What a dump!
It’s been a while, and plenty has happened – most of it bad. But it’s DC Entertainment’s new 52/DCYou, so what do you expect?
Superman now fights for tacos and only comes to Earth for the pie. I’m not kidding.
My friend, Tej, started a question on Twitter. “What would you tell your 5 yrs ago self?” She had a great answer. “Infiltrate that writers retreat.” She’s referring to the October, 2010 editorial retreat where the New 52, now DCYou was created.
Apparently, the ideas from that meeting are still carrying through. Supers with supers. Barry Allen gave Iris West a speedster suit (making her a super) so they could be together even though he was dating Patty Spivot. According to the author their mythic love was obvious in the subtext – despite the fact Barry still was dating Patty.
I find that unacceptable. Why couldn’t it have been obvious in the text? It’s probably why I didn’t read Flash. I know that book was the final straw for my son who quit comics altogether after a 30 year habit.
This same author wrote the Justice League Darkseid War Superman book. He used Jimmy as the protagonist, because he didn’t want to use Lois as an obvious touchstone. When told by fans, Lois has never been a touchstone for Clark in the new 52. He responded by saying that he hadn’t checked to see what was happening in the main books. A little research would have been nice but he didn’t do that.
I’m sure this man is very nice. He spoke with fans and tried to alleviate their concerns. But . . .
Why would he, a participator in the new 52 from the very beginning, attending cons for the rollout of the new 52 and subsequent ones over the years get the idea that Lois Lane was a touchstone for Clark Kent in the new 52?
Lois as a Superman touchstone was pre-52. Fans were told to forget all that along with the Kent marriage (which DCE sent to oblivion along with Barry and Iris’ marriage).
July 2011 SDCC – DCE announced Superman was a battling alien with no human tethers. The Kents were dead and Lois had a boyfriend.
September 2011 – Action Comics, 5 ½ years before Superman #1 storywise appear. Lois and Clark are ‘friends’. Clark becomes despondent when he finds Lois has a boyfriend.
August 2012 – Jim Lee and Geoff Johns have the fauxmance announcement over multi-media outlets. When asked about Lois, Lee said it wasn’t about that, it was about how the fauxmance would effect the DCU.
October 2013 – Fauxmance #1 published. Superman and Wonder Woman are still dating.
May 2015 – Free Comic Book Day. Lois is shown as the betrayer of Clark’s secret to the world.
June 2015 – After multiple announcements, the DCYou books are published. This includes the “Lois as a betrayer” story that carries over in 4 books.
I know quite a few people who would have loved to live in that ‘Lois is Clark’s touchstone’ bubble and forgotten what DCE has done to Superman and Lois Lane over the past years since that editorial retreat. But that bubble would be make believe. Superman fans have had to live with the harsh reality. DC Entertainment neither believes in or cares about Superman.
So now we’re down to Superman (who has been Apokolip’d) only visiting Earth for the pie. The torture never ends. Dark Superman has been the norm in the new 52 and to have a creator deny that fact in order to continue the abuse is a furious headshaking moment.
On the main book front (do we really want to go there?) . . . Tomasi, who is writing the fauxmance, said he always wanted Superman to be a brawler & that’s what Clark has become. But Tomasi also writes Detective and in that book, Clark was his pre-52 persona self. How many personalities do these creators have? Apparently all the kids from Smallville are brawlers, Lana Lang suckerpunched Lois Lane in the last issue. All that has brought this faux book to the bottom of the ‘super’ books in order numbers. Golly gosh, who knew? #sarcasm
Yang has made Superman fight for tacos, avoid Lois Lane and ignore Jonathan Kent’s sage advice in an arena for forgotten mythologies. Yep, since new 52, the real Superman has been forgotten. Stripped out of 2/3rds of his mythology right out of the gate. Jrjr is not on the book, but he did enough damage in interviews before leaving. I, for one, hope he stays gone. He got what he wanted, Batman, which he is drawing with Frank Miller, the DCE administration’s god and total source for how Superman should be portrayed. Isn’t that obvious?
Pak is writing Action (with assists from Kuder) and Batman/Superman. Action continues to fall in order numbers (and for good reason). All excited about creating an LL female of color, they have made her a monster fairly rapidly. In Batman/Superman, the villain is Vandal Savage and the Bat family is helping the hapless Supes.
Pak will be leaving Batman/Superman for 3 books. Tom Taylor is taking over (doing cartwheels & getting out the poms poms. Go Tom!) with a story of the early days of the ‘world’s finest’ (which they have never been called in this century).
Are these main Supes books selling well? Uh, no. DCE keeps taking things away from Superman and never has built him a foundation to replace the 2/3rds of the mythology they excised. As far as building the guy up to be a hero – forget that. It’s all about the darkness.
Yep, Clark Kent is on his way to be one of those forgotten legends.
Taking bets on how Clark will get un-Apokolip’d – it won’t be under his own steam, that’s for sure. Superman’s strong will (or character or emotions other than anger) have not shown up in the new 52. So it’ll be Batman or several of his JL mates. Because Superman is no longer celebrated as an individual, but only as part of the collective. He doesn’t have his own life (no human tethers). So therefore, he truly doesn’t have his own story. There’s a revolving door in his books for ‘heroes’ who sell less than he does – and that’s saying something.
The next arc in the main books will be called Savage Dawn – named after the villain. Vandal Savage’s history has never been established in the new 52. So who knows what he’s capable of.
There are blessings though. Beautiful flowers amongst the trash.
Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks Superman: Lois and Clark. It’s release date has been moved to the last Wed of the month. Strangely so has the fauxmance. So 3 books on the last Wed of November, Superman, fauxmance and the best book, Superman: Lois and Clark.
Action went from being out the 1st Wed of the month to the 2nd Wed (along with Batman/Superman) but in November, it has been moved to the 3rd Wed. That’s right, DCE, tell us again how books will get out on time. Blah blah blah yada yada yada.
On November 11th, Superman fans will not only get Batman/Superman (with the Batfam assist), but also Max Landis’ Superman: American Alien. Giving this one a chance since I enjoyed his run in Adventures of Superman digital firsts. Also bought the print.
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AND BEST OF ALL!!! DC Comics Presents – Superman – Lois and Clark 100 Page Super Spectacular #1. Which is actually the Wedding Album from 1996. A MUST for any Superman fan. So go to your local comic book shop or fav comic book website and get this book.
Darkness only brings death and destruction. DC Entertainment has created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Only 22% of the market share in October, 2015. Time to let go of those bad ideas and egos and LET SUPERMAN BE SUPERMAN!
Which is The Truth?
Two articles by Lois Lane —
Action #35 is the only time Greg Pak was allowed to use Lois Lane in Action Comics. It was the Doomed Aftermath issue which also gave us a sneak peek to Convergence.
In this issue Beardo Superman returns after being 60 days in a black hole putting DoomyBrainiac somewhere. Somewhat weakened, he finds Kara has taken up the slack while he is gone. The Fortress of Solitude has been destroyed. The phantom zone projector imploded (thanks to Wonder Woman) and the Bottled City of Kandor is gone (later to be seen in Batman Superman arc just previous to DCYou Truth)
During Doomed, Wonder Woman stepped into the Phantom Zone (after Mongul & Non retreated back into the PZ because they saw Batman was in the house . . . Fortress of Solitude). She used War World (which was in the PZ because Superman and Wonder Woman had created a nuclear bomb to get it in there) as a weapon against Brainiac thus destroying the Fortress of Solitude. We have not seen Mongul or Non since.
However, the Phantom King aka Xa Du, was very active in the Batman Superman arc along with the Kandorians. Again, this was just previous to the start of the Truth arc.
Clark Kent then takes a bus to Smallville to check on the folks there. Lana’s parents died during the Doomed arc. A grudge she constantly reiterated in the Horrorville arc which occurred in Action Comics after this issue and just previous to Truth. Ultrahumanite and the menagerie appeared in that story. An explanation of how they escaped the PZ or FOS was given.
He next goes to Wayne Manor to talk to Bruce Wayne, who tells him to lay low and go home. Notice Superman/Clark did not go visit Wonder Woman first or second or even third.
With the guilt of Lana’s dead parents upon him and realizing Bruce is probably right. He is a menace. Clark Kent goes to his apartment and writes a post on his blog. Since he wrote less than a handful of articles, this is significant. “Who Needs Superman, Anyway?”
Lois Lane is mad as hell about him writing an Anti-Superman article. She knows his & Cat’s blog is in financial trouble (since he doesn’t write much), but WTF? Clark is only worried about her knowing his secret – which she handled beautifully throughout the Doomed arc. She lays down a gauntlet and writes her own article. This was a 2 page spread and a full panel page. Very important.
The Supremacists recently showed up in the Truth arc in Batman/Superman.
Clark seemingly ignores Lois’ faith in him and goes to Smallville to experience Horrorville for six months.
Lois Lane is a true believer. That fact was established in the Doomed story and Action 35, the only time Greg Pak has been allowed to use Lois in that book. (that always bears repeating)
Now we get this drivel. Not within a book of the Truth arc, but a poster sold separately in comic book shops.
Notice this is written by Lois Lane, Staff Writer. (Not even Staff Reporter. I guess it could have been worse & said Cub Reporter.) Apparently Gene Luen Yang, new Superman writer, has given Lois a demotion. (and of course, editorial approved it.) Is she no longer a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist established in the new 52?
For easier reading–
Superman, the survivor of the doomed planet Krypton and Earth’s most recognizable superhero, led a double life. For years, he secretly dwelt among us as reporter Clark Kent, a former employee of this newspaper. Many who once admired him now question his motives for creating a fake persona.
Previously, no one suspected that Superman had a secret identity. Unlike other costumed crime fighters, he did not wear a mask. Incredibly, the Last Son of Krypton was able to disguise himself as a human by putting on an ordinary pair of glasses.
Superman first came to public attention five years ago when he saved Metropolis from the threat of another alien, a supremely intelligent being called Brainiac. During their battle, Superman demonstrated his many otherworldly abilities: superhuman strength, heat vision, cold breath, and flight. He has since defended humankind from countless threats, and now has admirers around the globe.
Not everyone is a fan, however. Some community leaders argue that Superman poses a potentialdanger. “Our government officials are accountable to voters. l’m accountable to my stockholders. Superman is the most powerful being on the planet. Who is he accountable to?” asked Lex Luthor, CEO of LexCorp and longtime critic of Superman.
“It’s absurd that we put as much trust in him as we do,” said metahuman expert Emil Hamilton. “When it comes down to it, we don’t know a thing about him.”
Hamilton believes that the Man of Steel is fundamentally unstable. “Superman’s power levels seem to fluctuate wildly for unknown reasons,” he explained. And there’s a growing body of evidence that shows he can expel immense amounts of energy, effectively turning his body into a bomb.”
The revelation of Superman’s secret life raises concerns for even his most ardent supporters. Did he pose as a reporter to gain access to information resources? Was it to keep an eye on the world for its own protection, or did he have another, less benevolent agenda?
Public records indicate that Clark Kent grew up in Smallville, Kansas. He is the adopted son of Martha and Jonathan Kent, a married couple who owned and operated a small independent farm. Both Martha and Jonathan were killed in a car accident almost a decade ago. Because so little is known about Kent’s childhood, some speculate that the person known as Clark Kent is a complete fabrication of Superman’s.
“That alien can literally move mountains. You’re telling me he can’t fake some adoption papers and school records?” said Liz Meuller, founder of the online activist group Humans Only.
Superman resigned from his position at this newspaper after his secret was made public. His current whereabouts are unknown.
So now humanity no longer is inspired by Superman. They have a hate group known as Humans Only. And therefore, will Superman be inspired by humanity, especially now that Lois Lane has outted him? Gone is the principle: Superman inspires humanity to aspire. Clark Kent is no longer the extraordinary within the ordinary.
This Truth story is being told backwards. We won’t find out WHY Lois did what she did until the last Wed in August. Oooo cleverness abounds #sarcasm Fans are being taken through a maelstrom of despair and destruction of our hero during the summer. Does the world need this?
On the verge of a world world in 1938, Siegel and Shuster gave us a hero, who had an immigrant story, a love story, and I would argue that it was also an adoption story. This brought people together. It inspired readers. They related to his being an immigrant, his love for Lois and humanity, and later to his adoption by the Kents. Now in 2015, on the precipice of another world war, DCE (Deceitful, Corrupt Evil) is giving us a nearly 8 decades old legend stripped of everything he is known for. And who now is viewed by humanity as a symbol of separation and aversion.
Well done, DCE #sarcasm.
Superman is no longer a symbol of hope. He is to be feared because he is different. Not loved because he has saved the world countless times. No longer relatable because his history of living side by side with humanity is wiped away issue by issue.
Why do Superman fans deserve this? Why does the world need this in the universal consciousness?
Where did the DCE Superman come from?
Recently my friends on twitter sent me this page from Jim Lee’s blog. It is dated December 20, 2004. This is 6 years after he sold Wildstorm to DC Comics and 6 years before he became co-publisher of DC Entertainment.
Fans of Superman know of Brian Azzarello’s “For Tomorrow” story drawn by Jim Lee. They are especially familiar with Superman embracing his wife, Lois Lane in the air. If you saw the cover for Justice League #12 in the new 52, you know Jim Lee used that panel to replace Lois Lane with Wonder Woman.
Despite the fact Azz didn’t like the Kent marriage, he never allowed the fauxmance in his new 52 Wonder Woman 3 year run. Clark/Superman was neither mentioned nor appeared in that book.
Here are some excerpts from the interview which shows what Jim Lee thinks of Superman and Clark Kent. Please read the interview in it’s entirety to garner your own insights and opinions.
Why we got a battling alien without human connections:
I think when you talk about pacing…yer really talking about action…that some fans feel there isn’t enough action…but there’s plenty of drama.
Let me say I wasn’t a big fan of the Superman as Everyman take. That he is like you and me but just purer or more noble. I think that takes the mystique out of what he truly is–which is stranger from an alien planet who feels at home but isn’t. Like an immigrant may feel…like me heh.
Clark Kent is the Everyman part of Superman. — me
How can a man who flies nearly as fast as the speed of light and been to other dimensions relate to a guy like me? Superman in real life would be bored sitting around waiting for Lois to cook him some bacon for breakfast–I know that sounds sexist…it’s a joke–work with me…
Clark Kent is how readers relate to the superbeing from another planet. — creators such as Mark Waid and others.
The one thing I would change if I had that ability to go back in time and undo things is…I wouldn’t have Clark and Lois be married. That said, I think you can still do some kickass stories with them married, but the triangular relationship between Superman, Clark and Lois was too good of one to toss.
The triangle for two didn’t have to be an adversarial one as Azz and Lee contend. There was an organic progression (oops comic creator speak) of their relationship when Lois knew and Clark confessed. Clark/Superman evolved to show introspection as well as his neverending battle. Thus, adding to the character, not detracting from it. – me
The interviewer Kilgore T:
Personally, I don’t care for Lois Lane. TOO manly for me. Lois is the masculine part of the relationship. Superman, the nurturer, is the female. It doesn’t work.
Many fans thought this aspect of the most powerful being in the universe made it work completely and successfully. — me
Lee’s response:
I agree. I never had the hots for her either…but we hope to change yer mind in 212.
which had the panel between Superman and Lois that he used for the Justice League #12 cover.
From 2005 to 2008, Jim Lee drew All Star Batman and Robin (which he never finished). In that story, Superman was with Wonder Woman as they are in all of Frank Miller stories. Since it was a previous Wildstorm insider who told us of supers with supers – perhaps the idea of the fauxmance was firmly planted and nurtured in Mr. Lee’s mind during this time.
Remember Jim Lee became co-publisher of DC Entertainment in early 2010 and the editorial retreat was in October, 2010, when the new 52 was created. That means he had/has the power to decide what version of Superman readers get. New 52 Superman is very much action oriented. Lee’s wreckage and destruction Supes. And Lois, who did not raise his body temperature, was out as well as the marriage and any courtship. He did make his and Kilgore’s idea of Superman so.
Dudebro comics!
Some creators have spoken a disdain for the internet. Maybe because what gets put on the web, stays on the web.
SUPERMAN???
You won’t be seeing this guy anytime soon if at all ever.
In its quest to show Superman is unrelatable to a modern audience, DC Entertainment continues tearing the character apart. And you thought the new 52 was bad? DCYOU is Superman destruction in hyperdrive.
Since Superman is known in every HOUSEHOLD around the globe, the DCYOU version would be unrecognizable to the ‘man on the street’ (that would include males from 14 to 34 years old, DC Entertainment, just saying).
Anyone who was born since 1938 (and some folks before) knows these aspects of Superman:
THE CAPE: His indestructible baby blanket cape has ripped. Yes, an indestructible thing ripped. Why did it rip? So he can protect his now powerless hands.
S-SHIELD: Yes, he has one. BUT, in the new 52 his S-shield formulated his majestic collared, biological Kryptonian armor. (Because y’know, Martha Kent wasn’t worthy enough to even assist in making one.) In the DCYOU, the S-shield apparently only had enough power to create jeans, t-shirt, and workboots before it was taken away by the Fortress of Solitude. (Don’t worry the Fortress of Solitude was taken away, too.) Now he apparently gets his S t-shirts from Target/Walmart/K-Mart or Superheroes Discount. See more information regarding the supersuit under POWERS.
SPITCURL: Gone since the new 52 along with the red trunks. Superman always had great hair, but not anymore. He’s got a buzzcut which he does not use his heat vision to trim.
FLYING: Yes, I know Richard Donner proved a man could fly but DC Entertainment seems determined to prove that premise wrong. ‘Superman’ no longer flies or leaps tall buildings. His addiction to a new power has rendered him powerless. Yes DCYOU Superman has an addictive personality now. His strong will died at the birth of the new 52.
POWERS: He has none. Nope, not even electrical powers. His most important power was using his heart first to make decisions but that was sacrificed in the new 52. His powerlessness makes him dependent on Batman to pick him up naked (don’t know what happened to indestructible cape) so Alfred could make him new costumeS (plural). (Alfred is worthy, Martha Kent is not.)
CLARK KENT: Nope. He’s currently without identity. He’s a man without a name. Clark Kent was a non-entity in the new 52. Superman was/is a battling alien without human tethers. And Clark Kent ‘died’ in Batman/Superman Annual 2. As to Jonathan and Martha Kent, they died. (no human tethers) The new 52 Superman acted as if he didn’t learn anything during his 18 years with them. Superman had to bury them twice. First, their UNTIMELY deaths by 5th dimensional character, Lord Vyndyktvx and the second, when they were zombies via the Ultrahumanite.
DAILY PLANET: Clark left the Daily Planet after he started dating Wonder Woman. (Remember, no human tethers). Supposedly started a blog with Cat Grant where he wrote less than 3 articles. Geoff Johns (Richard Donner’s former assistance and now Chief Creative Office for DCE) tried to bring Clark back to the DP, but that was just a blip on the radar which immediately faded for the DCYOU.
METROPOLIS: Not so much. Not when he has to hang with the Justice League (remember, no human tethers). DCYOU Superman is now spreading his vigilantism to Gotham, too. He can’t fly so I guess the rest of the world that can’t be reached by a motorcycle full of gas is safe.
LOIS LANE: Is seen ever so slightly more than Clark Kent, but she is restricted by so many laws. DC Entertainment’s law of supers with supers – she’s not a super so she can’t be with Clark/Superman. (But if he’s powerless & more or less nameless how can he still be dating Wonder Woman? It’s not Lois, so it’s okay to break the rule.) Lois is dating another guy who is rarely seen and makes Superman so despondent. (Clark hasn’t liked any kind of challenge since the new 52 began.) The reason for the boyfriend, 5 years of story that readers have never seen so Superman could date Wonder Woman. Recently Peter Tomasi writer (and also an editor at DCE) has Wonder Woman wanting to be a reporter along side Clark. Then there’s the anyone-but-Lois law fans are VERY familiar with. Lois Lane is not allowed to be in Action Comics (yes, the book that launched everything and the superhero genre, too) since Greg Pak took over (don’t blame Greg, it’s editorial’s fault). Pak has Lana Lang filling the pages of Action. With DCYOU he will not only be adding Jimmy Olsen but a new female character with the initials LL (not Lois, remember the law) who will be a friend to Superman and play an important role. Lois will appear in the Superman book, written by newcomer Gene Luen Yang, but she’s been introduced in the DCYOU as a backstabbing betrayer of Superman’s dual identity (rarely seen) which makes him lose everything. Previous to all this, DCE actually had a Lois Lane solo book but deemed it not worthy of a PR team to promote it. So when we say Lois is a non-entity, we mean DCE is getting rid of her. How do you introduce a beloved character as the purveyor of so much destruction when she has always been THE ONE to believe in the Man of Steel? How does DCE turn that around? They don’t. They haven’t. And they obviously don’t want to.
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE: Gone. Recently rebuilt because Wonder Woman imploded the Phantom Zone. The FOS is running on all cylinders brainwise. It recognizes this ‘new’ Superman is a phony and takes the indestructible cape (most of it) and the biological S-shield. DCE says the FOS made Superman’s life too easy and too comfortable. This is reminiscent of their statements regarding Lois Lane at the new 52 launch. She was a beautiful trophy wife who made Superman’s life perfect. So now he has a beautiful trophy super girlfriend – what’s the difference? (not Lois so is okay) And Superman’s life is never perfect if you actually deal with his dual identity and his love of humanity, but DCE hasn’t wanted to go there.
Introducing DCYOU Superman: He rides a Tossr motorcycle which he uses as a weapon while wearing ripped cape remnants on his hands. Wears an S t-shirt, jeans and workboots he bought at the store. He’s basically a vigilante without the Superman status. He could be a nutjob who has convinced himself he’s Superman. But then wouldn’t he be wrapping a red blanket around his neck and jumping off garage roofs? So if you want your Superman to be a Marvel character, this is the guy for you. (Marvel would probably respect the character more than DC Entertainment has the last 5 years.) Where’d he get the motorcycle – he’s the Man of Steal now.
If you’re already a Superman fan, don’t worry this character is not meant for you. DCE is looking for future readers. (much like their new reader hunt. Loyal readers were 98%) Future readers are children, right? WRONG. Kids get the real Superman – all the things DCE has taken from him and the red trunks, too. So what are future readers? An early online survey of the new 52 in 2011 revealed that 23% of their readership was female. That would be about 1 out of 4 readers. DCE execs were wondering why women were more comfortable with online surveys. Even this small percentage of females was too large for the target audience DCE announced they were going for – 14 to 34 year old males. A few years later a survey revealed that their audience was 47% female. Doubled. (almost female to male equality) This occurred when DCE was still shooting for that male target audience. DCE gave 18 million dollars to a company who had a target audience of 18 to 34 year old males so they could make videos for them. DCE has acknowledged their audience has changed but do they like that idea? Perhaps their target audience is allergic to online surveys – is that what DCE wants everyone to believe? (even at 53 to 67% responses from males) Or is it more likely, especially with Superman’s abysmal order numbers, males a running away in droves to await the next lightswitch crisis before they spend their money. And DCE has made their Superman as un-female friendly as possible. New 52 superdouche, anyone?
Future readers appear to be the same ole target audience they’ve been focusing on. But blaming 14 to 34 year old males who don’t read comics yet does them a disservice. How do DCE execs know what these potential readers want? How did they know what the new readers (a mere 2%) wanted? They didn’t. It was what the DCE executives wanted. So Nielsen and Diane Nelson can survey till they are blue in the face if the boyz at the top don’t want Superman to rise from the ashes of his order numbers. A phenomenon DCE execs created.
How much better would Superman stories/orders be if DCE execs even considered males and females like all the things they have taken away from the character. Superman’s mythology.
DCYOU/Divergence is breaking the chains of Superman’s mythology. So DCYOU Superman is Superman unhinged – not really Superman in any reality.
Fans do not care if DC Entertainment doesn’t like or understand Superman. At this point, it appears DCE execs/editorial despise the character and all he means to his fans. As businessmen (yea, they are mostly males), they need to buck up and give the people what they want. Meaning make some money with this character without these ridiculous restrictions on his mythology. Isn’t that what business is about? Making money. Does Lee/Harras/Didio want to be known as the destroyers of Superman? We shall see, won’t we.
Remember the rule: IF you don’t like it, don’t buy it. The only way to change things is to take a stand and let your voice be heard. Vote with your purchases (or lack thereof).
Let’s not allow the real Superman to go down without a fight or protest from his FANS!
P.S. Don’t worry Batman fans, your hero gets to keep everything. He’s still the billionaire playboy with a manor, a batcave, batmobile, batplane, etc., utility belt, cowl, Alfred, 5 Robins, and still fighting in Gotham City, Plus Joker is immortal and Batman becomes a god in the Darkseid War. No regressions for him. Is it any wonder Batman sells 200 to 400% more books than any Superman book? He gets to keep ALL of his mythology plus given even more added abilities.
Do You Feel Cheated by DC Entertainment?
Since September, 2011 many Superman fans have felt cheated. He’s not the guy about hope, champion of the oppressed or even about loving humanity. In fact, since the beginning of the new 52 era, there has been no love in the DCU at all.
In 1938, Action Comics #1 started a genre of global proportions. Portraying an alien with extraordinary powers, who had a human identity. Clark Kent/Superman (one and the same) was cast as a romantic hero from the start. It has served the character and his fans well for over 70 years.
Enter DC Entertainment and their treatment of the character & his mythology which is known in every HOUSEHOLD around the world.
In 1938, the cornerstone of what was to follow through 7 decades, we have the pursuit and challenge of a personal relationship. Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Beginning in 2012, we have DC Entertainment’s version of a personal relationship. Loneliness, fear and grief. Supers should be with supers according to one DCE insider, a former Wildstorm creator. Characters should be with their own kind? Segregation? Are DC superheroes now the X-men?
Apparently DC Entertainment is not familiar with Superman vs the Klu Klux Klan or even Superman and the Mole Men? Superman no longer loves humanity. He truly has no purpose in saving anyone. He’s only been allowed to save the Earth from huge superpowered villains. Never allowed to be Clark Kent, journalist, fighting evil using the power of the pen, his heart and his mind. Human readers are supposed to be complacent with a Superman/Clark who never takes on the evil of their everyday lives that they can relate to.
No inspiring readers to aspire. No cheering on the power of the individual. Superman is hogtied to his superfriends. Recently he’s acquired a power that will make him ‘human’ for 24 hours and he’s been using it to the extent that he needs Batman to rescue him (naked, no less) and have Alfred make him a new costume every single time. Dependency on the group. Powerless on his own.
Fans of the 70-plus relationship of Clark/Lois/Superman found another disconcerting aspect to the character under DC Entertainment’s watch.
In 1938 and in the decades that followed, Clark as Superman tells Lois Lane he means no harm. To humanity in general and her in particular.
In the new 52, Superman #27 written by Scott Lobdell, a former creator for Marvel and Wildstorm, shows Clark as Superman deciding to allow Parasite to extract the knowledge of his secret from Lois Lane’s brain. This was after she had saved him several times with her psionic powers. Not even the Silver Age of superdickery had Superman harming Lois Lane in this fashion.
Twelve issues later, Geoff Johns in Superman #38 lightswitched Clark telling Jimmy Olsen he was Superman. Never happened before in the entire 75-plus years of Superman’s existence.
So what if Lois did know but didn’t tell Clark she knew. It’s happened many times and for many years previously. In multimedia, not just comics.
DC Entertainment is not going to go there. They’re looking for new future readers this summer for their revamp of what used to be called the new 52. Earth Zero. (or as some fans call it, Earth Loser)
Divergence is the codename for this summer’s event. Superman will have a crossover between his books. Action (which Lois has not been allowed in by editorial since Greg Pak took over), Batman/Superman (which Lois has been featured), Superman/Wonder Woman (need I say that Lois won’t be gracing that book unless you count Diana wanting to be a reporter along side Clark) and Superman (the book Geoff Johns abandoned to concentrate on television where he obviously has more control).
On Free Comic Book Day, readers got an 8 page ‘preview’ of what was to come in June, 2015. Lois Lane has outed Clark Kent as Superman. How did she find out? Did she always know? If so, then why at this time did she decide to out him? And why make her to be perceived as the villain? I doubt any of these questions will be answered as the storytelling has been lacking since DCE took over. (This story is being written by newcomer Gene Luen Yang as his first fray into the breech known as DCE.)
“Truth”, the name of the crossover event says ” For Superman, there’s no holding back.” Back from what? He’s got a crewcut, t-shirt, jeans, workboots, no cape, nearly powerless and riding a motorcycle. And he’s on the run because his “best friend” (Lois, a relationship that was never adequately depicted for years) outed him.
Since September, 2011, Superman fans have had a 5 year gap in his new history, only lip service to a dual identity (like it’s a bad thing or used as a weapon against Lois), and no triangle for two at all.
So instead of continuing to cheat Superman readers, DC Entertainment is not holding back from ripping us off? Because basically since September, 2011, Superman has been in moniker only, not in character or mythology. No longer the romantic hero we all remember and have depicted in other multi-million dollar media.
I guess those former execs from Marvel and Wildstorm know more about DC heroes than their fans do, right? Or do they have Dr. Fate tied up somewhere telling them what the future readers want?
SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT
Warning: Language, Attitude & Snark
Damn tootin there, Lolo. Something has not been right for a lonnnnggg time.
When the new 52 began, DCE stripped Superman of all female influence. Martha and Lara were dead. Lois was kicked to the curb. But, he’s dating Wonder Woman,right? My mother-in-law (she had five sons so she should know) used to say, “Men have periods, too. They just last three weeks.” Wonder Woman is PMSing all the time. So yea, she’s basically a guy with boobs (and a cranky magic va-ja-ja if it doesn’t get oiled).
Superman had a horrible week. Superman 38 (a week late, expanded and more expensive), Action 39 (DECOMPRESSED!), Superman Earth One Vol 3 were the usual suspects. Our hero appeared in all his glory in Future’s End #40 written from the Pros from Dover (Jurgens, Azzarello, Lemire and Giffen) saved Superman and my week. Yes, they did.
BTW, see that panel of Lois actually saying something in a Superman comic. Well, it is the only thing she said in the expanded issue, raising the price to $5. The other panel was of Jimmy asking her what was gong on. He’s clueless . . . but not anymore!!! Geoff Johns handed him a big gift of knowing Superman’s secret at the end of the issue. Dudebros rule!
It has been stated DCE did a survey and the results were 45% of their readers were female. Apparently DC Entertainment is ignoring this. Because basically Superman #38 told women, “we don’t want or need your money. Just walk away. Dudebros rule!”
And it worked. New readers who started reading in the New 52 have left in disgust. They are tired of waiting. Superman books are not giving them what they want in order to plop down their hard earned pay. Yea, new readers, the reason for the reboot. But admittedly they are women so they don’t count.
BTW, G2Factor will be on hiatus until at least April. Waiting to read Superman Convergence. Will not submit themselves any further to this unrelenting torture of readers. There’s torturing then there’s the upscale of debasing the character and the fanbase. New 52 has been the latter.
Superman’s got a new power. It’s called superflare. (Clark Kent, the Kryptonian Torch! He’s not human, so y’know) No, I am not making this up. I have a better imagination than that. See, it’s an out of control thing. Because Superman in the new 52 doesn’t have a strong will or self control, That’s why DCE can pull this crap. Apparently when his superflare goes off (sounds sexier than it is) it rids Superman’s cells of their solar energy. He has to wait 24 hours before his powers return. His dudebro, Bats told him so. AND Superman’s armor (yea, the biological one) got burnt so Alfred kind of made him a new one. I’m not kidding. Not okay for Ma Kent to make his suit but AOK for Alfred to do so? Dudebros rule! The cape is still indestructible. But he has a mock turtleneck and sleeves that end in fingerless gloves. I guess for when his whittle handsies get cold up there at the Fortress of Solitude. Which may or may not still be taking 40 days to regenerate.
So Clark is human for a day after his solarflare goes off. Okay, I need a vote here: Which would you prefer during that span of time? Clark flirting with Lois or telling Jimmy his secret? Anyone? Beuller? This makes me suspicious. Someone at DCE must be a total Tarantino fan (Superman Django Unchained, anyone?) and believes that crap Kill Bill spouted about Clark. Oh he needs to be Clark because of this new power. No, that’s not the reason Clark Kent exists. My son put it quite succinctly, “Clark has a job because he has to make money. Otherwise he’d be a supervillain.” Now that’s realistic and RELATABLE!
Am I gonna have to drag out the Wimp Ass Clark moniker again? (see Smallville reviews, especially Season 7). Speaking of Smallville – remember when Clark pulled Geoff Johns out of his truck in RECRUIT, season 5. Jeph Loeb tried to warn us. LOL Yep, we’re still wondering where Lois is.
So the issue was obviously enlarged for splashpages, some of which were randomly in black & white – no rhyme nor reason. Jonathon Carroll mention. He’s the guy Lois is with to make Clark soooo despondent. *rme Whatever. Jackee Winters (she’s female) the new Johns’ character was on the cover but not in the story, nor was Steve Lombard or Ron Troupe. So much for the DP folks being involved. Clark and Lois are still not allowed to breath the same air. The only people Clark talked to was his dudebros. Ulyssess, Bats, Alfred, Perry, and Jimmy. There was an epilogue with the hooded guy saying he was proud of Clark & is gonna send Clark a package at the Daily Planet. (Like I care anymore, but maybe he’s the key to this . . . or maybe not. Can’t depend on anything Superman-wise anymore.)
This is still a total misstep on DCE’s part (and Lord knows there have been many) or they are pulling back too far. Ya gotta leave some breadcrumbs for the big surprise and keep folks guessing so they’ll await the next story or issue. But what DCE did with this issue – they beat down readers with a story of no real resolution, an ubiquitous power and telling Jimmy Olsen Clark is Superman. Something new 52 Superman has held consistently against Lois – not knowing his dual identity. He trusts her but apparently it was show and tell day at the DP for Clark and Jimbo, who is no longer a billionaire (why they made him one . . . oh yea, Lobdell or Harras or Lee).
There probably won’t be a Lois birthday party after all unless they give it a half-panel in #39, otherwise nada. #40 is John Romita,Jr’s Superman story. So, lies. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. It’s not trustworthy. DCE is not to be trusted. Therefore, don’t give DC Comics your money.
Action 39, Beardo vs the Ultrahumanite. Zzzzzz Clark sacrifices his psyche (yes again) and grief (there’s always grief in the new 52) in order for the ‘monster’ to engorge itself and thus releasing it’s hold on everyone. Lana apologizes for being a bitch every issue about her dead parents. They re-buried the Kents. Yea, we get it. He’s still alienated. There was a sequence that showed all the deaths of Clark’s friends. Did Clark see a future when he was in the black hole with Brainiac? Because if he thought that shit up on his own, he’s one sick M.F.er Lois dead with armored Batman and Krypto looking on. Batman and Hiro dead in the Batcave after Lex Luthor shoots them. Steel, Kara, and Diana dying at the hands of Zod and Faora. So Wonder Woman can die before Clark? Oh gee, who knew? [sarcasm] The reason the fauxmance is supposedly together is because humans are frail and can die. Clark almost died as Doomy and Diana can apparently die, too. So much for “after the last battle” bullshit. Why are they torturing us with all these horrible stories?
Apparently there was a crack in the Phantom Zone and that’s how the Ultrahumanite got out. Then Doomy got out and then Wonder Woman imploded the Phantom Zone releasing the menagerie (who were infected by the Ultrahumanite) and everyone else. The Bottle of Kandor ended up in Iceland – BUT the Fortress is gonna take 40 days to regenerate. I’m getting brain damage from this. Did anyone see Baka?
The Phantom Zone is repaired by the Smallvillians and Clark but there’s still a squiggly at the Kents’ grave. Oh goodie. Next issue is a Bizzaro story (yes, I know all the new 52 stories are bizarro).
Superman Earth One Vol 3. Haven’t read the book yet. Straczynski isn’t exactly being sincere when he said DC let him go from writing Wonder Woman and Superman (separate books) back in 2010 – truth be told he heard Didio was getting his reboot. I attended the 2010 SDCC where he had a reading of both books. Three months later was the editorial retreat that created the new 52 and also the release of SEO Volume 1. Coincidence? Chris Roberson took over Superman, The Grounded story. (There’s a story there. Lois Lane radar going off.) At 2010 SDCC we met Shane Davis and bought posters of Superman from SEO Volume 1. Volume 2 took two years to write apparently. And now we have three.
Clark’s very in-tuned-to-her-body neighbor is a hooker. He’s not friends with Lois, of course, because every one knows they are an inevitable couple, so can’t write about them. In the preview we got, Lisa L. (get it, LL? How clever #sarcasm) thinks of Clark as a brother. At some point in the story after a huge battle, Clark returns to Martha Kent (Jonathan died after spouting the Niven theory to young Clark) and she encourages him to find love wherever he can. Something happens at the end of the book to make reviewers think Lisa is now his girlfriend. Excuse me. I must get out the puke buckets again.
In every book of Superman, DCE has to put “by Special Arrangement with the Jerry Seigel Family” – it’s legal lip service. Does anyone believe in all good conscience that the Seigel family would ever fathom or tolerate Clark Kent with a hooker? Again debasing the character. All in the name of not allowing the inevitability of the Clark and Lois relationship to transpire even a wee little bit. Toss him a hooker. True, he can’t get an STD from her. But does she die from doin it? Or is that only allowed for Lois to die from the Kryptonian shaft? It’s not as if Lisa has a magic va-ja-ja which could render Clark impotent, but Wonder Woman has that ground covered in main continuity. It’s ANYONE-BUT-LOIS in the name of – well, we can’t have them together yet. 4.5 years for Superman Earth One and 3.5 years for the new 52. HOW MUCH LONGER????
Lois is always strong. Clark, not so much. Yes, I agree Clark should pursue Lois and be worthy of her. Because a strong Lois and a weak minded and completely out of touch with his heart Clark is a TRAIN WRECK EXTRAORDINAIRE! And continues to be so.
There is no character building being done via true love in the new 52. It is not allowed. Yes, Geoff Johns had Arthur & Mera considered married in order to make that character interesting but after he left the book, it was implicitly stated they were not married. The only hero still married in the new 52 is Animal Man. I still think Morrison had it as a stipulation for him writing Multiversity, Action, and his Wonder Woman book. He said during the 2011 SDCC just before the reboot release, he hoped that DCE didn’t mess with Animal Man’s marriage. And they haven’t. But romance isn’t necessarily marriage. Could we at least get an iconic courtship? Clark/Lois, Dick/Babs, Barry/Iris, Ollie/Dinah. Trevor/Diana, Bats/Cats, etc etc etc There’s so much to do before more and more fans throw up their hands, take their cash, and invest it in other entertainment.
None of this negates my previous blogpost that Supermn and Lois are having a secret romance. Why would Clark have to tell Lois if she already knew? The 24 hour human thing may be a way to show Clark that being with a super (WW) isn’t exactly his cup of tea. Especially if the super can die just as much as a human?
Why the new power? It seems it might come in handy with the Darkseid War this summer. Omega beams verse superflare. Lots of yellow and red on the page. Boom Boom Boom. Splashpages. Battle battle battle.
The Jimmy knowing secret thing, I’m not sure. Something to do with some plot obviously. Can’t see Clark hankering to tell Jimmy for any length of time. Lightswitched like the fauxmance. Having Jimmy not be a billionaire was a good move. Having Clark Kent back at the DP is great, too but only if he and Lois get to breathe the same air. It’s something that fans want and have been waiting entirely too long to see. To experience. The key to Richard Donner’s Superman movie was the love story between Clark and Lois. If that was done right, the movie would be a hit. Dick Donner was Geoff Johns’ boss at one time. And they have written an Action series giving married Clark and Lois a child.
So what’s the dealio? Is it editorial again? Hey Pharoah, let our Superman go!!! We need a hero, not a schmoe.
Speaking of children. In Superman Convergence – Clark and Lois are going to have a baby. Now, I have heard some dumb shit, but let’s get something straight. The whole two different species crap hasn’t flown since 1966, almost 50 years ago. Every geek knows Mr. Spock is human/Vulcan. Kon was a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor Kryptonian/human pre-52. In the new 52, Clark and Lois had a natural born son, Jonathan Lane Kent and then Kon who is their son twice over is part clone & part natural (Jon’s DNA). Today animal DNA is put into plants and we eat it. They put animal DNA in humans now. This is no longer science FICTION. So get into the modern world already. Clark and Lois can have a baby just fine. Especially since the Fortress of Solitude is located in a place with at least six months of darkness during the year. Plus the Fortress supposedly holds the knowledge of the known galaxies. Surely one of them figured this stuff out. Oy!
Future’s End #40 will save your Superman soul. Clark takes action heading for New York. Lois is in New York. Big Baddie shows up in front of her. Potential for great storytelling and mythology. Can’t wait until next week. Don’t just sit there. Go buy this issue.
G2Hardcore will be talking about all this and more on Saturday at 5pm.
THE HOAX
“All is not what it seems.”
Skew your view.
I once was blind, but now I see.
Wake UP!
These panels (click to enlarge) are from Batman/Superman #18 and were the guidestones to a revelation.
The fauxmance (monikered by Christine of G2Factor) is a hoax.
I’ll wait until the tittering and the sad “oh, you poor deluded thing” faces subside. Hear me out.
I’ve been wrong before and I’m not afraid to be wrong again. Dangerous, right?
Why would the fauxmance be a hoax?
Because the new 52 is the anti-life equation. Hey, just enjoy the ride.
Here is the anti-life equation (pre-52):
loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth
÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding
× guilt × shame × failure × judgment
n=y where y=hope and n=folly,
love=lies, life=death, self=dark side
Isn’t that what our heroes and we readers have been living through the past three plus years?
How would that happen? It has to do with the timeline of the new 52. How the stories were presented.
First, Action Comics occurred 6 months before Justilce League #1 in the stories.
Second, Justice League #1-6, occurred five years before all the other #1s (which includes Superman #1)
Superman books and Justice League were the only books to have a five year gap. Why? To pull off the scam. The hoax. The ruse.
In the first six books of Justice League, we have the ‘formation’ of the team and their first battle is with Darkseid. Justice League War, the animation, is loosely based on this. Did Darkseid truly lose that battle, especially since the other #1 book heroes weren’t quite what they once were pre-52. Dark-dark-dark, gritty, cosmic and epic. No hope. Battle-battle-battle.
One thing different in the new 52 is Cyborg being on the Justice League. He now has Apokoliptian technology. Why? So he can boom tube the team around? How’s that every 1000th trip or so landing on Apokolips working for everybody? So Cyborg either consciously or unconsciously has a connection to Darkseid. Victor has global surveillance capabilities. Talk about no privacy! And as every Superman fan knows, Clark has secrets (dual identities and lives).
I’m a Superman fan. And part of being fans of something is that we get into this frame of mind sometimes thinking that the-powers-that-be just don’t know what they are doing. And if TPTB are very clever, they prove us wrong. I have commented that the new 52 is not very clever – but if they can pull off this hoax and turn things around, I’ll give them a nod to their cleverness. And MAYBE consider forgiving them. Or I could be just giving them more credit than they deserve. Time will tell.
So if Darkseid didn’t lose the intellectual/emotional battle and Cyborg can be used as an Apokoliptian pawn, then how are our heroes ever going to protect the ones they love? By making the world think that the Justice League is their only life. In Superman’s case, battling alien, no human tethers, dead human parents, etc.
The five year gap is an insurance policy, a safety net, especially in the Superman books. Once the flagship character of the DCU, his stories are now tied to the new flagship, Justice League. And to be quite frank, the new 52 Justice League flagship is like the Exxon Valdez. There have been delays in getting events to occur probably due to creators leaving midvoyage, books being canceled and Trinity War having eighteen months of hype which produced a fizzle into Forever Evil. Gee, just what readers and heroes under the anti-life equation needed, more evil. This effected readership greatly. Fans have left in droves. Action Comics is now under the 40,000 watermark AGAIN! Time for all to be revealed.
Sometime during the five year gap (between JL 6 & 7) someone came up with a plan (probably Bats) so the Justice League could still have secrets from the world and Darkseid (via Cyborg). Superman has always been on Darkseid’s radar. In JL 5 years previous, he is captured by DeSaad to make a clone army to find Darkseid’s daughter (giant plotline nugget just dropped?? Doubt it.) Earth 2 Superman in the new 52 also suffered clonng at the hands of DeSaad and recently sacrificed himself to save the world. (Earth 2 Superman was the better Superman in the new 52 even though we didn’t get to see him much.)
Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor’s relationship (one of the best things about Justice League) was very public. Clark likes his private life secret. So in order to protect the ones they love and to convince the world they only have lives being superheroes, the fauxmance was created.
Action #0 which came out a month after JL#12 in real time but occurred before Action #1 in storytime, has Clark Kent in love with Lois Lane’s writing and she admires his blog. Lois still gets to name Superman. General Lane knows there’s something going on with those two even if it’s a deep admiration thang. Readers don’t know what happened in the five year gap. I have always contended TPTB would never be able to convince anyone that the fauxmance was real if there was ever a hint of Superman/Clark and Lois Lane’s relationship. Thus the safety net.
In the Justice League War animation, reviewers said the fauxmance sounded forced, and it read like that in the books as well. Let’s investigate.
Wonder Woman is sitting atop the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, USA’s Capitol. Why? Because it’s Grecian architecture? It is one of the most technologically protected spots on the Earth. VERY PUBLIC. Superman joins her and they have this conversation about loneliness and secrets and protecting people. She’s just dumped her boyfriend, Steve Trevor, for the second time after he saved the Justice League’s ass from David Graves and his lesser gods. (whatever happened to that guy?) And she also fires him as the Justice League liaison minutes before sitting on the memorial. Perhaps the reason this not-so-romantic conversation seemed so forced is because Superman and Wonder Woman are just bad actors. The big question remains why were they doing this? Editorial mandate only? There had to be some story value especially with a huge gaping hole of five years involved.
In Action 10 which could have occurred before this scene since it it was in the previous 5 year timeline, it was revealed Clark was a reporter – Cyborg and Wonder Woman were present.
back to JL12
So if Superman’s secret identity was revealed in the five years previously, then who benefited from knowing he was Clark Kent that night he was on top of the Lincoln Memorial? Who needed to know he had to keep secrets and he was lonely? Clark quit the Daily Planet shortly after this. Was it to protect Lois? And Cat Grant came up with the idea of the blog which Clark rarely wrote for – was it to protect her also? If he was only identified as Superman, what purpose would that serve? It was a ruse to keep Darkseid off the scent of his true life. Plus by playing the loneliness, alienation and fear card, Darkseid would think his anti-life equation was working perfectly. Wonder Woman and the fauxmance are just a decoy in order to protect Lois and Superman’s life as Clark Kent.
In Action 12, a must for any Superman fan, we see how Clark’s original timeline went. He left the Kents alive in Smallville to join the Daily Planet (not the Daily Star) in Metropolis. He meets Lois Lane. This book came out the same month as JL12 and is in the five years previous timeline.
See how he fights the parademons with the Justice League and then marries Lois Lane. This all happened before Lord Vyndyktvx changed everything. Before Lord V killed his parents, before Clark ended up at the Daily Star, and before the fauxmance/hoax may or may not have happened.
In Justice League International Annual #1 which also came out the same DAY as JL12 and was in the ‘present’ timeline, we get to see Booster Gold react to the fauxmance the same way we did.
Booster from the Future told present day Booster, Superman and Wonder Woman needed to be stopped. Yes, please. The fauxmance was on all the monitors/live cams at JLI headquarters so it was a very public display. Clark is a very private person so had he changed so much in the new 52? DCE kept trying to sell (shove into any one of our orifices) the fauxmance idea. Superman didn’t act like Superman. His strong will seemed to have disappeared. Why? He didn’t know who he was half the time. Didn’t know his own mind and heart as he was constantly bombarded with villains who attacked emotionally and psychologically. He also had multiple timelines, alternate realities, visited alternate universes. No reader could truly get a bead on the character or who he was. And there was the abyss of the five year gap – missing stories, missing character building, etc.
I asked my cohost of G2Factor’s HARDCORE if all the fauxmance snoggings were public. Tej researched and found the answer was YES. There has been no private kissy kissy. What does this mean? The fauxmance is a sham. It is for the world’s and Darkseid’s benefit. Readers have been punk’d royally by DC editorial.
Lois didn’t lie about the secret romance.
We’ve seen Lois talk about the other side of the moon before in the new 52. Superman Annual #2, drawn by Dan Jurgens. “His cape has kept me warm on the dark side of the moon.” Is there Clois hanky panky going on the far side of the moon out of the detection of Cyborg and Darkseid? Note: this also was the issue fans saw Superman hold Lois Lane in his arms for the FIRST TIME. (Thanks again to Tej for the research.)
Another thing, if Clark and Lois can keep it secret from Batman, then Cyborg and Darkseid haven’t got a chance.
The Kandorians or whomever is controlling the Kandorians obviously believed the fauxmance hype. That’s why they shot Batman. Kara didn’t even know & stil doesn’t since Lois tried to cover up the secret romance while they were taking the ‘bullet’ out of Bruce.
Batman/Superman 18 also held another first. Superman screaming Lois Lane’s name as he tries to save her. A monumental moment for fans.
Next time you pick up a Superman story in the new 52, keep this in the back of your mind. The Superman/Wonder Woman ‘romantic’ relationship is a hoax. Some of it will start to make sense.
I would encourage Clois fans to post on tumblr and/or twitter examples of the new 52 secret romance, because they are out there. Too many to show in this particular blogpost.
One thing bothers me. Wonder Woman may be starting to believe the lie. I say that because what would make Brian Azzarello pitch for Wonder Woman after he heard what DC editorial was going to do to her character. Wonder Woman has been a train wreck in the new 52 (less so in Azz’s book). But there are examples that DC editorial may be contemplating a giant continuous catfight. Citing Justice League 13 “It was a kiss, not a commitment,” said by Superman. Also, Wonder Woman’s perspective boxes during the Zod & Faora fight in the fauxmance book. “After the last battle.” Even in Throne of Atlantis which is loosely based on the Justice League arc of the same name. Lois Lane is saved by Wonder Woman (never happened in the books) and she says, “I wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.” Let’s hope things have changed and we won’t get an insipid catfight.
This summer is the Darkseid War. Will the veil be lifted and all revealed?
Meanwhile I’m sitting in my happy space with hope – and that’s all a Superman fan requires. Hope.
Don’t stop believing.
Besides . . . Convergence!
47% of Comic Book Readers Are FEMALE
My partner in crime on G2Hardcore, Tej, DM’d me the link. Screen Junkies on October 16th had an interview where it was said “They did a study and found 47% of comic book readers are women.” at the 6:00 mark.
Apparently this information is at least 7 weeks old and the study had to be done before that. So where are the investigative reporters of the comic book websites? Too busy pushing Lois Lane aside to be shills for the fauxmance?
Where’s the exclusive on the results of this study? Is this the study done by DC Entertainment this past Spring where you had to decide between action and complex relationships? Or is this the Nielsen survey conducted in July, 2012 after that abominable, pathetic, ridiculous survey they conducted with a sample size not worthy of any comic book publisher, let alone one of the ‘big two’?
Are the comic websites complicit in hiding this information? DC Entertainment did give $18 million to a website this year who’s target audience is 18 to 34 year old males. Having it announced that almost half of their audience are female would throw a monkey wrench in someone’s dream of a male niche market.
Didio and Lee did say in an interview with CBR during the 2014 SDCC their audience was ‘changing.’ This would have been after the Spring and Nielsen surveys. At that time I questioned the use of the word changing. Things had already changed before the New 52 even started.
DC Entertainment has been about as transparent as the Mississippi River during a flood. So a DC comic book audience would have to rely on reporters and websites to get the lowdown on what is happening. Apparently that’s not how the ‘press’ works any longer.
Any one got Lois Lane’s phone number, email or twitter account? Is she on Facebook?
A short story: Being Here
I own nothing.
_____________________________________
Her Daddy had nightmares. Although Lois was only five, she could still remember snippets of those days. Her father ran a few special ops missions and eventually commanded regular ‘grunts’. He would return from his combat missions and there’d be great joy in the house. The family would all smile and laugh and see if he had changed even in the slightest of ways.
Once in the middle of the night, she awoke with a start. All seemed quiet in the house so she decided to go to the bathroom. Lucy was sleeping soundly in her twin bed. On her way down the hall, she noticed a beam of light coming from her parents bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. She heard voices and something sounded strange. Curious, she peered through the crack and saw her parents sitting on the edge of the bed. Her father’s head bowed. Something wasn’t right. There were tears streaming down her larger-than-life father’s face.
Lois’ throat began to tighten. She bit her lower lip to keep it from quivering.
Her mother quietly, wrapped her arms around him as his head went into her shoulder. Lois wondered how her mother could support this huge man. “I’m here, Sam.”
Sam Lane, warrior, defender of what he believed to be true, sobbed softly in his wife’s arms. “That’s what got me through. That’s what made it bearable, Ella. I had to get back to you and the girls. Our home. Our family. My world.”
Ella Lane held her husband as tears fell down her face. Lois wondered if this had happened before. She missed her daddy so much when he was away. And when he came back, there was always that slight feeling of something bad had happened. It was almost as if she felt it in the air around him. But right now, watching her parents, that cloud had lifted. She saw that her parents fought together against some outside force she didn’t understand.
Her father straightened up still embracing her mother. “You’re here, Ella. You’re really here.”
“And so are you,” she grinned back.
Lois backed away from the door and ran back to her bedroom. The house felt familiar again, but that memory of her parents and their connection stayed with her.
Standing on top of the Daily Planet roof now, she rubbed her arms in the coolness of the evening. The stars were brighter up here. What had made her remember tonight of all nights? Superman. Did he have those moments, too? Did he come back from battling intergalactic aliens feeling lost? Did some of his universe shattering decisions make him yearn just to be heard? Did he have someone to hold him in that silent, knowing way?
“I’m here,” Lois whispered in the wind and out into the universe.
Superman gave a second look at the town where he was raised. Smallville. Turning he flew towards Metropolis. So much had happened in the last few days, but that was his life. Sometimes he yearned for those days in Smallville when life and death decisions were far from his thoughts. When after a long school day, he’d sit and drink milk and ate Ma’s homemade cookies while talking to his parents about his day, their day, or whatever came to mind. Jonathan and Martha Kent had shown him what true connection was.
Clark would never forget after his father’s first heart attack, his mother was by her husband’s bedside. She’d come home to see Clark off to school if she pulled an all nighter. Trying to reassure him that his father would be fine, despite the fact they were not allowing him to be conscious for a few days.
The morning Pa revived, Clark witnessed his parents love in a profound way. When his father’s eyes opened, Martha Kent leaped from her chair and nearly screamed, “Jonathan?”
The farmer wearing a hospital gown and looking frail for the first time that Clark could remember, patted his wife’s hand on his chest. “I’m here, Martha. I’m here.”
“Oh, Jonathan,” cried Martha as she hugged him the best she could through tubes and wires.
“She was by your side,” choked Clark as tears came into his eyes.
“Son?” said Pa as he peered at him. “Come here.”
Clark hugged his father as his mother smiled at both of them.
“I saw you. Both of you. And knew I had to get back.” said the farmer smiling.
“Everything is going to be alright. You’re here and so are we,” said Martha Kent as she touched both the men in her life.
It was one of many moments in his early life that Clark would cherish. He was adopted. An alien, but the Kents had always loved him. Took him in as if he were their natural born child. They used to tell him, all children were a gift. But he was a special gift to a couple who could not have a child. An answered prayer. An answered hope.
Superman flew over the bright, sunny skies of Metropolis. Living with the knowledge that he was a fulfilled hope made him strive even more to be a hope to others. But who gave him hope? Sometimes he could use a little hope.
One figure among millions caught his eye. There was no mistaking that determined stride as if she were on a mission or on top of a truly great story. Lois Lane. The right side of his mouth went up as he flew as silently as possible to her. Lois was hard to surprise, but that did not stop him from trying.
“Ms. Lane,” he said with his arms crossed looking at the back of her head. As she turned, a smile formed on her face. While landing softly in front of her, he basked in that smile as if it were a lighthouse in the darkness of his life.
Even though she didn’t know his ‘secret’ he always had the inkling she knew. Would Lois Lane actually keep her knowing a secret from him? And such a person would probably keep his secret to their deaths. He smiled back because he just couldn’t help himself.
“What can I do for you, Superman?” The light from her eyes filled his heart.
“You’re here,” he said simply.
Her brows narrowed together for just a milli-second and then her smile broadened. “And so are you.”
THE HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF SUPERMAN
When in the course of certain events . . .
When I told my son, long time fanboy of comics for a few decades, that Jim Lee was made co-publisher of DC Comics, he grinned and made an obscene gesture as Mr. Lee’s proxy. Fanboys are notorious gossips and are not without very strong opinions. “I’m gonna fuck, DC.” When I inquired why Mr. Lee would do such a thing especially when he had been promoted to such a high level of the company, all he could say was, “You just watch.” I shrugged it off thinking it was some kind of strange fanboy behavior I’d never understand.
You may think I was prejudiced somehow by this interaction but honestly I couldn’t see the logical reason behind such a statement. In the course of the article, I will be presenting facts; gathering data, and journaling the ‘adventure’ that has been at least 4 years in the making.
Then came Flashpoint, originally constructed by Geoff Johns. The last issue showed DC was now going to combine the Vertigo, Wildstorm and DC universes and Grifter, a Wildstorm character, was to be on the Justice League at some point. The new universe was conceived in an editorial retreat in October, 2010. Bob Harras, formerly of Marvel and then Wildstorm under Jim Lee (now co-pub), was made Editor-In-Chief of DC Comics the previous month.
Evil laughter ensued from the house fanboy. I should probably add that he was mainly a Marvel fan, but also read some indies as well, and definitely was up on all the machinations of the publishing houses.
Before the new 52 actually occurred, I was at a comic book shop going through the sale bins looking for Superman comics. One of my son’s friends, another fanboy who actually did the ordering for a local comic book shop, came over to me with a Grifter comic and said, “This is the future of the DC universe!” If he had had a moustache, he would have twirled it. I told him to “get that shit away from me.” Was I worried about the new 52? Yea, I was. I was already having PTSD from WONK and Grounded. Flashpoint had fridged Lois again and Superman was only Kal-El, not Clark Kent. No Smallville. But the writer had added it was a cliché to kill off Lois – and it was, but it was not the last time she would be fridged in new 52 era.
The new 52 began on August 31, 2011 with Justice League declared the flagship of the universe with Geoff Johns as writer and the former head honcho of Wildstorm, Jim Lee drawing. Lee also redesigned most of the characters putting a ‘majestic’ collar on the Man of Steel. Superman was no longer the flagship character. His identity and stories would be guided by Justice League and their future plans.
All issues carried #1 on their covers. Aside from Justice League, all other books started in September, 2011. I have been doing statistics on the top 10 books of that time plus any others that involve Superman or that strike my fancy.
I started my statistics using October, 2011 order numbers involving the 2nd issues. This seemed a good place to start without the anomaly of the #1s.
Action Comics #2 orders were 153,855, still riding high from the #1s with top writer, Grant Morrison. He was creating a new Superman building 5 years in the past. Only Action Comics and Justice League have this five year gap. Again, Superman’s story would be contingent upon Justice League’s plans.
All prominent characters from the Wildstorm universe had their own books, except for one. Mr. Majestic. He was nowhere to be found in the new 52. Reason: He was being called Superman. An alien with no human ties who didn’t have much of a moral core and who had a superpowered girlfriend. Jim Lee had created Mr. Majestic because he thought it was dumb for Superman not to use his powers to their full extent. More on that later.
Superman #2 orders were 94,233. Veteran George Perez’s story took place in the present or five years in the future of Action Comics. The five year gap was a bottomless pit and even Superman “wished things could be different.” No one knew who this new Superman was and it certainly didn’t bode well when Perez left the book after issue 6 not knowing who this new Superman was or what editorial kept in or out of the book. Shades of things to come.
One year later, October, 2012, Issue #13, Morrison kept his story in the past despite rumblings of bringing it into the present and order numbers were 67,241. A loss of 56.3% (or -86,614) from it’s number 2 issue. Although Morrison fans have often said wait for the TPBs and not get the individual issues. what happened? Why did Morrison decide to keep the book in the past? He was not writing foundational Superman because of what was happening in Justice League after it jumped into the present. And Justice League being a team book certainly wasn’t giving Superman any foundation. The Kent marriage (hinted in Action 12) was declared dead before new 52 began and now everyone knew why. The fauxmance, lightswitched in Justice League #12 but with a HUGE multimedia campaign by Lee and Johns. Superman, aka new 52 Mr. Majestic, had a supergirlfriend now, Wonder Woman.
In Superman, Keith Giffen & Dan Jurgens wrote him for six months after Perez. These two top veterans who knew Superman inside and out were unable to breach the editorial barrier. They had to include Wildstorm baddie, Helspont, into the story. Superman and Action often had the character dealing with alternate realities and timelines but never anything about Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. Does anyone truly believe that these two creators would have Clark dating Lucy Lane as his ‘love interest’? By issue #13 in October, 2012, the book had yet another creator taking over. Scott Lobdell. A veteran of Marvel and then Wildstorm, just like his Editor-In-Chief, Bob Harras, who was at the editorial retreat in October, 2010. Orders for issue #13 were 52,155. A drop of 44.7% (-42,078).
In October, 2013, 2 years after the DCU was rebooted, Action Comics had abysmal numbers. Wasn’t that the reason given for the reboot? And the character of Superman was hard rebooted. Not reboot lite like Batman. What happened during that year? Andy Diggle took over Action for #19 and then quit to have Tony Daniel finish his run (20-21). He said he left for professional reasons. But later we learned, he would not write the fauxmance, which had never appeared or was even mentioned in Action Comics. So Bob Harras tapped Scott Lobdell to write both Action and Superman. Scott Lobdell’s final issue, Action #24 had 39,620 orders for a drop since #2 of 74.2% (-114,235 prints). The worst dive of any new 52 ‘top 10’ book. 114,235 orders is a top selling book on any given month. Why did DC Comics allow it’s first superhero to be desecrated to this point just 4 months after his hit movie, Man of Steel?
Greg Pak took over writing duties in November, 2013 and the fauxmance was mentioned for the first time in Action Comics. He was not allowed to use Lois Lane. Also Charles Soule got the job of writing the fauxmance book which debuted in October, 2013. It’s first issue with a double icon lineup failed to reach 100,000 orders.,
Lobdell continued to write Superman even after publicly sexually harassing a female creator on a comics panel in late 2013 and in March, 2014 Superman was at it’s lowest point with 33,633 orders (down 64.3% or -60,600). Lobdell’s last issue for Superman was May, 2014 with the Doomed event prelude. Geoff Johns and John Romita, Jr. took over the book in June, 2014 (#32) bringing up the orders to 89,140 (down only 5% or -5,093). Quite a jump. But for nearly three years, Superman fans were exposed to a concept of Superman they didn’t know and couldn’t trust. Johns will be bringing back Metropolis, the Daily Planet, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. Things that are staples of the Superman mythology.
Who was responsible for Superman falling to these depths of near obscurity? Especially during his 75th anniversary year in 2013?
Scott Snyder went to Dan Didio with a Superman story he wanted to write. Didio sent him to Jim Lee. Why? Lee decided he would draw the book and they would use it to celebrate Superman’s 75th anniversary. (Apparently if it wasn’t for Snyder, Superman would have had no other additional book but the fauxmance to celebrate his 75th anniversary.) Snyder’s story was classic Superman mythology involving Metropolis and Lois Lane.
Superman Unchained debuted in June, 2013 as the top comic with 251,456 orders to coincide with the Man of Steel film and perhaps to get the movie going public interested in the character again. The second issue was the top comic for July, 2013 with 165,754. Since comic book #1s usually are an anomaly statistically, I will continue to use the second issue stats. In August, Unchained was the top DC Comic at #2 with 136,319 (down 18% or -29,435). September brings unique books (or stunts) and so there was no Superman Unchained scheduled. However, it was scheduled for October, 2013, the same month as fauxmance book debut. Superman Unchained #4 got bumped to November, 2013. (more about this pattern later) So if any new readers jumped on board previously to September, this slowed down the momentum of the book. Plus new readers’ experience would not be good if they weren’t able to read their book on a regular basis. So much for rebooting the entire universe for new readers, right?
Unchained #4 was published in November and managed to be the 3rd highest DC Comic and was 4th for the month with 110,611, a drop of 55,153 from it’s 2nd issue or -33.3% (which is comparable to Batman’s drop from it’s #2 issue in October, 2011). Superman Unchained #5 was released on New Year’s Eve, highly irregular for a top selling book but had the 5th highest book for the month and 3rd DC Comic with the most orders. 96,322 orders which was a drop of 41.9% or 69,432 less orders than it’s 2nd issue.
In 2011, co-pubs Didio and Lee said that new 52 books would go out on time even if creators had to be added to a book to complete it. In 2013, that mandate got thrown out the window for one book in particular, Superman Unchained. The book that was based on standard Superman mythology and did not involve the fauxmance going on in the new 52.
On January 21, 2014, Scott Snyder tweeted that the final issue of Unchained #9 would be coming out on April 30th, 2014. He stated that the book was always only 9 issues long. That would mean that Snyder was finished scripting the book and fans would get an issue monthly. A solicit for April, confirmed Snyder’s statement.
For those of you who don’t know, your local comic book shop has to order books three months in advance, usually by only reading a solicit from the publisher and those are the numbers reflected in the monthly stats provided by Diamond, the distributor. More about that later.
Superman Unchained was not published in January or February, 2014. In March, 2014, fans got #6 which was 2nd only to Batman in orders. 94,147 orders which was a drop of 71,607 or -43.2% since issue #2.
On April 2, 2014, DC announced that they were canceling the last two issues of Unchained (8 & 9) but promised to resolicit. In other words the book was delayed so much, they could not use the order numbers accumulated for the original solicit dates. This way of doing business terrified some fans who did not understand, this is not unusual for a book involving Jim Lee. Fanboys can tell you all about Divine Right, a book written and drawn by Lee when he was head of Wildstorm. It took him two years for twelve issues with many resolicits. Another book was All Star Batman and Robin (an out of continuity book which had the fauxmance) which Lee never finished despite the fact Frank Miller, the writer, said there were four or five issues left. Ten issues were published between 2005 and 2008. In 2009, Lee acknowledged it was he who caused the delays in the book. In 2010, DC announced the book would finish under the name, Dark Knight: Boy Wonder and would run for 6 issues beginning in February, 2011. Lee never did those issues because he was working on Justice League for the new 52 by that time.
And I didn’t even mention WildC.A.T.S with Grant Morrison (only 1 issue published) or Batman: Europa (nothing published). Plus, supposedly “because he felt his role as publisher and his growing family demands interfered with his role as an artist, Lee left Image Comics and sold Wildstorm to DC Comics in late 1998, enabling him to focus once again on art.” It couldn’t be because Wildstorm products were notoriously late or incomplete? And what fan needs that kind of treatment?
But I digress . . .
Scott Snyder apologized for the delay of Superman Unchained (which wasn’t his fault). Lee only said the book would have more pages (meaning #9, we now realize), but never has said he was sorry for the still continuing delays. This from the co-publisher who adamantly said “books will be on time.” Question: What good is a promise of more pages from a creator who can’t even finish a ‘normal’ amount of pages?
Superman Unchained #7 was finally published in July, 2014. But the constant delays had taken it’s toll on fans. The book was no longer in the top 5 or top 10. 14th for the month with 69,523. A drop of 96,231 or -58% since it’s 2nd issue.
Another pattern fans have noticed with Unchained is that when it is solicited for a date which falls on the same day as the fauxmance, Unchained gets bumped. Superman fans can no longer trust a classic Superman mythology book will ever get published with any regularity especially while the artist, co-publisher, attendee of the 2010 editorial retreat, is connected with said book.
Superman Unchained #8 has been re-solicited for September 10th which is highly unusual for DC Comics stunt month. If released in September, it will be buried by Future’s End #1s. One shots. Remember #1’s sell more than other numbers because collectors join the party. It’s not about the story but that number on the cover.
If Lee waits around for an October or November release date for #8, then we may have a repeat of October, 2013. No Unchained. #12 of the fauxmance will be Charles Soule’s last issue and in November, the book will be taken over by Peter Tomasi. It appears that a bestselling book by Scott Snyder is not given the same consideration as a book which is more in line with what was decided in the 2010 editorial retreat.
The oversized #9 is not even on the horizon. It’s been over a year since Superman Unchained #1 appeared and Jim Lee couldn’t get 8 more issues done within that period of time, most of which was during Superman’s 75th anniversary.
Amongst all this new 52 demoralizing of Superman, Action #1 from 1938 has had phenomenal sales. In 2010, a book sold for 1.5 million dollars. In 2011, a book sold for 2.0 million dollars. Currently, there is bidding on a third book which is reaching over 2.0 million dollars.
Was turning Superman into Mister Majestic with everything but the S shield on his chest really worth it? And who keeps their job, degrading the most recognized character around the world? But I guess redesigning cereal box characters is more important than drawing a top selling Superman story to celebrate his 75th anniversary.
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