. That's part of the ecosystem we're trying to build.

"It's not about one lining up with the other," he said. "It's about keeping what we're doing on the publishing side as relevant and exciting as possible."



Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: Great Rao on July 18, 2011, 09:08:45 PM
BMK, thanks for posting all this.

I really like a lot of what DC is saying.  Ever since the Byrne reboot in '86, I felt that having the Kents be alive was a mistake - as far as I'm concerned, Clark Kent didn't become Superman until the day his parents died (http://superman.nu/origin/25.php), which was the main reason that all the Byrne/Helfer/Jurgens etc tales didn't feel like Superman: Clark kept running home to his parents to ask advice (http://superman.nu/fortress/thescreen/lnc/). Nice to have DC finally realize this was a mistake.

I also like the fact that the magical aura that Byrne gave to Superman is gone as well.  It's clear from the Action Comics artwork that Superman's T-Shirt and jeans don't hold up - so wearing an indestructible outfit from Krypton only makes sense.  And at least this indestructible outfit looks indestructible.  If legal concerns are behind DC's elimination of the leotard, this is the way to go - and could possibly even be an improvement.

As far as people not liking the Jeans & T-Shirt outfit, I do think that it harkens back to some of the very early Clark/Superman drawings by Shuster (http://superman.nu/seventy/interview/drawing.php) (check out Superman's tank-top in the link).

And this picture from the Lowther novel (http://superman.nu/portal/Novels/adv.php):

(http://superman.nu/portal/Novels/feather.jpg)

I've always liked the alien-culture and alien-identity (http://superman.nu/tales2/sos/) aspect of Superman, I'm glad that angle will be played up.  I enjoy characters like Star Trek's Spock and Heinlein's Valentine Michael Smith, and I think they're a great way to comment on human culture - the stranger in a strange land approach.

I'll definitely be following this one.  And I've already got an idea for the name of this new "Age" - which I'll be posting after next week.

My only concern is that in the last five years, Superman has had five different origins.  Will this be just another reboot in an ever-continuing sequence, or will they stick with it for the long haul?


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: India Ink on July 18, 2011, 10:34:38 PM
I can only take DiDio's rhetoric in small doses, so I didn't read the whole thing. I just think the guy is saying whatever packaged thing he needs to sell whatever idea he wants to sell on a particular. He speaks like he's an authority on Superman or comics, but he isn't. He's just a lot of hot air.

I really need to stay away from threads like these.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 19, 2011, 06:11:51 PM
Grant Morrison is All-Out "Action Comics"

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33386

CBR News: You spoke about your rediscovery of the original "Action Comics" #1 in the process of preparing "Supergods." It seems that even with the career you've already had, someone coming up to you and saying, "Would you like to write 'Action Comics' #1?" would seem like a daunting task. Did the work for the book help ground you while you figured out how to reintroduce Superman again?

Grant Morrison: Yeah, it totally gave me the idea for how to do it. Basically, when I started the first "Action Comics," I started thinking about how I had to live up to that. It was the first time I have been quite daunted by the project. I was really looking at different techniques to find a way to do the series for a modern audience and also to take the core values of Superman and represent them in a way I hope we haven't seen before. And it's all there in that original story: what Superman is all about as a champion of the oppressed basically. I thought it'd be good to get back to that. It's a much more blue collar Superman, a Bruce Springsteen Superman. [Laughs] He's in a t-shirt and jeans, and he's fighting for poor people and people on the breadline who have been messed over by big businesses. It's back to that original Depression-era hero but updated to our current Depression era.

You already had great success with "All-Star Superman" which was viewed as your "everything I want in a Superman comic" story. How is this different? Obviously, it plays into the bigger universe, but did that change how you approached things?

"All-Star" was about Superman at the end of his life, and it was very ordered and majestic. I really wanted to do an earlier Superman because I hadn't touched on that in "All-Star." I liked the idea of a much younger Superman who's a bit more brash and more wild. He's willing to take the law into his own hands. At the end of "All-Star," I had all these ideas to go back to those early days, and I took some of them and used them to turn it into this new version of "Action Comics."

The storytelling style is quite different. It's a lot faster because I think if you have a comic called "Action" it should have a lot of action in it. [Laughs] The idea is to keep Superman constantly moving in every single scene. You open the first page, and he starts running and doesn't stop until the end. That's a different style from "All-Star" which was a kind of static, 1950s style, Wayne Boring colossal Superman.

Rags Morales is an artist who has a style that sets his characters in a real, physical world. Did you write the scripts for him from the start, and what kinds of strengths did you see in his work that you could play to in the scripts?

Oh yeah, I knew he was going to be drawing it, and obviously that meant I could put a lot of texture into the world, and he'd be able to do it. So it's quite phenomenal and amazing. It looks very real, even though Superman is a lot more... almost traditional. He's like an American folk hero again. The work Rags is doing is quite fantastic, and I can put in a lot of detail because he can actually do that. There's a chance to overload him with descriptions of machines and alien landscapes.

Superman has been reintroduced so many times and that original story has been "played" by so many other people hitting its grace notes in a different way like John Byrne's redesign of Krypton. A lot of people will be taking cues from you here as the character moves forward. How have you thought of that, and are you placing elements in to be intentionally picked up by other creative teams at DC?

We're trying to tie in to everything. I'm telling stories set five years prior to the stories, say, George Perez is telling in his "Superman" book. So we're kind of doing different parts of Superman's life, but there's definitely things that will tie in. I'll be setting up things in my book that will peel off into other books. The plan, of course, is quite big and always changing. We're introducing a lot of new characters and villains for Superman -- new environments and new takes on some familiar stuff as well.

There must be a level at which you can't entirely look to Siegel and Shuster because Lex Luthor hadn't become the villain he becomes and other changes...

And we're playing a very different take on the Lex Luthor/Superman relationship. It's quite flipped on its head. Luthor is almost the good guy to a certain extent. All of the relationships are going to be different. Superman's relationship with Jimmy Olsen is completely different, but it makes sense in a way that I'm surprised nobody has thought of before now. The same goes for Lois Lane. Things won't be quite the same for Superman and Lois, and we'll see how truly different their lives will be. I think it'll add some new tension and a new dynamic to it. It won't be predictable at all.

So we know that the book starts out running as fast as it can. Does it end with a wink?

Huh. I don't know how it's going to end. Not necessarily. And I think we've done the wink so often it may not be the best thing to end on. [Laughs] I'd like to do something at the end that's as different as the way we're starting it.



Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 19, 2011, 06:44:33 PM
Page from Action Comics #1, art by Rags Morales...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/actionc1fl.jpg)

Sketch of Superman by Jesus Marino (artist on Superman #1)...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg.jpg)


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: nightwing on July 19, 2011, 07:55:47 PM
Still not sold on the outfit, but that's a good-looking headshot.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 21, 2011, 10:44:29 AM
The NY Daily News breaks the story on Lois Lane's new beau...

Lois Lane's new boyfriend revealed: Superman loses out to Jonathan Carroll in 'Superman #1' comic

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2011/07/21/2011-07-21_lois_lanes_new_boyfriend_revealed_superman_loses_out_to_jonathan_carroll_in_supe.html

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/superman-preview1.jpg)

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/superman-preview2.jpg)



Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: countryboylife on July 21, 2011, 12:15:16 PM
The cape does look a little silly with the T-shirt and the jeans, but I suspect it serves some in-story purpose. Maybe it gives him his power.

I'd hope Morrison picks up on the Siegel/Shuster justification that the cape acted like a sail allowing him to alter his course mid jump

Equally it does appear not to be ripped in the #2 cover which suggests ( Jor-El's ? ) cape was his blanket


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 22, 2011, 05:19:37 AM
Comments about Superman made by Grant Morrison at San Diego Comic-Con...

Source: SDCC 2011: DC Comics Spotlight: GRANT MORRISON LIVE! (Coverage by Newsarama)

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/sdcc-2011-dc-spotlight-grant-morrison-110721.html

Next Fan: "Realy enjoyed All-Star Superman, any concepts from that you're bringing into Action Comics? Also, are you working with George Perez at all in the Super family?"

Grant said "it's the quintessential, basic, primal Superman."

"I could kind of see it as the young version of All-Star. It's big, probably bigger in its implications for Superman."  

(He must not have caught the Perez part)

"I think change in characters and stories is a natural progression. The way I see the Super Hero universe is that they change alongside us, sometimes they even change ahead of us."  

"The idea of an Iconic Superman" is kind of a myth, as the character has evolved each year, with a basic core.

Re: Action Comics "You're harkening back to him being the Socialist Champion; does that conflict with him being more Kal-El from Krypton than Clark from Earth?"

Morrison "They're playing up more of the Kryptonian stuff at the other title, but mine is about the farmboy in the city, and Clark Kent is doing as much work on fighting social injustice as Superman is."

"Superman isn't Batman. he can never be brooding and sitting on gargoyles."

"Batman, only two people died in his life and he's been sad ever since. Superman lost billions and still has a smile on his face."

"So my Superman will be a pro-active, young, powerful guy. It's Action Comics, so Superman has to be doing stuff!"  

"He's only darker in the sense that he gets stuff done. he's no longer a friend of the law, he stands for Justice, and that may conflict with the law sometimes."

Action takes place 5 years ago in DCnU continuity, then catches up in issue #7, going back and forth a bit from there.

Morrison doesn't like doing "issue of the month" kinds of things where you're beat over the head with a specific social issue, but he wants Superman to go after many of them.

Action Comics is more about the tone of Golden Age era heroes without any specific storylines from then.  

Morrison "Batman's cooler and has money and is around femme fatales. I certainly think the anti-authoritarian Superman is coming back, we might see a Superman that's a bit more relatable."



Source: CCI: The Grant Morrison Panel (Coverage by Comic Book Resources)

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33444

The writer then touched to his upcoming "Action Comics," issues coming out from DC Comics in September. Saying that he saw the changes in Superman, from the "socialist golem" in the '40s to the "family man" of the '60s, all as a natural progression of societal changes, Morrison illuminated listeners about his views on the evolution of superheroes.

"They change alongside us, and sometimes they change ahead of us," said Morrison. "The basic core is presented for a new generation, just like the aborigines painting the gods would retell the stories of the gods for new generations."

That's all well and good, another fan told the writer, but which did Morrison like more: writing Batman or Superman? Morrison said while he goes back and forth, he was "buzzed" to be writing Superman again.

"The capitalist millionaire seems to have a little less to say to us now than the champion of the oppressed," laughed Morrison.

Explaining that his Superman in "Action Comics" would be a more mischievous, "anti-authoritarian" character, Morrison reveled that Clark Kent would become almost as big a name in Metropolis as Superman.

"He's a social reformer, and Clark Kent does as much work as Superman basically uprooting corruption and exposing corruption, so the two of them are working in tandem," said Morrison. Elaborating that in his version Ma and Pa Kent are dead, Morrison told the audience his Superman will be more of a mischievous character.

"Justice may not involve the law in Superman's eyes," added Morrison.

The last question of the panel brought Morrison back around to his comedy routine when a fan asked why Morrison thought the modern day "Batman" films were so much more successful than the recent "Superman" movie.

"Batman is sexy and has more money…and basically Superman is a guy in an office who's got a boss," joked Morrison, sending the audience into laughter. However, the writer confessed he thought Superman was making a come back.

"I think he's coming back…he's been shackled by the idea of having to represent the flag or the country or the establishment," said Morrison. In conclusion, his goal is to write a Superman "who is a bit more relatable," added Morrison.



 


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on July 22, 2011, 08:01:08 PM
SDCC 2011: DC SUPERMAN With Morrison, JMS LIVE!

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/sdcc-2011-dc-superman-110722.html  (once there, click 'replay' arrow to read text)

CCI: DC's Superman Panel

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33475

Action Comics
(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Supes7.jpg)

Superboy
(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Supes1.jpg)

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Supes2.jpg)

Supergirl
(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Supes3.jpg)

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Supes4.jpg)

Superman

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Supes6.jpg)

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/Supes5.jpg)

EDITOR MATT IDELSON ON SUPERMAN STATUS QUO
Idelson says Superman, taking place in the present day, will have a supporting cast with a "five-year backstory."

Idelson added that "'Superman' takes place in the present...he's been around for five years, but how that works will take a lot of people by surprise." Clark Kent in the book will not be the much beloved, Pulitzer-winning journalist fans may expect. Idelson described him as kind of a lonely guy finding his place in the world at the hands of writer/artist George Perez.

Idelson says in the DCnU the Daily Planet will be a very different place, and bought by a media conglomerate. There's the newspaper end, which is struggling, and the TV and web side.

Lois Lane will be running the new media side, and be an equal to Perry White, who runs the paper.

Idelson said they thought about possibly doing things they could never do in the main continuity in the months right before the relaunch, but decided against it. Morrison said it's better to go in fresh.

A fan asked if the "whimsical" elements of the character will still be seen in the new Superman continuity. Idelson said there will always be some degree of fun.

ACTION COMICS
Morrison on Action Comics: "He doesn't know much about his Kryptonian heritage. The idea is to do a younger, more accessible Superman."

Morrison said that he wanted a more realistic take on how he started wearing his costume, saying that no 17-year-old would want to wear a "romper suit" that his mother knitted for him.

Regarding the costume, Morrison says he wanted to make the costume "stand for something."

The cape is the one thing he has from planet Krypton that he's still got, it's a very important object for him," Morrison said.

Morrison said that Steel is in the first four issues of Action Comics. He's got a role to play, but in a different way than expected.

Possibility of a Steel ongoing? "He has a really big role in these first six issues of Action Comics," Morrison said, adding that the hope that the character will be "so well defined" that he can sustain an ongoing.

Will Superman have a past as Superboy within the Legion? Morrison: "Yes, but slightly different." Morrison says there's a reference to the Legion in Action Comics #1 if you look very closely.

Morrison said he had wanted to write Superman regularly after All-Star Superman. "This is kind of taking those ideas I had time at the time, and I'm able to do them now in a new form."

Morrison said Lex Luthor in Action Comics is kind of a good guy, a scientist working for the government who is an "up and coming" rich guy that's sold a few patents.

Morrison said Superman is "halfway between leaping and flying" in Action Comics #1, which is part of the story.

Role of Jimmy Olsen? Morrison said it's a Clark and Jimmy friendship, calling them "two geeks."

Will elements of All-Star Superman be used in Action Comics? Not a lot, it looks like. "I want to make this a very different book, feel very different," Morrison said, adding that he has 16 issues planned out so far of Action Comics and will probably keep going.

Status of Krypto? "I'm not dealing with Krypto," Morrison said, but added that the super-dog might not be gone for long, since he is well-liked.

Jor-El and Lara will be seen in Action Comics #3. "We're not telling that origin, everybody's seen it before, but it will be a different look at Krypton," Morrison said.

SUPERGIRL
Johnson says that it'll be a mystery to Supergirl how she ended up on Earth.

"We're not completely divorcing what's come before, but we're definitely going to have some new changes and twists to it," Johnson said of Supergirl. "it's definitely going to be a departure from what's come before without completely throwing it out."

Johnson said that though Supergirl will deal with very serious things, "without humor, it's one-note, and it's boring, and we don't want that."

Johnson promised Supergirl and her powers would manifest in a way that "She's not just a Superman clone."

SUPERBOY
Of the Superboy #1 cover, Lobdell says that Superboy has been kidnapped when the story begins, and will be "reverse engineered" by a group called N.O.W.H.E.R.E.

To put anyone at ease, this is the Conner that we've known pretty much for the last — 15 years, I guess?" Lobdell said.

Lobdell hinted that a red-haired character who may familiar to readers will be playing a part in the book.

Here's something Lobdell: "The supervillain for the first year of Teen Titans is going to be Superboy."

Lobdell said that everything up to Teen Titans will have happened to Conner. The fan then asked if that means Young Justice still happened, and Lobdell said that the new Teen Titans book will have a similar dynamic to that comic.

Plans for Superboy Prime? Lobdell said that's the first time the idea has entered into his head, so no.

"It doesn't add anything to the mythos," Lobdell says, adding that there's been a lot of "duplication" of superheroes in recent years, and that's something he wants to avoid. When a character that hasn't been seen for a while shows up, it'll be for a reason.

Will Superboy's established relationships with the Teen Titans still exist? "I don't think anything's getting thrown out," Lobdell said. "I think by staying true to those characters, their relationships will ultimately become the relationships that we've known."

Lobdell said that he feels that a lot of Superboy and Wonder Girl's relationship happened "off-panel" and that "suddenly they were soulmates," so while it might happen eventually, he's going to take time with it.

SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE, VOLUME 2
JMS said the first chapter performed beyond his expectations.

The image shows Superman standing among what appeared to be charred skeletons. "Never piss off someone with heat vision," JMS said.

Other images show a dream sequence concerning what Superman might do destroying a city.

Another image depicts Superman with his neighbor Lisa, who is attracted to him, and they're discussing how he's not sure if he can have normal sexual relations.

JMS continues to narrate: After a fight with Parasite, Superman temporarily loses his powers, and then at the end of that finds out that he missed his chance to have sex.

Fan asked if JMS leaving Superman and Wonder Woman had anything to do with the DC relaunch. JMS said no, and it had everything to do with the success of Superman: Earth One.

JMS hints that there may be "a Luthor" in Earth One very soon.

MISC.
Will the relaunch be appropriate for all ages? Morrison said Action Comics and Superman will be all-ages books. JMS, who earlier talked about Superman's sex life being explored in Earth One, said those books are aimed at adults.

A fan said he's "exhausted" from seeing so many versions of Superman's origin. "You shouldn't be exhausted reading superhero comics, it's supposed to be fun," Morrison said, adding that perhaps the fan needs to step away from superhero comics for a bit. "You're supposed to get exhausted climbing stairs, not reading comics."





Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 08, 2011, 05:34:53 PM
Source:
Grant Morrison Talks About Action Comics, His Batman Mega-Story, and Mothers [Interview]

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/08/08/grant-morrison-talks-about-action-comics-his-batman-mega-story/#ixzz1UTWIrSGF


CA: Are we going to be seeing more of Jor-El and Lara and Ma and Pa Kent, even though they aren't there? I assume we'll see them if it is, as you say, a time loop sort of story?

GM: We'll get to see all of these characters from a slightly different perspective. In fact, Action Comics #3 has a whole scene with Jor-El and Lara which is set in the Death of Krypton period.

CA: So, without spoiling, what's the new take on Krypton?

GM: Mashing up a lot of the stuff I like about it. It's the Planet of the Supermen, it's the Things to Come 1930s idea of the future, where everything's slightly art-deco and retro, that kind of lost golden age vision of perfected men and women. I'm not doing the John Byrne cold stuff, but -- the scene in Action Comics #3, we've got Baby Kal-El sitting on a balcony on a gigantic skyscraper on Krypton, and there's no guardrails -- just this little baby sitting there, legs over the side, with a thousand-foot drop. And over there all the women are chatting and gossiping, but what they're gossiping about is "oh, did you hear Doctor Kem-Daj has discovered the new quantum equation?"

They're all laughing, and it's all these science people gossiping and it's their idea of social interaction, all this really high-level science stuff. They're ignoring the kid because they know he's not going to jump -- even the children are too smart to fall off, so they just let him play over there near the edge. So that's the take we're doing on it, and it's not they're cold, they just have a completely different attitude towards child safety than we do.

CA: In terms of Action Comics, how long are you staying on?

GM: I've got sixteen [issues] plotted so far, so I'll just probably stay on after the same way I did on Batman: I work out the first year or so and then I find myself getting much more involved in it once I've done a few issues, so I'm hoping once I'm done the sixteen I'll just keep going as long as it seems exciting.

CA: And after the first arc, we're going to be catching up the present day?

GM: Pretty much. Actually, the whole thing is much more complex than that, because I wanted to do a big story involving time. It's got the Legion in there -- a slightly different version -- and it's a big timeloop story. So we're seeing some of the past stuff, then we cut to the present, and then we go back to areas in the past so it's really a big, big story in the same way I did with Batman, telling the entire story of Superman's life but in a different way from Batman, which was much more linear and drawing on the elements of the past. This one's actually quite dynamic and moves through his life, and it's kind of Superman's life as seen from a five-dimensional perspective.

CA: So we're going to be seeing something more along the lines of the holistic approach to Batman incorporating all of his different appearances and different incarnations?

GM: Not so much in the same way, because with Batman I specifically took the history and welded it all together. With Superman we're actually creating a whole new history and then revealing it through the story. So it's new stuff, while with Batman it was integrating previous history.

CA: How much of all of this is going to be tying in with Multiversity, if anything?

GM: Not much -- there's a little bit of tie-in, but Multiversity is its own thing since I wanted it to be quite complete in itself and to be a final statement -- I always make these "final statements," [laughs] and Multiversity is my latest "final statement." It's kind of very self-enclosed, but there are little points of crossover, like the black President Superman from Final Crisis #7 is a major character in Multiversity and there's a kind of crossover between him and the DC Superman in a later episode of Action Comics. So there are little bits of crossovers here and there.









Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 11, 2011, 10:55:15 AM
The November solicitations have not been released yet, but here are the covers for Action Comics #3, Superman #3 and Supergirl #3...

ACTION COMICS #3
The people of Metropolis vs. Superman.

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/ac_cv3_02.jpg)

SUPERMAN #3
What deadly secret connects Superman to the villains attacking Metropolis?

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/sm_cv3_02.jpg)

SUPERGIRL #3
Who stole the Kryptonian rocket ship?

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/sg_cv3_color_02.jpg)


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: carmine on August 11, 2011, 08:16:09 PM
supergirls costume IS almost good
why those boots???
why is the "underwear" SOOOOO small in the crotch region?? regular sized undies would have been fine enough and still give off that pervy comicbook feel that so many fans enjoy.


oh and ya humans hate aliens I get it...racism. yawn.
is superman the first superhero? would anyone at that point in the DCU care about aliens?
if he is the first hero AND an alien wouldn't everyone be crapping their collective pants over the existance of aliens?
also maybe the sheep of metropolis wouldn't be so upset with an alien if he wasn't constantly dangling private citizens off the side of a very tall buildings?? that could rub people the wrong way.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 11, 2011, 08:23:21 PM
oh and ya humans hate aliens I get it...racism. yawn.
is superman the first superhero? would anyone at that point in the DCU care about aliens?
if he is the first hero AND an alien wouldn't everyone be crapping their collective pants over the existance of aliens?
also maybe the sheep of metropolis wouldn't be so upset with an alien if he wasn't constantly dangling private citizens off the side of a very tall buildings?? that could rub people the wrong way.


The first few issues of Action Comics will be set 5 years in the past where Superman is the first public superhero-at-large and revealed to be an alien.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: India Ink on August 11, 2011, 10:53:20 PM
What happens when Supergirl turns around? Is her naked butt just hanging out there?


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: carmine on August 12, 2011, 06:25:24 AM
supergirls costume works...until you hit the waist, then its all down hill!!!! the undies the boots!!! YEESH

just make the underwear SLIGHTLY bigger.

and ya, I guess he butt would be hanging out back there, thats a fine how do ya do.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 12, 2011, 07:52:42 PM
From the waist down it doesn't look any different than a one-piece swimsuit to me...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/OR-WCLR1PieceBL-1L.jpg)


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 14, 2011, 12:16:07 AM
November Superman-related titles (once again), now with solicitations!

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/ac_cv3_02.jpg)

ACTION COMICS #3
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by RAGS MORALES, BRENT ANDERSON and RICK BRYANT
Cover by RAGS MORALES
1:25 Variant cover by MIKE CHOI
1:200 B&W Variant cover by RAGS MORALES
On sale NOVEMBER 2 * 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US * RATED T
"Superman, Go Home!" In a startling tale only Grant Morrison could bring you, the people of Metropolis turn on their new champion! But why? Plus, shocking secrets from Krypton revealed!

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/sm_cv3_02.jpg)

SUPERMAN #3
Written by GEORGE PEREZ
Breakdowns and cover by GEORGE PEREZ
Art by JESUS MERINO
On sale NOVEMBER 23 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US * RATED T
Superman finds himself beset as a TV reporter at the new Daily Planet makes a case that Superman brings Metropolis more harm than good, while a vicious new foe attacks those nearest and dearest to Clark Kent! Who are all these new villains attacking Metropolis lately, and what deadly secret connects them? Superman's not going to like the answer!

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/sg_cv3_color_02.jpg)

SUPERGIRL #3
Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON
Art by MAHMUD ASRAR
Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale NOVEMBER 16 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
RATED T
The ship that brought Supergirl to Earth - her one remaining link to Krypton - has been stolen! Can The Girl of Steel navigate a strange new planet to find it? And will she uncover the trap set by a deadly new villain in time to save herself?

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/sb_cv3_02.jpg)

SUPERBOY #3
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by ERIC CANETE
On sale NOVEMBER 9 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
RATED T
When N.O.W.H.E.R.E. assigned Superboy to put down an alien prison riot, they couldn't have suspected his powers would bring the entire prison down on top of him. Inside the wreckage, he'll find a mysterious - and gorgeous - alien who could help him escape... but does she want to? Meanwhile, Superboy's handler, Rose Wilson, is about to discover that she is connected to the origin of her "assignment" in a way she never imagined!



Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: carmine on August 14, 2011, 12:21:21 PM
I'd still give a thumbs up on Supergirls costume though (better than supes anyways). just lose the boots and make the underwear slightly bigger

superboy's tron outfit?? ugh. I didn't like his jersey shore tight black shirt look that much either. They had to update his animalman outifit slightly (new haircut and a different kind of jacket...do kids wear leather jackets anymore?)

hey supes....nice bum, where you from?


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 15, 2011, 01:16:02 PM
From an interview with Grant Morrison on NPR’s show, All Things Considered.

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/ac_01_12_npr-exclusive_enl.jpg)

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/14/138923519/comic-books-secret-identity-revealed-in-supergods?ft=1&f=1032


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: India Ink on August 16, 2011, 09:51:16 AM
You need to take another look at the side view of Supergirl that the artist has drawn. Given where the line is, there's no way she could be wearing the kind of swimsuit that you show. She wouldn't have that much coverage.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: Great Rao on August 16, 2011, 10:21:15 AM
Looks like a big, red maxi pad.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: DBN on August 16, 2011, 07:48:37 PM
Is the new costume any worse than the physics-defying skirt that Michael Turner came up? Or the manner in which Ian Churchill drew it, which seemed to indicate that Kara wasn't wearing any knickers?


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: superboy on August 17, 2011, 08:48:12 AM
If superman wears his kryptonian armour in superman #1, how come he's still wearing jeans?Every other heroe get's a new costume and he's in jeans?


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 17, 2011, 09:50:05 AM
If superman wears his kryptonian armour in superman #1, how come he's still wearing jeans?Every other heroe get's a new costume and he's in jeans?

The first few issues of Grant Morrison's Action Comics, where Superman wears the jeans, is set a little over 5 years in the past. This is when Superman is only beginning to put together his "costume", which will come about later on, as evidenced in the first Justice League arc (set a few months later) and in the pages of the Superman title (set in the present day).


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 22, 2011, 11:32:02 PM
Jim Lee's variant cover for ACTION COMICS #1...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/act01_cvr1-edit.jpg)


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: carmine on August 23, 2011, 05:29:02 PM
I like Jim Lee's Art but I never cared for his Superman.

The cover isn't bad plus its nice to see some of those evil robots are back from the old cartoon series.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on August 30, 2011, 09:17:04 AM
Superman in JUSTICE LEAGUE #1...

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/alg_superman.jpg)

Page from ACTION COMICS #1... http://www.fastcompany.com/1775787/dc-comics-grant-morrison-action-comics-superman

(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd113/theMightyKnip/action-comics1.jpg)

"I felt the weight of history with this one," says Morrison in his soft-spoken Glaswegian lilt. "I wanted to do something that was as much a part of these times as when (Action Comics) first came out. Superman has always been the champion of the oppressed. I wanted to move away from the standard superhero tales and in the direction of folk tales in the vein of a Paul Bunyan."

In the revised version, featuring art by Rags Morales (penciling), Rick Bryant (inking), Brad Anderson (color) and Patrick Brosseau (lettering), Morrison pares down the convoluted narrative that began overshadowing the Superman myth. "It had become a pro-wrestling contest between characters-- who was stronger, faster, bigger," he says. "I wanted to evoke a more universal human Superman, who was less of a costumed figure representing patriotic authority, and more about struggles on the street."

The exclusive page 18 panel shown above is the first major shot of the Man of Steel transitioning to alter ego Clark Kent--sans his trademark horn-rimmed glasses--after thwarting trouble in Metropolis. Superman's fighting crime, of course, but the authorities are suspicious of his powers. He's misunderstood. He's different.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: superboy on September 01, 2011, 09:39:11 AM
I don't think making superman more human is a good idea. Getting  rid of everything that makes superman the greatest superhero ever doesn't help.A young, brooding, unsure superman isn't 'super'! He sounds more like the average human.

He needs to be more than 'man'.
He needs to be super man.






Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: Uncle Mxy on September 01, 2011, 07:20:34 PM
Judging from the Superman in the relaunched Justice League #1, I expect more Superdickery.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on September 02, 2011, 11:32:50 PM
Morrison Writes a Social Justice Superman in ACTION COMICS

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/grant-morrison-action-comics-110902.html

Exclusive DC "New 52" Preview: ACTION COMICS #1

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=44117


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: DBN on September 03, 2011, 01:32:02 AM
Morrison Writes a Social Justice Superman in ACTION COMICS

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/grant-morrison-action-comics-110902.html

Exclusive DC "New 52" Preview: ACTION COMICS #1

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=44117

The more Morrison gabs on about cynicism and realism, the more I realize just how out of touch the actual writers are with everyday people.

But, hey, worse that happens is that it ends up a critical success and commercial failure like the revamped Galactica that was dark, cynical, and real...



Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: Klar Ken T5477 on September 03, 2011, 01:35:53 AM
Making him unsure and growing into the part? I just watched a decade for Zod's sake on Smallville....

I have to remove myself from paying attention to any of this. Making Byrne's reboot look good by comparison. And that was 25 years ago now.....


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: superboy on September 03, 2011, 08:47:20 AM
It could be worse. 8) I mean, a tough, slightly outlaw-like superman is how it all started.

I think if you read the action comics #1 preview, (yes, for once I am up to date ) it's virtually an updated version of a part of the original action comics #1.Although, his eyes could be a little less heat vision filled, like, constantly. I think it has potential. ;)


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on September 07, 2011, 02:20:45 PM
The New 52 Interviews: Action Comics--Grant Morrison chats up the Man of Steel.

http://comics.ign.com/articles/119/1192650p1.html

IGN Comics: Similar to Justice League, the first arc of Action Comics takes place in the past of the DCU. Can you tell us what the DCU is like before the invention of Superman? How does his appearance change things?
 
Grant Morrison: It's more like the real world, with a sci-fi edge. Metropolis is the City of Tomorrow but its monorails and robot subways are in a graffiti-spattered state of disrepair. Think of Manhattan in the 70s - the world of Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy and The French Connection. Superman's arrival is what begins the transformation of that gritty mean streets milieu into the super-fantasy world of the DCU.
 
IGN: This approach to Superman is interesting in that it seems to have more of a focus on Kal-El as opposed to Clark Kent -- his alien side instead of his human upbringing. What interests you about exploring this side of him?
 
Morrison: It adds a little spice to the portrayal. Although young Kal-El/Clark Kent grew up knowing he'd been found in a rocket, he had no idea where the rocket came from. He has an indestructible blanket that kept him safe as a kid before his powers began to develop but he has no idea if he's from space, from another dimension or from Russia. Discovering that he's the last survivor of an extinct super-civilization affects him deeply as you might imagine and slightly changes his relationship to his adopted world. See Action Comics #3 - 'World Against Superman'.
 
IGN: At San Diego Comic-Con, you mentioned that Superman's cape is similar to Linus's security blanket in some ways. With Kal-El seeking to connect with his Kryptonian heritage, will we see more elements of that alien history appear?
 
Morrison: Definitely. There's a scene set on Krypton in issue #3, and issue #5 tells the story of Superman's rocket in its own words. I'm fascinated by Krypton's culture and civilization, so expect to see more of it as we progress.
 
IGN: I'm a devoted (borderline obsessive) fan of Krypto and Superman's relationship to him. Will Krypto be making an appearance in Action Comics? How about some of the other goofier, fun elements to the Man of Steel's mythology?
 
Morrison: Doctors say obsessing over Krypto is the sign of a healthy mind! You'll see the new-look Krypto in issue #3. I do intend to use some of the 'goofier' elements from Superman's past but for the purposes of this particular story these elements will be played straight to be scary, alien and awe-inspiring, rather than silly or nostalgic. A lot of people thought All-Star Superman was some kind of homage to Silver Age comics and I want to make sure our readers don't make the same mistake about this version of Superman.
 
IGN: All-Star Superman is held in high regard by many fans, and now you're being tasked with reinvigorating the character in hopes for an all-new appeal. Is it daunting not only to follow up such a well-received Superman story, but to do so with an Action Comics #1?
 
Morrison: Doing Action #1 was a little daunting, purely because of the historic significance of the title. As for All-Star Superman, the basic idea of doing young Superman stories started out as a spin-off from my work on that book, so in my own head I see these new adventures as the early years of the Superman from All-Star.
 
IGN: You've mentioned that we'll be seeing "familiar faces in some very unfamiliar ways." Can you say anything about what to expect from classic supporting characters like Jimmy Olsen and Perry White?
 
Morrison: Jimmy is Clark Kent's best friend in Metropolis. Perry doesn't really appear in my first arc, as Clark is still working for editor George Taylor at the Daily Star newspaper, the Planet's biggest rival.
 
IGN: What does Rags Morales bring to the table for Action Comics? How did the design for the 'Bruce Springsteen' look of Superman come about?
 
Morrison: Rags brings his prodigious talent for world-building and character acting. The 'Bruce Springsteen' look came about because I wanted to address some of the recurring complaints about Superman - that he's too powerful, too goody-goody to be relatable and wears his underpants over his pants. The idea was to take him back to his roots as the "champion of the oppressed", hence the blue collar T-shirt and jeans. We wanted to tell the story of how this young firebrand Superman acquired his alien costume and became the world's first superhero.
 
IGN: Coming from your continuing work on Batman, Batman & Robin, and Batman Inc., do you have plans to weave a Superman tale that is similar in scope to what you did with the Dark Knight?
 
Morrison: Well, the Batman story wound up taking six years to tell and so far I've only worked out 16 issues for Action Comics, but these things tend to grow in the telling so it remains to be seen where it will all end up. As with Batman, I plan to tell a story that gives me the opportunity to depict Superman's entire life.
 
IGN: Grant, thanks so much for your time! We're looking forward to it.


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: carmine on September 08, 2011, 08:21:53 AM
poor george taylor goes from being editor of a popular newspaper to being stuck on the planet of the apes.

I got the first issue of Action (haha first!) it was okay if a bit underwhelming. Seems to me that the train incident would probably just have killed everyone in side!

the boots and jeans costume is as stupid as i figured it was going to be

a nifty Legion of Superheroes reference (i think)

well thats about it really...it wasn't a terrible issue but the problem with updating "golden age" supes is that golden age supes was psycho bully...so how much can you really update that????


Title: Re: New details on the relaunched Superman
Post by: BMK! on September 09, 2011, 08:21:29 AM
Regarding that train incident, anyone notice that Luthor captured Superman using the power of a locomotive as a speeding bullet to trap him against a tall building?  ;D