Official : Bendis gets both books

[Miles To Go]

Heh, so I guess Bendis is going to keep teasing us on what happened until Man of Steel #5, Bendis is going to torture us guessing throughout the summer lol.

Also you guys see this? https://twitter.com/BRIANMBENDIS/sta...586084864?s=19

For some reason, whenever Bendis trolls my sides hurt, when Slott trolls, everything hurts

[Atlas]

Also, are we sure Bendis said he is doing a status quo chang bigger than COIE? I thought that was just in the fake interview dolores posted.

Sadly, he really said it in the Forbes interview that announced that he was taking over Superman.

After Man of Steel's publication, Bendis will take over writing duties on the monthly titles Superman and Action Comics. The Superman monthly will relaunch with a new issue #1 on July 11, while Action Comics picks up with issue #1001 on July 25, and each will have a different approach and tone. While the main Superman title will be an adventure-driven book, Action Comics will delve into Clark Kent's daily life.

But when the two regular monthlies pick back up, things won't be the same in Superman' world. "The fallout of Man of Steel #6 is enormous," Bendis insists. "It's some of the biggest status quo changes to Superman literally since Crisis. So we'll be launching Superman with a brand new #1, and that's going to be very Superman-focused and big DC action stories. Action Comics will be launching with #1001, I'm very happy to say, and that will be focused more on Clark and Metropolis and the Daily Planet, and how the world of Superman effects the world of DC."

[Atlas]

"It's some of the biggest status quo changes to Superman literally since Crisis."

There's only a few things this can really be with COIE as context:

-erasure of Lois knowing Clark is Superman/restoration of the love triangle and pre-COIE status quo

-erasure of the marriage and with it, Jon

-alteration of Krypton's destruction

-alteration of Clark's life with the Kents

We know that this new villain (the one with the unmemorable name) will have something to do with either destroying Krypton or have knowledge about Krypton's destruction previously unknown. This wouldn't, however, be a huge change dating back just to COIE, so it's got to be something with the biggest changes made after COIE: Clark told Lois the truth in the main continuity of the time and they eventually married. Had the New 52 not made alterations to the post-COIE version of the Kents, that could be an option, but we know it isn't.

Assuming Bendis isn't just being hyperbolic, the love triangle is likely returning and the marriage and Jon are gone. Even if it's temporary, it's a slap in the face of fans who came back two years ago.


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[Sacred Knight]

If Jon does die, let me re-iterate for public record again that I am NOT Brian Bendis.

Jokes aside, I too would be shocked. Still pretty convinced that whatever is going on though, its not that. Could I see something happening now though where Clark is separated from his family? Now, kinda.

Another thought...would he dare reveal that the Superman and family we've been reading for the past 2 years are still time anomalies? Not a Superman not of this Earth, but a Superman who is ten years in the past and doesn't realize it? Does the classic costume come back because the actual Superman and Lois of this time period is returned, one who is unmarried and Jon isn't born yet? Or something involving time travel?

It makes me think of this from the #1000 story, with a trunks-clad Superman being knocked into the diner:

Laura (Cont’d): Oh my god.
Stacy: It’s him. It’s REALLY him.
I’ve lived here 5 years and I’ve never even seen him fly by.

Emphasis mine. Is there more to that line than meets the eye involving time?


I'm just throwing ideas out there but it'd be a really weird callback to the whole dual Superman situation right before Rebirth happened. And god knows Bendis does time travel stuff and duplicates all the time (see X-Men). I'd have to laugh if after all this time, we land right back essentially where we were after Convergence, and there's two Supermen in the world again.

[Miles To Go]

I'm just throwing ideas out there but it'd be a really weird callback to the whole dual Superman situation right before Rebirth happened. And god knows Bendis does time travel stuff and duplicates all the time (see X-Men).

Bendis pulling an "05 X-Men" with Supes (and possibly Kara?) is interesting, and the villain is said to be determined to destroy Clark's "future", so it's possible there's a temporal shift in the status quo change...maybe the villain travels back in time and the fight alters history? Jon and the married Lois are erased from existence and that lasts for the whole of Bendis' run until it's time to catch up to Doomsday Clock?

Mind you, Bendis left Marvel and the 05 never returned home, so he may just leave this mess for someone else to clean up

[Sacred Knight]

Perhaps, perhaps. Whatever's going on I'm getting an itch that we're on the right track now discussing time travel.

[Miles To Go]

Perhaps, perhaps. Whatever's going on I'm getting an itch that we're on the right track now discussing time travel.

That "Death of Superman" homage on the cover to Issue 5 has to tie into that possibility too.

Honestly, time travel/reality warping is a more preferable option than divorce/family drama, because it opens up a window for the characters to reverse it eventually, as was evident with how we transitioned from N52 to Rebirth...albeit awkwardly

[Atlas]

That "Death of Superman" homage on the cover to Issue 5 has to tie into that possibility too.

Honestly, time travel/reality warping is a more preferable option than divorce/family drama, because it opens up a window for the characters to reverse it eventually, as was evident with how we transitioned from N52 to Rebirth...albeit awkwardly

How is any further tampering with Superman preferable to telling new and interesting stories that don't involve altering continuity yet again? I just don't understand this defense, especially since the last change was only a little over a year ago (Reborn) and still hasn't been fully explained.

[Soubhagya]

That "Death of Superman" homage on the cover to Issue 5 has to tie into that possibility too.

Honestly, time travel/reality warping is a more preferable option than divorce/family drama, because it opens up a window for the characters to reverse it eventually, as was evident with how we transitioned from N52 to Rebirth...albeit awkwardly

How many reality warps are there going to be? We recently had Reborn. But i think Sacred is onto something. That is one way there can be a change bigger since COIE. DC can have their cake and eat it too. As it can be reversed.

I am not a fan. That might mean no Jon Kent. That's too bad. Is that why they cancelled Supersons? Makes no sense in making him simply disappear. And if there is a two Superman thing as Sacred suggests is a possibility, then i have to laugh too. Its lazy. Superman had it recently. Bendis did it recently with X-Men.

[Atlas]

Made this yesterday to vent my frustration in a creative way.

bendissolicits.jpg

[Sacred Knight]

How many reality warps are there going to be? We recently had Reborn. But i think Sacred is onto something. That is one way there can be a change bigger since COIE. DC can have their cake and eat it too. As it can be reversed.

I am not a fan. That might mean no Jon Kent. That's too bad. Is that why they cancelled Supersons? Makes no sense in making him simply disappear. And if there is a two Superman thing as Sacred suggests is a possibility, then i have to laugh too. Its lazy. Superman had it recently. Bendis did it recently with X-Men.

The costume issue is just really making me wonder now. They keep saying there's an explanation for them returning. We've been thinking along the lines of something simple like his other costume is destroyed, or by explanation they mean some sort of metatextual declaration of it being the "real" costume or some such, but the idea of time travel actually puts it into a whole new potential context as to why Superman's wearing a different costume.

[Superlad93]

That "Death of Superman" homage on the cover to Issue 5 has to tie into that possibility too.

Doc Shanner clarified that the covers don't actually correspond with what's in the actual issue (at least in his case).

I doubt Lois, Jon, or the relationship is going anywhere even in Man of Steel. For one, Jon is popular as sh!t. So much so that Tomasi, King, and Snyder have been reassuring fans not to worry about Super Sons being canned. The same can be said about the relationship. In all of Bendis' interviews he always clarifies that he's not doing away with anything from Tomasi, Gleason, and Jurgens' runs. I'm sure he'll screw with the whole thing for a story or whatever, and that's totally cool.

But, I doubt the idea is to somehow make a set up that does away with them for any great stretch of time.

Also, given that Bendis has said that he's having a great time writing Lois and Jon, not only do I assume they'll still be around, but I'm guessing they'll have some from of agency during this while what happened to them thing.

[Sacred Knight]

I don't think they'll get rid of it. But at the same time, maybe they get rid of it without getting rid of it. Having your cake and eating it to is DC's mantra to a T. Its why they botched the reboot, because they didn't do it fully. Its why continuity with the Rebirth era is a mess. Then you have Bendis, who does the exact same thing, easily seen with his Marvel work. Jean is (was) dead. But she also wasn't, with the teen version around. Scott was pretty close to evil. But at the same time he wasn't because his teen version was around. I'm not saying an idea EXACTLY like that, but could I see him playing with time in some shape or form to do something different while not erasing the family aspect at the same time? Yeah. Could I see DC allowing that? Yeah. I'm not saying it would be guaranteed to be pretty. Probably would be confusing as hell. I'm just looking at the past and whims of the company and the writer, coupled with some hints we've been getting, and its making me think. A lot.

[Superlad93]

I even doubt that. Seems like going through a whole lot of trouble to solidify a status quo and make certain that every one reading knows this is the real deal going forward (by way of Reborn) just delegitimize it while still keeping the characters around in some from. That disregards the clear popularity of the Rebirth era, and what made it popular. If you're suggesting that Jon and Lois somehow forget but Clark remembers, then that's missing the point of the popularity.

I'm guessing the idea is to take what Tomasi, Gleason, and Jurgens have established and play with its popularity via implying that its being threatened. That's why you put it in a solicitation for everyone to see, and why you put it in a mini that will be coming out weekly with at least some from of conclusion. That's almost an assured buy for all those weeks. Carrot and stick.

I have no idea what he'll ultimately do, but any situation where he breaks up the family rings false given how generous the solicitations are with that info and Bendis is with the trolling. He's playing on the expectations of a new team, and his reputation, and that prompts conversation and buzz like this.

[Sacred Knight]

I doubt pretty much nothing at this point. Except the idea that nothing in regards to Jon will be concretely erased which makes him unable to be used right now. So he won't die/be erased from existence. He will still be there, and he will still be used in whatever project they're going to do going forward with him, Damian, and the other kids. Anything else, considering the storm of who's involved? Nothing's off the table in my mind. Now, you say that, and at face value you think, okay well doesn't that limit the options right there? If the kid isn't dying or being erased what can you do? Well, considering the works I've been researching that this particular writer has done before...kinda a lot. I won't argue for all the sense all those stories have made, but they're there all the same. So who knows. I sure won't say I know for sure, but at the same time I'm even less comfortable saying I doubt anything other than that former point.

In general though, with every minute that goes by I become more convinced that, whatever the ultimate direction may be, we're going to see time travel. In a vacuum I'd be willing to bet on that general idea.