From Newsarama’s brand-spankin’ new exclusive preview of September’s Superman family titles:
SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank & Jon Sibal
Covers by Gary Frank
Hot on the heels of their acclaimed run on ACTION COMICS, superstars Geoff Johns and Gary Frank reunite to present a 6-issue event that spells out the definitive origin of Superman for the 21st century – and it all starts with a gigantic 48-page issue! Chronicling Clark Kent’s journey from the cornfields of Smallville to the skyscrapers of Metropolis, you’ll witness a whole new look at the beginnings of Lex Luthor, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metallo, Jimmy Olsen, the Parasite and more! It’s a look at the mythic past of the Man of Steel with an eye toward the future!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Gary Frank), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Gary Frank). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale September 23 • 1 of 6 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
It’s got a great writer/artist team, so it’ll definitely be worth a look. But now what am I supposed to do with my copies of John Byrne’s The Man of Steel, Mark Waid’s Superman: Birthright, and that one story with the shiny cover where Jeph Loeb decided life on Krypton really was like the Silver Age Krypton?
June 12th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I think this origin will be good for another 20 years, tops. Can’t wait for it.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Hang onto them for 10-15 years from now, when the nostalgia engine has moved on and brings back everything post-Crisis on Infinite Earths.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I am really looking forward to this mini. Gary Frank’s art has NEVER looked better, and Johns is at the top of his game. Very, very excited!
June 12th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
“But now what am I supposed to do with my copies of John Byrne’s The Man of Steel, Mark Waid’s Superman: Birthright, and that one story with the shiny cover where Jeph Loeb decided life on Krypton really was like the Silver Age Krypton?”
Nothing. Read ‘em or sell ‘em or give ‘em to sick kids in the hospital.
Next question.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Re-read them, maybe? That’s what I do…
June 12th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
For a literary icon like Superman, who’s been in print for 71 years, you’d have to expect that a story like his will be told and retold like any other great myth or story. The details may change, but the legend remains the same. Whether you enjoy his origin from Action Comics or Superman #1, Action Comics #500, Superman: The Movie, Man of Steel, Birthright, Secret Origin or the countless other times it’s been reinterpreted, that’s completely up to you. It’s a good thing.
June 12th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Mark Waid and Yu just did a Superman Origin story. WTFH?
June 12th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
The various interpretations of Superman’s origin really haven’t changed that much over the years. The biggest change has been in Luthor’s role in Superman’s life. Career criminal mastermind, wealthy industrialist, twisted scientist, teenage tormentor. You take Luthor out, and the fundamentals of Superman’s origin remain the same:
1) Rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton as an infant
2) Raised by John & Martha Kent on a farm in Smallville
3) Moved to Metropolis to write for the Daily Planet
4) Disguised as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent
5) MARRIED to Lois Lane
If they keep those elemements, everything else is just details. I could live without the S-Shield being the symbol for the House of El, just because I think it’s particularly stoopid, but if that’s the worst of the changes, I’ll be happy.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Kelson said: “Hang onto them for 10-15 years from now, when the nostalgia engine has moved on and brings back everything post-Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
Hey, I can’t wait for that! Honestly, that’s my favorite era for DC. By far. I’d be just fine with that. The SIlver Age nostalgia of the past few years isn’t working for me.
I do, however, agree with what Brian said. With an icon like Superman, you have to expect to have the origin told and retold again and again. Batman’s origin has gone through changes and revisions as well. But, as Mr. Wesley pointed out, for the most part the song remains the same. It’s mostly just details. Personally, I think saying the “S” is the House of El crest is dumb too.
Secret Origin might end up being good, and perhaps I’ll at least flip through it, but I probably won’t buy since I’m cutting back on spending. So I’ll stick with Byrne’s “Man of Steel,” since I always loved those books, but there’s no reason why anyone can’t have whatever version of the tale they like best.
June 13th, 2009 at 1:22 am
“5) MARRIED to Lois Lane”
Uhh… the character hasn’t been married to Lois Lane for most of his history, and it’s certainly not part of the origin story either way.
Sorry, but don’t insert something you LIKE about the current iteration of the character as part of the origin story. And no, I don’t oppose the marriage or anything, just recognizing that it’s not integral to the character the way the rest of those are.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:37 am
I’m in the process of divesting myself of my comic book collection. It fills seventeen long boxes. To document what I have, I’ve taken a cover shot of every book. Which meant spending days looking at a lot of comic book covers. Firstly I was amazed at how few of these books I remember reading. Secondly I was amazed at what crap I bought back in the 80′s. And lastly I was amazed at how similar so many of these covers are to each other.
Comics are an amazing medium. The fusion of art and text allows so much to be told. In many ways I think they stand equal to films in that regard. But they are essentially soap operas. With funny costumes. They can be great story telling. But they are often just rehashing and recycling things from that past.
Do we really need to see *another* version of the Superman myth? I may check this out once it’s in a tpb form. But I’ll be stunned if it’s worth the effort.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:27 am
You can just burn Birthright. That art was fugly.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:58 am
He’s been married to Lois for most of a generation now, and most newcomers are going to find themselves emotionally tied to that element of the character as a Dealbreaker for future rewrites of the backstory, come what may.
June 13th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Exactly, Dwight… It’s not that marrying Lois is part of the origin, it’s just that it’s been an accepted part of the mythology for quite awhile now. I don’t think they’re going to go back on that anytime soon either. Not after what happened with Spider-Man! The point being, you can reboot the origin and you can bring lame characters best forgotten (Steve Lombard? Honestly) back, but I think the marriage will remain. But then, never put anything past Didio I guess.
June 13th, 2009 at 9:07 am
DC needs to just bite the bullet (no pun intended) and start all of the titles over at number one, do the “definitive” origin stories for each character, and go from there. Doing some of them here and there, outside of the characters’ main titles, easily leaves them open to be retconned, much like Waid’s BIRTHRIGHT.
June 13th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Darkwing:
You’re right, of course. Lois Lane being around is necessary to the mythos of Superman, but being married to her is not. But, like others said, it’s become core to our understanding of the character.
Unlike what Quesada believes about Spider-Man & Mary Jane, I think DC had told just about every story they could with an unmarried Clark & Lois, and the relationship needed to progress. And now I think Superman’s relationship to Lois is as important as his relationship to his parents.
June 13th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I’ve read and watched about 10 different King Arthur origins but I still can’t wait till the end of the month when NBC starts airing the BBC series “Merlin” which looks at a young Merlin, a young Prince Arthur and so on.
This is no different.
June 13th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
The origin of Superman?
-Doomed planet.
-Desperate scientists.
-Last hope.
-Kindly couple.
From All-Star Superman. FOUR PANELS.
September 23rd, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I agree with some of the above posters about that every 20 years or so,Comic characters are re-examined for a new generation.I wasn’t around when Byrne did MAN OF STEEL,but as I came in with THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN,and it was that incarnation that I feel is defining.To me that is “my” Superman.When I was younger I was obsesive about continuety,but as ive grown older my understanding of Supes and Comics in general has changed.I started reading and enjoying the pre-crisis Supes stories for what they are:a different take on the same material.It doesn’t hurt my enjoyment of the stories i grew up reading,nor does it
affect the ones I read now.I like SMALLVILLE,I liked BIIRTHRIGHT(which would make an awesome first instalment in a Superman movie reboot!) and yes, I liked SUPERMAN RETURNS(highly underated,even if it had major flaws).Its all different tastes of Ice Cream to me.i may prefer one flavor over another,but if it tastes good,im not going to refuse it.
As for SECRET ORIGIN#1,it was brillant.A well told chapter with a lot of heart and pathos,acompainied by beautifull art.Do I love that a lot of “my”Supes is being retconned out? No,but it wont close my mind to enjoying the ride that JOHNS and FRANK will take us on.Oh,and the last page? Made me laugh out loud! Best vnveiling of the suit i have ever seen!
September 23rd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Oh,and I ment Unveiling.Sorry,doing this from my phone.As you were. : )