OMG...the DEFINITIVE origin of Superman coming!!!

[Norrin Radd]

Give me a break. How many times have we seen this before?

Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
Dubbed by DC as the "definitive" origin of Superman, Superman: Secret Origin in DC's "New Earth" scenario. This six-issue monthly series is created by the two of the most vital Superman creators of the day: writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank. Told entirely from the perspective of Cllark Kent, this one has it all: from Smallville to Superboy, the Legion of Super-Heroes to Metropolis and even working at the Daily Planet. If Geoff Johns were doing a Superman movie, this would probably be it.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/120831-9Books.html

 

[sidious618]

Well, if they had to do it Geoff Johns is the man to pick. That said, Superman's origin story is coma inducingly boring so I have no idea why they'd put it to page yet again.

 

[Smiley]

I wouldn't call the story itself boring, but something has to be vastly different to warrant a retelling as a monthly six-issue arc.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Johns and frank tell a mean story, but they're cornholing John Byrne.

I wonder if that was part of their mandate from on high?

 

[Norrin Radd]

But Byrne's vision was over 20 years ago. Isn't it Waid and that other guy who should be pissed?

 

[Christopher]

Well, if they had to do it Geoff Johns is the man to pick. That said, Superman's origin story is coma inducingly boring so I have no idea why they'd put it to page yet again.

As I understand it, this version doesn't tell the Krypton portion of the story. As stated, it's all from Clark's perspective. The idea is that since DC continuity has been rebooted yet again, this miniseries will reveal what Superman's backstory is within the current DC timeline, for the benefit of readers (and presumably writers) who want to know what's in his history now and what isn't. So it's kind of doing for the new DC universe what Byrne's The Man of Steel did for the post-Crisis universe. Except it sounds like it's "recanonizing" a lot of stuff that Byrne and the post-Crisis storytellers discarded.

 

[Admiral_Young]

We've been teased with what happened on Krypton throughout the Johns/Donner/Kubert/Frank run on Action Comics, but this looks interesting and I probably won't get it until it is released on TPB or HC later in the year. Clark could still tell the last days of Krypton since the Fortress of Solitude has been retconned into the Fortress from the movie universe and he talks to the simulation of Jor-El. During the Zod storyline, Zod and his two companions entered the Fortress and requested information on his own history so it's not feasible that Clark could relate to us what is on those sunstone crystals. Why is this a surprise to anyone anyways? It seems like they were planning this for at least a year...

 

[Kryton]

It mentions Superboy...does that mean the lawsuit over DC's use of that name has been settled?

 

[Nerys Myk]

But Byrne's vision was over 20 years ago. Isn't it Waid and that other guy who should be pissed?

I think that version was "cornholed" before the ink was dry on the first issue.

Byrne has no problem with his version being overwritten, so why should anybody else? Its not like any characters origin is written in stone, especially Superman. He use to get a new take on his origin once a decade. He's probably over due.

 

[sidious618]

But Byrne's vision was over 20 years ago. Isn't it Waid and that other guy who should be pissed?

I think that version was "cornholed" before the ink was dry on the first issue.

Byrne has no problem with his version being overwritten, so why should anybody else? Its not like any characters origin is written in stone, especially Superman. He use to get a new take on his origin once a decade. He's probably over due.

Didn't "Birthright" end just a year or so ago?

 

[Nerys Myk]

But Byrne's vision was over 20 years ago. Isn't it Waid and that other guy who should be pissed?

I think that version was "cornholed" before the ink was dry on the first issue.

Byrne has no problem with his version being overwritten, so why should anybody else? Its not like any characters origin is written in stone, especially Superman. He use to get a new take on his origin once a decade. He's probably over due.

Didn't "Birthright" end just a year or so ago?

Didn't take for some reason. Everyone just went back to Man of Steel and pretended it didn't happen

ETA: Birthright was in 03 and 04.

 

[sidious618]

ETA: Birthright was in 03 and 04.

Really?! Wow. Maybe I saw the paperback or something and got confused. I didn't read it or anything as my interest in Superman is pretty limited.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I wouldn't call the story itself boring, but something has to be vastly different to warrant a retelling as a monthly six-issue arc.

It's the post-Infinite Crisis origin of Superman. Man of Steel was replaced by Birthright, and now Birthright is being replaced with this.

It mentions Superboy...does that mean the lawsuit over DC's use of that name has been settled?

Apparently so; the term "Superboy" is being used extensively in Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds.

 

[Kryton]

Cool...I was really thrown by the use of the name "Superman" in the LOSH cartoon (S2 of which is fucking EXCELLENT, btw).

 

[Bad Bishop]

Give me a break. How many times have we seen this before?

Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
Dubbed by DC as the "definitive" origin of Superman, Superman: Secret Origin in DC's "New Earth" scenario. This six-issue monthly series is created by the two of the most vital Superman creators of the day: writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank. Told entirely from the perspective of Clark Kent, this one has it all: from Smallville to Superboy, the Legion of Super-Heroes to Metropolis and even working at the Daily Planet. If Geoff Johns were doing a Superman movie, this would probably be it.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/120831-9Books.html

Another excuse for a hardcover collection. It'll probably be $29.99 when it comes out. Talk about flogging a dead horse.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I remember when Byrne was the art robot for Gail Simone's Action Comics gig. They were doing a scene set on Krypton so Byrne asked if he should draw the current (at the time "Birthright") version. Simone said no, do the "Man of Steel" version.

"Birthright", the Dangerfield version of Superman.

 

[Christopher]

It's the post-Infinite Crisis origin of Superman. Man of Steel was replaced by Birthright, and now Birthright is being replaced with this.

I thought that Birthright ended up being treated pretty much as apocryphal, because DC wouldn't change the rest of the universe to be consistent with it. Which is a shame, because I thought it was a very good origin story. And I don't see why they'd commission such a revisionist take on Superman's origin if they didn't intend to be consistent with it.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well you must remember, if you have been reading, that Johns has been rebuilding the landscape of the DCU for the last year and a half since he took over Action Comics that this Origin story is just going to agree with the vista he's already been sculpting, because he's totally been talking about Superboy being in the Legion as a fact of life for some time now.

 

[Dar70]

God another retelling. Why doesnt DC just stop all their books and start from scratch. Why must a universal event happen and reset continuity?? Why not just end current continuity and restart all the books??? Stuff like this is why I stopped reading comics 13 years ago.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Back in the olden days, they'd just publish the new version and that was it. No reboots, no "Grand Finales". Just "here's the origin. That's how its gonna be till the next time."