Interview: J. Michael Straczynski on Superman: Earth One Vol. 2

Last week I reviewed J. Michael Straczynski's Superman: Earth One Vol. 2; subsequent to my review, I reached out to Mr. Straczynski with a few questions by email, which he was kind enough to answer.  Straczynski also submitted some responses to my review, which I've posted with the review itself. Spoilers for Superman: Earth One follow.

Collected Editions: Superman chooses to arm rebels against a dictator in this book, a choice the United States itself struggles with in Syria and elsewhere. Were the real-world parallels intentional, or what interested you in pitting Superman against more political challenges in Superman: Earth One Vol. 2?

J. Michael Straczynski: My sense is that Clark is feeling his way in terms of using his powers.  He’s just recently announced himself to the world, and now the same questions that we might ask -- why doesn’t Superman solve problems A, B and C -- are running through his head.  What is his responsibilitiy to the rest of the world?  We know the rules of the Superman we know because they’ve been in place for decades.  This Superman, this Clark, still has to figure all that out.  Coming at this from his perspective, knowing he can do just about anything, where is the cut-off line?  How far is too far?  And what can his conscience accept in terms of not doing?

I don’t think Clark has any vested interest in knocking over foreign governments, that’s simply not on his radar.  But by the same token, if he hadn’t done what he did, thousands of innocent people would have suffered and died.  There was no other way to deal with it.  It’s right, it’s inevitable ... but it’s also the camel’s nose in the tent.  Having done this, where is the point of no return?  If A, why not B?  If B, why not C?  It’s a slippery slope for Clark, especially since as far as he knows there’s nobody out there with the power to stop him from doing A, B and C.  So why not do it if it’s in a good cause?

Which of course gives every other nation on earth a wholly justified case of the screaming willies, especially once word of Superman’s actions in this case get out, as they inevitably will.  All of this feeds into the story I’m writing for volume three.  Each volume has an unwritten title that I keep in my head: volume 1 is “truth,” being the truth that Jim stands for, the truth of who Clark has to be, and the story he tells; volume 2 is “justice,” affecting his personal life and his actions in choosing to overthrow an unjust tyrant ... so given that progression, maybe volume 3 is what we think it might be, and maybe it’s something else ...

CE: Lois and Jimmy got their time to shine in Vol. 2, but not nearly as much as in Vol. 1. Would you as soon see Earth One continue to play with the standard Superman supporting cast, or introduce more new characters like Lisa Lasalle?

JMS: I had to pull back a little on Lois and Jim because there was just so much going on in this volume: the disaster that Clark has to deal with, the political intrigue, Lois’ investigation, the relationship with Lisa, the introduction and sad fate of Eddie, not to mention the big action sequences ... it’s a very dense book.  So I pulled back a bit on those two in order to make the rest work.  In volume 3 we swing the spotlight back around to Lois, Jim, and Perry in a big way.  I now have pretty much all of the major players I’ll need for a while, so I don’t need to pull away time to bring in and establish a new character.  They’re all on stage now. 

CE: Clark’s romantic interest in Vol. 2, Lisa Lasalle, turns out to work as a prostitute. Did you have any concerns about taking Superman into more “adult” territory, and how did you see Lisa’s revelation as tying into the overall themes of Vol. 2?

JMS: The Earth One books have always been a bit on the mature side, so in that respect, I wasn’t afraid in the least of bringing that aspect into the book.  If anything, I think the reaction is fascinating because we still make such a big deal about those things, as if this says something bad about her.  These things happen.  In college, I was in a relationship for some time with a woman who said to me exactly Lisa’s words to Clark.  Verbatim.  (The only part I left out was when she said to me, “They have my body but you have my heart.”)  Didn’t mean she was a bad person, just that she’d had to make some hard choices in her life to survive.  But we put that under such a stigma.  If everyone in Los Angeles who made ambiguous choices of one sort or another to further their career or their livelihood had to leave, the entire LA basin would be empty within 24 hours.  Her work is actually not a big deal to Clark, but it’s fascinating to see to how it is a big deal to some people looking on from outside.

In volume three their friendship deepens, and they become really close pals.  They’re there for each other in ways that might surprise a lot of people.  As for the thematic aspects ... one of the themes of volume 2 is that all of us have something to hide, big or small, important or trivial.  We all have our secret faces that we show only a few people in our lives.  That’s not just Clark and Lisa, that’s Perry and Jim and Lois and you and me and everybody reading this.

CE: The reader meets not one, but two Lex Luthors at the end of the book, long after we’ve already met Lois, Jimmy, and other key members of the Superman supporting cast. What pressure did you feel personally to use or exclude the Lex Luthor character, and what role do you see Luthor playing in the Superman mythos?

JMS: In some ways, Luthor has come to dominate the Superman sage in recent years.  So I wanted to build up Superman absent that influence for a while, so he can stand on his own, defining himself as himself as opposed to being defined by contrast with Lex.  So when volume one came out and lots of folks said “where’s Lex?” I knew that I’d made exactly the right decision.  The book is Superman: Earth One, not Luthor: Earth One.

But by the same token, he’s a fascinating character and I had some ideas on how to redefine him that could deepen the character and make him more interesting.  So volume three will get into that.

Those sorts of redefinitions or reconsiderations are at the heart of what I’m trying to do with Earth One.  When Superman first appeared, he was the strongest character in comics, in and out of DC.  In the passing decades other characters have appeared in and out of DC who are just as strong if not stronger.  So given that scenario, why is Superman important?  Why is he worthy of consideration, time and respect?  He has to be just as interesting without his powers as with them.  So I’m putting a buttload of work into really fleshing out Clark as a person, looking for avenues and approaches that haven’t been over-used.  Ditto for the rest of the cast.

CE: In interviews about Earth One, Vol. 1, you talked about making the Daily Planet feel like a “real newspaper” and bringing journalistic realism to Clark Kent’s Earth One life. Clark’s had a lot of jobs throughout the years, from reporter to novelist, television host, and as rumored upcoming in the monthly series, news blogger. Why do you feel it’s important to keep Clark in his traditional reporter role instead of changing things for Earth One? Is there another profession in which you could see the Earth One Clark Kent?

JMS: Clark could do any number of things, that was one of the main points of volume one.  He could do any of them without even breaking a sweat.  And that’s exactly the reason why he’s at the Planet: it’s the one place, the one profession, where he has to come at the job from the inside-out.  Best baseball player?  Easy.  Just hit the ball and go home.  But to be a reporter, a writer, you have to be willing to expose part of yourself, to put your own judgements about right and wrong on the table along with what you think is important.  It pushes Clark in ways that the other professions couldn’t.  Perry believes that Clark can be a good writer/reporter one day, but he feels that Clark writes like someone with something to hide ... and he’s absolutely right.  The only way Clark can ever get good at this profession is by being willing to do something that’s terrified him since childhood: to stop hiding.

Those sorts of dynamics are just infinite fun to write, and I have to say that I’m enjoying the hell out of this series.

Thanks again for J. Michael Straczynski for answering our questions. Superman: Earth One Vol. 2 is in bookstores today.

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Review: Superman: Earth One Vol. 2 graphic novel (DC Comics)

Why do we need Superman: Earth One?

With Smallville having told the adventures of the nascent Superman over a period of ten years, and the DC New 52 having recently de-aged the Man of Steel to a less experienced state, why do we need one more book that examines Superman's origins?

Because writer J. Michael Straczynski tackles aspects of the young Clark Kent that no one else can.

The second volume of Superman: Earth One will undoubtedly be controversial because Straczynski addresses the sexual issues a real-life Superman would have to face, punctuated by no less than a shout-out to Larry Niven's classic essay "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex." But Earth One Volume 2 ultimately emerges as an examination of Clark Kent's heart, and his isolation, of which his sexuality is just one part. There are instances of too-swift characterization here in Straczynski's rush to make philosophical points about Superman, but this does not mitigate the weight of the points Straczynski makes, nor the value of this venue for Straczynski to make them.

[Review contains spoilers]

Straczynski's Earth One Clark Kent is a legitimately lonely figure. Though the Superman standards of Perry White, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen were all present in the first volume, there were no cheeseburgers with Jimmy or awkward dates with Lois; Clark doesn't much appear nor really interact with anyone. In the second volume, Straczynski world-builds, emphasizing Clark more and giving Clark an Earth One-specific supporting cast -- Clark's sentient Kryptonian ship, landlord Mr. Abraham, neighbor Eddie Monroe -- but these are characters Clark only timidly passes; his interactions are only the barest of conversations.

It's a pattern, Straczynski demonstrates, that encompasses the entirety of Clark's life: school dances where Clark hunched against the wall, touching no one; and school days where Clark made only C's, figuratively trying not to "touch" anyone or make any impressions. In part this was to protect the secret of his powers; in part this was out of fear that Clark might accidentally hurt anyone he got too close to, up to and including romantic encounters.

Because of that fear, Clark invulnerability gains extra meaning -- Clark cannot be physically hurt, or "touched," but neither will he let anyone touch him emotionally. Even further, the Earth One Superman resigns himself to fighting big, unambiguous crises -- tidal waves and alien invasions -- rather than involve himself in more "intimate" human affairs where he might make the wrong decision and cause harm.

Into this -- with the narrative subtlety of a sledgehammer -- Straczynski introduces Lisa Lasalle. Lasalle, another of Clark's neighbors, is all openness (to the point of ridiculousness), quite immediately piercing Clark's barriers and offering him that one thing he's seemed to have always lacked: a friend (and an opportunity at physical intimacy, even if Clark ultimately doesn't pursue it). Just as Clark's physical power doesn't count when he fights the Parasite here, Lasalle easily surmounts Clark's emotional walls, and this leads Clark by the end to begin to consider Superman's role in addressing the problems of individuals, not just protecting humanity as a whole. In gaining a friend, the Earth One Superman becomes more human.

But Straczynski reveals in the book's conclusion that Lasalle is in part uniquely positioned to see through Clark's emotional distance because she's a prostitute ("Sometimes, when I absolutely have to, just to make ends meet," Straczynski has Lasalle equivocate, "I hook on the side."). Straczynski does not delve this deeply, but the reader can extrapolate that Lasalle's dual sides are something like Clark's. Lasalle would seem to allow others to be intimate with her, but they're not really touching her "true self," just a facade she makes available; similarly Clark is personable and holds down a job at the Daily Planet, but doesn't have any real interactions with people, and the Earth One Superman protects the world but doesn't, at least until the end of the book, really make himself a part of it.

This is cogent and interesting, and delves into aspects of the Superman character rife for examination -- but it also means that Straczynski essentially compares being Superman to prostitution, something that will certainly be fodder for those who already have a pointed opinion of the often-polarizing writer.

In all of this, Straczynski demonstrates the utility of the Superman: Earth One series. Aspects of the DC New 52 like Catwoman and Batman's explicit sex in the Catwoman title notwithstanding, it will be a long time before Clark Kent almost-sleeps with a prostitute in the mainstream Superman titles, and equally a long time before the mainstream Superman titles depict Clark and Jonathan Kent having "the talk" (complete with Straczynski's reference to Niven's essay). The watchword of the "Earth One" books has been "standalone," not necessarily "mature," but Superman: Earth One Volume 2 is to an extent a "mature readers" book (Straczynski has one or two jokes that are downright ribald).

This is good for DC Comics overall, to have venues in which their characters can be examined and stretched in ways outside Comics Code-type parameters (an approach Wonder Woman has been due for quite a while), and it makes the question of what Straczynski will do in the third Superman: Earth One volume even more intriguing than the question of what he'd do in the second.

Unfortunately, Straczynski's use of Lasalle is, again, heavy-handed, and also somewhat thoughtless. For purposes that are entirely thematic and not at all character-based, it's not that Lasalle makes friends with Clark and then just happens to be a prostitute, but rather she throws herself full bore at Clark from the very first page, entirely beyond belief. Straczynski's characterization of Lasalle needs subtleties that artist Shane Davis can't deliver -- in Lasalle's first appearance, she muses, "My second boyfriend was a writer. Mmmm. Yeah, sexy," reclined on Clark's couch with an over-sized bosom, bare midriff, and chiseled abs, and the result is laughable rather than sexy. (Davis's Parasite, in contract, is nicely monstrous.)

As well, Straczynski teases Clark's deflowering for perhaps the first time in Superman history with someone other than Lois Lane or Lana Lang, but then backs away from it in an "easy out" by making Lasalle a prostitute. In essence, Straczynski is able to extinguish Lasalle as a romantic option for Clark in the end by making her a prostitute, and "of course" Clark Kent can't actually sleep with a prostitute. This review does not advocate the sleeping with of prostitutes, but Straczynski's last-second use of prostitution is rife with poor sexual politics -- Clark can't now be romantic with Lasalle because she is "dirty" or "impure." Combined with Straczynski's over-sexualization of Lasalle, the character becomes not much more than a sexual chess-piece bandied around the board -- useful, but also stereotypical.

It would have been braver had Straczynski taken even a more ambiguous position as in Aaron Sorkin's West Wing, where Sam Seaborn "accidentally" sleeps with a call girl before he knows about her profession, but is determined later to still see her romantically. It's almost certain that Straczynski won't still depict Lasalle turning tricks by Superman: Earth One Volume 3, but rather that she will have "turned her life around," likely with Clark's help, further underscoring the flippant way Straczynski uses prostitution in this story.

Straczynski, for his part, seems sufficiently aware of the controversy he will create, which mitigates some of this (better a creator try to be edgy and succeed than blunder onto shaky ground ignorantly). The scene in which Clark rescues Lasalle from a violent client is straight from Superman's first appearance in Action Comics #1 -- Straczynski is ready with precedent, to an extent, for Clark and Lasalle's friendship. As well, in the conclusion of the scene where Lasalle reveals her "dual identity," Straczynski has Clark look straight at the reader and ask, "What are you looking at?" It's a callback to an earlier moment in the book, but it seems also a challenge, inviting reader outrage and debate over Clark's new friend.

Despite that Clark succeeds as Superman twice in more "intimate" superhero work -- rescuing Lasalle and then fomenting a foreign rebellion against a dictator -- Straczynski resolves that no matter how much any individual may try to do, there's always more to be done. Clark wins twice, but then fails, as his neighbor Eddie overdoses without Clark ever hearing Eddie's cries for help. Straczynski underlines this by introducing on the next page not one but two Lex Luthors (pacifist Lex and scheming Alexandra). Lex's introduction was an inevitable and much-anticipated event here, and in these scenes Straczynski effectively threatens the danger that "Lex2" will portend next time around.

Again, J. Michael Straczynski makes a convincing case for Superman: Earth One with this second outing, demonstrating what he can do with Earth One that the regular Superman writers can't. This is important; the first volume of Superman: Earth One was thoughtful in its own right, but the second volume is more so, and if this keeps up, volume three will be a "can't miss" book. Earth One Volume 2 does not, in many ways, present its message flawlessly (some may even say the book borders on the offensive), but it does have something interesting to say, and this is a strong argument for its publication and for Straczynski continuing to steward these books for years to come.

[Book includes brief Shane Davis sketchbook pages]

UPDATE: Subsequent to my review, J. Michael Straczynski agreed to answer some questions about Superman: Earth One Vol. 2 via email, which I will post on the site later this week. He also submitted some responses that I agreed to post:

While stating that I liked the review overall quite a lot, and thought the observations and critiques were useful, I would also like to address two things in the review that are actually rather inaccurate.

The first is that Clark doesn't have sex with her because she's a prostitute. Nothing could be farther from the truth of what's in the book. Once his powers come back -- and we see that scene, see him run from her BEFORE he knows of her part time work -- he knows he can't be with her for fear of hurting her. That's why, when he runs off, he says -- very clearly -- that the moment when his powers were gone may be the one time he will ever have had a chance for sex. So them not getting together has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with her work. If anything, Clark is relieved by her admission -- which she drives through that scene, she's the one who decides they should be friends, that's not Clark doing that -- because if she didn't, he would have to come up with some other reason why he can't have sex with her.

The other is the scene where Clark says "what are you looking at--" He's not breaking the fourth wall and talking to the reader. The last word in that line is "-- Fuzzball." The moon is reflected in his glasses as he says the line, and featured in the next panel. He's talking to his cat, Fuzzball, or at least the memory of her.

I appreciate Mr. Straczynski taking the time to engage and respond, and as I said, the third volume in this series can't come soon enough.

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Review: Batman: Earth One graphic novel (DC Comics)

Batman: Earth One is not Geoff John's first time writing the Dark Knight; Batman is a major part of Johns's DC New 52 Justice League, of course, as well as Infinite Crisis, Brightest Day, and Green Lantern, among others. But Earth One does represent Johns's first solo Batman story, and he does deliver something new: a Batman less assured and less capable than any Batman we've read previously. Johns also has the dubious distinction of writing what may be the first ever Bruce Wayne/Alfred Pennyworth wrestling match.

J. Michael Straczynski's Superman: Earth One made headlines even before the book hit the stands for what seemed to be an Edward Cullen-esque Clark Kent (far from the truth and sensationally overreported). Johns's Bruce Wayne in Batman: Earth One ought be far more recognizable to the mainstream reader and therefore far less controversial. The irony is that despite Straczynski's more youthful Clark Kent, the story Straczynski told was singularly "classic" -- an iconic "Superman and the Daily Planet gang" story, while Johns's Batman: Earth One is the one that's full of difference -- familiar faces with new personalities and familiar names on entirely different characters.

Quite a few of the characters here are scene-stealers, eminently followable into a second volume. If there's anything lacking in Batman: Earth One, it's only the comparative dearth of Batman here versus the other characters.

[Review contains spoilers]

Whereas Straczynski's Superman presented a Clark Kent reluctant to don the tights, in Batman: Earth One Johns introduces an almost too-eager Bruce Wayne who seems to have rushed headlong into his Batman persona without benefit of proper training nor gear. This Earth One is not a humorous book nor Johns's Batman a fool, but the opening pages off the Bat-grapple failing and Batman falling off a rooftop set the tone for the book -- a Batman who struggles, and not as in the Earth One Superman's case because of youth, but because of foolhardiness.

In fact, the greatest "realism" that Johns injects into Batman: Earth One is how spoiled Bruce Wayne is. It's not just the young Bruce who taunts his parents' killer with their fortune and snaps "Who the hell are you?" at his new guardian, Alfred; the elder Bruce Wayne feels equally entitled, moved quickly to fisticuffs when Alfred tries to get him to give up the Batman persona. Johns's Bruce Wayne is more "of" Gotham even than the classic version, a descendant of both the Waynes and the Arkhams, but also this Bruce is more a product of his environment, reflective more than the classic version of the wealth that sired him (a "Bruce Wayne for the one percent," even).

Also unlike Straczynski's Superman, however, Batman doesn't change much over the course of the book. He dons a new costume -- Johns is clever in his integration of both the original and "yellow oval" Batman digs -- and learns more about his parents' murder, but Bruce's character is largely set from beginning to end. Bruce enters the book on the trail of his parents' killer, but then falls almost coincidentally into the much more engaging Jim Gordon/Harvey Bullock storyline in the end. Batman gets top billing, but Batman: Earth One might be just as interesting without him.

Rather, it's the buddy-cop team of Gordon and Bullock who steal the Earth One show. Johns's best, most unexpected reveal here is that of svelte, handsome television detective Harvey Bullock, now "slumming it" in Gotham. Bullock partners with the familiar-looking Gordon, but a Gordon who's in fact been so beaten down by corrupt Gotham as to become a criminal stooge himself. Bullock misunderstands Gotham and Gordon understands it all too well, and the two come to meeting of minds only once young Barbara Gordon is kidnapped. This is a great take on the Gordon/Bullock partnership, one that again could support a story even without the Dark Knight's presence.

The other great "recreation" in this book is Johns's new Alfred Pennyworth, no longer an English butler but rather a grizzled war vet. Though Alfred's is still mostly relegated to serving as Bruce's sounding board within the confines of Wayne Manor, his more athletic demeanor does allow for him to go toe-to-toe with Bruce halfway through the book; he also, startlingly, gets to blow away the Penguin with a shotgun in the end. For both Alfred and Bullock, this is the benefit of Earth One; in removing what has become perhaps-tired character tics at this point (Bullock's girth, Alfred's British "properness"), Johns can give each a more active role in this Batman story than they might have otherwise.

(For all these good updates, the poorest is that of Johns's Lucius Fox. As in Christoper Nolan's Batman movies -- straight from them, in face -- Lucius is a down-on-his-luck Wayne technician recruited by Bruce; as in the movies, Lucius dutifully fixes Bruce's gadgets and keeps his secrets. Johns neither adds to Lucius nor gives him much of consequence to do here, and might've left him out entirely; hopefully this will be rectified in the inevitable sequel.)

Batman: Earth One's expansive cast  helps Johns overcome one of Superman: Earth One's weaknesses. Superman to its credit read like a television pilot, but it also took place in the same stretch of Metropolis on a single afternoon; it was very insular. Batman, in contrast, still feels cinematic (assisted by Gark Frank's wide shots and thin, angular "actors") but not so closed off or "done in one." Also, whereas Straczynski checked off a number of Superman homages (including the Action Comics #1 cover), Johns manages to avoid just about all the Frank Miller Year One tropes -- there's no young Bruce falling into the Bat-cave nor bat crashing through the window; for Johns to tell Batman's origins without these sawhorses is a feat in and of itself.

Superman: Earth One, while enjoyable, carried with it the weight of what it tried to accomplish -- from the hooded Clark Kent to the book's opening page affirmation that "this is real," Superman: Earth One had to both tell a story and assert its own place. Emerging some two years later, Geoff Johns's Batman: Earth One benefits from the decreased hysteria around the Earth One line (no one expects the Earth One books to become a regularly-published "Ultimate" universe any more); as such, Batman: Earth One feels more relaxed, a meandering story with room to spotlight more than just the main character.

Fans looking for Geoff Johns's take on Batman might feel a little let down; fans interested in Johns's take on Gotham City and its residents, however, ought be pleased with this exercise in world-building.  Let's hope it's not two more years before volume two.

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DC Comics solicits Batman: Earth One by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, with cover art

With all the attention focused on DC Comics's upcoming relaunch, fans have been wondering if the "Earth One" series of graphic novels would continue. Not to mention, with writer Geoff Johns's full DC Relaunch plate, would he even have time for he and artist Gary Frank's Earth One project?

Looks like the answer is a resounding "yes."

A cover image for Batman: Earth One hit the airwaves today, along with the following description:

Geoff Johns, the writer of BLACKEST NIGHT, GREEN LANTERN and INFINITE CRISIS re-teams with superstar artist Gary Frank, his collaborator on SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN, SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC and SUPERMAN & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, to create this original graphic novel that gives new insight into Bruce Wayne's transformation into Batman and his first year as The Dark Knight. This follow-up to the # 1 New York Times bestseller, SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE, by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis is the latest in the series that features the industry's top writers and illustrators and their unique takes on DC's characters. It's the perfect book for new readers of graphic novels as well as longtime comic book fans.

Release date appears to be May 2012, which'll be a busy collections month alongside the rumored release of the first DC relaunch collections.

I'd note that description certainly makes it sound like there's more Earth One books to come -- "the latest in the series that features the industry's top writers and illustrators and their unique takes on DC's characters," indeed.

But, while I enjoyed Superman Earth One, I do wonder if in the midst of new takes on the DC Universe proper, will there be sufficient interest in another new take, disconnected? That is, if Geoff Johns recreates Batman while Grant Morrison recreates Superman, Gail Simone recreates Batgirl, JT Krul recreates Green Arrow, Paul Cornell recreates Stormwatch, and on and on ... will there be enough people around to read it?

Also: if DC's gone day-and-date digital for all of their titles, and then they publish Batman Earth One, will you be able to find it on a computer screen near you?

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Review: Superman: Earth One graphic novel (DC Comics)

It's finally here. After half a week's worth of strong media push from DC Comics, and enough off-the-cuff chatter about Robert-Pattinson-as-Superman that one might've expected to find sparkly vampires inside, Superman: Earth One arrived in comics stores today. I've read it and I'll say: it's good. It's not great, but it's good, far stronger than said chatter would have you believe. Writer J. Michael Straczynski's smart choices balance out a fairly straightforward plot, but ultimately all the set-up here succeeds in making me eager for the next volume.

[Contains spoilers]

My concern going in to Superman: Earth One was that Straczynski's would be the rumored "emo" Superman -- young, overemotional, and initially self-aggrandizing; a Clark Kent who would have to be convinced to use his powers for good instead of for fame. This couldn't be less true. Clark tries out for professional football, but he also applies for a job researching renewable energy, and all of it for the purpose of making money to send back the widowed Ma Kent. When she tells Clark to find his own path, he's initially reluctant; he may not want to be a superhero, but neither is he only out for himself. Straczynski's Earth One Clark Kent may be moody, sure, but he still has the heart of "our" Clark Kent.

Among one of the key changes Straczynski makes to the general Superman mythos (different from John Byrne's Man of Steel, at least) is that Clark already has his costume when he arrives in Metropolis, it's his parents who're encouraging him to be a superhero, and it's Pa Kent, now deceased, who names him Superman. In the Byrne version, Clark is driven to save lives and so subsequently needs to create the Superman identity; on Smallville, Clark's heroism is thrust on him by Jor-El, whereas the Kents have tried to hide and shield Clark's powers.

In Earth One, the Kents encourage Clark to be Superman, even as Clark is reluctant because he knows it means sacrificing a normal life. He would not be Superman at all, except that to an extent he discovers that being Superman is where he fits in, that he has more commonality with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen standing up to alien conquerors than he does with working at a research laboratory funded by corporate greed. Clark doesn't want to be alone, but he'd be deeply unsatisfied with any life of good that he can do other than the good he can do as Superman; and, as a close second, he sees that dedication to good reflected in his colleagues at the Daily Planet.

I find this cogent and convincing. I also like that Straczynski weights Clark's relationship with his father -- growing up, becoming his own man -- over Clark's relationship with Lois; Lois has nearly no role here in making Clark Superman. I found this refreshing, more like Lois and Clark on Superman: The Animated Series than anywhere else -- co-workers, they are, and not lovers. All too often in Superman origins, the eventual marriage of Lois and Clark seems inevitable, lacking the necessary drama; here, I appreciated that Straczynski seems almost to ignore the relationship entirely, all the better to start a slow build two or three volumes hence.

Rounding out the cast, Straczynski offers no Lex Luthor -- the Superman/Lex relationship having perhaps been done to death in Smallville and Geoff Johns's Superman: Secret Origin -- nor any Kryptonite, for that matter (potentially government agent Sandra Lee will take the Lex role). Straczynski's Perry White is just as very nearly identical to that of the regular comics as his Jimmy Olsen is different, distressingly so. I don't mind Jimmy as a fearless daredevil photographer, but halfway through Earth One, I near expected Jimmy to bend steel himself. It's Jimmy who inspires Clark to put on the costume, Jimmy who initially saves the new Superman from danger, Jimmy who takes super-perfect pictures of Superman that near single-handedly save the ailing Daily Planet. Perhaps as a result of Straczynski pulling Lois back a bit, Jimmy comes too far forward, ridiculously; I don't much like "our" Jimmy, either, but I didn't find this Jimmy an improvement.

Ultimately, the story of Earth One is that in the face of Clark's reluctance to be a hero, the alien Tyrell comes to Earth hunting Clark and threatening to destroy Earth to get to him; seems Tyrell's people took a contract to destroy their enemy Kryptonians, and now have to finish off the lone survivor. Tyrell's invasion takes up three-fourths of the book -- almost the only crime this Superman stops -- and unfortunately Tyrell isn't more than a one-note villain, not unlike Nero in the recent new Star Trek film.

What's interesting is Tyrell's revelation that Krypton wasn't destroyed, but rather murdered; and the mysterious foe that contracted Tyrell to destroy the planet. This is true for much of Superman: Earth One -- the plot is swift and formulaic and moves almost immediately to Superman's fight with Tyrell, but what distinguishes and redeems Earth One are Straczynski's creative updates -- that Krypton was murdered, that Pa Kent named Superman -- as well as an overall smooth writing style, believable dialogue, and some fine humor along the way as well.

I hold out hope, by the way, that the mystery master villain of Earth One turns out to be someone from "our" DC Universe. The book makes no use of and gives no nod to the phrase "Earth One" such that DC could have easily called it "Rebirth" or "Steel" or "Generations." I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we find out later that Earth One is really "Earth-1" and that Tyrell's mysterious benefactor is Brainiac perhaps, or the Cyborg-Superman (in as much, I recognize, as this would repeat the aforementioned Star Trek).

If Earth One, taking place in the span of an afternoon, doesn't have the scope of Byrne's Man of Steel, it still equates enough of a Superman television movie that I would give it to a new comics reader without hesitation; again, there is nothing insulting or poor here, and the premise is interesting enough that I'm convinced to read more. In addition to the flaws I mentioned, Superman lets Tyrell die in the end when he might have saved him, and I can't quite condone that for Superman -- but it's no different than Batman with Ra's al Ghul at the end of Batman Begins, and I recognize that's the kind of aesthetic under which Straczynski is working -- Superman by way of a new twenty-first century superhero movie.

In that vein I think Superman: Earth One succeeds -- an accessible Superman graphic novel for the less comics-centered, graphic novel-buying audience. Not too excessive an amount of Superman angst here. And no vampires.

[Contains sketchbook pages by artist Shane Davis; four page Daily Planet spread. Printed on glossy paper.]

There is lots more to discuss regarding Superman: Earth One, which we'll address on this blog over time: other reviews of the book, how the reception to Earth One will shape future volumes, Earth One as a publishing strategy, and more.

Next week, however, tune in for the annual Collected Editions Guest Review Month, a fantastic look at a bunch of different books by some very talented guest writers; I love seeing what the guest reviewers come up with, and I hope you will too. I'll be around, too, and I look forward to your comments on Superman: Earth One. Thanks!

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Live Superman: Earth One Discussion Event

Join Collected Editions right here on Wednesday, October 27 at 8 pm EST for a live discussion and read-along of the new Superman: Earth One graphic novel. Please share (http://bit.ly/dnV2xY) -- don't miss it!

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Announcement: Upcoming Live Event!

Next week, Collected Editions goes live -- yes, LIVE -- for the release of Superman: Earth One!

In November, the Collected Editions blog will hand over the microphone to a great group of writers for our mostly-annual Guest Review Month. But before that happens, we'll end the month with a bang with the first-ever Collected Editions live event!

To celebrate the release of DC Comics's new line of Earth One original graphic novels, Collected Editions will host a live Superman: Earth One reading event on October 27, 2010, the day the book arrives in stores. Drop by the site at 8:00 pm Eastern when I'll start reading Superman: Earth One and posting my thoughts as I read. It's all brought to you through a special live interface -- no reloading necessary.

And of course, comments will be welcome! Come read along with Collected Editions and add your thoughts as we go.

Then, the next day, visit the site again for the official Collected Editions Superman: Earth One review. It'll be our grand finale before we usher in a great group of guest reviewers for your reading pleasure.

The Collected Editions two-day Superman: Earth One event begins with the live Superman: Earth One reading on October 27 at 8:00 pm Eastern -- share, retweet, tell your friends, and don't miss it!

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The Week We Almost Lost Earth One, and What We Learned From It

I have been very excited about DC Comics's forthcoming Earth One Superman and Batman graphic novel series, and so I was as concerned as everyone else by the news that it was potentially on the rocks. This, after there's been a distinct lack of Batman: Earth One news that suggested Earth One might already be in trouble.

If you blinked this week, you might've missed it, so here's how the story unfolded as near as I can tell, and then a couple thoughts about the reactions to the Earth One rumor.

Crisis on Earth One
It seems the Earth One story started on Monday when Kevin Huxford at SCHWAPP!!! rightly noticed a line in Comic Book Resources's reporting of the CCI Superman panel, in which it appeared J. Michael Straczynski suggested the first Superman: Earth One book would be an original graphic novel, followed by single issues to be collected in subsequent collections. Conor Kilpatrick at iFanboy and Johanna Draper Carlson at Comics Worth Reading picked up the SCHWAPP!!! story.

On Tuesday, The Beat looked to DC for confirmation of the Earth One format change; Dan DiDio and Jim replied (in unison?) that "plans ... have not changed," but a little wiggle room in the statement left the possibility of having single issues at some point still unanswered.

Wednesday, Rich Johnston at Bleeding Cool had a statement from Straczynski himself, who said he'd been mis-quoted and that he'd actually been comparing Earth One to his other series Brave and the Bold at the time. iFanboy also posted the statement with a mea culpa from Conor. Right away, however, both Blog@Newsarama and Robot 6 went to tape -- actual recordings of the panel -- which showed that Brave and the Bold wasn't mentioned in the exchange at all; even as he apologized, it seems Conor wasn't so off-base, at least in terms of reporting what was said at the panel.

Both The Beat and Comics Alliance picked up the fact that nothing, ultimately, has really been explained, though they both settle on the cause of the confusion maybe just being end of convention tiredness; if Straczynski didn't actually say Brave and the Bold, maybe he meant it, or thought the person asking him a question said it.

Lessons from the Crisis
A couple of thoughts I had in the midst of all this:

1) Earth One is more popular than it once was. If we take our Time Bubbles back a ways, we'll remember that when DC announced Earth One, there was somewhat lukewarm response in concerns that having "another Earth" confused the DC Universe further; that having another Superman origin in addition to Secret Origin and Birthright only continued to dilute the character; and that the general price and page count for the Earth One books wasn't viable for comics shop readers. Some pro-Earth One attention is a good thing.

2) A dual graphic novel/single issue format is unlikely. Once the initial "Earth One is cancelled" concerns passed, much of the late attention this week focused on Earth One's first volume coming out in original hardcover, and then the second volume coming out in single issues before DC collected it. I don't much like this idea, as it defeats the immediacy of the Earth One collections (everyone reading the same thing at the same time), and it's seemed so unpopular online that I can't believe DC would proceed with it, even if it had one been in the cards.

3) What about single issue-waiting? The above said, I wonder if there's any viability to DC keeping the Earth One books as original graphic novels, but releasing single issue chapters of the OGNs after each one, in the time between the volumes. At least one reason (among many) that fans still collect single issues is that immediacy I mentioned; that, among other things, one doesn't have to wait a year after everyone else to read Blackest Night or the like. I'd be fascinated to see, if this were turned around and the collection were to come out first and the single issues second, would any fan "single issue-wait," as it were, instead of trade-wait? Taking the immediacy out of it, will fans still buy mainstream single issues?

Seems to me, the real headlines for this story won't be when Superman: Earth One volume one comes out, but when we later see what DC does with volume two ...

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Trade Perspectives: Straczynski's Samaritan X and the state of DC's Earth One initiative

Four months after DC Comics' Source blog announced the Earth One initiative that promised a new take on the DC characters, published in graphic novel format and with its own continuity, my excitement for the project has both heightened and tempered.

High hopes for Samaritan X
On one hand, we learned in March that J. Michael Straczynski, who'll be writing Superman: Earth One, will also be writing an original graphic novel set within the DC Universe, Samaritan X. Since the next best thing to the Earth One graphic novels with their own shared continuity would be graphic novels that share the main DC Universe continuity (I've longer clamored for a Manhunter OGN that ends at the feet of the crossover du jour), Samaritan X is a gigantic step in the right direction -- especially since it's written by Straczynski, who's also taking over Superman and Wonder Woman and, one hopes, might cameo the Samaritan X super-hospital in those titles. An original graphic novel, in mainstream continuity.

I'm tempted to think of this as an unprecedented step, that never before has DC Comics produced an original graphic novel that (presumably) fits right in with modern continuity, but it's clearly not the first. Just in brief, Green Lantern: Legacy -- The Last Will of Hal Jordan re-established aspects of the Lantern Corps referenced soon after in the Green Lantern title of the time; Catwoman: Selina's Big Score lead in to that series; Life Story of the Flash set that series' continuity for a while. And that's not to mention all the Prestige Format one-shots that came out over the years that also factored into continuity.

Samaritan X, however, is DC's first in-continuity, original graphic novel to arrive in today's comics landscape, where 99% of everything you read will end up as a long-form collection. Consider that one of the last big in-continuity graphic novels, JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice, came out in 2003 when the current collected edition craze was only just beginning; if Samaritan X were to be super-successful now, when a far greater percentage of the comics fanbase wait for the trade and read their comics in collections, this could indeed spark an era where readers don't have to wait for the trades, but rather some of the day's relevant comics emerge first-run in long form just like Samaritan X will.

Straczynski's dueling Supermen
On the other hand, aside from Samaritan X, other issues give me pause. First, I wonder about Straczynski as the writer of both Superman and Superman: Earth One. I state this without really an experience with Straczynski's writing, so this has no bearing on Straczynski himself, but I wonder about the mental gymnastics necessary to write both of these books together. In Earth One, Straczynski has stated, Jimmy Olsen is more of a daredevil, so where does that leave the Jimmy Olsen of the current DCU? If the Earth One Daily Planet will function more like an actual newsroom, what will the current Daily Planet be like? Essentially, if Straczynski gets to create his Earth One Superman mythos from the ground up, by his rules, can his DCU Superman help but pale in comparison? Maybe Straczynski can do it, but when I'm already concerned that it seems like DC's sweeping much of the past two year's New Krypton under the rug with two new writers on the Superman titles, Straczynski's dual roles give me pause.

Crisis of Infinite Delays on Earth One?
There's also the issue that, at least from fan perception, the Earth One initiative may not be rolling out as smoothly as planned. About the time we learned the relatively reasonable price and page count for the Earth One books, we also learned we wouldn't see Superman: Earth One, until the third quarter of this year -- hardly enough time, it seemed, to release a second volume before the end of 2010. I discussed at the time that DC announcing the book so early risked fans forgetting about the whole thing by the time it came around. And in addition, a September release for Superman: Earth One left very little time for Geoff Johns' Batman: Earth One to follow -- and indeed, Batman: Earth One isn't at all on DC's official list of 2010 collections. I'm so very eager for Earth One to succeed, but if it's not a series, then it's just two new one-shot takes on Superman and Batman; delays, as are suggested here, could kill it.

What's next?

So checking back in with Earth One and DC's original graphic novels, we find a little bit of hope, a little bit of despair. It is worth noting that right behind Superman: Earth One at the end of the year is Marv Wolfman and George Perez's long-awaited Teen Titans: Games -- not in-continuity per se, but another graphic novel, and if Games and Samaritan X and Superman: Earth One all do well, who knows what might be right behind.

Can't wait for the original graphic novel wave? Not sure your paycheck can take it? Be sure to add your comment below!

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DC confirms Superman: Earth One details, Titans: Games, Co-Feature trades

Note: On Wednesday, October 27 at 8 pm EST, Collected Editions will host a live discussion and read-along of the Superman: Earth One graphic novel. See our live event announcement for more details.

The wonderful DC Comics blog The Source has released a list of DCU Collected Editions solicitations through the end of 2010. Among those titles included are Superman: Earth One, Teen Titans: Games, new collections of DC's co-features, and many, many others.

Here's what I find notable in the list, which you can read in full at the link above.

Graphic novels and other headliners:
Of course I'm most excited about Superman: Earth One and Absolute All-Star Superman. DC confirms that the price of Superman: Earth One will be $19.99 and the page count will be 128 pages; see our earlier discussion about the Superman: Earth One details. What's strange is that, if this is a list through the end of 2010, Batman: Earth One is nowhere to be found. One wonders if this'll be DC 2011 and not DC 2010, and also if we won't see a second Superman: Earth One volume until 2011.

As some commentors have already noted, 320 pages for Absolute All-Star Superman doesn't leave much room for extras; here's hoping there are some.

It turns out that the supposed Luthor graphic novel is actually just the Lex Luthor: Man of Steel miniseries from a few years back. I wasn't wowed by this book when I read it, and if you liked Joker, I tend to wonder if Luthor will be something of a disappointment. DC gets points for trying to bank on the success of Joker, however.

There was some discussion on the DC board about the JSA All-Stars issue in Starman Omnibus Vol. 5. Note that it's the 2003 JSA All-Stars miniseries in question here, either just the Starman backup story by James Robinson, and maybe also the Stargirl story by Geoff Johns.

The fourth JSA Deluxe book contains JLA Classified #1-3 by Grant Morrison, the JLA: Earth-2 graphic novel, and the final issues of Morrison's run, so it looks like this is the last volume. For some reason I had it in my head that this was a five-volume series, but I guess not.

With all the Blackest Night books, it's going to be an expensive end of the year, but I don't very well think I can pass up New Teen Titans: Games right when it comes out. Between Games and Earth One, it's fun to see some relevant (in-continuity or non-reprint) graphic novels coming out from DC these days.

SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE HC (September)
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Shane Davis
Original graphic novel
$19.99 US, 128 pg

ABSOLUTE ALL-STAR SUPERMAN HC (October)
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
Collects: ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #1-12
$99.99 US, 320 pg

THE STARMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 5 HC
Writers: James Robinson, David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns
Artists: Steve Yeowell, Peter Snejbjerg, Wade von Grawbadger, Keith Champagne, Steve Sadowski, Lee Moder, Chris Weston, David Ross and others
Collects: STARMAN #47-60, 1,000,000, STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. #0, ALL STAR COMICS 80-PAGE GIANT #1 and JSA ALL STARS #4
$14.99 US, 464 pg

LUTHOR HC (October)
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Lee Berejo
Collects: LEX LUTHOR: MAN OF STEEL #1-5
$19.99 US, 128 pg

JLA DELUXE EDITION VOL. 4 HC (November)
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artists: Howard Porter, John Dell, Drew Geraci, Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines and Frank Quitely
Collects: JLA #34, 36-41, JLA CLASSIFIED #1-3 and JLA: EARTH 2
$29.99 US, 368 pg

THE NEW TEEN TITANS: GAMES HC (November)
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artists: George Pérez, Al Vey and Mike Perkins
Original graphic novel
$24.99 US, 144 pg

Blackest Night crossover books:
Justice League of America, R.E.B.E.L.S, and Booster Gold all cross-over with Blackest Night here. I'm midly disappointed in the page count of R.E.B.E.L.S, I must say; five issues for $17.99 isn't a great value, though I read the first book these past few days and loved it.

The new Secret Six trade includes the resurrected Suicide Squad issue (speaking of which, anyone know who this forum poster is?).

The Green Arrow/Black Canary trade includes the Black Lantern Green Arrow issue.

The Blue Beetle collection gathers the final issues of the series plus the co-feature issues from Booster Gold. It skips the Blackest Night crossover issues, but those are picked up by the Booster Gold trade (and it's nice they both come out in the same month). And speaking of co-features ...

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: TEAM HISTORY HC (September)
Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Mark Bagley, Rob Hunter and Andy Kubert
Collects: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #38-43
$19.99 US, 192 pg

R.E.B.E.L.S: THE SON AND THE STARS TP (September)
Writer: Tony Bedard
Artists: Claude St. Aubin, Geraldo Borges and Scott Hanna
Collects: R.E.B.E.L.S #10-14
$17.99 US, 144 pg

SECRET SIX: DANSE MACABRE TP (November)
Writers: John Ostrander and Gail Simone
Artists: Jim Calafiore, Peter Nguyen and Doug Hazlewood
Collects: SECRET SIX #15-18 and SUICIDE SQUAD #67
$14.99 US, 128 pg

GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY: FIVE STAGES TP (November)
Writers: Andrew Kreisberg and J.T. Krul
Artists: Mike Norton, Bill Sienkiewicz and Will Conrad
Collects: GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #27-30
$17.99 US, 128 pg

BLUE BEETLE: BLACK AND BLUE TP (December)
Writers: Will Pfeiffer and Matthrew Stuges
Artists: David Baldeon, Carlo Barberi, Mike Norton, Steve bird and others
Collects: BLUE BEETLE #27-28 and stories from BOOSTER GOLD #21-25 and 28-29
$17.99 US, 168 pg

BOOSTER GOLD: THE TOMORROW MEMORY TP (December)
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artists: Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund
Collects: BOOSTER GOLD #26-31
$17.99 US, 160 pg

Co-Features collected:
We see the Manhunter and Ravager co-features now collected; I think the bloom's off the rose with these co-features a bit, especially noting that Manhunter is gone for good again now. Frankly I think I'm happiest to see the Faces of Evil: Deathstroke issue, required reading for Outsiders, stuck in the Ravager trade (but what, no room for the also-related DC Universe: Last Will and Testament?). Funny that the Ravager trade isn't labeled Teen Titans Spotlight like the Raven, Cyborg, and Wonder Girl collections.

MANHUNTER: FACE OFF TP (November)
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Artists: Georges Jeanty, Jeremy Haun, Cliff Richards and others
Collects: Stories from BATMAN: THE STREETS OF GOTHAM #1-13
$17.99 US, 128 pg

TEEN TITANS: RAVAGER – FRESH HELL TP (December)
Writers: David Hine and Sean McKeever
Artists: Georges Jeanty, Yildiray Cinar, Mark McKenna and Julio Ferreira
Collects: FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1 and stories from TEEN TITANS #71-76 and 79-82
$14.99 US, 144 pg

Monthly titles:
Among various monthly titles, we find a second Red Robin collection that picks up from the end of the first Batgirl collection of the new series (and ends at what I'm guessing is an integral point in the "Batman Reborn" saga). We see collections of each of the current Justice Society series, but neither one apparently collects the recent JSA Annual (as a side note, I read a couple pages of Matthew Sturges JSA All Stars the other day, and while I've been wary of someone other than Geoff Johns on the title, I rather liked the team's "strike force" mentality). The Wonder Woman trade, one DC board poster noted, ends right before issue #45, touted as Wonder Woman's #600th issue. Whether this means there might be a writer change in the works ...

RED ROBIN: COLLISION TP (September)
Writers: Christopher Yost and Bryan Q. Miller
Artists: Marcus To, Lee Garbett, Ray McCarthy and Trevor Scott
Collects: RED ROBIN #6-12 and BATGIRL #8
$19.99 US, 192 pg

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: AXIS OF EVIL TP (December)
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Travis Moore, Jesus Merno, Dan Green and Jesse Delperdang
Collects: JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #34-40
$14.99 US, 168 pg

JSA ALL-STARS: CONSTELLATIONS TP (October)
Writer: Matthew Sturges
Artist: Freddie E. Williams II
Collects: JSA ALL-STARS #1-6
$14.99 US, 144 pg

WONDER WOMAN: CONTAGION TP (October)
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: Aaron Lopresti, Nicola Scott, Matt Ryan and Doug Hazlewood
Collects: WONDER WOMAN #40-44
$14.99 US, 128 pg

Superman:
Figuring out in what order to read these final New Krypton trades seems like something of a nightmare. It's interesting that the second Action Comics collection gets billed as Nightwing and Flamebird Vol. 2, but the second Mon-El trade is "Man of Valor" -- I wonder if the Mon-El trade can be read on it's own, or if it will be marketed as such.

I wonder if Last Stand of New Krypton will collect just the first issue of that miniseries, or if the solicitation has a misprint and it collects all three. If not, hopefully the other two go in the War of the Supermen collection and not a volume two -- these second volumes just seem to slow down the comic-to-trade pace so much.

November also sees the "New Krypton"-related Outsiders trade, even as the title is still billed as part of the Batman family.

SUPERGIRL: DEATH AND THE FAMILY TP (September)
Writers: Sterling Gates, Helen Slater and Jake Black
Artists: Fernando Dagnino, Jamal Igle, Raul Fernandez and Jon Sibal
Collects: SUPERGIRL #48-50 and SUPERGIRL ANNUAL #1
$17.99 US, 144 pg

SUPERMAN: MON-EL – MAN OF VALOR HC (September)
Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Fernando Dagnino, Bernard Chang, Javier Pina and Matt Camp
Collects SUPERMAN #692-699, SUPERMAN ANNUAL #14 and SUPERMAN SECRET FILES 2009 #1
$24.99 US, 224 pg

SUPERMAN: NIGHTWING AND FLAMEBIRD VOL. 2 HC (October)
Writers: James Robinson, Greg Rucka and Eric Trautmann
Artists: Bernard Chang, Pere Pérez and Bit
Collects: ACTION COMICS #883-889 and SUPERMAN #696
$24.99 US, 176 pg

SUPERMAN: LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON HC (November)
Writers: James Robinson, Sterling Gates and Eric Trautmann
Artists: Pete Woods, Julian Lopez, Jamal Igle and others
Collects: SUPERMAN: LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #1, ADVENTURE COMICS #8-8, SUPERMAN #698 and SUPERGIRL #51
$24.99 US, 160 pg

OUTSIDERS: THE ROAD TO HELL TP (November)
Writer: Dan DiDio
Artists: Philip Tan, Don Kramer and others
Collects: OUTSIDERS #26-31
$14.99 US, 144 pg

Reprint collections:
This new Legion trade leads right up to the famous "Great Darkness Saga," which might be out of print -- I imagine we'll see a hardcover printing soon. The "prologue" collection genre's a little strange; this reminds me of the equally out-of-nowhere New Teen Titans: Terra Incognita trade.

The modern issues of the long-awaited Batgirl collection include a two-part Legends of the DC Universe story showing Batgirl's modern origins, and a Batgirl/Robin story from Batman Chronicles. It's late; anyone want to run down the other contents? I would note it's kind of a pity that there's not (A) Oracle stories in this volume, or (B) at least a minor shout-out to the Batgirls that followed.

Batman: Dead to Rights collects the "Do You Understand These Rights?" and "Bad Cop" Joker stories by Andrew Kreisberg.

I'm not overmuch excited about the new printing of the Hitman series, but I know other people are. If you want more, pre-order the first one, kids.

I'm surprised World's Greatest Super-Heroes, a collection of the oversized prose and paintings books by Paul Dini and Alex Ross, is a paperback and not a deluxe hardcover. I wonder how the art and text will survive, shrunk down to size, or if they re-set the prose pieces.

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps volume three collects the first issues where the main Green Lantern title became Green Lantern Corps.

THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: PROLOGUE TO DARKNESS TP (September)
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artists: Pat Broderick, Keith Giffen and Bruce Patterson
Collects: THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #284-289 and THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES ANNUAL #1
$19.99 US, 208 pg

BATGIRL: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP (December)
Writers: Gardner Fox, Frank Robbins, Dennis O’Neil, Elliot S. Maggin, Bob Rozakis, Kelley Puckett and Devin Grayson
Artists: Carmine Infantino, Sid Greene, Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson, Vince Colletta, Don Heck, Mike Grell, Terry Dodson, Kevin Nowlan and Duncan Fegredo
Collects: DETECTIVE COMICS #359, 396, 400, 422, 423, 424, BATMAN FAMILY #1 and 9, LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE #10-11 and BATMAN CHRONICLES #9
$19.99 US, 160 pg

BATMAN: DEAD TO RIGHTS TP (December)
Writer: Andrew Kreisberg
Artists: Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens
Collects: BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #22-25 and 29-30
$14.99 US, 144 pg

HITMAN: LOCAL HEROES TP NEW PRINTING (December)
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artists: John McCrea, Carlos Ezquerra and Steve Pugh
Collects: HITMAN #9-14
$17.99 US, 144 pg

THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER HEROES TP (September)
Writer: Paul Dini
Artist: Alex Ross
Collects SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH, BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME: SHAZAM!: POWER OF HOPE, WONDER WOMAN: SPIRIT OF TRUTH, JLA: SECRET ORIGINS and JLA: LIBERTY AND JUSTICE
$39.99 US, 400 pg

TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS VOL. 3 TP (December)
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artists: Joe Staton, Bruce Paterson and Mark Farmer
Collects: GREEN LANTERN #201-206
$19.99 US, 144 pg

Conclusion:
Is it bad that the thing I'm most excited about at this moment is the Ravager trade with the Faces of Evil: Deathstroke in it? Of course, there's also the Superman books, Games, and more. If you could only read one book on DC's end-of-2010 list, what would it be?

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Superman: Earth One price and page count solicited

One big question mark in last week's announcement of DC Comics Earth One original graphic novel initiative was what the price point would be, and how many pages.

We get at least an inkling of that answer today with this solicitation for Superman: Earth One, at $19.95, 128 pages, and hardcover.

Here's some rough math, and please correct me in the comments section: Your average issue of Superman is $2.99 and 22 pages (that's story pages, if I understand correctly, not including advertisements). 128 pages is five to six issues; let's split the difference and say five and a half issues would be about $16.45.

So to start with, we see that Superman: Earth One is more expensive than the same number of comics issues. But everyone and their uncle gets some kind of discount on comic books, at least 30%, so let's say Superman: Earth One will actually cost about $14.00, not $19.95. Now we're looking at each "issue" of Superman: Earth One costing about $0.50 less than your average comic book.

This is important for two reasons:

1) A side benefit of being a trade-reader has always been that the books tend to cost less than single issues. This only makes sense; as with movies and other media, the customer gets immediate gratification (the weekly comic) and pays a premium for it, or gets delayed gratification (the later collection) but saves money to offset the wait. By rights Superman: Earth One should cost less than equivalent single issues.

2) Price will be key for garnering readers. If the cost of Superman: Earth One were ostentatious (and it could be, given that it's technically a "first run" book), this would be another reason to dismiss the Earth One concept out of hand. $19.95 is considerably low in comparison to other hardcover collections (Superman: New Krypton volume 1 was $24.99) and that means we'll see an even cheaper paperback to follow.

One sore spot about this announcement is the release date, September 2010. Granted any of these details could change -- including the page count and price -- as the release gets closer, but September is a very, very long time to wait for the Earth One books to begin -- DC runs the danger of losing excitement for the project before it even begins if it's after next summer before it starts (though this gives lots of convention lead-time to advertise). I expected something more like March or April. Maybe it'll turn out Batman: Earth One is coming first, but currently it doesn't look that way.

Five and a half issues, from my perspective, is still better than nothing. I remain very excited about Earth One, especially since it begins to look, if not thick, then affordable at least. What do you think?

***

Couple more new solicitations in addition:

* Batman and Robin Vol. 2: Batman vs. Robin - The second volume of the Grant Morrison series also in deluxe oversized format, like the first volume and Batman RIP

* Justice League of America: Team History - The first James Robinson/Mark Bagley trade after Cry for Justice

* World's Greatest Super-heroes Deluxe - This appears (unconfirmed) to be a deluxe format edition of the painted Alex Ross stories written by Paul Dini. These were previously only available as very large paperbacks and an Absolute edition; "deluxe" is a far more manageable size. Could this be the beginning of an Absolute-to-deluxe trend?

* Batman: Life After Death - Following Judd Winick's Batman: Long Shadows, here's the next volume in the solo adventures of the new Batman, by Tony Daniel

What's on your to-buy list? Does Superman: Earth One made the cut? Chime in at the comments section below.

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DC Announces Earth One Superman and Batman Graphic Novels

Let's talk about DC Comics: Earth One.

The first thing to do is separate the medium from the message. The "message," or content, here is a brand-new DC Comics continuity, set on a new DC "earth," with new origins for Superman and Batman. About this aspect alone, I have reservations. Leaving aside the other aspects of DC: Earth One, this makes for the third new origin of Superman in the last ten years; it just gets repetitive. I echo Kelson that the public already knows these origins already, and to rewrite over and over again with minor tweaks doesn't break new ground, but rather just makes the characters feel stale and the comics companies seem like they can't say anything new with the characters.

That said, I'm rather eager to see Geoff Johns take what, if I'm not mistaken, is his first shot at a Batman solo title.

I also have to quibble with the name, "Earth One." Well, we know that the established DC Comics continuity made up of 52 earths, with the main continuity called "New Earth"; should readers take from the name that this new continuity takes place on Earth-1 of the 52 (which I thought had already been established as something else in Trinity)? Else, unless the multiverse concept will have resonance in these new books, why call it Earth One at all? i imagine this is supposed to be some take on "Year One," but having "Earth" in these seems unnecessarily confusing.

That said ...

I am so very, very excited about this announcement. Consider this: original graphic novels -- trades, TPBs, whatever you want to call them -- about DC Comics superheroes, set in their own continuity. That is, not Elseworlds or specials or Prestige Format one-shots, but books set in a (if not the) continuity. Books that build on one another, books that follow one another, and books that cross over (or why else have continuity?).

What excites me is that for the first time, this very blog (and wait-for-traders all over the Internet) could talk about a new Superman or Batman adventure that's part of continuity (well, a continuity) right when it comes out. That is, the Earth One books, at last, won't be collections of books that everyone else has already read -- instead they'll be new, brand new, in graphic novel format.

Comic Book Resources quotes Geoff Johns that the plan is for two novels every year. My sense is that what DC has announced is much like how manga is produced -- not individual issues, but collected volumes -- but that manga volumes come out at a much faster rate. It seems to me that if the first volume is the origin of Superman and Batman, and the second volume introduces some villains ... we'll be at volume four before we really start getting in to meaty stories. I'm happy about this, but would it be too much to hope for perhaps three volumes a year? That way, by the end of the second year, the titles can start feeding in to an Earth One Justice League ...

Bottom line, I consider this a red-letter day, and a great step forward for lovers of collected comics. Keep following Collected Editions, and we'll have more on Earth One as it's revealed. How fun!

What do you think of DC Comics: Earth One? What's the next title you'd like to see after Superman and Batman? Chime in!

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