BENDIS ON SUPERMAN and DC: I'm ok with it!

[Comic-Reader Lad]

It's been announced today that Bendis will write a 6-issue "Man of Steel" miniseries, then he'll take over BOTH Superman and Action Comics as writer, replacing Peter Tomasi and Dan Jurgens.

I'm surprised this is happening because I thought DC was happy with both of their work, especially Tomasi, but I can see why they want their high-profile talent grab from Marvel to be on their signature character.

I know a lot of people are handwringing over Bendis, but I'm actually looking forward to his run. I understand that his last several years at Marvel were spotty to say the least from what I've heard, but everyone seems to acknowledge that (1) he writes solo characters well, and (2) his early years at Marvel were really good.

I'm just looking at this situation with rose-colored glasses for now and hope that he has just simply been burned out at Marvel and that his move to DC will recharge his creative batteries and give everyone the Bendis they loved when he first started at Marvel.

I don't think it was necessary to restart the Superman title with yet another new number 1, but at least they're keeping the Action Comics numbering going. He'll debut as sole writer on that title with #1001.

Other Bendis news is that he'll have his own imprint at DC and he'll also be bringing his Jinxworld, Powers, and other titles to be published at DC going forward. I expect all-new trade collections of his creator-owned back catalog published by DC in the coming years.

Is anyone else looking forward to seeing what Bendis will do at DC? Is anyone at least cautiously optimistic? Is all the doom and gloom talk regarding Bendis at DC just a loud minority or does it reflect the predominant opinion?

[Godlike13]

Both that’s interesting. Tomasi has been doing good work on Superman but I get this move.

[Zero Hunter]

On one hand having one writer doing both books does give the runs a consistent tone. One the other hand if the tone is not good it drives you off both books instead of just one. Right now I am in a "wait and see" mindset. It just depends on which Bendis shows up. Will it be the Daredevil and Ultimate Spider Man Bendis, or will it be the X-Men Bendis.

I think if I had my choice I would have just given him Superman, and had Action comics be a Superfamily book for a year or so.

[MajorHoy]

Any reason you didn't post this in the "Superman" section of the forum and just used the general "DC Comics" section instead?

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Any reason you didn't post this in the "Superman" section of the forum and just used the general "DC Comics" section instead?

Yes, it's here because this thread is not only about Superman, but about all the Bendis-DC news we learned today:

- Jinxworld will now be published by DC, which will include the full back catalog and the creation of new material.

- Bendis will also oversee a new imprint that will allow him to put new and unique spins on the DC characters of his choice much like Gerard Way does with Young Animal. Bendis will write some, but not all, of these titles.

[mortymantis]

Yes, it's here because this thread is not only about Superman, but about all the Bendis-DC news we learned today:

- Jinxworld will now be published by DC, which will include the full back catalog and the creation of new material.

- Bendis will also oversee a new imprint that will allow him to put new and unique spins on the DC characters of his choice much like Gerard Way does with Young Animal. Bendis will write some, but not all, of these titles.

I struggle sometimes with people not wanting to talk about Superman in the dc comics forum. I know he has his. Own forum but come on. Lighten up a bit. Superman is dc. His books effect a lot of stuff. Also can you name a dc book that he hasn’t popped up in?

Don’t be so strict about Internet forums.

[Nomads1]

Can't say I'm looking foward to it. Based on my previous experience with Bendis, just the opposite. I was really enjoying Jurgens and Tomasi's runs on the super-title. For the first time in years, I was back to regularly reading Superman (even if just in trades). It had that triangle era feel I've always enjoyed so much (even if I'm one of the few that isn't so into Jon). As Zero Hunter said, if you don't enjoy the writing (and based on my previous experience with Bendis, there's like 98% chance of that happening), you don't have anywhere to run to.

Peace

[AngryComicBookNerd]

Yeah this is an all or nothing situation. Personally, I feel like a lot of people in comics today are coasting by on their name recognition and forgot what it was like to be hungry and have to constantly prove yourself. But that's just me... and maybe the lagging sales figures.

So are we returning to the old days of triangle numbers where it's all one continuous story? Or will he have one story in Action and a completely separate one in Superman?

[Uncanny Mutie]

On one hand, the Superman books were stronger than they had been in YEARS, and I really hate that a guy who hasn't done any quality work in years is being handed the keys to BOTH Superman books; there is definitely a strong chance that he could ruin them.

On the other hand, maybe MARVEL will actually be good and readable again now...

[DragonPiece]

I struggle sometimes with people not wanting to talk about Superman in the dc comics forum. I know he has his. Own forum but come on. Lighten up a bit. Superman is dc. His books effect a lot of stuff. Also can you name a dc book that he hasn’t popped up in?

Don’t be so strict about Internet forums.

to be fair to the person you are replying to, the thread title and most of what op talks about are related to Bendis's upcoming superman run, not the other stuff announced.

[Ilan Preskovsky]

Bendis' DC work will probably be either absolutely great or absolutely terrible but I'm genuinely curious to see what he brings, especially to Superman. That he's playing so far outside his usual playbox could push him and that Superman is a solo character with a great supporting cast does actually play to his strengths.

Whatever you might say, though, the artists he already has lined up to work with him are straight up mind-blowing. Seriously, Jim Lee is by far the least impressive of the artists he is going to be working with in his first few months at DC!

[Nomads1]

Whatever you might say, though, the artists he already has lined up to work with him are straight up mind-blowing. Seriously, Jim Lee is by far the least impressive of the artists he is going to be working with in his first few months at DC!

That has always been part of my beef with Bendis. The way I see it, he always had the unfair advantage (over other writers who, IMHO, were much more talented than him) of being paired only with the top artistic talent. It was like this over at Marvel, and it seems it'll followsuit over at DC.

Peace

[Uncanny Mutie]

That has always been part of my beef with Bendis. The way I see it, he always had the unfair advantage (over other writers who, IMHO, were much more talented than him) of being paired only with the top artistic talent. It was like this over at Marvel, and it seems it'll followsuit over at DC.

Peace

It's almost like they KNOW his many weaknesses as a writer, so they try to over compensate for them by pairing the biggest name artists they can find with him. That way, even if his run sucks and is a mess writing wise, it will STILL put up big numbers and they can justify putting him on the books by saying it was a COMMERCIAL success if not a CRITICAL success. This has pretty much been the secret to Bendis's "success" throughout the years, even as his writing got noticably weaker and it was obvious he was stretched thin and burnt out.

[adrikito]

In that interview sounds good... But in the future we will see if this was.. a good or a bad idea..

I never saw his work but...


I saw like the 80% of users here against him.. That scaried me.. and I'm still scared..

[Zero Hunter]

It's almost like they KNOW his many weaknesses as a writer, so they try to over compensate for them by pairing the biggest name artists they can find with him. That way, even if his run sucks and is a mess writing wise, it will STILL put up big numbers and they can justify putting him on the books by saying it was a COMMERCIAL success if not a CRITICAL success. This has pretty much been the secret to Bendis's "success" throughout the years, even as his writing got noticably weaker and it was obvious he was stretched thin and burnt out.

I have always said that about Jeph Loeb too. You look back on his work and he seemed to get the best triple A artists on almost every book he did. It really helped alot of people look past who bad his writing was so much of the time.