Superman: Secret Origin/Brainiac/New Krypton

[supes78]

I typically hate reboots, especially with Superman, but this looks promising. It's hard to not be on board with anything that has Geoff Johns' admiration of Donner & Gary Frank's awesome Reeve likeness showcased. From www.newsarama.com/comics/110828-Geoff-Secret-Origin.html

As DC Universe Executive Editor revealed to Newsarama on Wednesday, in early 2009, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank will leave Action Comics, and move to the six-issue, standalone, Superman: Secret Origin, a re-telling of Clark Kent growing up and becoming Superman. As DiDio described the series, “With the Superman books following Infinite Crisis, we made some suggestions as to some of the changes that might be occurring within Superman’s origin and who he is. There were a lot of things that have been changed over a period of time, and what Geoff has done, what Geoff always does so well is that he incorporates so many of the various aspects of Superman’s origin to what I feel is really a clean, definitive take on the character as he exists today, and more importantly, how we will continue to present him in the years to come. “The John Byrne changes were important and strong when they occurred back in the ‘80s, and I feel that Geoff’s origin is going to make that same imprint now, for 2009 and past that.”

So what does Johns have planned along with Frank for Secret Origin? We asked him just that.

Newsarama: Geoff, why does Superman need a revised/tweaked origin now, or rather, a definitive one?

Geoff Johns: Because people have been asking for it. And so have we. The new official "Secret Origin" of Superman is a project that Gary and I have been planning since we began working together on Action Comics. With the changes going on it made sense for Gary and I to move onto Superman: Secret Origin as a standalone series. The issues are longer than normal and it's given us time to work ahead of schedule. This incredibly important to us and the quality and eventual scheduling, must be perfect.

To me, origin stories - particularly "Secret Origin" stories in the DC Comics universe - are vital to the introduction of characters and mythology to the larger audience, and I think they can be to the long time audience as well. We haven't seen a modern day retelling of Clark's first adventure as Superboy with the Legion of Super-Heroes, or the day Superman met Jimmy Olsen or the origins of Superman's long time enemies like the Parasite and Metallo. More importantly, Clark Kent himself will be explored in his earlier years in a way I don't think he's ever been explored before. And freaking Gary Frank, one of the greatest Superman artists in history already, is illustrating it. Every cover, every panel, ever line.

For long time readers, with the inclusion of the Legion of Super-Heroes back in Superman's history, General Zod introduced and all the other changes made post-Infinite Crisis nearly 3-years ago, they've been requesting a definitive secret origin. Man of Steel was brilliant and Birthright was a beautiful book, but Superman: Secret Origin will be what lines right up for the modern day monthly books. It will feature new looks at the origin of not only Superman, but some of his greatest allies, enemies and supporting cast and it will tie into everything Gary and I have done so far on Action Comics as well as setting the stage for the future.

NRAMA: As readers of Gary and your work on Action know, you’ve been adjusting things on Krypton in New Krypton as well as touching upon Clark's early years, so what's the scope of this story, time-wise?

GJ: It goes from Clark's teenage years, through his first adventure with the Legion of Super-Heroes and into his arrival and introduction to Metropolis as Superman. We've included the first three covers with the interview and you can see a pretty big part of Clark Kent's history is being reintroduced as well - namely, Superboy. But with a bit of a twist.

NRAMA: Can you tell us any characters or beats that you're going to play up more than they've been mentioned previously? Any that you're going to de-emphasize?

GJ: You'll see Ma and Pa Kent, Lana Lang, Pete Ross, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Mordru, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, the Parasite, Metallo, Lex Luthor and others...

NRAMA: In telling Superman’s origin, what has to be there? What is inviolate, in your eyes?

GJ: I can only say, unlike previous Superman origin stories, this will be told almost entirely from Clark's eyes. We won't be spending an issue on Krypton. We'll be opening on one of Clark's earliest memories as a kid and moving forward from there. This is his story of self-discovery and the world's story of meeting Superman.

NRAMA: There've been many tellings of Superman's origins and early years - from the versions in comics to that of your mentor, Richard Donner in Superman: The Movie, to Smallville... what would you say yours is closest to?

GJ: This isn't Smallville or Superman: The Movie or Superman: The Silver Age, this is Superman: Secret Origin by me and Gary. It's a different look at the beginnings of the characters and mythos of Superman that will set the stage for the monthly Superman comics. And this does not signify the end of my involvement with the Superman Family.

This is also not the end of Gary and I as a team. We're in sync creatively on a level I think either of us have ever reached. Gary is one of the greatest storytellers and artists in comic books and these characters are as lucky as me to work with him. I am incredibly thankful for it all. And after Superman: Secret Origin, Gary and I already know what comes next. It'll be a monthly.

[thepariah]

Nice. I'm diggin' that 4-cover spread.

[Valentine Smith]

I'm all over this.

I didn't care for Birthright, which is strange as I like Mark Waid very much, and I think few people on this planet understand Superman the way he does. I don't understand how he missed the mark so badly with that series.

The most important thing happening here is that they're bringing back Superboy. My guess is that he's never Superboy in Smallville, but ONLY when he goes into the future with the Legion. I'm totally ok with this.

[supes78]

So was Birthright meant to be the new definitive take on Superman's origin or just another Elseworld's tale? People seemed to have mixed reactions to it and as much as I love Waid's work, I couldn't get past the wooden art. If you're going to do a relaunch, then enlist an artist whose style fits the character, like Gary Frank.

[Kirok]

I usually wait for the graphic novel of something I'm interested in, but this just might get me buying regular comics for a change. ;D Good to see they're finally going through with this after kind of ignoring their last attempt at rebooting Superman in "Birthright." (I've never read "Birthright" but from what I understand it was a bit underwhelming.) Johns seems like the perfect guy for this, and Frank's art is some of the best I've seen in comic books being so "reality based" (as opposed to Superman looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Superman himself being so heavily inspired by Reeve.

It seems there've been a lot of great comics coming out recently and I need to take a trip down to the comic store and get my hands on the Donner's run on Action Comics, Johns' "Superman and the Legion," and the latest Brainiac story everyone's been talking about.

Nov 29, 2008 20:18:51 GMT -5 Valentine Smith said:

The most important thing happening here is that they're bringing back Superboy. My guess is that he's never Superboy in Smallville, but ONLY when he goes into the future with the Legion. I'm totally ok with this.

Superboy was before my time and in retrospect removing him from the mythos was a good idea. However, if they're going to use a loophole like that (only being Superboy with the Legion in the future and wiping his memory when his adventures are through), then it's acceptable. They did the same thing on the "Legion of Superheroes" animated series. Also, seeing that Johns is writing the Legion episode of "Smallville" I wonder if his comic book take on the LoS will be at all similar.

[supes78]

But is another reboot really necessary? No matter how many times they re-do his origin, 90% of it still remains what we are all familiar with. John Byrne's reboot still seems like a good starting point for the modern Superman. And with having recently killed off Jonathan Kent, it finally resolved one of my biggest issues with Byrne's reboot, the fact the Kents were still alive. Although I think the new reboot will be a good read, I just feel like they're not doing the character any favors by continuing to revisit an origin that everyone knows by heart instead of focusing more on the future of Superman stories.

[Kirok]

Well after all the Crisis, it would be in DC's best interests to reboot ALL of their character. I thought that was what the idea was behind Infinite Crisis and then Final Crisis anyway. And it's not like they'd have to erase what came before, just look at what Marvel has done with their Ultimates. They stand alongside the original continuities as alternatives, and DC could easily do the same.

[Valentine Smith]

Superboy is an important part of the Superman mythos. There was a Superboy in continuity from 1948 til 1986. And while I understand that publishing the "continuing adventures of Superman when he was a boy" poses continuity problems, the bottom line is that it's important that that aspect exists.

Now, do I think it could work now? No. HOWEVER, the Legion loophole is the way to do it. Clark goes to the future, adventures with the Legion, and is returned to the exact moment from which he was taken. Therefore, we're not dealing with the weirdness of the time period in which the Superboy stories take place constantly creeping forward.

The MOST important aspect of the Superboy character IS his time with the Legion. And as Johns teased in both JSA and Action Comics recently, it was his time in the Legion which helped shape him into Superman.

While I am a big fan of Man Of Steel, and most of the post 86 Superman stuff, Byrne and DC editorial dropped the ball BADLY on 3 things...

1) Supergirl
2) The Legion
3) The Phantom Zone

Now that these three things are being properly re-instated as the recognizable, iconic parts of Superman mythology that they are, I can breathe a sigh of relief.

[Deleted]

Wow. Another origin. Again. I'm curious, and I'll buy it when collected. I like the art a lot better than the Waid version, whoever drew that.

But, another origin? Again?

I can imagine the conversations ...

"So, what can we do with Superman next?"
"Well, we could have him married, trying to raise a kid while balancing work and his Superman persona. It'd really flesh out the character and see how far he can be pushed emotionally. It's a chance to do some really interesting, grown-up situations."
"Hmmm, nah. Too risky."
"Yeah ..."
"Got anything else?"
"I've got this idea for another origin series."
"Fantastic. Let's get on it!"

[Valentine Smith]

Ever since the failure of Birthright, and the Donner-verse hints of the new Superman origin in the comics since about 2006, fans have been SCREAMING for a new Superman origin.

Personally, I wasn't. However, the fact that it's by FAR the best creative team for the job, and that they're fixing te "broken" elements of Superman, then I'm fine with it.

It's not like they're re-starting the continuity or undoing the marriage.

[Jor-L5150]

donner-verse and byrne-verse are ( although byrne loved reeve ) mutually exclusive.... birthright was , frankly , a let-down. the current neo-silver age superman can't be reconciled with the post-crisis/byrne superman.


the water is muddy.


personally - the donnerverse is near perfect, but byrne was heck-bent to " fix " superman. how can you have " superBOY" and still justify a world that is stunned by the apearance of superMAN ? there is no verisimiltude in a world that accepts a superboy and yet is surprised by a superMAN. NYRNE's solution was to ignore superboy and relegate him toa abberant paralell. it worked.

superboy is irreconcilable with the premise of a " caped wonder stuns city ( metropolis ) " ....

so.... IF - superboy ( a young clark WITH a costume and powers ) is a part of superman's memory then it MUST , absolutely HAS TO BE isolated with young superman's adventures taking place in the era of legion of superheroes where- upon reaching adulthood he returns to his own era as a man who knows what he can do and with a broader view of humanity and history.

otherwise it is a completely innane make-it-up-as-you-go premise that reinvemts the continuity every summer.

its about verisimiltude. its fiction. its myth. but is it a myth that has an internal logic? does it even make sense?

i will be interested in this as it seems like an effort to wrap up all the versions of superman into a cohesive narrative, so i hope its good. but i will probably wait for the TPB.

[stargazer01]

Dec 1, 2008 6:54:00 GMT -5 Valentine Smith said:

Ever since the failure of Birthright, and the Donner-verse hints of the new Superman origin in the comics since about 2006, fans have been SCREAMING for a new Superman origin.

Personally, I wasn't. However, the fact that it's by FAR the best creative team for the job, and that they're fixing te "broken" elements of Superman, then I'm fine with it.

It's not like they're re-starting the continuity or undoing the marriage.

Yeah, I agree. It isn't a full reboot per se. They are just expanding it by adding a few more elements. I'm looking forward to this, it sounds really interesting, and I LOVE that they are keeping the crystal Fortress and other elements from the Donnerverse. Yay! The only thing that lets me down a bit sometimes is the way Mr. Frank draws Superman face. Sorry, but Superman's face looks kinda creepy sometimes. Other than that, I think Mr. Frank is a great artist. I LOVE the way he draws Supes body, not too bulky and more realistic. I hope they get this just right, and that they DON'T do another origin story in a long time.

[supes78]

Artist Gary Frank is now speaking out about his vision of the reboot.
From www.newsarama.com/comics/120808-Frank-SupermanSO.html

Before his run with the artist began on Action Comics, Geoff Johns called Gary Frank the "heir apparent" for Superman. In the months since Frank started on the series, readers are finding out why the description fits. Aside from winning praise for his iconic images of Superman and the heart-breaking depiction of Jonathan Kent's death, Frank has also redefined Superman's supporting cast, including the Legion of Super-Heroes and a creepy new Brainiac. Now, as we announced a week or so back, Frank and Johns will be moving off Action Comics to tell the origin of the iconic character himself in Superman: Secret Origin, a six-issue mini-series from DC early next year. Newsarama talked to Frank about the characters he'll be drawing in Superman: Secret Origin, why it's important to tell this story now, and why he and Johns like working together so much.

Newsarama: When we talked to Geoff about Superman: Secret Origin, he said this was something you two have been talking about for awhile. What spawned the idea? And how did the project get going?

Gary Frank: Well, we've been talking about it but I wasn't involved in coming up with the idea. I was, obviously, very excited when I heard that this whole thing was on the cards and that I was going to be involved but the idea itself was hatched out by others so I couldn't really tell you much about how it happened. Geoff and I talk pretty regularly so, throughout the Action issues there would be things said which would touch on the stuff that'll be explored here. If you want to have an idea of the character you are portraying, you need to know where he comes from, right?

NRAMA: We heard Geoff's reasoning for the need to tell these stories. Why do you feel it's important to tell this story now?

GF: I'm someone who likes clarity. It depresses me to see people arguing about what is or is not canon instead of enjoying the books. We know that Superman has had a lot of stories told about him over the years and it's probably inevitable that some things will contradict other things and become a little messy. I'm not sure whether the main motivation for the previous reboots have been to keep the character fresh or to just clear the decks and say "Okay, this our jumping on point." so that everyone knows where they stand. From my (slightly anal-retentive) point of view, I like the tidying up aspect of it. I like to know who the character is and be reasonably confident that the stories I read will be about that character no matter who the writer is. That said, if you're going clear those decks, then I think you need to find the writer who has a very clear vision of the character and, presently, I don't think there is a writer in the industry who is better at taking these characters and distilling them down to their essences than Geoff. He understands the appeal of Superman and yet doesn't seem to have the common weakness of trying to make his mark on a character. When he gets going he doesn't ever talk about his "version" of Superman. It's just Superman. We've all read, I'm sure, a Superman book where we didn't really feel like we knew the character. Where the writer, often with the best of intentions, has tried put a personal stamp on the character, whether it be to try and make him more current, or cool, or have a broader appeal, etc. You may finish up with the feeling that you've read a cool superhero story but it didn't necessarily feel like a Superman story. Well, there's none of that in Geoff's stuff. He isn't trying to give us a newer improved Superman. He's trying to polish away some of the muck that has accumulated over the years and get back to what made the character so great in the first place. The reader knows exactly who they're reading about, and I love that because I had no intention of drawing a generic superhero.

NRAMA: One thing being explored in this series is Clark Kent as Superboy. We've talked before about how you draw Superman. How different is it to draw Clark Kent as Superboy? And what differences are there in the two characters besides the obvious physical size?

GF: It's interesting because, as I've said in previous interviews, I've tried very to make my version (alas, my ego is larger than Geoff's!!!), you know, I was about to say "distinctive" but that's not it. In many ways, it's the opposite. Sure I want him to feel distinct from other superheroes but I want him to feel 100% the same Superman you know and love, whether you come to this stuff via Curt Swan or Richard Donner. I've been pretty clear that Christopher Reeve was an important ingredient in the mix, but I wanted Superboy to look like a younger version of my Superman, not a younger version of Chris Reeve playing Superman, if that makes sense. Frankly, I have no idea what the young Christopher Reeve looked like but I'm sure you can find out online without much effort. But it's not relevant to what I'm trying to do. So I'm just starting with my Superman and trying to come up with a kid that could conceivably grow into that man.

NRAMA: On the covers you did, it's obvious you're getting to draw a lot of the characters you've drawn before -- the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Kents, Lois -- but this time much younger. What's that been like? Have there been any specific challenges or joys from visually modifying characters to their younger selves?

GF: I haven't really gone too far into that yet. I'm tackling the Kents here and Lana, who is the child version of the blink-and-you'll-miss-her Lana at Jonathan's funeral. The main three Legion members appeared in their younger forms in the Legion arc, but I'm sure that plenty more will show up in the second issue. Perry is the kind of guy who looks the same at 50 as he did at 40 and Jimmy is still a young guy in the present continuity, though not quite the kid we'll see here. Lois will be a very different person, though. This story will take place pre-Pulitzer when she's still struggling to make her name.

NRAMA: What are some of the more interesting things you're getting to draw in this series so far?

GF: Oh that's easy. In the first issue we see the birth of Clark Kent. And, no, I don't mean the birth of Superman. There are a lot of people who just can't understand the "awkward" Clark Kent who is also the World's greatest hero, but the way Geoff has handled it, you can clearly see how he arrives at that weird dual state. It's all very organic and logical. I can't imagine anyone reading the first half of the first issue and still not understanding Clark's personality. Well, I can, but I can't imagine as many.

NRAMA: We've heard that you and Geoff will be working together after this series. What is it about your creative working relationship with Geoff that makes you want to continue working together?

GF: Geoff just gets more out of me than most other writers. It's that simple. Aside from the fact that he is telling such beautiful, fresh stories with characters that have been around the block more times than should be healthy, he just has a knack for giving me stuff that gets me really excited. The thing that I love to try to convey is the humanity of the people I'm drawing and Geoff just serves that up in kingsize portions. He is also so receptive to input and ideas. The man has no ego at all. So I get to feel like I really have a creative dog in the fight, so to speak. This might be disastrous if we weren't pulling in the same direction but we are so on the same page it is scary. I'm like Scotty to his Cap'n Kirk. I trust that he knows where we're going and he trusts me to help him get us there.

[Keith]

Man I cannot wait to pick these up and see how well the story and the art is going to be.

hopefully it'll be something that'll be as good as Green Arrow was when Kevin Smith started with it.

[supes78]

"I've been pretty clear that Christopher Reeve was an important ingredient in the mix, but I wanted Superboy to look like a younger version of my Superman, not a younger version of Chris Reeve playing Superman, if that makes sense. Frankly, I have no idea what the young Christopher Reeve looked like but I'm sure you can find out online without much effort. But it's not relevant to what I'm trying to do. So I'm just starting with my Superman and trying to come up with a kid that could conceivably grow into that man."

This is an interesting quote by Gary because when I look at his rendition of the young Clark Kent, that IS Reeve. Same thing with his Superboy. He may not be looking at references of Reeve as boy, but his drawings still look like they could be Reeve from his youth.

[Deleted]

When does this come out and where can I buy it online? No comic shops within 150 miles.

[Metallo]

His youngest Clark looks like a younger Tom Welling. Superboy DOES look a bit like a younger goofier looking Chris Reeve.

Jor El is obviously Brando...which is nothing newe...btu the beard is still odd to look at.

[supes78]

Jan 13, 2009 3:59:27 GMT -5 @bamabrad said:

When does this come out and where can I buy it online? No comic shops within 150 miles.

DC is still reporting the release date for this as near the end of the year. If you want to subscribe to this online, your best bet is www.mycomicshop.com/.

[Valentine Smith]

I think #1 is still scheduled to hit in late June or July. Can't get here soon enough, regardless!

[supermanearth2]

I'm not a fan of reboots myself, but DC already shot themselves in the foot once they did writer Mark Waid's Superman: Birthright 12-part series back in 2003-2004, which really glossed over John Byrne's 1986 Man of Steel reboot post-Crisis on Infinite Earths. That confusion alone hit us the readers asking which origin is which? Waid says that Birthright can work within Man of Steel's stories, but I really don't see that being the case at all. It just doesn't work. They are completely different stories. Leinil Yu's art looked awkward to me on Birthright, and yet he's one of those artists who had a great art style when doing Wolverine and the X-Men over at Marvel. His art on Birthright disapointed me somewhat, as I expected better from him at least. Was he trying out a new art style during Birthright? Who knows?
Even this confusion spreaded into the comic storylines themselves, as even Superman himself didn't know which origin was real. When that happens, its clear that the writers and editors at DC were at a loss as to which origin was to be considered canon: Man of Steel or Birthright. Kurt Busiek was supposed to help weave Superman's new origins, but it never happened, and now it falls to Geoff Johns to tell it, as DC Comics for some years now, has been wanting to give a new post-Inifinite Crisis origin for Superman. Now we're getting with Superman: Secret Origin.

[zarius]

I agree with you to an extent...I've never liked vanilla reboots (I.E, all of a sudden, we end one continuity and go into the other) even if the new staus quoe turns out to be good.

But the Geoff Jones era I feel deserves to be the definitive Superman story at this juncture, and so long as they don't tread on their present day developments, instead opting to use these mini-series to explain the history of the characters, then that's better than receiving nothing at all.

It does make one wonder when the Byrne continuity ends and this begins (prior to IC anyway), I'll just pretend the New Krypton arc is the swansong for the Byrne era whilst also serving as an essential portion of the Jones era.

[Valentine Smith]

The only two things from the Byrne era that I know for CERTAIN have been stated as "wiped from continuity" are...

The entire "pocket universe/time trapper/death of Superboy" story. So henceforth...

The "Superman executes the pocket universe Phantom Zone criminals" storyline is also gone.

Consequently "Matrix Supergirl" is completely wiped from continuity.

The rest of the Byrne-era Superman lore is fairly easy to reconcile, if you don't think too hard about it.

[Deleted]

I liked the Matrix Supergirl.

[zarius]

The 150 versions of General Zod are wiped too right?

Gotta catch 'em all

[Valentine Smith]

Yes, I seem to remember either Didio or Johns saying that all previous General Zods are gone from continuity. Also, fine by me!