DCU IN 2010: THE WAR OF THE SUPERMEN BEGINS
Superman has left Earth in the hands of Nightwing, Flamebird, Mon-El and the Guardian.
The tensions between Earth and New Krypton are slowly rising. The winds of war are stirring.
As our very own Dan DiDio has teased numerous times, 2010 is going to be a huge year for Superman. But just what is going on has not been revealed.
Until now. Welcome to the WAR OF THE SUPERMEN.
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This lovely piece of J.G. Jones artwork is the cover to WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0, which will hit stands 5/1/10, as the DCU FREE COMIC BOOK DAY title, and will kick off an event that is sure to change Superman’s status quo.
What more can we say? Not a lot — we can tell you writer James Robinson and artist Eddy Barrows will be taking point on the issue — but we did manage to rope SUPERMAN Group Editor Matt Idelson for a quick tease about what’s to come. Take it away, Matt:
“WAR OF THE SUPERMEN is the culmination of literally years of stories in the Super-books, all building to a destructive conflict which can have no victors. This Free Comic Book Day #0 issue is going to show the readers that no cows are sacred, and that they don’t want to miss this event.”
Not sated? Of course not. Then swing over to TIME’s TECHLAND blog for a few more nuggets of info.
With the absence of Superman from his main titles and his appearance in New Krypton, we’ve known that something big was on the horizon. Even going further back to James Robinson’s start on Superman and beyond, the seeds of a war between New Krypton and Earth have been there even before Kandor’s release from Braniac’s ship.
Like this year’s BLACKEST NIGHT #0, WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0 kicks off the storm of Supermen at war with Earth in the middle. With it’s promise of a conflict with no victors (as seen above), one can only hope for a complex story with various characters striving for their goals, even if they’re not wholly altruistic.
DC’s EARTH ONE OGN’s in 2010
Via the Source at dccomics.com
By Alex Segura
That major publishing event we mentioned earlier today? Well, here it is.
Original stories featuring Batman and Superman in graphic novel form from the biggest creators out there. But these aren’t one-offs. We’re talking ongoing series of OGNs in a new continuity, on a new Earth.
Sound appealing?
Starting next year, DC Comics will unveil SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE and BATMAN: EARTH ONE, two graphic novels spotlighting the most powerful heroes of the DC Universe, with their first years and earliest moments retold in a standalone, original graphic novel format, on a new earth with an all-new continuity.
Return to Smallville and experience the journey of Earth’s greatest adopted son, as he grows from boy to Superman in SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE by J. Michael Straczynski and artist Shane Davis.
Watch from the darkest corners of Crime Alley as a young boy is struck by unbelievable tragedy that will forge the greatest crime-fighter to ever stalk the rooftops of Gotham City in BATMAN: EARTH ONE, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank.
What does JMS have to say? Well, here’s a snippet from his first interview on the subject:
“What I’m trying to do is to dig in to the character and look at him through modern eyes. If you were to create the Superman story today, for the first time, but keep intact all that works, what would it look like?”
“It is monumental for us as comic readers to see Superman birthed for the first time,” Davis said. “It’s a privilege to realize that you’re the artist that gets to draw it, better yet having the luxury to do it in an original graphic novel. This is going to be epic!”
What about Geoff Johns? Well, we happen to have a bit from his first interview as well:
“BATMAN: EARTH ONE allows Gary and I to break the restraints of any continuity and focus on two things: character and story.”
Want more? Sure you do. Why not check out the interviews AIN’T IT COOL NEWS just posted with the previously mentioned Johns and Straczynski?
In a new series spinning into a modern streamlined all-access ongoing, DC launches it’s Earth One Graphic Novels.
Unlike All Star comics (All Star Superman, All Star Batman & Robin), the two books will be setting up an ongoing continuity/ story available in Original Graphic Novels (OGN’s). One could make the argument that with all the recent relaunches, origin redux, and retcons, that these books are not necessarily needed in the market right now.
However, these books are not really for the current monthly fan, both in story and format. I think it’s possible that the monthly reader can enjoy these books, but these books seem more for the outsider looking to read about Superman and/ or Batman without decades of baggage, Zero Hours, and Crises.
In a OGN format, these books wil no doubt be far more attractive to the bookstore buyer, the reader looking for an entry level book, non-mainstream comic readers and more. I really like this idea and format coupled with strong creators in hopes to bring new fans into the readership.
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