So are the Superman: Earth One books generally hated?

[BBally]

I can understand people not liking that Clark was reluctant, the issue I have is that I've seen people grossly exaggerate that part of his character when talking about the book's negatives painting him as a whiny teen who didn't care, which in my eyes doesn't ring true whatsoever as all I saw was a young man moving away from a huge part of his life trying to figure it his place in the world and make sense of everything and how to use his special gifts, not to mention trying to find a way to help support his mother after his father died.

Also he clearly cared especially in the aftermath when he was disgusted at the Tony Stark wannabe's lack of empathy for the lives lost or ruined during the invasion.

I don't want to come across as making a mean assumption but I feel anyone who over-exaggerated that part was because of how the character usually acts in the main canon and most mediums.

[superduperman]

Earth 1 started off very successfully, and the distribution model and E-1 line was all looking really promising at first. Remember, this was before same-day-digital sales, before trades had risen up to become a major factor in long-term revenue.....these books being sold in book stores, in the fiction section rather than next to trades and comics, was huge. It brought all kinds of new eyes to Superman. In this, it was very successful. Initially, anyway.

Among us hardcore fans, the reviews were far more mixed, for reasons others have talked about already (I myself didn't care for it either, though there were a few good things). But I feel the real failure of E-1 was in its release schedule. It started strong, then ended up drowning in its lack of hard deadlines. Sequels came out haphazardly, new titles came out haphazardly (where's the Aquaman and Flash E-1 books we were told we'd have years ago? We're still waiting)......and while this line was wandering around blind, new formats and mediums were coming up and offering more reliable ways to introduce comic characters to new audiences. And often for a cheaper price.

E-1 could have been a big win for DC and comics. But they dropped the ball and it ended up just being a wasted opportunity.

I think the irregular schedule was what killed the line. If we got something like a book a year, then yes, it might have had a future but I think they were looking at it from the perspective of regular books. When you have a series, you might get a book every few years. Well, that doesn't work as well in comics where people expect something on a regular basis.

[Vordan]

The New 52 is what killed the line. Who needs standalone continuity books when the whole mainstream line has rebooted? It totally overshadowed the EO books. Has the irregular shipping schedule hurt it? Sure it has. JMS basically retiring meaning EO Superman is basically never getting a proper ending, Johns doing a hundred different projects and Franks being extremely slow hasn’t done EO Batman any favors either. GL EO was great but I don’t know how well it sold. Manupal is taking forever to do Aquaman. Flash is nowhere to be seen. The whole line is just too sporadic.

[manofsteel1979]

The New 52 is what killed the line. Who needs standalone continuity books when the whole mainstream line has rebooted? It totally overshadowed the EO books. Has the irregular shipping schedule hurt it? Sure it has. JMS basically retiring meaning EO Superman is basically never getting a proper ending, Johns doing a hundred different projects and Franks being extremely slow hasn’t done EO Batman any favors either. GL EO was great but I don’t know how well it sold. Manupal is taking forever to do Aquaman. Flash is nowhere to be seen. The whole line is just too sporadic.

This is a good point. I mean the whole point was to do an ongoing new take on Superman free from 30+ years of continuity and providing a fresh start...which is what the new 52 was. You had basically two competing reboots of Supes out at the same time and of course the one that was coming out monthly was going to win that battle.

Knowing what we know now, Morrison's Action run should have been Earth One. Not only would it likely had come out more regularly than JMS's version ( maybe a new volume every 6 months to a year) it would have given Grant more freedom to completely go wild without having to tailor everything to dovetail with the rest of the New 52 and would have kept the imprint going and keep it out there.a

[superduperman]

So if DC decides to take this series up again, who do you think should replace JMS?

[Ascended]

So if DC decides to take this series up again, who do you think should replace JMS?

A novelist. Or screen writer. Not a comics guy. If they do E-1 again, I'd like to see them bring a different sensibility to it and hire people from outside the industry.

It'd be great to pull in some big names like Steven King, JK Rowling, George RR Martin, etc. Could writers like these be tempted into doing a Batman or Superman story? I mean, that's a chance to write some of the biggest names in fiction, in a way that avoids a lot of the corporate BS and mainstream continuity. Without the constraints of editorial, I'm betting you could tempt some of these creators into doing a E-1 book, just for the lol'z. Certainly DC could at least try for writers like Brandon Sanderson or maybe even Seth McFarlene.....McFlae....the Family Guy guy.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I think they should just reboot the Earth-One Superman into Morrison's New 52 Superman and move on. It's what they should have done to begin with and would work nicely with what was established in Green Lantern: Earth One.

[Vordan]

So if DC decides to take this series up again, who do you think should replace JMS?

Not sure. I’d love to see Hickman write a Superman book, but that’s looking more and more unlikely with each passing year. I’d want someone who wouldn’t just turn EO Clark into the mainline Clark. He needs to retain at least some differences or there’s no point to it really.

[Kuwagaton]

Yeah. There really wasn't much overlap between the EO and New 52 stories, but it still seemed a bit redundant to have both. For his Manhunter work and existing place in the Superman office, I'd say Marc Andreyko.

[dishpan]

A novelist. Or screen writer. Not a comics guy. If they do E-1 again, I'd like to see them bring a different sensibility to it and hire people from outside the industry.

Your reply surprises me. You consider JMS a comics guy?

I think what you're asking for is what they delivered by bringing in a writer as great as JMS to work on Superman. He both did the "real" superman in the main books and also got to try his own reboot version in Earth One.

I agree with the people that say American Alien is a better way to cover a similar "young adult clark" period in time but I am glad Earth One exists.

[Vordan]

Your reply surprises me. You consider JMS a comics guy?

I think what you're asking for is what they delivered by bringing in a writer as great as JMS to work on Superman. He both did the "real" superman in the main books and also got to try his own reboot version in Earth One.

I agree with the people that say American Alien is a better way to cover a similar "young adult clark" period in time but I am glad Earth One exists.

Babylon 5 may be his most famous work, but he’s written quite a lot of comics. His ASM run is one of my favorites, Sins Past and OMD aside. His Thor run is my favorite Thor run ever. A damn shame he didn’t have much success at DC.

[superduperman]

I don't necessarily want a reboot for a couple reasons:

1) It would mess up the other books. The Batman book has at least acknowledged that Superman exists alongside it.

2) I want some of the stories continued. Like the female Luthor and I want him to meet Major Lee. JMS left off some good starting points for future books and I'd love to see them continue. I'd also like to see some different takes on things like Brainiac, Metallo, and some of his other villains. The EO books are a good experimenting ground.

[HeroVladimir93]

I don't necessarily want a reboot for a couple reasons:

1) It would mess up the other books. The Batman book has at least acknowledged that Superman exists alongside it.

2) I want some of the stories continued. Like the female Luthor and I want him to meet Major Lee. JMS left off some good starting points for future books and I'd love to see them continue. I'd also like to see some different takes on things like Brainiac, Metallo, and some of his other villains. The EO books are a good experimenting ground.

I agree with this sentiment. The original E1 trilogy shouldn't be dismissed, it should be continued with fresher minds allowed to add to the setting.

[Vordan]

I don't necessarily want a reboot for a couple reasons:

1) It would mess up the other books. The Batman book has at least acknowledged that Superman exists alongside it.

2) I want some of the stories continued. Like the female Luthor and I want him to meet Major Lee. JMS left off some good starting points for future books and I'd love to see them continue. I'd also like to see some different takes on things like Brainiac, Metallo, and some of his other villains. The EO books are a good experimenting ground.

Agreed. I was hoping Book 4 would feature Metallo. Have him be one of the guys messed up by Zod when he was testing his powers.

[Restingvoice]

As a fan of Byrne's Superman, my senior was absolutely livid looking at the design and preview for Superman Earth One. Another one said it's a Superman for Twilight fangirls.

I found the look sexy and the attitude cooler than classic Superman. My friend of the same age and who's more of a Marvel guy also agrees with me.

Now that I'm older and have read more Superman, I can kinda see where my seniors are coming from, because the hooded look and his attitude in the preview does look edgy, but there's also nothing wrong in making Superman for the then current YA generation.

Would I be attracted to Superman Earth One if I read the preview now? Heck no, but back then? Yes, definitely.