Reading any DC comics these days?

[RJMacReady16]

As far as I know, All-Star Superman is ending after 12 issues, which would be the next issue. It's sad. I love Morrison and Quitely's work on this series. It's such a breath of fresh air. I tend to enjoy most of Morrison's work a great deal, but he outdid himself with this series.

I just don't get ending the whole series. I thought the All Star imprint was going to be DC's answer to Marvel's Ultimate line---as an on-going series?

Year One is amazing, I have no idea why Warner Bros didn't just tell Frank Miller to film Year One instead of doing Batman Begins (Year One story is far superior to BB, IMNSHO).

No thank you.

Before Begins came out I would've wholeheartedly agreed with you, but after seeing what Nolan has done I don't see much room for complaint. I wouldn't go back now if I could, though I'm certainly not taking away from the fact that Year One is one of the greatest comics ever written.

 

[Serpentor]

I just don't get ending the whole series. I thought the All Star imprint was going to be DC's answer to Marvel's Ultimate line---as an on-going series?

That is what everyone thought when the line was announced, then DC sort of said it was all star creators doing classic takes on iconic DC Characters. Then Frank Miller went off the deep end with All Star Batman and suddenly it just beacme All Star Creative Teams doing whatever the heck they want with the characters.

Plans may have changed but I thought Grant Morrison had a couple more issues of All Star Superman up his sleeve.

I think we'll see more All Star Superman and Batman after the respective runs end with Miller and Lee and Morrison is done if he does more. The books selll very well and thats all these companies seem to care about is what sells not the quality.

 

[RJMacReady16]

That is what everyone thought when the line was announced, then DC sort of said it was all star creators doing classic takes on iconic DC Characters. Then Frank Miller went off the deep end with All Star Batman and suddenly it just beacme All Star Creative Teams doing whatever the heck they want with the characters.

Plans may have changed but I thought Grant Morrison had a couple more issues of All Star Superman up his sleeve.

I think we'll see more All Star Superman and Batman after the respective runs end with Miller and Lee and Morrison is done if he does more. The books selll very well and thats all these companies seem to care about is what sells not the quality.

I think DC really missed the boat by not making the All Star imprint a "do-over" of sorts. The Batman & Superman universes have both become so convoluted (supes) and bloated with supporting characters (bats) that I don't bother keeping up with them regularly. ]

I'd love to see a line featuring a young Bruce Wayne, and an unmarried Supes without them being forced to pull a "Quesada".

 

[Krypto]

The reason I love the Byrne Superman is that it humanized the character. He no longer was the man who could move planets and still get a byline in. You got to actually meet Clark and see the world through his eyes and my favorite "fix" to the story was that it was Clark who is Superman not Superman who is Clark Kent. Clark is who was his entire life growing up in Smallville not Kal-El.

For me I can't stand the retrograde motion of Superman's character back to the silver age. Growing up on Byrne, Jurgens, Lois and Clark, Superman: The Animated Series and many other influences, it is like a slap in the face to say "No more of that Superman since Infinite Crisis. Nope now that multiple earths are here Superman must be super-smart, super-strong, and be able to do everything under the sun and more."

That limits the amount of stories you can do with him IMO. It reminds me of why I don't read Marvel anymore due to the whole Spider-Man: One More Day crap. And I know there are readers that feel different regarding this and prefer the SA Superman over the MA Superman characterization but for a reader who spent a lot of time loving this version of the character it is just a slap in the face.

To me, I didn't see Byrne really humanizing Superman, but rather stripping him of the magic and the fantasy. He made Clark the main identity, not Superman, and that's a big no no. The secret identity got lost in the shuffle. Clark was no longer to be playing a part as a mild mannered reporter. Unfortunately, that's translated to the awlful Lois & Clark show, perhaps the worst incarnation of the character ever. There's three identities - Kal-El, the last son of Krypton. Clark (farm) - son of the Kent's and farmboy. And the disguise, Clark the reporter for the Daily Planet. The first two, Kal-El can basically be himself and feel comfortable. But Clark Kent of Metropolis, when he's in the Planet, that's a disguise. He has to be, it's a requirement. Superman has to be the main character, otherwise, he's just another superhero and that's bland and generic and boring.

Let me see Superman sweat, bleed and hunger. Let me see the struggle he has to go through to save the world so that he earns the name Superman.

You can do these stories (and they have been done) with Superman at full strength being written the way he's supposed to be. He doesn't have to "earn" the name Superman, he's Superman all the time. He wakes up, he's Superman. That's his main identity, that's who he is, that's what he was sent here to do. He just has to be himself.

 

[chamildav]

Not much I'm currently liking right now. I'm pretty well burned out on "Event" books and everything that goes with them, and both DC and Marvel are cranking it out to beat the band.
I enjoyed the return of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, and the Sinestro Wars arc was fine, and I like Johns writing style, but I'm tired of giant overblown epics and that's what's about to happen with the GL books with the upcoming event series and don't recommend anyone start reading at this point.
Robinson's "Superman" IS worth reading. I loved "Starman" and look forward to his run on this A-List title. And he's brought Krypto back in a big way and who doesn't love "The Dog of Steel"?
I also like "JSA" although I'm not sure how I feel about the very large group of Legacy Heroes currently on the roster or the way Johns is handling them. But I've been reading it since the beginning if the last series and expect it will return ultimately to it's usually satisfying read.
Someone mentioned "Detective" being entertaining which I'd generally agree with, but at the moment Dini is having to tie-in with the "Batman: R.I.P." storyline and I don't think that's very good at all. I'm not a big Morrison fan, and I really hate that he's being entrusted with the care and feeding of some very important DC characters and continuity now. Did Dan Didio learn nothing from "Seven Soldiers"?
For those who haven't read it you might want to take a look at "Batgirl: Year One". Certainly different than than the Batman and Robin Year One books in style but I think it's one of, if not the best work Chuck Dixon's produced.
As far as other older stuff goes I hope every comic fan will pick up a copy of "Superman for all Seasons" by Loeb and Sale. For me the quintesential Superman "origin".
And I have all the Absolute Editions with the exception of the first "Authority" volume. I think they do a great job with this format. The fourth and final "Sandman" volume will come out before the end of the year and Frank Millers "Ronin" comes up fairly soon. I also have the "Worlds Greatest Superheroes" and "Justice League/Avengers" which arent technically Absolute editions but do a great job at passing. It's a nice series and if you want something special for your coffee table or if your a huge fan of, or youv'e never read "Long Halloween", "Hush", Watchmen" or some of the other titles but want to, you won't be sorry you picked up the Absolute version.

 

[Seaward]

Not much I'm currently liking right now. I'm pretty well burned out on "Event" books and everything that goes with them, and both DC and Marvel are cranking it out to beat the band.
IRobinson's "Superman" IS worth reading. I loved "Starman" and look forward to his run on this A-List title. And he's brought Krypto back in a big way and who doesn't love "The Dog of Steel"?
]

Starman is probably my favorite book of all time. I didn't know Robinson was writing Superman, so I'll be sure to check it out. My comic store is about an hour away (The discount I get is worth it), so I don't get in to browse too often, so I feel like I've missed out. I also stopped getting Previews, since I would get in so infrequently, but I have a few things I'll be checking out my next time in the store!

 

[Batman5]

To me, I didn't see Byrne really humanizing Superman, but rather stripping him of the magic and the fantasy. He made Clark the main identity, not Superman, and that's a big no no. The secret identity got lost in the shuffle. Clark was no longer to be playing a part as a mild mannered reporter. Unfortunately, that's translated to the awlful Lois & Clark show, perhaps the worst incarnation of the character ever. There's three identities - Kal-El, the last son of Krypton. Clark (farm) - son of the Kent's and farmboy. And the disguise, Clark the reporter for the Daily Planet. The first two, Kal-El can basically be himself and feel comfortable. But Clark Kent of Metropolis, when he's in the Planet, that's a disguise. He has to be, it's a requirement. Superman has to be the main character, otherwise, he's just another superhero and that's bland and generic and boring.



You can do these stories (and they have been done) with Superman at full strength being written the way he's supposed to be. He doesn't have to "earn" the name Superman, he's Superman all the time. He wakes up, he's Superman. That's his main identity, that's who he is, that's what he was sent here to do. He just has to be himself.

I can tell we could probably go back and forth and still come back with no middle ground
But to me that is the beauty of the character. Superman to many people is different and that is okay. I don't necessarily agree with the idea of the three identities because of the Superman I have grown up with for the past 21 years watching and reading about the character. I personally love the Lois and Clark show and consider it one of the best representations of the character but that is my personal opinion and I understand that some Superman fans don't or can't stand it. Just as some hate Smallville. But the beauty of the character is that he is adaptable to a multitude of people and provides entertainment to those fans all the time.
For me growing up I didn't need to see a unattainable Superman that I could never be like as I had self worth issues. But to see Clark, someone I could aspire to be in some ways be able to get the job, have fun, be in love and ultimately be successful in life meant a lot to me and helped shape my character through the years.
I still enjoy the Reeve version of Superman but only has nostalgia in a way. His Superman was the quintessential version of the SA Superman able to move time backwards and ultimately robbed of the one thing he wanted in life - Lois.

I think Bryan Singer said it best in his introduction to the Superman Returns movie guide:

"From those who came before me, to the hundreds of individuals who helped me make this film a reality, keeping the Superman torch lit was a monumental task made possible only by teamwork. Everyone involved brought their own unique skill, and applied it with the same passion that their predecessors did over the character's 68-year history.
Eventually it will be passed to someone else, and like me, they'll quickly realize how heavy it is. But also like myself, they'll have the support and strength of not just the artist around them, but all those who came before."

I don't envy Singer as he had to funnel all the various characterizations of Superman into one film and hope to satisfy people like you and me with two polar views of who Superman is. And the character of Superman will evolve over the years to something else that will come to mean something, to God willing, my children and to generations to come.
Comics are a dynamic form of mythology - always changing to something new or bad. We all have various ideas to us of what good and bad is and knowing that hopefully allows us to enjoy a medium that has brought all of us various forms of joy throughout the years.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

I recently bought "Watchmen", "Batman, the Long Halloween", and "Batman, Year One". Currently I'm reading Watchmen. The other two will have to wait!

 

[Krypto]

I can tell we could probably go back and forth and still come back with no middle ground
But to me that is the beauty of the character. Superman to many people is different and that is okay. I don't necessarily agree with the idea of the three identities because of the Superman I have grown up with for the past 21 years watching and reading about the character. I personally love the Lois and Clark show and consider it one of the best representations of the character but that is my personal opinion and I understand that some Superman fans don't or can't stand it. Just as some hate Smallville. But the beauty of the character is that he is adaptable to a multitude of people and provides entertainment to those fans all the time.
For me growing up I didn't need to see a unattainable Superman that I could never be like as I had self worth issues. But to see Clark, someone I could aspire to be in some ways be able to get the job, have fun, be in love and ultimately be successful in life meant a lot to me and helped shape my character through the years.
I still enjoy the Reeve version of Superman but only has nostalgia in a way. His Superman was the quintessential version of the SA Superman able to move time backwards and ultimately robbed of the one thing he wanted in life - Lois.

I think Bryan Singer said it best in his introduction to the Superman Returns movie guide:

"From those who came before me, to the hundreds of individuals who helped me make this film a reality, keeping the Superman torch lit was a monumental task made possible only by teamwork. Everyone involved brought their own unique skill, and applied it with the same passion that their predecessors did over the character's 68-year history.
Eventually it will be passed to someone else, and like me, they'll quickly realize how heavy it is. But also like myself, they'll have the support and strength of not just the artist around them, but all those who came before."

I don't envy Singer as he had to funnel all the various characterizations of Superman into one film and hope to satisfy people like you and me with two polar views of who Superman is. And the character of Superman will evolve over the years to something else that will come to mean something, to God willing, my children and to generations to come.
Comics are a dynamic form of mythology - always changing to something new or bad. We all have various ideas to us of what good and bad is and knowing that hopefully allows us to enjoy a medium that has brought all of us various forms of joy throughout the years.

Wait a second! I can't really argue any of this! No fair!

I will say that the three identities have been apart of Superman since the beginning for the most part and it's even represented to some degree in the most awlful adaptations like Lois & Clark.

Superman is someone we should all aspire to be. Sure we don't have superpowers, but we can all aspire to be as honest and virtuous as Superman, whether you identity with any one of the three more than another, it's still one single character. The identities are just window-dressing. Superman - rocketed to earth from a dying Krypton to be raised by a kind farmers, to become a mild-mannered reporter, and wear his heritage proudly on his chest when doing his good deeds all over the world. When you boil it down to the core, it's Superman no matter what incarnation or which identity you identify with the most, you're still identifying with Superman and that's the most important thing really.

 

[Batman5]

here, here

 

[chamildav]

Not much I'm currently liking right now. I'm pretty well burned out on "Event" books and everything that goes with them, and both DC and Marvel are cranking it out to beat the band.
IRobinson's "Superman" IS worth reading. I loved "Starman" and look forward to his run on this A-List title. And he's brought Krypto back in a big way and who doesn't love "The Dog of Steel"?
]

Starman is probably my favorite book of all time. I didn't know Robinson was writing Superman, so I'll be sure to check it out. My comic store is about an hour away (The discount I get is worth it), so I don't get in to browse too often, so I feel like I've missed out. I also stopped getting Previews, since I would get in so infrequently, but I have a few things I'll be checking out my next time in the store!

Starman is the stuff. A really nicely done series with a very strong human touch. You really have feelings for the Knight family and extended Starman family members.
For those that don't read Vertigo titles, DC's "edgier" imprint, I'd also suggest picking up Matt Wagners "Sandman Mystery Theater" trades which are also very well written.
And if you haven't been reading "Fables" or "Jack of Fables" you owe it to yourself to pick up the first trade and try it out. Really good stuff.
In a way I suppose I am still reading and liking a fair number of DC books (sorta) since those nice folks make it possible for Busieks "Astro City", all the Vertigo books and several other "Indy" imprints like Dark Horse and Dynamite titles to make it to the newstand.