Superman:Unbound Sneak Peek

A lot of news has been leaking out about the upcoming DC Direct to Video movie Superman:Unbound,  and animated movie based on Geoff Johns and Gary Frank excellent Brainiac story arc. The most extensive coverage is available on YouTube, a 10minute preview of the movie. Here is the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SykkLEkw5M

My guess is this will be an extra on the Dark Knight Returns Part 2 DVD.

First off, the cast and crew and listed in the YouTube video and on World's Finest Online.

Superman: Brainiac Cast and Crew
Matt Bomer – Superman/Clark Kent
Molly Quinn – Supergirl
Stana Katic – Lois Lane
John Noble – Brainiac
James Tucker – Director, Supervising Producer, Character Designer
Bob Goodman – Screenwriter
Andrea Romano – Voice Director
Kevin Kliesch – Composer

We had known Quinn was going to be Supergirl for some time now. I think the rest of the cast sounds great especially Noble as Brainiac. Definitely watch the video for a sneak peek of all of their performances.

Another thing that grabbed me in this video is hearing that this movie, while based on Brainiac, will go 'left' from the source material. It is implied that it means the movie won't follow the arc beat for beat. I will say, the conceptual art and most of the lines in this video seem pretty true to the story. Maybe this isn't 'based on' Brainiac and is 'inspired by' it instead.

And now some images and thoughts.

Clark Kent is described by the director as a more 'buttoned down' version of the character as opposed to Johns' version. He is a sort of 'Mad Men' Clark.

I also find the sub-plot of Clark trying to hold back Lois ... metaphorically bottling her, as Brainiac does to cities ... very interesting, especially now. I am in the mood to see a strong outgoing Lois.

Lois is described as 'bohemian'. I like the short haircut look.

And it sounds like she is as hard-hitting here as ever, volunteering to be a kidnapping victin for someone so she can get the inside story.

And Brainiac looks like the bruiser he was in the comics.

Noble sounds chilling in the role.

As for Supergirl, I will be posting an image of her from TV Guide soon. But we do get some storyboards of her in the video and hear some of her lines.

Here she is about to send that fist to the camera as she mows down Brainiac drones.

My assumption is Pa Kent's death and Kandor's growth are not going to be part of this movie. So I will be surprised if Kara saves the world by stopping Brainiac's solar aggressor.

Quinn says she is honored to be Supergirl and sounds truly thrilled to be Supergirl. And the lines we hear her speak in the video sound spot on.

Superman:Unbound will be out in the summer, although no official release date has been given.

Another animated movie with Supergirl. Should be great!

Comic Vine Interview With Scott Lobdell

Scott Lobdell is certainly churning the publicity machine, sitting down for interviews on a couple of sites last week worth reviewing here. The first is on Comic Vine and here is the link:http://www.comicvine.com/news/interview-scott-lobdell-on-superman-lois-lane-and-shirtless-kryptonians/145758/

As usual, some parts of the interview grabbed me and are worth me jotting down my thoughts. And as usual, I think that it is worth reading in its entirety. I also include some great Kenneth Rocafort art which were on the article as well. I assume the above picture is the unscarred H'El entering whatever capsule he goes gallivanting off in.

Here are the parts that interested me.


Comic Vine: Was H'el originally going to be Bizarro? Did the story change or evolve?

Scott Lobdell: When I made a proposal for Superman, part of it was to take Superman's rogues gallery and kind of bring them into the New 52.   In the proposal, I came up with a new take on Bizarro and Toyman and Parasite and Starro. They were so far afield from who these characters had been traditionally that DC said, in particularly in the case with my take on Bizarro, I had essentially just created an entirely different character. It would make more sense to let the character be his own character and leave Bizarro for another time.
When the entire story gets told, of H'el and not only just his origin he's revealed to us but also the origin he doesn't perhaps know at this time, by the time that story is told, everyone will see why DC, in their infinite wisdom were smart to separate H'el and Bizarro.
So yes, I had originally discussed a new take on Bizarro but ultimately it became such a bizarre take, if you will, that he became a different character completely.

I think we all thought that H'El was going to be the New 52 Bizarro when the images first started to come out. So anyways, I am glad that DC didn't go in that direction. To be honest, I keep wondering if this New 52 will simply go away in another handful of years. The less they sully some classic characters the better.

But 'DC' and 'infinite wisdom' are not words I have seen together in a while. 


CV: Is using a family name a common thing on Krypton? He mentioned he didn't share the "blood" of her family?
SL: I think traditionally we've only seen Jor-El and the Science Council and maybe a city or two here and there. We have barely barely ever glimpsed Krypton in all its splendor and in all its multicultural facets which I'm sure exists. I think that it is probably well within the grounds of proper Kryptonian etiquette to perhaps take the name of a family that you respect or has accepted you. We're going to see a huge huge scene between Lara, Jor-El and H'el in issue 16. That should answer a lot of questions.

So on a world where (at least historically) Houses and names are key, I am surprised that someone can simply 'take the name' of someone they admire.

What is more interesting is that we hear that there is a scene between H'El, Jor-El, and Lara next issue. That means he is from Krypton and not some Earth-born clone. Hopefully this scene will shed some more light about H'El's origins.

CV: What about his powers? Will we find out why he and Superboy have telekinesis and other Kryptonians don't?
SL: It's very fascinating to me, I used to read comics when I was younger and there was so much I didn't need to know to enjoy the story. To me, if I was a kid and reading H'el and all his powers and stuff, I would find it fascinating but wouldn't need to understand it. It's interesting to me that we live in a time where we need to know. I've had this question before and I could tell you but if I told you I'd be telling you what's happening in an issue around 24 or 25. Then you would be very angry at me.
Do you find that interesting at all?

CV: It's because of the internet. People feel like they could and should know everything right away.
SL: It's very interesting. So yes. And in issue 15, Lexsays to Superman, or he alludes to it, it's this notion that we've all been looking at H'el and wondering how is he can do so many more amazing things than Superman? What happened to H'el that allows him to do that? I think the bigger question is what is it about Superman that has not had him manifesting these powers? Is it because he doesn't possess them or is it because Superman is so physically powerful that it's enough for him to push planets into orbit and deliver beat downs to intergalactic armies? Is it that he hasn't had to explore these different elements of his powers. Whether that's true or just Lex trying to crawl under Superman's skin is a story that I think all the Super-books will be investigating over the next or at least touching on.

 So it sounds (and some of this is seen in the other interview) like there will be another crossover of the characters in about 9 months, well after H'El on Earth is over. So H'Els power 

CV: When can we expect answers about the zero issue, such as Superman being there before the destruction?
SL: Around issue 24 or 25. It might be 23 and 24. Right now it's planned in 24 and 25 of all Superman books, ACTION, SUPERGIRL, SUPERBOY and SUPERMAN. But that could change because life is about change.

Boy, a lot of interesting info in these questions.

It sounds like we won't get all the answers about H'El on Earth within that arc. We might not learn about his powers. And now another crossover will be happening in next fall. And it sounds like the time travel to Krypton (as seen in the zero issues) happens then. That might explain why Superboy was in his black suit (and not Superman's super-suit) in the Supergirl #0 flashback. I wonder if a lack of all the answers is going to irritate me as a reader. I suppose it depends on how much is explained and how much is swept under the rug.

As for the telekinesis question, it would be interesting if it is inherent in Kryptonian genes, if Superman's lack of them is explained. I mean, if Kara can solar flare and (as I surmise) has a super-intuition, maybe Kryptonian men could manifest TK.

CV: Is H'el just trying to impress Kara to try to recreate Kryptonians the 'old-fashioned way'?
SL: No, I think what's really tragic about H'el is from thirty thousand feet up he has a very noble cause that anybody could get behind. This is the saving of his planet. To him, he thinks there's nothing more important than bringing back Krypton. He'll do anything to make that happen, including manipulating Kara. Sadly as the story progresses, he is going to find that his affection for Kara may at some point trump his prime directive to bring back Krypton. As you alluded to in your question, he might actually think there might be a more hands on approach to his goal.

 Sigh ...

Well, so much for my theory that Supergirl quickly realizes that H'El is a maniac. Here she is kissing him again. But could it be that love and not fists are what ends H'El on Earth? Could he decide that the risk of changing time is too big a risk to Kara (for some reason) and that he loves her too much to do it?

I don't know.

I just want Supergirl to be treated with some respect in the end of this story. I remain a little worried.

Very pretty art by Kenneth Rocafort.

CV: With the Justice League in SUPERMAN #16, will we see more of Lois Lane’s reaction to Superman and Wonder Woman being a couple?
SL: Their relationship has not been made public just yet. Also in the New 52, Lois is so much more her own person than perhaps she's been portrayed in the past. So even when the time comes that Superman and Wonder Woman's relationship is made public, I don't necessarily think we're going to see a Lois who's particularly broken up about it. She has moved in with Jonathon Carroll.  Presumedly she's very sincere and happy in that relationship.

The implied message here is that Lois was not her own person in the pre-New 52 universe, that somehow she was defined by others. And frankly, I think that is wrong wrong wrong. Lois was strong, smart, and loving in the old universe. She wasn't defined by Superman, she wasn't defined as his spouse. She was out there, reporting the news and seeking justice ... and ... Clark's wife. You can do it all.

I hope Lois is shown in the proper light moving forward. 

I will say again, I hope that enough is explained about the background story to make the ending of H'El on Earth satisfying. When I hear that things don't need to be explained and that parts of the story are being told 3/4 of a year after the finale ... I worry.

Amazing Heroes #17 (1982)

I am hoping that people don't mind my looks back at Supergirl history from time to time. As I said recently, time off at the holidays meant time to read. And that meant time to thumb through the long boxes and read some stuff in my collection that I haven't revisited in a while.

Amazing Heroes was a comic magazine that came out in the early 1980's. This was the pre-internet days so if you wanted to read interviews with the creators, or read about older issues, or even find out what was coming out, there weren't many resources.

I discovered Amazing Heroes in the latter half of the decade when I was driving myself to the comic store and discovering that there were certain creators who I was going to follow. When those creators were interviewed or spotlighted in the magazine I would buy the issue. And when characters I liked were highlighted I would get those issues. And with the advent of a comic book store, I could look at back issues and buy them. And that was how I ended up getting Amazing Heroes #17 which looked at the history of Supergirl. In fact, it ends up being a 2 part review, the second half appearing in AH #18.

With some time on my hands, I thought I would reread this article from 1982, a time when Supergirl had just graduated to the solo title Daring New Adventures of Supergirl. She was still in hot pants and 4 years away from being killed in the Crisis. What was the feel for the character in those days?

Of note, I have to comment on this (I think) painted cover of Supergirl by Kevin Nowlan. I am a big fan of Nowlan and his comic art and I would not have pegged this as work from him. His style certainly has evolved. At first I thought she was holding a cigarette but it is chalk with which she has written 'and heroines'. And check out the frizzy locks! Still, I like the cover.

The article is titled Supergirl In Action: A Heroine History and written by Dwight R. Decker.

I can't comment on who Decker was or his credentials. But it is clear he is a Supergirl fan even if I don't necessarily agree with what he says all the time.

The first part of this two-part series is the better article (I assume I'll review the second part at some point) as it takes a look back at the earliest days of the character, including the 'trial run' Super-Girl that was featured in Superman #123. That hyphenated Super-Girl, wished into existence by Jimmy Olsen, was probably used as a gauge to see if there was in interest in another member of the Super-family. That story ran 9 months before Kara graced the cover of Action Comics #252.

Here are a few other tidbits from the article that I thought were worth sharing.

Otto Binder, who penned the earliest Supergirl stories had also created Mary Marvel for Fawcett long before Supergirl came into existence.

I will admit I haven't read too many of the early Mary Marvel stories so I don't know if the tone mirrors the earliest adventures of Supergirl. When he says it was 'reliving the past', it makes me wonder if he revisited his Mary's stories, retreading some plots.

Of all the things in the article, this piece was the most fascinating to me.

DC applied for a trademark of the name 'Super-Girl' all the way back in 1944, a full 15 years before she became a consistent character in the DC universe. I wonder if other people pitched a use of the name before the version in Superman #123.

One thing I don't agree with is Decker's somewhat relentless disparaging of Jim Mooney's art. Here he says he has a limited repertoire, swiped other people's work, and made things silly or dull.

Elsewhere he bemoans Mooney as being a copycat. He even says that Kara was never 'pretty' when drawn by Mooney.

I simply don't agree. I love Mooney's work.

Decker does do a good job of pointing out the subtle changes that wormed their way into the Supergirl origin during reprints and revisits. Initially it was a 'street of homes' that was blown off of Krypton intact. That changed to Argo City. It was initially a bubble of air for atmosphere; that became a dome. At first it was straight up Green K that killed the citizens. But since Green K is later found not to effect non-super-powered Kryptonians, it is changed to anti-Kryptonite. So things kind of get refined over the years. He reviews Zor-El and Allura's roles too.

The remainder of the article looks mostly at Mort Weisinger and his editorial style and a thorough review of Action Comics #252.

So there are some nice 'behind the scenes' pieces of Supergirl's history make this a decent article. And, as I always say, Supergirl publicity is almost always welcomed by me. Amazing Heroes was one of the few comics scene magazines out at the time and certainly one of the biggest. It's great Supergirl made the cover and had this in-depth coverage.

The articles in the book include some funny cartoons and other drawings from (what I assume) are artists on the Amazing Heroes' staff.

This one was funny enough to reprint here, a sort of amusing look at the 'secret weapon' phase of Kara's career.

In terms of a Supergirl collection, I think text pieces like this on the character are rare so it is worth hunting down for readers interested in more than the comic history of the character. I don't know how many of these things survived and they might be in the bargain bin so well worth a couple of bucks. I would put it of low importance but of moderate interest.

Review: Superman #15

I haven't had much good to say about Scott Lobdell's work on Superman. His Clark has been petulant and creepy. His Superman has been condescending and haughty and feared by people. His Lois has been superficial and tough to take seriously. And his Kara has been bratty and mean.

But one thing I think Lobdell does have a grasp on is Lex Luthor.

Superman #15 came out this week, an issue which shines the spotlight on Lex Luthor and returns him to arch-villain status in the DCnU, a vicious brilliant man who has no problem standing up to Superman as an equal. This Luthor is deranged and malevolent. And he reads very well, making me understand just why Superman would fear him.

On top of that, for once I felt that sort of inspiring Superman, the sort of hero whose simple presence can help people try to do better. In this issue, we see a sort of warming of Superboy as he sees just who Superman is.

Now some of the other warts that have bothered me about this run are still present in this chapter of H'El on Earth but this was definitely my favorite issue by Lobdell so far. And I have to admit I bet a big part of that is that Supergirl isn't anywhere to be seen here. And since she isn't here, she can't be misrepresented.

Kenneth Rocafort's art remains top-notch. I will say that at times the crazy panel shapes lead to a lot of negative unused space on the page. And sometimes a crazy panel isn't necessary when the picture is simply someone talking. But the images themselves are beautiful. On to the story.

The title of the issue is 'Because I'm a Scorpion', the final line of a fable where a scorpion stings a turtle carrying him across a river dooming them both. He is a scorpion, foolish destructive behavior should be expected. It is a cautionary title and reminded me that, as a reader, you have to take everything Luthor says with a grain of salt. Anything he says might be a lie to lead to Superman's destruction, even if there is significant property damage.

The issue opens with Superman heading to the prison Luthor is in, a secret facility, heavily defended, with exactly one prisoner.

Now one thing I have complained about in Lobdell's book ... heck in the DCnU in general ... is how Superman is feared and not trusted by a bulk of the populace. Here the military surrounding Luthor's prison open fire on Superman.

Not talk to him.
Not warn him.

Open fire.

Heck, isn't Superman responsible for imprisoning Luthor? Why would he break him out?

Even the military staff treat Superman pretty poorly, firing some bile about how superior Superman acts and how that is why people hate him. Sigh ....

As I said before, one of the things I like about this issue is how Superboy warms up to Superman throughout the book. Despite being saved by Supergirl (who told H'El to spare him) and Superman (who whisked him to safety and gave him the life-saving super-suit), Superboy isn't really down with being part of the super-family.

In fact he says it outright. And Kon's expression is perfect, that slightly raised eyebrow giving a feel of sort of ennui about the El family.

Earlier Superboy asked Superman if was a prisoner of the Man of Steel. Here he calls Superman a 'colossal butt' because Superman is literally dragging Superboy along with him through the death-traps of this prison. Superman isn't even sure if Superboy's powers will help him survive. So there is a bit of that haughty Superman here, racing ahead with at least some disregard to Superboy's health ... even if it is a little.

And I also don't like the fact that Superman has already written off Supergirl, thinking she has already been manipulated into following H'El. Of course, given how she acted in Superman #14 I guess I shouldn't be surprised he thinks that.

But it again brings back the old argument. Why has Superman not reached out to Supergirl earlier? Maybe if he tried harder to befriend her, she wouldn't fall into H'El's arms so quickly.

Despite this, Superman is still a pretty good guy here. And there is some country boy charm in him. He tells Superboy that he had Luthor design his own prison. Superboy thinks it's crazy but the look on Kon's face says more. There is a half-smile. Maybe that craziness appeals to Kon.

Of course, the lunacy of trusting Luthor to make his own prison is ... well ... lunacy. Even if you 'play to his vanity', how do you trust that there aren't a million back doors?

This is a good example of how the crazy panel shape seems unnecessary here and leads to a lot of dead space.

And finally we get to Luthor, scarred and in shackles.

Earlier we see Luthor shaving and preparing for this encounter. I thought that was a nice touch. He will always want to look his best in front of Superman, as if this stretch in isolation hasn't broken him in any way, even stubble.

Shockingly, despite being cut off from the world, Luthor seems to know everything that is happening in the world. He even knows just what Superboy is. The 'pale shade of the grandeur of its donors' certainly hints at the Luthor being the human DNA 'father' of Superboy even here in the DCnU.

Luthor's emotions all reek of a superiority. Whether it is this aloof smug smile or an angry outburst, all of Luthor's talk is aimed down at the recipient. And that makes him all the more intriguing and all the scarier. If we are all ants ... even Superboy ... then Luthor has little regard for us.

And Luthor even knows about H'El. And he has figured out his plan. To get enough energy to go back in time to Krypton, H'El will need to collapse our solar system into a big bang-esque event. So now there is a very real threat to Earth. Hmmm ... maybe Supergirl should have asked H'El about these details before getting siding with him.

Of course Superman could press Luthor on how he knows all this and has figured all this out. But he doesn't.

And Superman accepts it all as truth. In fact, Luthor thinks Superman knew all of this anyways.

At the very least, we as readers now have something more to cement H'El being a bad guy. 

Now throughout this issue, we see that Luthor's face is pretty badly scarred. We finally get some answers.

Luthor thinks Superman came to Lex to see if there was an way to stop H'El without killing. Because, after all, Superman tried to kill Luthor they last time they tangled, the end result being those scars.

Now I can take a lot. But I can't take a Superman who tried to kill someone. Hopefully Luthor is grandstanding. But we don't have a denial from Superman, just a piercing look at his eyes.

Seriously ... Superman doesn't kill, doesn't try to kill, shouldn't be tempted to kill.

Superboy seems to have turned the corner a bit, siding with Superman and even willing to call in the Titans to help. That edge, the 'I don't care about your family' 'why are you a colossal butt' sentiment seems to have softened a bit.

And that is even with Superman getting a bit high and mighty, questioning 'unsupervised super-humans'. Seems a bit too Big Brother-ish for me. After all, wasn't Superman himself in the Legion, a club for young super-heroes?

And Superman doesn't want the Titans help. Not when he has the League.

But read that purple prose in the corner, the overly sentimental saccharin text box where Superman and Wonder Woman want to fall into each others' arms ... if it weren't for the secret nature of their love and the impending doom of the solar system.

I don't know, it reads a little hammy, especially given the tense tone of the rest of this issue.

But with the League (minus Green Lantern) behind him, an assault on the Fortress is imminent.

I know I only scratched the surface of the Luthor interaction but it really is the high point of this issue and well worth reading. Even in chains you can feel the menace of him. And that is how you should feel about Luthor. He is a man who can challenge Superman. He should be scary.

But I also felt that, for the most part, Superman was done fairly well here. There is a quiet strength in him that plays off nicely in comparison to Luthor's rants. And, that steely resolve in the face of this villain seems to inspire Superboy.

It isn't a perfect issue. It is better. But there isn't Clark here, or Lois, or Supergirl. And as those have been some of the biggest weaknesses of this book, I am not surprised that this read a little better.

Unfortunately, this cliffhanger means we are going to see Supergirl vs. the JLA. And at some point, H'El must be partially successful because we know  from the zero issues that the super-family end up on an intact Krypton. How do they get there?

Overall grade: B/B+

Robot 6 Best Of 2012

I think end of year 'Best Of' lists are not as tired a trope as some on the net make it. I rather like hearing what other people consider to be stand-out books or excellent moments. It often leads me to trying a book that I haven't picked up before. For example, I haven't read Saga but after seeing it appear on just about everyone else's Best of 2012 list I feel I have to give it a whirl.

I also like these lists when they give some promotion to books I like that I think could use a boost. So I was pretty happy to see Supergirl get mentioned twice on Comic Book Resources Robot 6 blog's 'Favorite Comics of 2012 list. Here is the link: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/01/robot-6s-favorite-comics-of-2012/

And here are the mentions:

First from Robot 6 contributor Tom Bondurant. Supergirl was his #6 title.

I don't necessarily agree with the statement that the last Supergirl was a 'wide-eyed innocent' in comparison to Superman. But one thing I agree with ...

This doesn’t make Supergirl gritty or jaded. Rather, it adds a layer of poignancy to her mission on Earth.

One thing that I like about this Supergirl is that despite the rough start to her life on Earth, there has been solid core to her character. She hasn't become jaded ... something which we did see with the Loeb/Kelly version.  And that slow realization that she must accept the tragedy behind her and move forward has made her complex.

And then from Robot 6 contributor Michael May. Supergirl was also #6 on his list.

May states something that I am always worried about. That DC editors will stop Mike Johnson and Mahmud Asrar from writing the book they want and will muddle things up.

He also notes that Supergirl hasn't been weighed down by angst, again keeping her away from being jaded.

With all the great comics that have been released in 2012, I was thrilled to see Supergirl mentioned twice here.  

Review: Superman #235 - Who Is Ferlin Nyxly?

What was Mr. Mxyzptlk's greatest trick in Action Comics? It was the birth of his son Ferlin.

And born to Ms. Nyxly, that would make him Ferlin Nyxly.

So who is Ferlin Nyxly? Will he appear in the Superman books?

The truth is he already has appeared!

I don't know if Morrison has the same 'every Superman story has happened in continuity' belief as he has with Batman. But if he does, we have seen Ferlin Nyxly before, way back in Superman #235.

Superman #235 was just the third issue in Denny O'Neil's revamp of Man of Steel, the 'Sand Superman' storyline that started with the elimination of all Kryptonite on Earth and ended with Superman's powers significantly decreased. In between Superman learns Eastern mysticism, Clark becomes a TV reporter, and Morgan Edge is introduced (and is an agent of Darkseid). Hence, these really were 'The Amazing NEW Adventures of Superman.'

At some point, I suppose, I'll wax poetic at length about this storyline.Suffice it to say that I liked it enough to make a panel from the first issue my avatar on most sites.

At this point in the arc, Superman hasn't lost any power yet. But he is aware of a doppelganger of himself, a sort of sand golem, which is following him around and does seem to temporarily weaken him.

'The Sinister Scream of the Devil's Harp' was written by O'Neil and drawn by Superman legendary team Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. It opens with Clark and Lois covering a Metropolis Concert Bowl concert, the piano magic of ... Ferlin Nyxly!

Lois is surprisingly blase about the whole thing thinking even the best piano player is nothing compared to Superman.

As is usually the case, something happens that requires Superman to come and save the day. A Middle Eastern ambassador is also in attendance and a rogue political group tries to kill him by dropping a bomb into the crowd from a helicopter.

Clark is able to slip away and stop this threat pretty easily. The crowd rushes to adore him, disturbing the concert. Superman gives Lois a friendly wave to acknowledge that he sees her only to quickly return as Clark.

The crowd fawns over Superman and eventually and noisily takes their seats. Throughout the commotion, Nyxly plays. But it is clear he has a pretty low self-esteem and some anger issues.

He has been waiting his whole life for this chance and now no one is paying attention. It reminds him how he thinks that he is "a loser ... a weak, forceless scholar".

I do have a Morrison theory about this that I will get back to at the end.

Turns out Nyxly had no musical talent, despite a lifelong wish he did.

Instead he was a museum curator. One night he strums on a bizarre harp discovered in a 'lost city'. While the eerie music resonates he wishes he had musical talent.

Suprisingly, after that plucking of the strings, Nyxly is a virtuoso. And, interestingly enough, the current 'world's best piano player' Timos Achens loses all his musical ability.

Despite taking the music world by force and becoming a mega-star, Nyxly still thinks little of himself. And this latest interaction with Superman reminds him that he still is simply a man.

Shortly thereafter, Superman races out to sea to stop a potential disaster, nerve gas may spill into the ocean from a sinking ship. En route to the disaster, Superman again encounters his Sand double, a silent being who for now mirrors Superman's moves.

At the same time, Nyxly ... again bemoaning his fate as an ugly, non-super, piano player ... grasps the harp and wishes he could fly. And just like that Superman (and Sand Superman) lose the ability to fly.

Realizing that he can become something more, Nyxly dons a Pan costume. While he says he empathizes with Pan (the ugliest god), I don't know if donning a satyr costume would be the first thing I would do.

But even with flight and mad musical skills, he is still Nyxly. He considers himself homely and dumpy. And he looks at the beautiful people  on the beach and thinks that world is simply beyond his reach. And just like that, he snaps, robbing armored cars and using the harp to wish for invulnerability.

And, of course, Superman loses his invulnerability at the same time.

Now super-powered, musically talented, and flush with cash, you would think Nyxly would head to a tropical island and live a life of luxury.

But instead, his internal anger ... his feelings of inferiority ... are transferred to Superman. So rather than revel in his powers, he challenges Superman to a death-duel in Metropolis stadium. And Morgan Edge, who hates Superman, allows Nyxly's challenge to be broadcast!

Now Superman can't fly and he isn't invulnerable, but he still has super-strength and speed. And, one thing he isn't, he isn't a coward.

It is a quiet small moment in this book, but I love this part. After all, isn't part of being Superman doing what is right no matter what the danger?

The 'duel' doesn't last too long. Nyxly strums the harp like mad, wishing for super-strength and super-speed. Suddenly Superman is very normal. Despite that, he refuses to surrender. I love it!

I also like this panel composition for some reason. The reverse angle of Nyxly hoisting Superman up just carrier the right feeling of action.

I also have to laugh at the packed Stadium! Did the stadium owners charge admission? Open the doors? Have the concession stands running? Admit it, if the doors were open, who wouldn't go to see a Super-duel!

Of course, it doesn't take a super-genius to realize that the harp strumming has led to the power-switch. And the Sand Superman has been just as depowered by Nyxly. So, when it shows up at the battle, Superman tells him to smash the harp. And, the Sand Superman does just that.

And with that, Superman and the Sand Superman are suddenly re-powered. Nyxly now is back to powerless talentless museum curator too.

Was the harp magic? Or science? We'll never know.

And the Sand Superman? For the third straight issue, it shambles off silently. More to come from that to be sure.

All right, this is a pretty goofy issue. Sure, Superman acting courageous is a nice piece, even when he is depowered. It is a foreshadowing of the end of this arc when Superman has been drained of a third of his power but still vows to fight on.

But re-reading this issue with the understanding that Nyxly might be an Earth-born 5th dimensional being makes it much more interesting. Remember, in Morrison's Action Comics, Ms. Nyxly really doesn't show any powers, only revealing herself once. Maybe Ferlin doesn't know his heritage!

And maybe his inferiority comes from some internal feeling that he knows he is somehow bigger than the tawdry world around him. Maybe that's why he wants to be more, to simply be who he is. And maybe the harp isn't magical or scientific. Maybe all this power-swapping was him simply using his innate abilities, maybe the harp was just a mental crutch he used to explain why things happened. And wouldn't the dream of Mxyzptlk's and Nyxly's child be to become an entertainer ... like his jester/magician dad? And isn't Pan a mischievous god? Who better for Myx's son to dress up as!

All right, maybe I am trying to force one line from Sholly Fisch's back-up story in Action into Bronze Age continuity. But it did make this a more interesting read. I wish there was a way to find out of Morrison or Fisch had that in mind!

The Sand Superman storyline is one of my favorites if only for its audacity. During the early 70's O'Neil rewrote Batman as the Dark Knight again, depowered Wonder Woman and made her a judo fighter, and depowered Superman. Pretty impressive.

Overall grade: B (on its own merits), B+ (if I add in current ideology into the story)

Scott Snyder On Superman

The holidays and end of year wrap-ups pushed this Scott Snyder interview on IGN to the back burners. But the truth is I have worries about the portrayal of Superman these days and so I thought, despite the 2 week lag, it was worth visiting this again. In many ways, it is a good first post for the new year because this sounds like a different approach to Superman, a sort of new resolve.

The interview covers Batman, Swamp Thing, and Superman and is worth reading in its entirety. Here is the link:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/12/18/scott-snyder-on-superman-jokers-reign-of-terror-leaving-swamp-thing-and-the-future-of-american-vampire?p=3&page=1

I have plucked some of the Superman pieces of the interview and posted them here with my usual post-commentary. I will say up front that Snyder says a lot of great stuff here and so most of my comments are my being happy.

IGN: I know you can’t say too much, but in general I guess, what’s your view of Superman? What’s the character’s role within the DC Universe?
Snyder: In terms of the DCU, being the most powerful character on Earth and being the one with the strongest moral compass – or maybe the most acceptable moral compass, the most ethical – he’s somebody that is an example. Batman is the one you go to for answers and Clark is the one you go to to really do the right thing. He stands as a shining example of what to do in any situation. What I’m interested in exploring with him is really the burden of that. When you have the power to do something that goes beyond what you think is the right thing to do and the difficulty of that. Meaning, to be Superman also means to withhold a lot of power.
If Superman wanted to, he could reshape the world however he thinks it should be. And believe me, I’m sure you’d look at dictatorships or other places around the world where terrible things happen, and you think, why not take those regimes down and just reconfigure the whole political landscape, you know? But Superman doesn’t, historically, do those things. He allows a certain level of self-governing and a certain level of independence, I think out of an admiration for humanity. Because he’s inspired by the best in us and he challenges us to inspire each other to be the best that we can be.
In that way, I think there’s a deep heroism that’s incredibly ethical and at the same time makes him open and vulnerable to attacks. Physical attacks but also emotional, psychological, and public. Public attacks of, “Why don’t you do these things, Superman? What is it that you think makes you so great if you don’t interfere in some of these situations?” We’re trying to get to the heart, at least for us – me and Jim [Lee] – of the core aspect of Superman that we’re most interested in: what makes him relevant or irrelevant, the greatest hero or someone who can be criticized and attacked.

So this is a Superman with a strong moral compass, who deeply admires humanity, who is inspired by us and wants to inspire us.

Yeah ... so nothing wrong with this whole response.

Now the challenge of not doing something has been explored in the past from Maggin's "Must there be a Superman" to JMS' Grounded to Dini's Peace on Earth. What can Superman do and what should Superman do are very different. Those stories vary greatly in their execution.

But at least Snyder is coming at the character the way I visualize him.


IGN: Do you have any particular favorite Superman stories or any stories you’re looking to for inspiration or research?

Snyder: But I would say my favorite Superman story other than the first two movies which were so seminal in my childhood, and still to this day I think are two of the greatest superhero movies – or movies – of all time. Whenever they’re on, I can watch them over and over again. But really, Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman and Mark Waid’s Superman: Birthright as well as Geoff Johns’ whole run with Brainiac and Up, Up, and Away with Kurt Busiek and Secret Origin, and Mark Millar’s Red Son, those are the works that I really love. One other piece that’s definitely in the DNA of our Superman is the Superman in Dark Knight Returns and Kingdom Come. The Superman that gets pushed a little bit too far and sort of over steps a bit and the danger of that is definitely in our stories.

Again, I have nothing to complain about here. All of those stories are stories I love ... in particular All Star Superman, Birthright, and Brainiac.

So it sounds like Snyder is approaching the character and enjoys the character in a similar fashion to me. That might sound selfish ... but after several lackluster years of Superman being portrayed not in the way I like, I think it is time for me to be selfish. And time for DC to start thinking differently.

IGN: How’s it been working with Jim Lee? Is that intimidating for you at all?
Snyder: It’s extremely intimidating! [laughs] Jim is the nicest, most approachable guy, but I cannot stop geeking out whenever I talk to him. Between us – between us and all of your thousands of readers – I am totally intimidated still by Jim. I’m sorry, Jim! But it’s true. He sends things in and I’m blown away. His work on this book I really feel like is going to be some of his best. He really is bringing it. He understands, better than anybody, the importance of Superman’s upcoming 75th anniversary and being a book that is a #1 and it being a series that needs to exist not to just be another Superman series but that sets a very different tone and has a place in both DC Comics and the Superman mythology and of course a big, epic space in terms of the story.
It’s the most epic, daring, challenging story that we could possibly do. At the same time, it’s one that is rooted in our interest in Superman and is really personal to us. That’s the first thing we discussed to make sure we were on the same page. He’s really great. He’s changing his art style up, too, in different places. I’m really excited for people to see this one. It’s going to knock you over, I promise.

I don't get that excited about Jim Lee. But there is no denying the star power being brought to this title and finally this character. Will Lee be able to keep up with the demands of a monthly. Are we looking at a 6 issue opening arc and then out the door? I don't think it matters. The ball will be rolling.

So I am greatly looking forward to this book. At least it sounds like it is built on a solid foundation of an understanding of Superman.