Comics are Awesome III

[andersonh1]

Superman: Lois and Clark #1
"Suspicous. Doubting. Edgy. Without faith." - Lois Lane's assessment of New 52 Earth.

Back when I was reading "Convergence: Superman", I said that DC ought to continue the story of Superman and Lois and their son. We've never seen Superman as a father in mainstream continuity, apart from his adopted son Chris. Someone at DC thought the same thing, because post-Crisis Superman and Lois are back, living incognito on New 52 Earth, and raising their son. This is "my" Superman, the character I followed regularly for years. This is the one who first appeared in John Byrne's "Man of Steel" mini-series, was killed by Doomsday and came back, and married Lois Lane, among many other adventures. Dan Jurgens, who has been writing the character since the late 80s and knows him well, is writing this book, and Lee Weeks is drawing. So the art is excellent as well.

The issue opens with a flashback to Darkseid's invasion from Justice League #1-6, and reveals that Superman was watching the whole thing and came very close to getting involved, despite knowing how crucial it was to keep out of sight. He returns home, and he and Lois discuss not only the events of Convergence, but also the results of traveling back to stop the Anti-Monitor. It's a short summary, but the collapse of the Multiverse is prevented, and Parallax, pre-Crisis Barry Allen and pre-Crisis Supergirl all survive. They all chose to go elsewhere, while Lois and Clark settled on Earth with their infant son, taking on the surname White as part of their cover. Superman puts away his classic costume and adopts the black and silver one seen on the cover of this book.

Fast forward to the present day. Lois is involved with undercover journalism, Jonathan is in school, and Superman is working undercover to avert disaster, but also to try and keep an eye on people who he knows as villains from his past on the previous Earth, but who may or may not present a danger here. He's tracking Hank Henshaw, the man who became the Cyborg Superman in the old timeline. He's also dealing with fluctuations in his power levels, for reasons which are as yet unexplained.

Overall: I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I may be reading into some of the dialogue, or I may not, but it's definitely a book for the old fan like me who's never quite liked the changes that came with the New 52. The follow-up from the events of Convergence is appreciated, and having post-Crisis Superman back and reflecting with Lois on the differences between this Earth is very welcome. "Cyborg teamed up with the Justice League instead of the Titans?" Superman asks. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this world."




Green Lantern #45
Hal figures out that Black Hand is on course for Earth, and since he's turning everything to stone as he moves through the galaxy, it will be a disaster if he gets there. Hal sends his ship and traveling companions off to keep them out of harm's way while he goes to find Black Hand and deal with him. At first he appears without revealing who he is in an attempt to reason with Black Hand and offer a cure, but once Black Hand learns that he's Hal Jordan, all chance at a reasoned solution is lost. Black Hand's power not only turns everything on the planet to stone, it turns Hal's energy constructs to stone, so he's forced to keep his contacts short, but he eventually wins the fight, and wonders if he shouldn't just deal with Black Hand permanently...

It's a fight issue pure and simple, with some interesting aspects. Hal voices his frustration that things haven't worked out as he planned, and that the Corps was supposed to be chasing him and reclaiming its good name. Now he's alone, dealing with crisis after crisis, and he knows full well that Sinestro and others will be moving in to fill the void.

[JediTricks]

I was just reading an article on that Superman: Lois & Clark issue
http://kotaku.com/dc-comics-handling-of ... 1736468072

Seems like DC cannot help but make their convoluted multiverse events even more confusing anymore. "We fucked up Superman for a lot of people, so here's another Superman in the same universe that's actually the one they wanted." I don't even mind the premise of this this new book, it sounds kinda interesting, but unfortunately it only adds to a confusing, messy editorial voice for that DC universe.

[andersonh1]

I was just reading an article on that Superman: Lois & Clark issue
http://kotaku.com/dc-comics-handling-of ... 1736468072

Seems like DC cannot help but make their convoluted multiverse events even more confusing anymore. "We fucked up Superman for a lot of people, so here's another Superman in the same universe that's actually the one they wanted." I don't even mind the premise of this this new book, it sounds kinda interesting, but unfortunately it only adds to a confusing, messy editorial voice for that DC universe.

I read the article, but I honestly don't see how it's convoluted. The Superman of the pre-New 52 reality/timeline still exists, thanks to the events of Convergence, and is now living in this new timeline alongside his doppelganger. Rather than operating in the open, he's operating secretly. Or to put it another way, two Supermen live on New 52 Earth. One from this universe, and one from another. That's an old sci-fi concept by now, and an old DC concept, so even a new DC reader should be able to understand the premise.

Is it a case of DC wanting to "have its cake and eat it too"? Sure, I can see that. Post-Crisis Superman is back, but he doesn't get to wear his classic costume for long, or be recognized as Superman by the world, so he's not the "main" Superman of current continuity. I can't say it bothers me all that much, because I find the new status quo interesting, and making Superman part of the current main universe saves the book from being a consequence free Elseworlds or imaginary story.

A consistent editorial voice went out the window once sales started dropping and DC settled on the DC You branding. Throwing everything they can think of up against the wall and hoping something sticks is the name of the game.

[Dominic]

Flipped through "Lois and Clark" #1. It does not look bad. But, my backlog is such that I do not want to add anything to the pile(s) at the moment.

-still catching up on comics I have bought in the last few weeks.
-12 to 15 comics sitting in my pull-file.
-more comics shipping every week or two.

And, I am trying to cut back. (Though, that upcoming "Green Lantern" series by Taylor has my attention.)

Overall: I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I may be reading into some of the dialogue, or I may not, but it's definitely a book for the old fan like me who's never quite liked the changes that came with the New 52. The follow-up from the events of Convergence is appreciated, and having post-Crisis Superman back and reflecting with Lois on the differences between this Earth is very welcome. "Cyborg teamed up with the Justice League instead of the Titans?" Superman asks. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this world."

I think the take-away is supposed to be that "old DC" is gone. That may be the Bronze Age Superman (the character that debuted in Byrne's "Man of Steel). But, the dialogue specifically states that the world/timeline/whatever he hails from is gone.

Technically, Bronze Age DC is not the DC from immediately pre-"FlashPoint". But, for the purposes of this conversation (and what we can infer about DC's over-all direction), it is probably safe to assume that DC is counting 1985 to 2011 as the same. (One could argue for three. 1985-1994. 1994-2006. 2006-2011. But, DC is probably not thinking along those lines.)

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" was undone. But, it looks like the new multiverse is here to stay.

He's tracking Hank Henshaw, the man who became the Cyborg Superman in the old timeline

That is an interesting moral plot point. We, and Superman, know what Henshaw was in the old timeline. But, how should Superman address it in a new timeline? (We know that there is a "new" Cyborg, making Henshaw irrelevant in that regard. But, Superman logically cannot.) Even assuming that Superman should interfere (which I would agree with), how should he work to prevent (or at least contain) Henshaw and the others?

I read the article, but I honestly don't see how it's convoluted.

Well, you kind of answer this one.

The Superman of the pre-New 52 reality/timeline still exists, thanks to the events of Convergence, and is now living in this new timeline alongside his doppelganger. Rather than operating in the open, he's operating secretly. Or to put it another way, two Supermen live on New 52 Earth. One from this universe, and one from another.

And, there is the convolution.

That kind of thing is exactly what reboots are supposed to avoid. Of course, this is only the first issue. The series could (and should) end with Bronze Age (the most useful short-hand for this Superman and Lois) characters ending up on another Earth, possibly to be used in a self-contained series.

A consistent editorial voice went out the window once sales started dropping and DC settled on the DC You branding. Throwing everything they can think of up against the wall and hoping something sticks is the name of the game.

DC has been a mess for the last 4 years or so.

From what we have seen, DC has the worst possible combination of centralized control and a lack of over-all direction. Neither is inherently bad. But, they are a recipe disaster when combined.

Marvel has likely had tight editorial control (especially under Disney). But, there has been an over-all plan. The biggest (likely) change has been to the end of "Secret Wars". But, even with the change in direction, Marvel still has a plan and has managed to not derail most of their series. Centralized control requires a decisive plan.

A lack of an over-all plan can work, but there needs to be loose over-all control. Image Comics in the 90s is a good example of this. The company grew up, and released series that were not what anybody would have expected. There was no consistent editorial drive to do so. But, there were no editorial restrictions.

DC as a company is wheeling at random, and mandating that the creative staff follow that lead, rather than allowing them to work to their strengths.

DC has an exceptionally thin talent pool for a company their size. But, they do have talent. Unfortunately, it does not seem that any writer or artist is going to be allowed to shine there.

[andersonh1]

Dan Jurgens discusses Lois and Clark: http://www.newsarama.com/26353-dan-jurg ... -real.html

I hope this series does well, not only because it returns an old favorite of mine to regular publication, but because as someone with a wife and two children, I enjoy seeing Superman as a family man. It's good dramatic ground to cover. That and putting him in a strange new version of the world he knows make this series very appealing to me.

I think the take-away is supposed to be that "old DC" is gone. That may be the Bronze Age Superman (the character that debuted in Byrne's "Man of Steel). But, the dialogue specifically states that the world/timeline/whatever he hails from is gone.

In some ways, Superman is a stand in for fans like myself, expressing thoughts and opinions about the New 52 Earth that a somewhat alienated older fan might have. There's also an opportunity to contrast his older sense of duty to others and heroism with the version we see in the newer versions of DC's characters. I fully expect him to meet New 52 Superman at some point down the road.

And, there is the convolution.

That kind of thing is exactly what reboots are supposed to avoid. Of course, this is only the first issue. The series could (and should) end with Bronze Age (the most useful short-hand for this Superman and Lois) characters ending up on another Earth, possibly to be used in a self-contained series.

"The doppelganger from a parallel dimension" is such an old sci-fi standby at this point that it's a very familiar literary device. So again, I don't see that this is convoluted. It's not as if most DC readers don't know that there were other versions of Superman before the current one, especially after Convergence spent two months exploring older characters.

[Dominic]

DC seems to be going for younger, non-comic, audiences. Those people generally do not want multiversal characters. DiDio is on record as saying that one of the reasons that Bronze Age Supergirl (the shape shifting angel blob thing) went away is because non-comic fans did not understand (nor did they want to understand) the necessary backstory. (And, frankly, the backstory was idiotic.)

[andersonh1]

DC seems to be going for younger, non-comic, audiences. Those people generally do not want multiversal characters. DiDio is on record as saying that one of the reasons that Bronze Age Supergirl (the shape shifting angel blob thing) went away is because non-comic fans did not understand (nor did they want to understand) the necessary backstory. (And, frankly, the backstory was idiotic.)

The attempt to make things more accessible for new readers is one reason so many legacy characters, including Wally West, were disposed of. They wanted characters whose origin didn't depend on previous iterations of a character or on references to an otherwise obscure storyline from decades earlier to explain. "Superman's cousin" is a much simpler concept than "shape shifting angel creature from another dimension". So I can understand that approach. The question is this: was complexity the main thing driving new readers away? Given how many characters fail to keep an audience these days, I doubt it.

New 52 Supergirl's book didn't even make it three years, did it? I know it was cancelled before Convergence. The simplicity of her origin may have removed a barrier to new readers understanding the character, but it didn't solve whatever problems that book had.

That is an interesting moral plot point. We, and Superman, know what Henshaw was in the old timeline. But, how should Superman address it in a new timeline? (We know that there is a "new" Cyborg, making Henshaw irrelevant in that regard. But, Superman logically cannot.) Even assuming that Superman should interfere (which I would agree with), how should he work to prevent (or at least contain) Henshaw and the others?

I think his main strategy is to try and prevent the circumstances that led to the creation of the enemy, or to try and turn them away from making a choice that led to then becoming an enemy. As for how he deals with Henshaw, until we know just what Henshaw's current situation is, there's no way to answer that.

I remember that original story. Henshaw and his crew were expies of the Fantastic Four, only they died from their powers rather than going on to become super heroes. Henshaw became mental energy or something and eventually went on to bond with the Eradictor, the Kryptonian artifact that Superman brought back from his exile in space. Without that, he'd never have become the Cyborg Superman, so unless the Eradicator exists in the New 52, it may be a moot point.

[Onslaught Six]

Anyone interested in Superman: American Alien? It's Max Landis' first comic series. Max Landis, if you are unaware, is (primarily) a screenwriter and the son of director John Landis, and a major comic fan. He's got a few features under his belt (Chronicle, American Ultra, the upcoming Mr. Right and Victor Frankenstein), some goofy shorts and did a short Superman story in an anthology series, and once pitched a weekly 52 issue New 52 storyline rebooting/retelling the Death and Return of Superman (which got approved before DC changed their minds about the way they wanted to do weekly series). Now they've basically given him his own 7-issue miniseries of individual Superman stories set in "his own continuity" (his words in an interview I saw) that basically allows him to do his ideal version of Superman.
I'm VERY interested in it, first issue is supposed to drop November 11th and I already told my local shop to order me a copy.

[Dominic]

Hopefully, that is a step in the right direction. Depending on how my pull file is looking, I might check it out.

[Sparky Prime]

I think the take-away is supposed to be that "old DC" is gone. That may be the Bronze Age Superman (the character that debuted in Byrne's "Man of Steel). But, the dialogue specifically states that the world/timeline/whatever he hails from is gone.

The thing is, when Superman said that their universe was gone, he was referring to when they'd been held on Telos. At that point, their universe didn't exist, having been replaced with the New 52 universe. But then Superman continues to explain Brainiac sent them back and they defeated the Anti-Monitor during CoIE, and as a result "time-- and the multiverse-- reset itself". So if the original multiverse was restored, with every infinite possible universe in it, shouldn't that mean the "old DC" universe exists again somewhere within the restored multiverse?

In which case, it seem odd that if Superman and Lois know that the multiverse was reset, why not try to find their home instead of staying in the New 52 universe?

"The doppelganger from a parallel dimension" is such an old sci-fi standby at this point that it's a very familiar literary device. So again, I don't see that this is convoluted. It's not as if most DC readers don't know that there were other versions of Superman before the current one, especially after Convergence spent two months exploring older characters.

Yeah, I wouldn't call this story convoluted either. I mean, I can see how if you get stuck on the multiverse back-story stuff it might seem convoluted, but at the core of this story, that really doesn't matter. All you need to know is that this is the Superman from another universe that basically got stuck in this universe.

I remember that original story. Henshaw and his crew were expies of the Fantastic Four, only they died from their powers rather than going on to become super heroes. Henshaw became mental energy or something and eventually went on to bond with the Eradictor, the Kryptonian artifact that Superman brought back from his exile in space. Without that, he'd never have become the Cyborg Superman, so unless the Eradicator exists in the New 52, it may be a moot point.

There is a New 52 version of the Eradicator. It was Supergirl's computer AI in her Sanctuary of Solitude. When she brought Powergirl for a visit, it flipped out and made a robotic body for itself to eliminate what it believed was a clone of Kara.