The Bus

DC to revamp Batman and Superman for new graphic novel series



By Noel Murray December 8, 2009

In what looks to be an attempt to court the increasingly lucrative bookstore market, DC Comics has announced a new series of original graphic novels, beginning in 2010, featuring the company's two biggest characters, Batman and Superman. Batman: Earth One will be written by the ubiquitous Geoff Johns, with art by Gary Frank, while Superman: Earth One will be written by J. Michael Straczynski, with art by Shane Davis. Both series will take place in an entirely new continuity, and will tell the heroes' stories from the beginning, in ongoing adventures.

So how will this series be different from the countless other reboots, revamps, retcons and retellings? Well, the format is new; perhaps that'll free up Johns and Straczynski to think more in terms of straightforward, long-form storytelling, without the complications of crossovers and convoluted backstories. But can a lifelong superhero devotee make a humble request? Get the origins and set-up out of the way quick and get the hell on with telling new stories. The last thing the genre needs are more drawn-out revisitations of old mythology. ("Oh look, Krypto's back. Again. And here's how Clark Kent met Lex Luthor. Again.") Enough with the nods and winks to the fans. Here's hoping that if this series is really aimed at new readers, it'll actually be new.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/dc-to...aphic-n,36114/

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Hell yes. I hope this succeeds to show everyone that the single-issue comic is a dying form and the market should move more to regular graphic novel installments.

kgrogers1979

I'm excited for it. The ex-marine Alfred pic makes me think this will be DC's version of what Marvel did with the Ultimate books. That is what I had hoped the All Star books would have been, and I was disappointed that it wasn't.

stingermck

Very excited about this as well. As a life long reader, I wouldn't mind if floopies were replaced with trades/hc's every 6 months or so. Imagine reading Blackest Night all in one shot.

boredsilly

Well if books moved to OGNs, we would get a very different kind of standard story. That would be cool by me. It won't happen any time soon, though, I'm all for mainstream comics embracing the OGN. DC is really all about them now.

Sessa17

I'm not against this move, but the creative team on the Superman book is very week. I'm not a fan of Davis' art at all, I would love to see Pacheco on this type of book & Straczynski is dreadfully boring for the most part.

Superboy

If you mean dumb the writing down, then yes, that's exactly what this is going to be.

And yet, I have a feeling JMS is going to elevate Superman to his usual level of pretension.

fujishig

The problem is that the Ultimate universe died a slow death (I realize it's still around post-Ultimatum). As new, highly touted writers came on board, they went back to over-complicating the mythology to the point that it was almost as convoluted as the regular Marvel Universe.

I don't mind this, though. This is what Timm did with his animated series, and I loved that. Now how well a series of OGNs is going to do at the bookstore remains to be seen... are they going to make these cheaper and manga-sized or something?

bloopbleep

Should be interesting but how many times have these two been rebooted?

Mike86

I know this is kind of an older thread but I just picked up Superman: Earth One at my local book store yesterday and was wondering what other people thought of it. I personally found it to be a pretty enjoyable re-telling of Superman's origin, but then again I was never the biggest fan of the character so maybe I don't have the nostalgia or knowledge of the character and the universe he lives in to cloud my judgment of the story. It wasn't exactly perfect but overall I was happy with it. Is there plans to continue on with this line or was it a one off type deal? Also digging up the thread it appears that Batman is getting this treatment as well. Anyone know when that's supposed to be out?