Back when all these changes were announced, it came as no surprise to me that they were going to end the Lois and Clark Marriage. That seemed logical. We want a young "Bachelor" Superman. I figured we'd still have some conflict / flirting / sexual tension with Lois that would develop over time.. but I was sure they wouldn't be married.
What I didn't expect was to lose both the Kents.
That caught me off guard. Now, I realize sine 1938, that for most of Superman's existence, both Jonathan and Martha were out of the picture. Died before Clark became the hero we all know. But I grew up with Richard Donner's Superman and John Byrne's Superman... Martha and Jonathan have been a grounding point for Superman since the Man of Steel miniseries, written by John Byrne hit the stands in 1986. And when I read that Grant described Clark as being a more brooding loner type in his youth... a red flag went up.
Why? Listen, I trust the powers that be. I do. DC is trying to modern-ize and connect to new readers. I get it. I've listened to many interviews and read a lot on what certain creators think. I trust and feel that Grant Morrison truly loves the character Superman and I have faith he'll do right by him. BUT, the Superman I love... was raised and guided by the Kents, well into his adult life. And i'm finding it hard to accept this change. To me, Clark Kent is the person... Superman was the Mask. Clark was who he really was. A reporter, a husband, a son. Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is the real person. That is my DC. That is what I grew up with. That doesn't mean they shouldn't make the change. If change were easy, I'd have given up candy bars a long time ago. But for what ever reason... they are changing this too. If they write it well and it makes sense. I'm okay with it. I'll adjust. If Clark is still Clark at the core and Jonathan & Martha's values are still in him somewhere. I'll still be a Superman fan.
So, I ask... no... I'm begging DC. Do me one favor, before this becomes the new Superman. Let the fans have their good-bye. I'm serious. In all things... we need closure. Funerals are for the living, not those who have passed. They are a way to say good-bye. Give us a moment to reflect on the ending of the "Post" Crisis DC Universe. It wouldn't have to be a huge event. In fact, I'd prefer it not be. It needs to be a timeless, well written homage to what made the "Post-Crisis" Superman so great. Not an event, just a great Clark story, where he connects to Lois and to his adopted parents, "Jonathan and Martha. You did it at the end of the Pre-Crisis DC world. "Whatever happened to the Man of Tomorrow" was a great closing of the book to the DC Silver Age. So let's do this DC. Give me my good-bye. Bye to the Lois and Clark Marriage, bye to the Kents, and bye to the book and character that forever hooked me into comics. Bye Clark. (Snif Snif)
To be fair, it wasn't Grant that called Superman a brooding loner type. That was the "Powers That Be" in the New York Times article. The company described him as brash and brooding.
ReplyDeleteGrant called him "a 21st century Paul Bunyan who fights for the weak and downtrodden against bullies of all kinds, from robot invaders and crime lords to corrupt city officials" and "a street-level defender of the ordinary man and woman."
Which is more or less Superman.
I don't know if I trust The Powers That Be but Grant's earned some trust with me.
I don't know how much of the goodbye you hope for that you'll actually get. I don't really see where that would fit in on the schedule DC has given us between now and October. Unless their deaths are addressed in Action Comics. Which is very possible. And hopefully if that's so, it's done in a way that feels cathartic for fans.
I think they major issue is that whoever gave that quote is confusing being a loner and just being alone. I mean the legend of Paul Bunyan is about a man losing his home, having to go out in the world and making the best out of his abilities. Hell a major part of his mythos, Babe the Blue Ox is there as a way for Bunyan to fight off is own loneliness and isolation. I get the feeling Krypto is going to end up being a parallel to Babe.
ReplyDeleteAlso there may be a chance we will get a Holiday special this year which honestly would be the perfect place to have all these "good-byes" to take place. Still we are very early into the life of the new universe, just give it some time. Last month I was worried that Huntress was going away, now not only does she have her own miniseries she gets a decent costume again. We are a very impatient lot, I think we just need to learn to wait a bit more. Hell SDCC is just in a few days, and considering that the New 52 has four panels dedicated to it I think we need to just wait before we do anything.
If the choice was whether to have the Kents die or keep Huntress in that idiotic belly-window costume, I'd kill the Kents in an instant.
ReplyDelete#RobbBait
#justjokes
But..But... But... I haven't seen the Huntress' new costume. But really... really... just for that, I'm going to send an email to Joe Quesada and ask to keep Jubliee in fangs!
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