Here's some stuff from www.supermanhomepage.com...it looks like a promising year for Big Blue, especially Azzarello's run (where he plans to focus on Luthor a lot)...im not to keen on Austen tho...but after reading this, i have to think, seeing that half of these artists have worked on Batman (and done pretty damned good @ that), are they trying to make the City of Tomorrow more like Gotham 8O
August 10, 2003: Superman Panel at Wizard World Chicago
Superman Homepage reporter Nick Newman filed this report from his time at the Wizard World Chicago comic con Superman Panel conducted by DC Comics...
The new project is known as 'Super Storm'. The goal of this project is to expand the Superman family in Metropolis. Three new titles were announced:1. The Question: It turns out that the faceless reporter and Lois know each other from the past. The first issue's cover features the Question with a familiar blue, yellow, and red streak in the sky behind him.
2. Vigilante: The Vigilante is going to be targeting crime in Metropolis, specifically white-collar crime. This will also deal with how the police department and Superman handle a vigilante killing criminals. Both of these books will be focusing on more human-level crime in Metropolis. Superman and the Vigilante are not going to be on the same terms.
3. Lex Luthor: Man of Steel: This series will focus on Lex Luthor, and how Superman is a bad guy from his perspective. According to Brian Azzarello, all the people have is Superman's word that he won't wake up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and terrorize the world.
These three titles aim to expand the Superman universe and make Metropolis more like Gotham is.
In regards to the regular Superman titles, here's what fans can expect in 2004...
Superman
Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee
Lee said that they are working on new characters, including a new villain for the book. Azzarello also said he has a real affinity for Luthor. He agrees that the world shouldn't just trust someone with Superman's powers.
Adventures of Superman
Greg Rucka and Mathew Clark
Greg Rucka wants to use Clark as a reporter more. He is going to shift Clark to the crime beat. This change will have Clark working under a different editor, not Perry. He will be working shifts like 10pm to 6am, doing things like chasing police cars. It is going to be a different element for him. Meanwhile Lois will be covering the President. Rucka also wants to explore what the central police station for Metropolis is, so they can establish something like Gotham Central. Rucka also says he really likes Lois. To him, Lois is fearless. He knows that marriage is a lot of work, especially with the difficult jobs they both have. However, deep down they both love each other. He also commented on the fact that he is planning to do a crossover with Wonder Woman. However, he did comment that a romance between the two of them would be like "screwing your sister". They are friends, and he also said that he feels that Diana's standards are too high for Clark. Someone also said that Luthor would be staying out of the core books, but Rucka responded to this by saying 'liar'.
Action Comics
Chuck Austen and Ivan Rice
Austen wants to make Superman more relatable, more street-level and less godly. Overall he wants a less glamorous life for Clark. He also says he is going to play off of the fact that often Lois doesn't have time for Clark, even though she wishes she did, so Clark will be confiding in Lana more, and going over to Lana's place much more often. A picture also showed Superman battling Gog from the Kingdom. Austen also reconfirmed the fact that he really doesn't like Lois, and he will be dealing with the fact that Lois loved Superman before she ever loved Clark. Austen also commented on his like of the original Siegel and Shuster. He said that their Superman was fun and charming, and would kick the crap out of anyone he didn't like.
Superman: Birthright
Birthright is going to continue in Smallville next issue and then be set in Metropolis. Waid said that one of the most important things to him was to introduce Lois in a way that Clark would fall in love with her at first sight, and he believes he has succeeded. Look for that in issue 4 (I believe). There will also be developments with Luthor having been in Smallville, although they claim there will be logical reasons why no one ever knew. This will also tie into the books, including Superman/Batman.
Superman/Batman
No real news as Loeb wasn't at the show (to my disappointment), but an advanced copy of issue 2 did reveal Batman blasting out of the grave and dragging Clark to the Batcave, where Alfred fixes him up. After that the two heroes get into an argument when a figure suddenly teleports into the cave. The Secret Files also had Superman fighting the other super-beings shown in issue one, as well as Captain Atom and Luthor watching as a missile fails to destroy the Kryptonite meteor.
Overall, look for a new or improved rogue's gallery, along with at least the one new villain in Superman. For Krypto, look to Geoff Johns (possibly in Titans?) and Dan Didio said that for Supergirl there were "endless possibilities", although we were assured that Cir-el is definitely going to go away.
Since Grant Morrison has signed exclusively with DC, Didio said the "toy chest is open for him" and they are in talks to arrange what he will be working on eventually.
Finally, Eddie said that this is not just a six-month stint, or even a year-long stint. This is the direction that they want to take the books in.
Look for these changes to begin in January, with everything running by March.
Thanks to Nick Newman for this fantastic report!
- Login to post comments
Post to Twitter
Could It Be the Year of Big Blue?
Making Metropolis more like Gotham... I hope that doesn't mean that Superman will be lurking in the shadows and the buildings will all suddenly have gargoyals on them :lol: !
I don't read superman, but I like Metropolis how it is. Gotham is the place where non-super-heroes fight freaks and mobsters, and Metropolis is the place where super-people fight super villains.
I am glad that the question will be getting his own book, cause I like him even if he is leaving Gotham and will probably lose touch with Huntress.
Vigilante seems a little too... batman for me. Oh well... I guess we'll have to wait and see what its like before we judge.