The June solioits for DC Comics have been released and it is a big month for Superman fans. Finally the Bendis era takes over. Here is a link to all the solicits:
https://www.newsarama.com/39119-dc-comics-june-2018-solicitations.html
I just don't know what to think about this whole upheaval of Superman. I suppose this is what I was feeling in 1987 when Byrne completely uprooted and replanted the entire mythos. In the end, I was pretty happy with Byrne reinvigorating the property. But much of that was I felt the stories had become tepid before he took over. Right now I feel we are in a Renaissance for the Superman and his family. So now seems like an odd time to blow things up. And this is my biggest concern. After years of suffering, we finally had a Superman I could read and enjoy. Will this be a step back?
THE MAN OF STEEL #1
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
A new era begins for Superman as a threat from his earliest origins reemerges to destroy the Last Son of Krypton. As Superman struggles to come to grips with what has happened to his wife and son, he must also face a new threat that’s determined to burn down Metropolis!
Sigh.
I wish we could just let Krypton die in peace.
But now we have some new information about its destruction and it impacts Superman's legacy.
Sigh.
I'll try to stay open minded.
THE MAN OF STEEL #2
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
With an arsonist loose in Metropolis, Superman’s powers are almost useless in finding the culprit. And back at the Daily Planet, everyone wants to know what’s going on with Lois Lane. How can Clark hold on to the secret of what happened to Lois and Jon much longer?
So what has happened to Lois and Jon? I am hopeful this isn't something terrible. And I certainly hope the dynamic doesn't change coming out of this mini. The family relationship has been one of the biggest gains in the Rebirth/Reborn time.
And how can Superman's powers be useless against an arsonist?
Doc Shaner on Superman is fantastic!
THE MAN OF STEEL #3
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by RYAN SOOK
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
The merciless killer and zealot calling himself Rogol Zaar has searched the cosmos for Superman—and when he reaches the Fortress of Solitude, his actions will cut Superman to the core.
And now the villain has a name ... Rogol Zaar. A merciless killer and zealot.
I have heard here and there that he somehow is trying to stop Superman from becoming the universe's greatest hero. But that the idea of Kal as this hero is somehow almost predestined. I guess We'll have to wait and see how it plays out.
I like the cover here, an homage to Grant Morrison's Action Comics #5. And nothing wrong with Ryan Sook!
THE MAN OF STEEL #4
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by KEVIN MAGUIRE
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Rogol Zaar has committed a string of atrocities across the cosmos that have led him to the Fortress of Solitude—and now Superman and Supergirl plan to crush his schemes! But are even two Kryptonians enough to stop his sinister machinations?
A mention of Supergirl so this makes me happy. We caught a glimpse of Kevin Maguire's art and I have always loved his take on Supergirl so this is the first solicit that grabbed me. Plus ... a string of atrocities across the cosmos? Hmmm ...
THE MAN OF STEEL #5
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by ADAM HUGHES
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Beaten by Rogol Zaar, his city burning at the hands of an unknown arsonist and the secret of what happened to Lois and Jon drawing closer to revelation—even Superman feels powerless against all that stands before him.
Unfortunately this solicit says that the cousins lose to Zaar, I suppose no big surprise since there are two more issues.
Again, an arsonist in the midst of this feels like a weird side plot. And Lois and Jon still missing? Will Lois not be in this entire miniseries redefining the mythos?
Adam Hughes art! Sign me up! Hope Kara is in this issue!
THE MAN OF STEEL #6
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by JASON FABOK
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
The fate of Lois Lane and Jon Kent is revealed! Metropolis’ survival hangs in the balance! And Superman must somehow put an end to Rogol Zaar’s rampage! It’s do-or-die time for the Man of Steel in the final chapter of this explosive miniseries!
Fabok on the finale!
At the very least, the art lined up for this mini-series is incredible!
NEW SUPER-MAN AND THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF CHINA #24
Written by GENE LUEN YANG
Art by BRENT PEEPLES and MATT SANTORELLI
Cover by PHILIP TAN; Variant cover by BERNARD CHANG
“Fear the Future”! New Super-Man and the Justice League of China prepare for their final mission, and the fate of the Chinese metahuman future lies in the treacherous realm of ghosts! The team must enter the realm and confront their greatest fears to discover the path forward for their country—and help restore balance to the entire world in the process!
Final mission in the solicit makes me think next issue will have Final Issue as tagline.
There is also a little finality to this solicit. Will the team be shunted into this dimension, erased from DC, so Kenan isn't part of the new Bendis super-worldview?
SUPER SONS/DYNOMUTT SPECIAL #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by FERNANDO PASARIN and OCLAIR ALBERT; Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE
It’s no fun for Jon Kent to be visiting Big City with his parents for the funeral of an old friend. So his best pal Damian Wayne decides to follow along and give him the inside scoop on the city. But when they go to meet Robin’s local friend, Dynomutt, they find him injured and in need of help. And Dynomutt’s human superhero companion, Blue Falcon, has seemingly turned evil. What’s the reason for this betrayal between once-loyal companions, and what role might the evil Red Vulture play in this scenario?
Well, I loved Bugs Bunny/Legion and I loved Batman/Elmer Fudd. And I know I'll be missing the Super Sons since their book got unplugged. So I guess I am in.
We better get some Krypto and some Ace in this book!
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by JIM CHEUNG and MARK MORALES
Cover by JIM CHEUNG;Variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
“THE TOTALITY” part one! A brand-new era begins here! Comics legends Scott Snyder and Jim Cheung launch the Justice League into a cosmos-shaking mystery that will draw out their most terrible foes…in ways our heroes couldn’t possibly imagine! In this debut issue, Martian Manhunter struggles to protect the team from an incoming threat that will shatter the world as they know it, while a familiar face strikes out on a dark path…
JUSTICE LEAGUE #2
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by JORGE JIMENEZ ;Variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
“THE TOTALITY” part two! The League faced an impossible decision…and now they must face the consequences! While Martian Manhunter and Batman attempt to recruit an old ally back into the fold, The Flash and Hawkgirl are blindsided by new challenges that could rewrite their mythologies!
Not exactly a super-book but I had to post to say I am probably more excited about this book than any Justice League book since Morrison took over JLA. I think it is the synchronicity of Snyder and Cheung/Jimenez. That is a creative team! And I love that the team is the big 7 plus Cyborg and Hawkgirl! Just a touch of Timm-verse there!
SUPERGIRL BY PETER DAVID BOOK FOUR TP
Written by PETER DAVID
Art by LEONARD KIRK, SEAN PHILLIPS, JASON ORFALAS and others
Cover by LEONARD KIRK and ROBIN RIGGS
Everything is coming at Linda Danvers, a.k.a. Supergirl! Comet, the newest hero in Leesburg, is being chased by someone named Fracture, and in the meantime, in her civilian identity, Supergirl speaks out against a bigot on her college campus. And Parasite is spotted in Paris. All just typical problems in a day in the life of one of the most powerful girls on planet Earth! Collects issues #32-43.
Now you may have noticed no Supergirl solo book on the shelves. It is all-Bendis all the time.
We do get the fourth Peter David Supergirl trade. This run is ramping up to the major last arc of the Earth Angel fighting the Carnivore. Here we have Supergirl starting to realize her power, getting into battles of faith, and facing off against the Parasite. Solid stuff.
DC DESIGNER SERIES: SUPERGIRL BY MICHAEL TURNER STATUE
BASED ON ART BY MICHAEL TURNER • SCULPTED BY IRENE MATAR
Based on the exceptional art of Michael Turner, this statue puts Supergirl in the spotlight and recreates the iconic cover to SUPERMAN/BATMAN #13.
Sculpted by Irene Matar, this detailed 15.3" tall statue features a seminal design of one of Earth’s most powerful Kryptonians, posed for an aerial battle. Limited to 5,000 pieces, it also includes the trademark shield base.
DC DESIGNER SERIES statues are based on art from the comics industry’s top creators and recreates their vision in vivid 3-D detail.
Limited Edition of 5,000 and individually numbered.
And the merch train continues to chug along for Supergirl. I am not a big fan of the Turner costume. And this is definitely inspired by him with the very elongated torso and super-crop top. So I don't think I'll be getting this one. But for Turner fans, this is a very dynamic piece. I love the cape action!
So what are people thinking about Man of Steel? Optimism? Pessimism? Wait and see?
18 comments:
There are certainly a lot of interesting comics coming out there, but right now I’m going to be taking a break from Superman stuff. I’m unhappy about the Supergirl and SuperSons cancellation and the elimination of some other books I was reading so I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to give any of these new Bendis-based books a fair shake. Going into reading something already disliking things is not a good way to start a new run, I don’t “hate read”. And I don’t need yet another origin story, but maybe new readers need one to be “their Super origin”, so I’ll just let the intended audience enjoy.
But we’re getting a SuperSons book! Co-starring Dyno-Mutt? OK, maybe I’ll pick that one off the shelf if it looks good.
And the next part of the PAD Supergirl run gives me something to buy as well. Yay!
Finally, I look at Turner Supergiirl and I’m always thankful Kryptonians don’t need to breath under a Yellow Sun since with that rib cage it’s probably not possible. But it’s interesting to see a continuing flood of Supergirl merchandise, this aspect of Supergirl must be selling well.
"So what are people thinking about Man of Steel? Optimism? Pessimism? Wait and see?"
Caution. Definitely caution. On the one hand, I'm annoyed at what I think will be an unnecessary and overcomplicating tweak to the Krypton's demise and concerned about the whole El/Kent family's fate. On the other hand... Krypton, Metropolis, the Daily Planet, the Fortress, Lois, Jon, Kara... It sounds like Bendis isn't willing to overlook or neglect any part of the mythos like former reboots did, so it's encouraging.
Honestly, when it was the last time Supergirl was part of a relaunch/reboot/re-exploration of the Superman mythos?
Anyhow, the artists line-up is incredible.
The solicit for New Super-Man doesn't sound encouraging. I don't think Kong and his teammates will be retconned out, though.
I'm not a big fan of that costume myself, but I'm glad that the Post-Crisis Kara isn't forgotten. And it's true Superman/Batman #13 cover is iconic.
Anj, have you seen the solicits for Wonder Woman? Supergirl and GL Jessica Cruz show up in #48.
Supes and Kara fighting together. I'm really optimistic about that. I'm less optimistic about suspecting that Kal will have a "destiny" and Kara might just be tagging along for the ride.
That is really the only good part of the solicitations though. With rumors of Batwoman also coming to an end, I can't remember the last time DC was heading for such a male dominated lineup. I haven't counted but there's probably someone soon more Batman comics than female led comics combined.
I'll go with cautious, too. We know Bendis is a big Superman fan. He says Lois and Jon will be around. There's terrific art coming... if only we knew Lois and Jon are sticking around indefinitely, and that Kara's book is having a wee hiatus only!
I wonder who's dead in the Super Sons/Dynomutt book. Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys lived in Big City, didn't they? I don't recall Superman ever meeting them.
Thanks for sharing Anj. Idunno, I'm trying to keep an open mind as well, and the news that Supergirl will show up in an issue or
two of Man Of Steel definitely has me hopeful and can't be all bad, right? And that has GOT to be better than her total # of
appearances in the main Superman books -- 1, IIRC -- since Rebirth. I'm still maintaining a "wait and see" attitude
to see where this goes. PAD and a new Supergirl statue definitely tells me DC hasn't forgotten Supergirl's merchandising
strength.
Speaking of which, anyone catch the pilot of Krypton yet? Thoughts / Comments? My interest is definitely piqued, but speaking
as a Supergirl lover, I'm slightly miffed the dialog only mentioned "your grandson grows up to be the greatest hero in the
universe" and not "...your grandson and granddaughter..."
Regards
"I'm slightly miffed the dialog only mentioned "your grandson grows up to be the greatest hero in the
universe" and not "...your grandson and granddaughter...""
So very much this...
Forgiveable reasons to why Supergirl isn't mentioned:
* Showrunners somehow didn't know Supergirl existed and was also a worldsaving grandchild (not likely)
* The story would somehow be negatively effected enough for them to break canon and erase one of the few female superhero role models (I don't see how)
Unforgivable reasons she isn't mentioned:
* Adam Strange is a misogynist asshat that thinks only Superman matters.
* Writers are misogynist asshats who decides that Superman is the only one who matters and writes Kara out of canon.
* Producers are misogynist asshats who thinks show will sell more by appealing to other misogynist asshats who think Supergirl should not be part of canon
I don't see any reason why Kara would not be part of the Krypton mythology without somewhere in the chain adding a misogynist asshat.
That nagging feeling is really affecting my mood watching the series. I wish a showrunner would give a sound reason for writing her out. Until I get that, I will have a hard time enjoying it.
I bailed on "Krypton" after ten minutes I had a bad allergic reaction to all the British Accents....Krypton is a planet in another solar system not one of the Channel Islands. As for Bendis, I am sure, given time he'll have plenty of opportunity to screw up the Super Mythos beyond all hope of repair...thats just DC's go-to these days, "fixing things that aren't broken with stuff that doesn't work".
JF
I'm really tired of any Superman project being judged by whether or not it mentions Kara. Can we not get over it? For whatever reason, she's not required for the latest TV story (maybe she's not been revealed to the world in Adam Strange's time, or doesn't exist in this continuity). Does it have to be a dealbreaker? There's the constant search for offence on behalf of a fictional character, and it's pretty wearying.
And I'm with JF on the constant English accents, and I'm English myself.
Thanks for comments. I doubt I'll be covering Krypton here. Or if I do it will be sparingly.
I agree that Kara not being mentioned is fine here. This is a story about Superman not existing in the continuity. Maybe there is no Kara ... or without Superman existing Kara doesn't get sent to Earth.
Maybe we'll get some Zor-El or In-Ze family references later. And who knows is Strange doesn't come back at some point and gives more info.
Agreed on the Krypton part, there are many bts stuff to consider as well:
At first when the series was announced it was supposed to be a man of steel prequel but was later retconned to be not connected to the DCEU but by then the pilot was already filmed (a few episodes too as well) so it was too late to change anything drastically. Another thing is that, Krypton is on a cable channel (syfy) which desperately needs a hit and Krypton will be it for them and Superman will bring in the viewers required for the ratings. I still believe that we need to give the series time to find its legs and an audience, then it can start to pull in various other characters. For now I still believe that Kara or her existence will be revealed at the end of the season or maybe later down the line as a shock factor to seg-el. But if they don't I will not be bummed at all cause the main Supergirl tvshow is on a major network, is part of the dctv Trinity and is acknowledged as a power hitter within the forever expanding arrowverse. As for people behind Krypton not knowing about Kara, believe me they know, they changed alura zod's name to jayna for that very reason and apart from that, I have been checking the Krypton tag on Twitter sporadically and it is peppered with tweets about them excluding Kara. They don't wanna mention or include her?- wholly their loss.
I think it's time that people understand that Supergirl is leading a very different kind of change than Superman but it's similar to what Superman did when he was created way back in the old days. The recent Supergirl issue, the black lightning name drops, hotshot comic book writers wanting to write her book, the tvseries itself is testament that she is definitely here to stay and bring about a change which is more important than being included in a fictional universe. Superman and Supergirl both stand for the same things, sure we all know why it is taking so long for her to get her due, but regardless of DC's assholery regarding her comic book series, everything else has been going swimmingly.
Coming back to Krypton, the show's premiere has got mixed reviews, the last time I checked it's RT score was 48%, which was fluctuating (it's probably the DCEU curse but what do I know), the acting was bland and no one especially stood out to me with the possible exception of the zods. The fight scenes are bad and segy seems to be the standard hustler hooligan of every network drama who has to grow up so to speak. The el and zod romance was nothing new but those production budgets certainly are eye pleasing. I will try to tune in when possible but let's not be in such a hurry to have Supergirl be part of a subpar show, let's have some standards.
Original "grandson and not grandson and granddaughter" Anon here.
Not to say Krypton can't stand on its own without Kara, or ANY Super media without Kara in it is a dealbreaker, but
to echo some of Anj's points mentioned before, especially with the recent review of the Krypton Chronicles, it's
about family, and it seems all to easy for TPTB to forget the other branches of the El family for some indeterminate
reason, both good and just plainly bad. Valid points as well why Zor-El/Alura/Kara weren't mentioned by Adam Strange
so I'm trying to keep things in perspective, but again, the big sell of Krypton is its about the El family,
so I hope that gives it all the excuses it needs to include as many of the branches as possible.
On the flip side of the coin, I don't want to give TPTB a pass either to follow the old standby either, ie. "Jor-El
was the cleanest next to godliness, Zor-El was just nuts/went cyborg/genocidal maniac/et al.". I think as fans we can
all agree we've seen that done to death, thanks very much.
> I have been checking the Krypton tag on Twitter sporadically and it is peppered with tweets about them excluding Kara.
> They don't wanna mention or include her?- wholly their loss.
Good to know I wasn't the only one that noticed this :) We'll see...
Regards To All Supers Fans Everywhere
Oh Seg El = "Siegel"
:)
Waiting for "Shu-Sterr" to show up down the line...
JF
"I'm really tired of any Superman project being judged by whether or not it mentions Kara...Does it have to be a dealbreaker?"
That is up to each person, but yes. I think for me, in this case it has to be a dealbreaker. When DC constantly is running some 80%+ male led comics and movies (fictional characters), it is not random. It is systematic. When we keep buying what they sell we implicitly buy into that system and give our approval. It's not about Kara being in a show or series or not, it's about constantly challenging the system that is in place that leads to this misrepresentation, no matter which character. This isn't a show about Superman. It's about Supermans AND Supergirls ancestors. Every time we are ok with removing a female character for no reason, we normalize the male default and maintain the messed up world of comics.
Must it be a dealbreaker?
No, but do we think DC will suddenly change their behavior after 80 years of the same without us doing anything or complaining?
Must it be a dealbreaker that is only one female in the DCEU? No.
Must it be a dealbreaker that Supergirl is the only female led DC show on TV? No.
Must it be a dealbreaker that almost every single DC comic is male led? No.
But in my mind it should. It really, really should.
I agree on not allowing the tptb the pass to do the whole jor el is all things nice but zor el is the jealous younger brother who failed at being a better scientist and also a better father. It's even more damning since I see this reflected even in kal and Kara's relationship with Kara always somehow being not good enough and always playing catch up to the Messiah kal. Yeah, I hate that with every fibre of my being.
Since I had already pre-ordered the PAD Supergirl Book Four trade collection last year, at least this solicit offers me optimism that it's coming out at last (as the release date was pushed back several months). Otherwise, I'm also going to wait and see on the Bendis Man of Steel revamp. While the previewed artwork seems really clean and dynamic, plot details revealed so far feel typically run of the mill for an event series.
As for Syfy's Krypton series premiere, it seems promising; but there's a lot of characterization that will need to be fleshed out if they want me to stick around. So far, I'm seeing a lot of empty symbolism and nostalgia being bandied about. However, I would like to see more exploration of the guilds struggling to uphold their Kryptonian caste systems.
KET
Wait and see seems the best way to go here. I understand the concerns about Bendis (I certainly have some), but it does no good to worry over something that hasn't happened yet. At least Bendis is willing to work within the established continuity, and his including Supergirl in the first series is a good sign.
"I was pretty happy with Byrne reinvigorating the property. But much of that was I felt the stories had become tepid before he took over."
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Julie Schwartz knew that his time on Superman was coming to a close, and for the last year or so was more or less just waiting out the clock.
As for Kara not being mentioned (yet) on the Krypton series, could there be legal restrictions to doing so, what with the Supergirl series on another network? Remember when H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot replaced the Human Torch on the Fantastic Four cartoon because the rights to the Torch were tied up elsewhere?
The Michael Turner statue looks to be an accurate representation of his version of Supergirl. Turner fans who missed the original Supergirl statue (and the later mini version) based on his work can now get this. I just hope that the pose, along with the cape and hair don't cause it to tip to one side. I expected this "Designer Series" to include a Supergirl statue eventually, but I think I would have chosen the Adam Hughes cover to Supergirl Rebirth #1 as a subject for a statue over the Turner cover.
Should Kryptonians speak with British accents? I think the good Kryptonians should sound like Gomer Pyle, and the bad Kryptonians like Ernest T. Bass. But if the producers are determined to stick with British accents, lets have them all sounding like Ringo Starr.
"As for Kara not being mentioned (yet) on the Krypton series, could there be legal restrictions to doing so, what with the Supergirl series on another network?"
Since both shows have to go through WB-TV and DC Entertainment brass for permissions to use certain characters, the answer to this question may also depend on whether one may be slated for a future movie adaptation (a good example being Deathstroke on Arrow, which has been taken away, then given back, then taken away from the show, again). It's possible that the Supergirl series got lucky with casting Tyler Hoechlin as Clark, what with Superman temporarily six feet under after the BM Vs. SM flick. For now, Tyler is not scheduled to be on Supergirl this season.
"Should Kryptonians speak with British accents?"
For me, it's okay, as long as I can understand them. :)
KET
I'm definitely worried about what Bendis has planned for Superman. An arsonist that Superman somehow can't find, Rogar Zaal being connected to some big reveal related to Krypton and something happening to Lois and Jon does not sound very appealing. Bendis may be more passionate about Superman than he's been at Marvel for years but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore all his flaws as a writer that I don't like. It's also a shame Bendis' takeover has resulted in Supergirl and Super Sons being cancelled when both are decent sellers. Personally I'll be taking a break from the Superman line so long as Bendis is writing but I do appreciate you continuing to review them. Both for your insight and the fact I can keep up to date with the Superman comics.
Louis
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