New Superman for the "Twilight Age"
By
Agonus,
Posted on: 2010-10-25 10:31 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
Everyone needs to calm down. If you'd actually read the 3 page preview of this graphic novel you'd probably realize pretty quickly that it's not about a "dark, brooding" Superman. It's about a younger, more accessible Superman. The Earth One line's universe would probably be more appropriately compared to Marvel's Ultimate universe, not inherently angst-ridden and gloomy.
As for the cover. Yeah, he kinda looks like a crackhead. But really, he's wearing a hooded jacket with a white button-up shirt and jeans. Not exactly "angst-ridden emo-wear" is it?
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No. It doesn't. I can cite dozens of examples, like how he felt post-Infinite Crisis and disappeared for about a year, or when he exiled himself from Earth because he held himself personally responsible for someone's death, or I could just refer you to the current JMS Superman run in which he's literally resigned himself to walk across the U.S. to get back in touch with the people because he feels like he let them down.|
Originally Posted by Durakken
This whole doubting himself thing goes opposite his character,
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I do agree with you though, when you say that he was/is an outcast. Being an outcast is in his very nature. He even pretends to be a bit of a loser to throw people off his scent. You might balk at that, but when you relegate yourself to not having many friends or much of a social life, even if you choose to be that way, it can still be hard. Superman having a rough childhood is pretty much hard canon. It's something that's been a part of his continuity for a long time, and has been a part of every modern retelling/retcon I can think of as far back as John Byrne's The Man of Steel post-crisis 1986 retcon (I am sure there were more, as he was depicted this way in the 1978 film as well, but my knowledge that far back is hazy at best).
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Which Ultimate universe were YOU reading? |
Originally Posted by Not_Rhino
The Earth One line's universe would probably be more appropriately compared to Marvel's Ultimate universe, not inherently angst-ridden and gloomy.
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To be fair, DC has gone back and forth on this a bit in recent years. All-Star Superman has him with a pretty awesome, well-adjusted childhood, and from what I've read the current canon origin story from the Superman: Secret Origin mini has him with as normal a childhood as a kid with heat vision could reasonably have.
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Originally Posted by Not_Rhino
Being an outcast is in his very nature. He even pretends to be a bit of a loser to throw people off his scent. You might balk at that, but when you relegate yourself to not having many friends or much of a social life, even if you choose to be that way, it can still be hard. Superman having a rough childhood is pretty much hard canon. It's something that's been a part of his continuity for a long time, and has been a part of every modern retelling/retcon I can think of as far back as John Byrne's The Man of Steel post-crisis 1986 retcon (I am sure there were more, as he was depicted this way in the 1978 film as well, but my knowledge that far back is hazy at best).
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Holy crap.|
Originally Posted by Ironik
Durakken's right
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-np
I see myself as witty, urbane, highly talented, hugely successful with a keen sense of style. Plus of course my own special brand of modesty.
Virtue: Automatic Lenin | The Pink Guy | Superpowered | Guardia | Guardia Prime | Ultrapowered
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Sure, but to say it was "all rainbows" or whatever the other person said is still inaccurate. And is it just me, or does Superman Secret Origin kinda suck? Birthright was much better aside from making him a vegetarian imo. Not that I hate vegetarians or anything, just doesn't seem right for a Kansas farm boy.
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Originally Posted by Warp_Factor
To be fair, DC has gone back and forth on this a bit in recent years. All-Star Superman has him with a pretty awesome, well-adjusted childhood, and from what I've read the current canon origin story from the Superman: Secret Origin mini has him with as normal a childhood as a kid with heat vision could reasonably have.
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Thank God! I hated his Wonder Woman direction (and new costume) and thought his Superman run has been pretty boring. Hopefully when the new writers finish his stories, the books will move on and tell interesting stories again.|
Originally Posted by Agonus
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As for Earth One, I haven't read it yet but it makes sense DC would speed up the production on something that popular. Sounds like a smart move.
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dammit, his 'Grounded's been one of the better Superman stories over the last couple years, and i really wanted to see where he was going with WW. the bright side is Phil Hester is decent writer, so it should still be pretty interesting. i haven't read anything yet by Roberson, so i have no idea if he's any good or not, but unless they end up pulling some form of OMD for Superman, i doubt the title will be coming off my pull list.
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Originally Posted by Agonus
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Well, that didn't last long.|
Originally Posted by Agonus
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I was not fond of JMS's Wonder Woman, either, although it was obvious that it was temporary. I was curious to see what he would do, but the story so far reads like an extended dream sequence; settings and characters fade in out of nowhere and vanish with the next scene change. The Superman book was better, although it had much the same feel, but here the feel was more or less explained by the premise. Superman would be interacting with a series of throwaway characters.
JMS is known for quitting books if he gets interference from editorial. I wonder what the real story is.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
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In this case, I suspect it is as presented: strike while the iron is hot and make hay while the sun shines.
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Originally Posted by Heraclea
JMS is known for quitting books if he gets interference from editorial. I wonder what the real story is.
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The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
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yea...*blink* |
Originally Posted by Ironik
In this case, I suspect it is as presented: strike while the iron is hot and make hay while the sun shines.
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DiDio's reputation aside, he doesn't muck around editorial once the story is in motion as much Joey Q does, unless he's got a personal stake in it. (as he did with Countdown)
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Sam ROCKED!!!|
Originally Posted by Eisenzahn
This doesn't feel like Twilight fallout to me, but Dark Knight fallout. It feels like they're still not quite getting that B:tDK kicked *** because of an intelligent script that was true to the characters and generally masterfully constructed. All they see is "Man, that story was hella dark! Let's make everything else so dark, oh my crap! That'll rule! The kids'll eat it up!"
But they can't even do that right. I can think of about a dozen Superman Is Dark As Hell stories, for screen or print, that would work just fine. Most of them involve him being the single point of contrast to a world that's otherwise lost its mind. He does that magnificently - the straight man to an entire universe of lunatics. Instead, we get handed this 20ish nitwit who needs someone to slap the Big Boys Don't Cry look off of his face and tell him to get a haircut! GET OFF MY LAWN, YOUNG WHINY HIPSTER SUPERMAN! YOU GO OFF AND LOSE A LEG IN VIETNAM AND THEN TELL ME HOW HARD YOUR MAGICAL LASERBEAM-EYES FLYING AROUND THE SUN LIFE IS! I WILL NOW DO MY SAM KINISON IMPERSONATION AT YOU, EMO SUPERMAN! AHHH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! *cough, hack, wheeze* ... Ok, glad I got that out. |
He was "..... knee deep in rice patties in Vietnam looking for Charlie!!! While pu**ies like you (insert EMO Super-boy) were back home!"
Classic!!!
@Patrick Magellen
Infinity & Freedom Servers!
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I noticed that Super-Emo-Boy could not even get THAT right. |
Originally Posted by Mr_Mac
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Even on Krypton they should know ya slice up and down and NOT side to side
LOL
@Patrick Magellen
Infinity & Freedom Servers!
As far as noone saying anything harsh to him... He's an outcast, a loser, a hick in a big city, and considered naive and has been told so all his life in every single incarnation I have ever come across.
You want me to believe that even though every source I've ever read contains these things that in the official origin stories those aren't part of them? Just from basic knowledge about a few titles one can call what you said nonsense.
And as far as "I didn't say it was original" you said "Other stories didn't have it" thus implying it was original. So no you technically didn't say "it is original" That is the implied argument that anyone who is not brain addled reads when they read what you wrote.