DC Announces Batman Earth One and Superman Earth One!

[Kibbin]

With the link down I was wondering if somebody could tell us what this is all about?
Is this as somebody said above just Ultimate Superman and Ultimate Batman?

[Broccoli]

Christopher wrote:

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Still, given the long-established history of that designation, it seems odd to repurpose it like that.

It does make a lot of sense, to be honest. If this is to be an "Ultimate" take on the DCU, then having it titled "Earth One" suggests to new readers that this is where it begins (Kinda like how the Ultimate titles original name was going to be "Ground Zero"). Also, as others have pointed out, since the mainstream DCU is called "New Earth", using the "Earth One" designation was open and free to use. Besides, since the apparent goal is to bring in new readers, chances are those readers wouldn't be aware of the difference between the "Earths", let alone the whole DC multiverse concept. Those that do know it, would also know how this is different, yet a nod to it.

Kibbin wrote:

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With the link down I was wondering if somebody could tell us what this is all about?
Is this as somebody said above just Ultimate Superman and Ultimate Batman?

Basically, yes. However, instead of a monthly issue format, it'll be in a longer, graphic novel format with a goal of releasing ~2 a year.

[TemporalFlux]

Mike Farley wrote:

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The multiverse was reborn during 52, but I don't believe we've seen the "New" Earth 1 yet.

Editorial had been saying sine 52 that we hadn't seen Earth 1 yet, and people were mistaken in thinking that the main DCU was Earth 1. Apparently this is what they were talking about; and it's the apparent replacement for the All-Star line.

As for my take, I'll read Johns on anything, but I don't look forward to JMS on Superman. JMS is too focused on the "grit" and keeping it "real"; that's the last thing Superman needs in my opinion. Superman should be a story about wonder and optimism; something to aspire to. I don't want to see the big S dragged down to our level.

[Galactus]

+1 Superman has the gold "S" on his cape
-1 Superman still has the red panties on

-1 Batman is wearing gray

Can only hope it is better than Ultimates

[Admiral_Young]

Johns said when asked if this was like Ultimates or All Star he replied essentially yes. Honestly I'm looking forward to Johns/Frank on Batman than I am JMS/Davis on Superman. I thought the announcement would be that Johns would be taking over from Grant Morrison when his run is done on Batman and Robin but this is just as good. Apparently there are more big announcements coming down the line this week too...the Newsarama article which I didn't link to indicated this was just the start of them.

[DarKush]

I'm stoked about the JMS book. He did a great job with Hyperion from Supreme Power so I know he can bring it with Superman. Not so sure about Johns on Batman. Johns is definitely talented and I love what he's done with Hal Jordan for the most part, but in some of those GL books he makes Batman out to be prick and I wonder if he can really give the character a fair shake. He seemed more interested in playing with the villains than doing something original and unique with Batman, whereas JMS seemed to be more focused on Superman/Clark Kent.

[Mysterion]

Don't usually read a lot of DC stuff, but both of these books look very interesting to me.

Interested to see what JMS will do with Supes, and I really like the idea that Alfred is a former Royal Marines bad-ass.

[Snaploud]

I'm very interested to see his take on Superman (particularly after reading some of his interview).

Clark comes to Metropolis in his 21st year to decide what he really wants to do. And this is someone who can be anyone, do anything. If he keeps his background secret, as he's done for the preceding 21 years, he can be the best athlete the world has ever known, he could be the next Stephen Hawking, could take away the golf crown from Tiger Woods, create patents that could earn billions. He can finally step out of the shadows and into the light.

By contrast, if he chooses to become Superman, then Clark must live forever in the shadows, dedicated to a life of service and self-sacrifice that could eventually get him killed. That's a hard choice for anybody to make, let alone a 21 year old kid who wants to look after his mom and is lured by the idea of money and success and fame. So the story is about Clark's Gethsemane moment, when he has to finally make that choice, why he makes it, and what follows after.

[Steve Mollmann]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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Yeah...Shane Davis is doing the art on Superman Earth One, not really that familiar with him but the Superman sample used looked okay.

Shane Davis pencilled about half(?) of Jim Starlin's Mystery in Space with Captain Comet mini, and did an exceptional job. I was very disappointed when he didn't return for Starlin's subsequent minis with the space heroes.

[shivkala]

Can't say I'm interested, but it sounds like a good project. I tend to get most of my TPBs and GNs around this time of the year (Christmas/Hanukkah/Birthday in January) and I am still trying to finish collecting Starman and Sandman, and I have a few other series in trade I wanted to get. So this is pretty low on my list.

[Admiral_Young]

It's coming out in 2010...and I tend to get the bulk of my trades and graphic novels at the end of the year as well since my birthday is on the 28th.

[CaptainCanada]

TemporalFlux wrote:

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JMS is too focused on the "grit" and keeping it "real"; that's the last thing Superman needs in my opinion. Superman should be a story about wonder and optimism; something to aspire to. I don't want to see the big S dragged down to our level.

I don't know that I agree with that. His Thor was pretty heavy on very epic/classical stuff.

[drychlick]

cool i love his b5 show! Can't want to see his superman

[TemporalFlux]

CaptainCanada wrote:

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I don't know that I agree with that. His Thor was pretty heavy on very epic/classical stuff.

I didn't read but just the first half dozen issues or so. The parts I read were focused on inserting Norse mythology into the "real world" at the cost of Thor's grand Marvel mythology; he even dumped Asgard in the midwest so that we could get the added story of slack jawed hicks pointing their finger at it. It's the kind of disconnect I expect from JMS; after all, this is the man who was handed Spider-man and said, "Great opportunity for a serious book about sorcery and the occult!"

Rising Stars was pretty good; I won't deny that. But I believe the comics strategy for JMS after that has seen him trying too hard in my opinion. By that, I mean that he's overdone trying to be different; overshot the mark instead of keeping his eye on what he has. That's why I think he may be better off keeping to his own creations; I believe he can no longer wrap his head around playing in universes other people built. In fact, I think that having a property with an established history is seen as a challenge to him; he walks in thinking he has to make it different from everything the character is or else he's failed his job.

So I think he'll write Superman...and it won't be Superman. That's just not something I'm looking for; if I'm buying something with "Superman" on the cover, I'm expecting something with things I'll recognize. If I didn't want that, I would be buying something with an original title I had never seen before. That is where Geoff Johns "gets it" and JMS doesn't; Johns gave us everything we would expect from a Superman story and made it fresh and exciting while doing it.

[Broccoli]

TemporalFlux wrote:

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I didn't read but just the first half dozen issues or so. The parts I read were focused on inserting Norse mythology into the "real world" at the cost of Thor's grand Marvel mythology; he even dumped Asgard in the midwest so that we could get the added story of slack jawed hicks pointing their finger at it. It's the kind of disconnect I expect from JMS; after all, this is the man who was handed Spider-man and said, "Great opportunity for a serious book about sorcery and the occult!"

Rising Stars was pretty good; I won't deny that. But I believe the comics strategy for JMS after that has seen him trying too hard in my opinion. By that, I mean that he's overdone trying to be different; overshot the mark instead of keeping his eye on what he has. That's why I think he may be better off keeping to his own creations; I believe he can no longer wrap his head around playing in universes other people built. In fact, I think that having a property with an established history is seen as a challenge to him; he walks in thinking he has to make it different from everything the character is or else he's failed his job.

So I think he'll write Superman...and it won't be Superman. That's just not something I'm looking for; if I'm buying something with "Superman" on the cover, I'm expecting something with things I'll recognize. If I didn't want that, I would be buying something with an original title I had never seen before. That is where Geoff Johns "gets it" and JMS doesn't; Johns gave us everything we would expect from a Superman story and made it fresh and exciting while doing it.

It is interesting, because the article has JSM quoted as saying that he has no intentions to recreate the character to just leave his mark on it. I have no reason to believe otherwise. However, I wonder what he considers "not leaving his mark" means to him.