Official : Bendis gets both books

[Kuwagaton]

And this is the first interview that made me not like what I was hearing.

You need to "contemporize" Superman, Didio? Then you really don't understand him at all. Superman is as contemporary today as he was in 1938, you just don't get it. He's not the problem. You are.

It doesn't sound like there is anything they could say to get around this bias. Bendis himself says Didio and Lee were both keys to making his story happen, so if you blame them for elements you don't like you have you credit them for what you end up liking. Like for starters both Grant Morrison runs. It was their relationship with him and respect for him that got those stories into his hands.

[Ascended]

It doesn't sound like there is anything they could say to get around this bias. Bendis himself says Didio and Lee were both keys to making his story happen, so if you blame them for elements you don't like you have you credit them for what you end up liking. Like for starters both Grant Morrison runs. It was their relationship with him and respect for him that got those stories into his hands.

I'm not one for blanket hate; I give them credit where it's due. And yes, the good Super-runs we've had in the last twelve-ish years, Didio gets some credit for being the guy who ultimately approved of hiring the writer (including my man Morrison). And Lee gets credit for the same, for however long he's had his position (I forget).

It's just that, when it comes to Superman, Didio has made/allowed more bad choices than good ones. There are many other things I give him a lot of credit for (same-day-digital, the influx of imprints we've seen the last few years, the efforts to reach new audiences, etc). Superman, regretfully, just seems to be one of the company's IP's that Didio does not have a head for. It's unfortunate, but it happens. Superman has survived worse, and will survive this too. But I retain the right to bitch about his bad decisions when they pop up.

[JAK]

It doesn't sound like there is anything they could say to get around this bias. Bendis himself says Didio and Lee were both keys to making his story happen, so if you blame them for elements you don't like you have you credit them for what you end up liking. Like for starters both Grant Morrison runs. It was their relationship with him and respect for him that got those stories into his hands.

I'm not one for blanket hate; I give them credit where it's due. And yes, the good Super-runs we've had in the last twelve-ish years, Didio gets some credit for being the guy who ultimately approved of hiring the writer (including my man Morrison). And Lee gets credit for the same, for however long he's had his position (I forget).

It's just that, when it comes to Superman, Didio has made/allowed more bad choices than good ones. There are many other things I give him a lot of credit for (same-day-digital, the influx of imprints we've seen the last few years, the efforts to reach new audiences, etc). Superman, regretfully, just seems to be one of the company's IP's that Didio does not have a head for. It's unfortunate, but it happens. Superman has survived worse, and will survive this too. But I retain the right to bitch about his bad decisions when they pop up.

Yeah, I have to say that Didio's earned his bad stripes with me, and Lee a bit as well (though not as much). I have given them credit for what *had* to be going against their instincts and agreeing to Rebirth with Superman and reversing so much of what they touted so hard in 2011.

But a lot of the time, he's still pretty tone deaf when it comes to Superman. I don't think it's a coincidence that Lee and Didio were fairly quiet and let Johns lead the Q&A when they did the Rebirth panel.

[Kuwagaton]

If they ever let Johns speak more it's probably because he's a much more active writer than the two of them put together. They'd probably let Neal Adams or Grant Morrison run the answers, too. This could be the best or the worst, likely neither, but that's not really one person's fault. All they can do is put their best foot out and hope the dozens of others associated do the same. If the people who always keeping trying to rock the boat are bad, wait until we get the people who don't even touch the boat. Who don't call Superman the "biggest character."

[JAK]

If they ever let Johns speak more it's probably because he's a much more active writer than the two of them put together. They'd probably let Neal Adams or Grant Morrison run the answers, too. This could be the best or the worst, likely neither, but that's not really one person's fault. All they can do is put their best foot out and hope the dozens of others associated do the same. If the people who always keeping trying to rock the boat are bad, wait until we get the people who don't even touch the boat. Who don't call Superman the "biggest character."

That's part of it.. but I think it's more than that. Take this, for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDuupQxkEe8

I think if this had been Didio or Lee in the video, it would have rung hollow. Didio, in particular, has built a reputation of being about the profits. Yes, they're a big company and need those to work and profit is the driver.. but calling him blatant (at least at times) about it would be kind.

Johns's emotion as he describes Rebirth shows that this is much more in his wheelhouse. It's clearly visible on his face that this means something to him. And that's rarely been a strength for Didio. He's more the "sales pitch" guy. Not that that's always a bad thing, certainly, but sometimes that's not the touch that works or resonates. it's not the touch that assures this will be done with care to character and not just "we put Superman in a test tube to see what might happen," that kinda thing. Bendis, for his part, has largely done a good job of describing what he wants to do in a thoughtful way that gets me interested. And then Didio says something that makes me cringe and undoes the sentiment of when he calls Superman the "biggest character". Past context can make it feel more like lip service than anything.

[Miles To Go]

Review of AC 1000 from a CBR writer that read it
"Action Comics #1000 is a hell of a tribute to The Man of Tomorrow.

I loved all of the stories — except for Bendis and Jim Lee’s — but my favourite was Tomasi and Gleason’s, which was a surprised considering how mediocre their run in Superman has been."

https://twitter.com/KingImpulse/stat...61249157648384

Already bad reviews(an AV Club writer that read it in the replies wasn't a fan either)

"Carbon Copy of a very bad Superman story"

..Damn, I wonder if he's one of those anti-Death of Superman types?

[manofsteel1979]

I know DiDio and Lee are DC Comics head honchos and part of their job is to do these talk up the book interviews, but I reflexively cringe whenever they speak about Superman, particularly DiDio. I'm sure he's a great guy and all, but in the past whenever he's gone on the " we have to keep Superman relevant" kick , we've gotten crap like Grounded and the worst aspects of the new 52.

Plus,don't get me started on his bright idea of taking something that was meant to be a stand alone take on Superman by Mark Waid (BIRTHRIGHT) and without notice and any planning or foresight decided to drop it will nilly into Superman's then fairly tight and clear continuity for seemingly the express purpose of blowing it all up because he didn't like Byrne's origin . Of course this led to over a decade of endless continuity tweaking and clean up that is still being delt with. Now, I am not a big fan of Byrne's Man of Steel and I personally love Birthright and vastly prefer it over any of the existing modern origins takes, but the damage it caused to Superman is inexcusable. However that's not Waid's fault, it's DiDio's and the consequences are still being felt 15 years later.

If Superman were a real person he would have probably put a restraining order on DiDio to stay away from him and his family of characters long ago. Just keep the guy away from Superman or at least talking about him. Whenever he talks up a specific Superman project, I'm far less likely to be excited for it. Let Bendis talk it up.

[Kuwagaton]

That's part of it.. but I think it's more than that. Take this, for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDuupQxkEe8

I think if this had been Didio or Lee in the video, it would have rung hollow. Didio, in particular, has built a reputation of being about the profits. Yes, they're a big company and need those to work and profit is the driver.. but calling him blatant (at least at times) about it would be kind.

Johns's emotion as he describes Rebirth shows that this is much more in his wheelhouse. It's clearly visible on his face that this means something to him. And that's rarely been a strength for Didio. He's more the "sales pitch" guy. Not that that's always a bad thing, certainly, but sometimes that's not the touch that works or resonates. it's not the touch that assures this will be done with care to character and not just "we put Superman in a test tube to see what might happen," that kinda thing. Bendis, for his part, has largely done a good job of describing what he wants to do in a thoughtful way that gets me interested. And then Didio says something that makes me cringe and undoes the sentiment of when he calls Superman the "biggest character". Past context can make it feel more like lip service than anything.

That was a video leading up to the Rebirth special. Johns even directly quotes himself, so I don't think it would have even been possible for people who didn't create that thing to be as on point. That's like noting that Johns isn't as into New Age as the artist of Immortal Men or the writer of Sideways.

As far as Superman and Bendis go,

"Dan came to me with his master plan," Bendis said on John Siuntres' The Word Balloon podcast. "DiDio has plans for the publishing market that are unbelievable. He knows what he needs to implement the plan and I couldn't jump on fast enough. I like Dan a great deal... He texted me saying 'I have a creative challenge for you.' It's something about the 80's which you'll see in my work later in the year, because I did accept his challenge. I texted back - 'You and I would've been friends in high school.'"

This isn't a Marvel situation where they refuse to go back and so we have a married Superman returned, like they swallowed their collective pride on New 52, and a host of new things thrown in because they apparently like challenge. It's not that Superman is broken but it's more than obvious that he underperforms and so the challenge is really there. Which is why for the past few years all these big (Marvel starts like Lee once was and general beasts like Yang) talent scoops have gone right to him. Bendis and the others give good first-hand feedback about Didio so it's weird to me that third hand people are always saying the opposite. Like who thinks he should stay away from Superman aside from I guess Mark Waid? I remember people making a big deal about how he threw Final Crisis under the bus and years later Grant Morrison is still taking the time to lend him a hand.

[Kuwagaton]

Review of AC 1000 from a CBR writer that read it
"Action Comics #1000 is a hell of a tribute to The Man of Tomorrow.

I loved all of the stories — except for Bendis and Jim Lee’s — but my favourite was Tomasi and Gleason’s, which was a surprised considering how mediocre their run in Superman has been."

https://twitter.com/KingImpulse/stat...61249157648384

Already bad reviews(an AV Club writer that read it in the replies wasn't a fan either)

Obviously it's much better to hear that people liked it but I wouldn't sweat anything less than 17 pages for a correlation on a run. These sort of jam specials make it tough for most people, never mind an incoming writer.

[Atlas]

And this is the first interview that made me not like what I was hearing.

You need to "contemporize" Superman, Didio? Then you really don't understand him at all. Superman is as contemporary today as he was in 1938, you just don't get it. He's not the problem. You are.

I've been extremely nervous as more has emerged about Bendis' run, but this has me officially afraid. Not to mention that Doc Shaner talked about the issue of MoS he's drawing in a video on SyFyWire and didn't mention Lois or Jon once while talking about Clark's "new life" at the Daily Planet and in general.

Indeed, I do think we're about to hit a major upheaval. It's not something I think we really need, but it looks like its coming regardless of my personal feelings (DC, how could you not tailor your product specifically to my desires!!?? I am undone!!)

We'll just have to see what Bendis has planned, and whether he can execute it or not. He's saying a lot of the right things, and he's done some incredible work in the past. My only real cause for concern is his latest Marvel work, which hasn't impressed me outside of Miles Morales, and Didio himself, who seems to screw up Superman every time things are starting to gel nicely.

This is what I just don't understand. The New 52 was largely a train wreck when it came to Superman (though not an outright deconstruction and character assassination like the Snyder films) but it wasn't all DiDio's fault. I acknowledge that fact, yet DiDio was behind DC You, which only made things worse. We finally get Superman restored and right as even the uniform is completely restored, DiDio's behind another revamp with a writer from Marvel whose work hasn't been a draw in a solid decade. It no longer matters to me whether bad ideas or undone later, it matters that they're continually executed with Superman. I'm going to be open-minded and read Man of Steel, but if I don't like what happens there, that's the end of my support for DC Comics until DiDio is finally gone. I'm putting the full blame on this if it it's another tone-deaf take on the character. Bendis really can't be blamed for doing what he's allowed to do.

That's part of it.. but I think it's more than that. Take this, for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDuupQxkEe8

I think if this had been Didio or Lee in the video, it would have rung hollow. Didio, in particular, has built a reputation of being about the profits. Yes, they're a big company and need those to work and profit is the driver.. but calling him blatant (at least at times) about it would be kind.

Johns's emotion as he describes Rebirth shows that this is much more in his wheelhouse. It's clearly visible on his face that this means something to him. And that's rarely been a strength for Didio. He's more the "sales pitch" guy. Not that that's always a bad thing, certainly, but sometimes that's not the touch that works or resonates. it's not the touch that assures this will be done with care to character and not just "we put Superman in a test tube to see what might happen," that kinda thing. Bendis, for his part, has largely done a good job of describing what he wants to do in a thoughtful way that gets me interested. And then Didio says something that makes me cringe and undoes the sentiment of when he calls Superman the "biggest character". Past context can make it feel more like lip service than anything.

DiDio makes statements like this about Superman but it's all lip-service. He's made it clear through the years that he dislikes and/or doesn't understand the character. That's fine, but constantly changing the character so suit his preferences is the height of bad business. Imagine if you own a restaurant and everyone loves your pizza in particular. You decide to constantly tweak the recipe because you don't like it, and before you know it, no one's interested in that pizza anymore. DiDio's been doing the same to Superman since he took over.

I know DiDio and Lee are DC Comics head honchos and part of their job is to do these talk up the book interviews, but I reflexively cringe whenever they speak about Superman, particularly DiDio. I'm sure he's a great guy and all, but in the past whenever he's gone on the " we have to keep Superman relevant" kick , we've gotten crap like Grounded and the worst aspects of the new 52.

Plus,don't get me started on his bright idea of taking something that was meant to be a stand alone take on Superman by Mark Waid (BIRTHRIGHT) and without notice and any planning or foresight decided to drop it will nilly into Superman's then fairly tight and clear continuity for seemingly the express purpose of blowing it all up because he didn't like Byrne's origin . Of course this led to over a decade of endless continuity tweaking and clean up that is still being delt with. Now, I am not a big fan of Byrne's Man of Steel and I personally love Birthright and vastly prefer it over any of the existing modern origins takes, but the damage it caused to Superman is inexcusable. However that's not Waid's fault, it's DiDio's and the consequences are still being felt 15 years later.

If Superman were a real person he would have probably put a restraining order on DiDio to stay away from him and his family of characters long ago. Just keep the guy away from Superman or at least talking about him. Whenever he talks up a specific Superman project, I'm far less likely to be excited for it. Let Bendis talk it up.

Completely agree and that's why I can't understand why DiDio is again involved this directly in Superman and the direction of the DCU. Why did Rebirth abruptly end and Snyder's take on things get put into place? Why is it even possible that what was established in Rebirth is now in question and DiDio and Lee are behind it? Something happened behind the scenes we're not aware of and it looks like the DCU will be paying for it again, but especially Superman.

[manofsteel1979]

I've been extremely nervous as more has emerged about Bendis' run, but this has me officially afraid. Not to mention that Doc Shaner talked about the issue of MoS he's drawing in a video on SyFyWire and didn't mention Lois or Jon once while talking about Clark's "new life" at the Daily Planet and in general.



This is what I just don't understand. The New 52 was largely a train wreck when it came to Superman (though not an outright deconstruction and character assassination like the Snyder films) but it wasn't all DiDio's fault. I acknowledge that fact, yet DiDio was behind DC You, which only made things worse. We finally get Superman restored and right as even the uniform is completely restored, DiDio's behind another revamp with a writer from Marvel whose work hasn't been a draw in a solid decade. It no longer matters to me whether bad ideas or undone later, it matters that they're continually executed with Superman. I'm going to be open-minded and read Man of Steel, but if I don't like what happens there, that's the end of my support for DC Comics until DiDio is finally gone. I'm putting the full blame on this if it it's another tone-deaf take on the character. Bendis really can't be blamed for doing what he's allowed to do.



DiDio makes statements like this about Superman but it's all lip-service. He's made it clear through the years that he dislikes and/or doesn't understand the character. That's fine, but constantly changing the character so suit his preferences is the height of bad business. Imagine if you own a restaurant and everyone loves your pizza in particular. You decide to constantly tweak the recipe because you don't like it, and before you know it, no one's interested in that pizza anymore. DiDio's been doing the same to Superman since he took over.



Completely agree and that's why I can't understand why DiDio is again involved this directly in Superman and the direction of the DCU. Why did Rebirth abruptly end and Snyder's take on things get put into place? Why is it even possible that what was established in Rebirth is now in question and DiDio and Lee are behind it? Something happened behind the scenes we're not aware of and it looks like the DCU will be paying for it again, but especially Superman.

I don't think he dislikes Superman per say. He just has a very specific idea in mind of what Superman is, I.E. the one he grew up reading and has spent much of his early tenure as DC 's main guy trying to drag the DCU kicking and screaming back to the 70s which mucked things up so badly by the late 00's that blowing it all up and starting from scratch seemed like a viable option.

I'm personally not a huge fan of Geoff Johns on Superman specifically because he always seems to try to turn it into Donnerverse: the comic, but he gets most of the rest of the DCU well and through Rebirth he managed to get the DCU back in a somewhat decent place and allowed Jurgens and Tomasi to stabilize Superman. All which was astonishing how quickly just two years of DiDio with his hand largely off the wheel fixed quite a bit.

I'm not outright dismissing Bendis run before we actually see what he's up to, and I so far am liking MOST of what we've heard from him, but the thought that DiDio seems to be back in control...I can't say a part of me is optimistic.

[Ascended]

This isn't a Marvel situation where they refuse to go back and so we have a married Superman returned, like they swallowed their collective pride on New 52, and a host of new things thrown in because they apparently like challenge. It's not that Superman is broken but it's more than obvious that he underperforms and so the challenge is really there. Which is why for the past few years all these big (Marvel starts like Lee once was and general beasts like Yang) talent scoops have gone right to him. Bendis and the others give good first-hand feedback about Didio so it's weird to me that third hand people are always saying the opposite. Like who thinks he should stay away from Superman aside from I guess Mark Waid? I remember people making a big deal about how he threw Final Crisis under the bus and years later Grant Morrison is still taking the time to lend him a hand.

In regards to the third hand stuff......I'd be surprised if working professionals spoke badly of Didio, or anyone else in a powerful management position. It's typically unwise to insult the person who signs your paychecks. Or could be signing a paycheck down the road, in the case of the freelancers and people who aren't employed at DC full-time (like Morrison).

And from everything I have ever seen, Didio actually seems like a good guy who really enjoys his job. He seems to genuinely care about the craft and the history and he always comes off as excited for whatever project he's marketing. I would happily sit down and have a beer with him and talk comics. And he's done some excellent things on the business end that have been a big help to the industry as a whole and DC in particular.

But when it comes to Clark, I don't have to look any further than the average level of quality to know that this is not a character Didio is in tune with. At the very least, his ideas about Superman and how to approach the character are vastly different from my own. And yes, I know that he isn't involved in the day-to-day work of script writing, editorial approval, etc. He's got a much bigger job than that. But ultimately, the blame still falls on him, because he is the guy who hired, or approved the hiring, of the editors and creators.

The comments about needing to update or modernize the character.....that *could* just be the hype engine doing what it's supposed to do. Except for the fact that we've seen what these comments actually usher in. And even if he has a point about needing to keep Clark contemporary (which, in part, he does) the way he goes about it (meaning the projects he approves of, or lets people he's hired approve of) isn't usually successful, and rarely is it actually contemporary. And often, these changes are just DC trying to rub some edgy Bat-ness all over the shield.

Every manager has their blind spots. Superman just seems to be (quite often) one of Didio's.

There's also the chance that some of these decisions come from WB, and Didio just has to find a way to make it work. But if that's the case, then Didio still gets some of the blame for not translating WB's inane demands more cleanly and successfully (which is, certainly, part of his job description). In some cases, I think he's done the best that could be reasonably expected of anyone (the New52 was a rush job because of WB, reportedly, and I think that went off as well as it was ever going to under the circumstances). But in other cases...especially with certain characters including Clark...not so much.

[Kuwagaton]

Okay, so we're clear, we're not even going to be talking about rumored spoilers here. We only have four days anyway.

[JAK]

That was a video leading up to the Rebirth special. Johns even directly quotes himself, so I don't think it would have even been possible for people who didn't create that thing to be as on point. That's like noting that Johns isn't as into New Age as the artist of Immortal Men or the writer of Sideways.

I only use that to show how he tackles talking about a project like Rebirth. It feels heartfelt and genuine, and I don't often get that from the way Didio tends to hype something. Iirc, it was also the video to tell people what Rebirth in general was all about, and was followed not long after by the Q&A with Tomasi, Jurgens, etc.

This isn't a Marvel situation where they refuse to go back and so we have a married Superman returned, like they swallowed their collective pride on New 52, and a host of new things thrown in because they apparently like challenge. It's not that Superman is broken but it's more than obvious that he underperforms and so the challenge is really there. Which is why for the past few years all these big (Marvel starts like Lee once was and general beasts like Yang) talent scoops have gone right to him. Bendis and the others give good first-hand feedback about Didio so it's weird to me that third hand people are always saying the opposite. Like who thinks he should stay away from Superman aside from I guess Mark Waid? I remember people making a big deal about how he threw Final Crisis under the bus and years later Grant Morrison is still taking the time to lend him a hand.

Well... they kinda did, in a way. Look at the Batwoman team leaving a few years back over DC having a "no marriage" edict. And now, here's Superman with not just his wife back, but a child too. After hearing those kinds of things during the New52 (and Matt Idleson saying, in a Superman Homepage interview, something to the effect of Lois and Clark wouldn't be reuniting while he was at the helm - it wasn't that harsh but it left that general impression), Superman's part of Rebirth was honestly shocking. I remember Didio and Lee doing a lot of the "talking" (though not all) for New52, and Johns running point mainly on Rebirth (at least, early on, and especially in the Q&A. Speaking of the Q&A, I also kinda remember them throwing Didio some gentle shade during that, but I might be mis-remembering). Ascended actually words this much better than I do, so I've copied it below, but this gut feeling that Didio gives me has years of precedent. The way he talks about big shake-ups gives me flashbacks from the last handful of times he talked like that and the results just made things worse. Given some of the other responses on this thread, something in his messaging seems to be off for a portion of the fanbase, at the very least.

In regards to the third hand stuff......I'd be surprised if working professionals spoke badly of Didio, or anyone else in a powerful management position. It's typically unwise to insult the person who signs your paychecks. Or could be signing a paycheck down the road, in the case of the freelancers and people who aren't employed at DC full-time (like Morrison).

i could be totally off-base, but that's my impression, too. it can be easily discredited as conspiracy theory, I suppose, but deference to the boss is never a bad thing if one wants to keep their job or stay at the company. Most PR is crafted to make all parties look good - that's the point of it, after all.

And from everything I have ever seen, Didio actually seems like a good guy who really enjoys his job. He seems to genuinely care about the craft and the history and he always comes off as excited for whatever project he's marketing. I would happily sit down and have a beer with him and talk comics. And he's done some excellent things on the business end that have been a big help to the industry as a whole and DC in particular.

I've actually met him at a convention in Ontario - and he's very nice and very personable, even talked with my wife and I for a bit. I don't have any problem with him personally, even though it may seem like it from the way I talk about these things.

But when it comes to Clark, I don't have to look any further than the average level of quality to know that this is not a character Didio is in tune with. At the very least, his ideas about Superman and how to approach the character are vastly different from my own. And yes, I know that he isn't involved in the day-to-day work of script writing, editorial approval, etc. He's got a much bigger job than that. But ultimately, the blame still falls on him, because he is the guy who hired, or approved the hiring, of the editors and creators.

The comments about needing to update or modernize the character.....that *could* just be the hype engine doing what it's supposed to do. Except for the fact that we've seen what these comments actually usher in. And even if he has a point about needing to keep Clark contemporary (which, in part, he does) the way he goes about it (meaning the projects he approves of, or lets people he's hired approve of) isn't usually successful, and rarely is it actually contemporary. And often, these changes are just DC trying to rub some edgy Bat-ness all over the shield.

Every manager has their blind spots. Superman just seems to be (quite often) one of Didio's.

You said that much better than I have here. Especially the second part. If my reaction is simply a "learned behavior", I do still feel it's learned for a reason.

There's also the chance that some of these decisions come from WB, and Didio just has to find a way to make it work. But if that's the case, then Didio still gets some of the blame for not translating WB's inane demands more cleanly and successfully (which is, certainly, part of his job description). In some cases, I think he's done the best that could be reasonably expected of anyone (the New52 was a rush job because of WB, reportedly, and I think that went off as well as it was ever going to under the circumstances). But in other cases...especially with certain characters including Clark...not so much.

I've considered this, too. And if it's the case... boy, some of what he's said just fails basic PR for me (I'm referring to the New52 hype mostly on that last bit). Maybe he thought a bit of "snark/irrevrence" is a good marketing tool, and that just takes me out of it, but it really smacks of a lack of respect for the character.

[Sacred Knight]

Okay, so we're clear, we're not even going to be talking about rumored spoilers here.

Okay, sorry.