Didio's plan for Action Comics and Batman (Spoiler)

This is the place to discuss the episodes of the Comic Book Page podcast, the Comic Book Page website or pretty much anything else of interest to the Comic Book Page community...

Moderator: JohnMayo

Saweez
Visitor
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:21 pm

Didio's plan for Action Comics and Batman (Spoiler)

Post by Saweez »

I was surfing ifanboy and came across a link to this interview with Dan Didio...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocom ... uperm.html

A lot of intersting stuff in there. The Legion move did not surprise me, as I knew they wouldn't be going far, but no Superman in Action Comics? I'm having a tough time deciding how I feel about that. It's kinda like pie with no apples...

Not sure if any of this was reallly spoiler material, but better safe than sorry

steve
User avatar
JohnMayo
Host/Owner
Posts: 3292
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Post by JohnMayo »

I'm thinking that the new Flamebird and Nightwing might take over Action Comics. It would explain why the Nightwing series is ending.
Comic Book Page: Website || Podcast || RSS || Episodes Archive
BobBretall
Master Reviewer
Posts: 5522
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:44 pm

Post by BobBretall »

Ttaking Supes out of Action just seems ill-advised and shaking things up just to stir the pot. The fact that he has been in Action since the beginning (to me) makes it a tradition that I'd just as soon not have them screw with.

This is the kind of thing that once done, cannot be undone, and you throw away all those 70 or so years of history.

In point of fact, even though Supes was not in Action during the "Death of" arc, it was still a SUPERMAN book, so I'll give DC a pass for him not appearing during that time. Shifting the focus away from Superman is just a bad idea.

My 2 cents.
User avatar
JohnMayo
Host/Owner
Posts: 3292
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Post by JohnMayo »

BobBretall wrote:Taking Supes out of Action just seems ill-advised and shaking things up just to stir the pot. The fact that he has been in Action since the beginning (to me) makes it a tradition that I'd just as soon not have them screw with.

This is the kind of thing that once done, cannot be undone, and you throw away all those 70 or so years of history.

In point of fact, even though Supes was not in Action during the "Death of" arc, it was still a SUPERMAN book, so I'll give DC a pass for him not appearing during that time. Shifting the focus away from Superman is just a bad idea.

My 2 cents.
Agreed. It seems like a short term marketing plot at the cost of long time tradition and history. Superman will be back in Action Comics eventually but it won't be the same in term of an unbroken run.
Comic Book Page: Website || Podcast || RSS || Episodes Archive
Squire
Visitor
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:30 pm
Location: UK

Post by Squire »

johnmayo wrote:I'm thinking that the new Flamebird and Nightwing might take over Action Comics. It would explain why the Nightwing series is ending.
I imagine it will be the Guardian and Jimmy Olsen, with other Metropolis characters. Not unlike "World without a Superman".
User avatar
JohnMayo
Host/Owner
Posts: 3292
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Post by JohnMayo »

Squire wrote:
johnmayo wrote:I'm thinking that the new Flamebird and Nightwing might take over Action Comics. It would explain why the Nightwing series is ending.
I imagine it will be the Guardian and Jimmy Olsen, with other Metropolis characters. Not unlike "World without a Superman".
That would make sense too. I could see Agent Liberty being part of that sort of series as well.
Comic Book Page: Website || Podcast || RSS || Episodes Archive
HassanT
Master Reviewer
Posts: 1006
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 3:17 pm

Post by HassanT »

I think taking Superman out of Action and obviously launching new title with Superman is bad idea.

While I have been enjoying New Krypton, I am getting a bad feeling about the direction of the Superman book. I want to read a Superman comic and not a comic staring Superman and a 1,000 characters. I think that was one weakness/trap that the Superman books fell into in the 90s. With this and the bring back the Superman triangles on the books are not good signs.
HassanT
Master Reviewer
Posts: 1006
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 3:17 pm

Post by HassanT »

More of Didio's plans around Superman...

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/110826-Didio3.html

... Superman: New Krypton? really? Another Superman title but not staring Superman? So not only is Superman won't be the star of Action, they are launching another Superman title without Superman?

"World without Superman".. didn't we just get this a couple of years ago after IC?

Also, I don't think doing these Secret Origins storylines is that great of an idea. Sure the Green Lantern one was interesting, but I think DC should try to move forward and not continuing to move backwards. My favorite creative team on a Superman book has been Johns and Frank and now they have been removed to work on a mini-series that does take place in the present.

The interesting thing is that if the main Superman book is running a storyline "World without Superman" and the other two Superman books won't actually have Superman, then what book will Superman appear in?

With this and the changes they are making with Batman and perhaps Wonder Woman, it seems that DC really doesn't have a long-term plan. By the time Trinity is done, they won't actually exist in the regular titles.
User avatar
JohnMayo
Host/Owner
Posts: 3292
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Post by JohnMayo »

HassanT wrote:More of Didio's plans around Superman...

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/110826-Didio3.html
Interesting stuff.

Looks like I was right about Flamebird and Nightwing taking over Action Comics. I agree with you guys that taking Superman out of that book is a mistake but these two look like they could interesting fill-ins for a while.

I also agree with the comment that DC needs to be moving forward and not constantly looking back and retelling old stories. I do not think we need yet another retelling of Superman's origin.
Comic Book Page: Website || Podcast || RSS || Episodes Archive
BobBretall
Master Reviewer
Posts: 5522
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:44 pm

Post by BobBretall »

We've seen so many "Superman Year One" kind of stories over the years that I'm really dubious, even with Johns & Frank doing it..... I'd really rather see those two doing new stories moving the character forward.
HassanT
Master Reviewer
Posts: 1006
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 3:17 pm

Post by HassanT »

I personally think DC has overdone the Year One/ Secret Origins thing. If the Black Lightning mini-series took place in the present day, I would be all over it. But do I really want to pre-order a mini-series that obviously has no impact on the future of character. The Green Lantern Secret Origins was good, but I really wish they didn't spend 7 issues in the regular book to tell the story.
User avatar
JohnMayo
Host/Owner
Posts: 3292
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Post by JohnMayo »

HassanT wrote:I personally think DC has overdone the Year One/ Secret Origins thing. If the Black Lightning mini-series took place in the present day, I would be all over it. But do I really want to pre-order a mini-series that obviously has no impact on the future of character. The Green Lantern Secret Origins was good, but I really wish they didn't spend 7 issues in the regular book to tell the story.
That pretty much sums up my feeling on the matter.

Just in the past few years we've gotten retellings of the origins of Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Metamorpho, the Teen Titans (albeit not a very good one), Huntress and now Superman, Black Lightning and I think the Flash too. And, in addition to all of that, there were the two page origin stories in 52 and Countdown.

Enough with the origin stories, move on.
Comic Book Page: Website || Podcast || RSS || Episodes Archive
HawkeyeGuy
Visitor
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:02 pm
Location: Ankeny, IA

Post by HawkeyeGuy »

I have generally avoided Batman and Superman at DC and collected team titles or less "iconic" characters. Superman and ancillary titles were always ones that I seemed to not pick up while I would get a run in on Batman or a Batman family title here and there.

Geoff Johns was the writer who changed that for me. I started with his run on Action and stuck with it and started to really get excited about Superman and then the family of titles as Johns did some villain features and James Robinson started his run. I had read the Starman Omnibus early in the summer so I was intrigued by his return to comics. My excitement built as I heard about Sterling Gates on Supergirl and the New Krypton story. I was all in and the early issues and specials were turning up the heat and then.... I read about Johns leaving the Action and Superman going into space and another Superman title with New Krypton and the origin mini-series and I was a bit deflated.

My vision was a long run of the three teams on Action, Superman and Supergirl really defining the Superman Universe for me for the first time. I am now on a wait and see approach as I reconsider my buying plans.

DC almost had me locked in and .... then took a step back.
Skyhawke
Reviewer
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:38 pm

Post by Skyhawke »

BobBretall wrote:We've seen so many "Superman Year One" kind of stories over the years that I'm really dubious, even with Johns & Frank doing it..... I'd really rather see those two doing new stories moving the character forward.
I would normally agree with you except I thought the same about the Green Lantern origin story thinking, "It has been told how many times already?" And it turn out to be not only good but pretty key to the upcoming story arc, Black Reign.
Darth Kramer
Contributor
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:14 am
Location: Grafton, WI
Contact:

Post by Darth Kramer »

With Secret Origin, I think that DC was really in a no-win situation. When Green Lantern came out, people complained and said it should have been a mini-series so they could skip it. Now, when DC is doing just that, people complain that Johns and Frank are going to be off Action Comics for a little while.

Do I think that Secret Origin needs to be told? DEFINITELY. Superman's origin is so nebulous right now that I think we do need some kind of "definitive" origin. What's currently in place? Man of Steel? Loeb's retcon of MoS? Birthright? An amalgam of the three? I think with the hints we've been given, especially the return of SuperBOY that this is a good thing. And I'd be willing to bet that this will tie into the future of Superman, much like what's going on in Green Lantern.
Post Reply