PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Vordan]

I'll be pretty gutted if PJK leaves, while not the most Earth-shattering of runs I have enjoyed most of it a heck of a lot.

I'm usually not a big fan of putting the toys back in the box, but he's got a lot of work to wrap up his whole Phaelosians stuff and I hope he does so before leaving (and gets rid Supes' extra kids).

Funny enough, just like Bendis, PJK feels like he's just getting running on his second act of the story, not winding down.

That entire plotline regarding Genesis and Aethyr is just going to get dropped unresolved unless PKJ continues it over in the John Stewart book. There’s a ton of plot threads he teed up that he won’t get to tie up, but that’s the nature of setting things up for a long run these days - no guarantees you will actually get that (I’m sure Tom King can sympathize).

Waid taking over? Eh. I love World's Finest and his Titans book in the same setting, but he's not a name that excites me writing the main Superman book. With Williamson already doing a (less good) version of Waid's lighter cartoony style of book in Superman, so two might be overkill.

Yeah the biggest qualm I have is, what is Waid going to bring that we’re not already seeing? Williamson already is doing a lighter tone book that borrows heavily from the DCAU, that’s Waid’s approach to a T. If we’re having two Superman books, I’d like to see each do something different and the current set up was delivering on that.

I'd wait for an official announcement for that.

Hope they aren’t going to make us wait until next month solicits. Maybe they’ll make an announcement on Weds after World’s Finest releases.

This doesn't make all that much sense to me with Williamson and PKJ being pretty compatible storytelling wise right now and Waid not really fitting with that mold. It looks like a Jax-Ur story, which could easily be a backup. Though I would have thought PKJ would have debunked it by now. He's usually pretty vocal about that type of stuff. Maybe Waid is more willing to color within the current lines given he's got his two throwback books going to scratch that itch.

Over in the Teases thread, I shared some stuff from Clayton Henry. I think he’s going to be the artist for the next Action team. It’s possible that it’s just a backup, but when you also take into account the solicit for the Action Annual and PKJ keeping mum, it feels like a case of “where there’s smoke there’s fire”. Clayton’s rough cover seems to be for a book set in the present, maybe Waid is willing to play ball and build on what PKJ has done? It’s just that of the two, PKJ is the more interesting villain writer for me. Waid’s take on the Rogues is painfully basic and regressive. His Brainiac in LDoLL is the Silver Age space fascist which is a step back from how Johns and Morrison evolved the character in my eyes. PKJ finally has Metallo in an interesting spot, Waid’s take on Metallo is just the DCAU take which again, feels like a step back.

I’d check out what Waid does of course, but my hope was that after the Williamson/PKJ era, we would see King/Waid take over the books. That is a combo that would work well for me.

[exile001]

but my hope was that after the Williamson/PKJ era, we would see King/Waid take over the books. That is a combo that would work well for me.

I would kill for that line up!

Um, not literally, Superman wouldn't approve, but I'd definitely be beyond excited.

In the meantime, I'll just be over here holding an eternal hope that we eventually get Hickman.

[The Frog Bros]

That entire plotline regarding Genesis and Aethyr is just going to get dropped unresolved unless PKJ continues it over in the John Stewart book. There’s a ton of plot threads he teed up that he won’t get to tie up, but that’s the nature of setting things up for a long run these days - no guarantees you will actually get that (I’m sure Tom King can sympathize).

Yeah the biggest qualm I have is, what is Waid going to bring that we’re not already seeing? Williamson already is doing a lighter tone book that borrows heavily from the DCAU, that’s Waid’s approach to a T. If we’re having two Superman books, I’d like to see each do something different and the current set up was delivering on that.

Hope they aren’t going to make us wait until next month solicits. Maybe they’ll make an announcement on Weds after World’s Finest releases.

Over in the Teases thread, I shared some stuff from Clayton Henry. I think he’s going to be the artist for the next Action team. It’s possible that it’s just a backup, but when you also take into account the solicit for the Action Annual and PKJ keeping mum, it feels like a case of “where there’s smoke there’s fire”. Clayton’s rough cover seems to be for a book set in the present, maybe Waid is willing to play ball and build on what PKJ has done? It’s just that of the two, PKJ is the more interesting villain writer for me. Waid’s take on the Rogues is painfully basic and regressive. His Brainiac in LDoLL is the Silver Age space fascist which is a step back from how Johns and Morrison evolved the character in my eyes. PKJ finally has Metallo in an interesting spot, Waid’s take on Metallo is just the DCAU take which again, feels like a step back.

I’d check out what Waid does of course, but my hope was that after the Williamson/PKJ era, we would see King/Waid take over the books. That is a combo that would work well for me.

Completely agree. I def prefer the two books to have a different vibe in each. I mean, they can share plots and general ideas but you can still keep them unique enough too. That was one of my biggest complaints about the Bendis era, giving him both books at once. If you don’t like that writing style then you were out of luck. What I really love about the current setup is PKJs penchant for longer and more drawn out plot lines whereas Williamson does really well with the opposite, shorter and more episodic. Both great in their own right.

And yeah, I’d love King on a mainline Superman book. He sure wants to be, it seems.

[magha_regulus]

That entire plotline regarding Genesis and Aethyr is just going to get dropped unresolved unless PKJ continues it over in the John Stewart book. There’s a ton of plot threads he teed up that he won’t get to tie up, but that’s the nature of setting things up for a long run these days - no guarantees you will actually get that (I’m sure Tom King can sympathize).

Yeah the biggest qualm I have is, what is Waid going to bring that we’re not already seeing? Williamson already is doing a lighter tone book that borrows heavily from the DCAU, that’s Waid’s approach to a T. If we’re having two Superman books, I’d like to see each do something different and the current set up was delivering on that.

Hope they aren’t going to make us wait until next month solicits. Maybe they’ll make an announcement on Weds after World’s Finest releases.

Over in the Teases thread, I shared some stuff from Clayton Henry. I think he’s going to be the artist for the next Action team. It’s possible that it’s just a backup, but when you also take into account the solicit for the Action Annual and PKJ keeping mum, it feels like a case of “where there’s smoke there’s fire”. Clayton’s rough cover seems to be for a book set in the present, maybe Waid is willing to play ball and build on what PKJ has done? It’s just that of the two, PKJ is the more interesting villain writer for me. Waid’s take on the Rogues is painfully basic and regressive. His Brainiac in LDoLL is the Silver Age space fascist which is a step back from how Johns and Morrison evolved the character in my eyes. PKJ finally has Metallo in an interesting spot, Waid’s take on Metallo is just the DCAU take which again, feels like a step back.

I’d check out what Waid does of course, but my hope was that after the Williamson/PKJ era, we would see King/Waid take over the books. That is a combo that would work well for me.

Check out Batman/Superman if you haven't yet.

[Vordan]

Check out Batman/Superman if you haven't yet.

I really hope your theory that PKJ and Waid are actually going to be working together is right. I don’t mean to be so down on Waid, I just don’t think he’ll strike the same tone dealing with Aethyr/Genesis as PKJ was going for. Waid’s usually not one for darkness or body horror.

[Mantis-Ray]

Well **** turns out the sequel thread was about a villain already introduced a previous issue PKJ himself did.

So its most likely just set-up for another plot thread he's doing, not that Waid is going to take over. Hell maybe its apart of that much speculated Super-Crossover.

From the looks of it it involves spoilers:

the Phantom Zone inhabitants being freed again.

end of spoilers

[exile001]

So its most likely just set-up for another plot thread he's doing, not that Waid is going to take over. Hell maybe its apart of that much speculated Super-Crossover.

Honestly, it'd be a huge boost to the (believed) Superman crossover to have World's Finest tie into it.

Drag in a bunch of those characters for their own side/prequel-arc while in the Super-books the proper Superman family actually gets all the spotlight and win.

Heck, would it really hurt to see Batman organically taking his lead from Superman and acknowledging something is beyond his abilities? And I say that as a huge Batman fan.

[Ra-El]

I would love Hickmann, but we most likely would get Jason Aaron since he is getting back to DC.

[Vordan]

https://x.com/phillipkjohnson/status...487sLx_4UoiJsQ

Now that it's officially out, can you say something about it?

Apologies my friend, not yet.

Acknowledges it but doesn’t outright say “no I’m staying on Action” like he has previously. Ugh I hate waiting.

I would love Hickmann, but we most likely would get Jason Aaron since he is getting back to DC.

Maybe eventually but I dunno if Aaron has any interest in an ongoing right now. He seemed burned out, all he has for either of the Big 2 is a Batbook.

[Frontier]

I hope he's staying onboard .

[Thor-Ul]

PKJ? Oh, yes, I hope so too. x2. Twice. I really have enjoyed his work, even if I started reading uncertain of what he could do.

Hickman? No, thanky you, I have no interets on Lex or Brainiac using a big helmet covering half their heads.

Aaron? The last Marvel transfer was less than spectacular. I would him better on his own propierties.

[Yoda]

I hope PKJ is staying, but that response does not make me optimistic. I think he would have simply said he was staying on if he was.

I don't think Hickman is realistically going to be jumping over to Action while relaunching the Ultimate Universe and Ultimate Spider-Man over at Marvel.

Jason Aaron's Thor was awesome, but his Hulk was abysmal. That's really the only stuff I've read of his.

Waid I'm just not feeling on the main books at the moment. Just don't think it would gel very well with Williamson's take and I don't really want yet another throwback take on Superman.

[Kuwagaton]

The fact that many folks out there do well with other characters never really gets me interested in seeing them try Superman. It's not something that seems like generalized skills, rather than specific approach to the character. And I have to say that for me this title has largely been killing time since Morrison, until Johnson came along with a winning approach. Even if Warworld was so long, in hindsight.

Until I know I'll just be happy for next week, and point out that his GL story this week was really fun.

[Vordan]

I hope PKJ is staying, but that response does not make me optimistic. I think he would have simply said he was staying on if he was.

I don't think Hickman is realistically going to be jumping over to Action while relaunching the Ultimate Universe and Ultimate Spider-Man over at Marvel.

Jason Aaron's Thor was awesome, but his Hulk was abysmal. That's really the only stuff I've read of his.

Waid I'm just not feeling on the main books at the moment. Just don't think it would gel very well with Williamson's take and I don't really want yet another throwback take on Superman.

For me Williamson makes Waid redundant, I wanted Waid to take over Williamson’s book after he was done. You look at Williamson’s book right now and it’s all about Superman and Lex. Their friendship from the Smallville years colors their interactions now that Lex knows, Lex mostly plays the role of mad scientist instead of corrupt CEO, it draws heavily on the DCAU for inspiration, the tone is much more light hearted and upbeat, that’s exactly what a Waid run would be like. Execution would be different and Waid would lean more into the Silver Age compared to Williamson mining the Triangle Era, but otherwise there’s a lot of overlap. For two Superman books, there needs to be some measure of differentiation. One of the books needs to be darker, or more Superfamily focused and that’s not Waid.

Also outside of Lex, I’m not impressed with Waid’s take on the villains. From what little we’ve seen he just either reverts them back to the Silver Age or makes them like the DCAU. Metallo’s revamp under PKJ that really leaned into what Johns and Morrison did with him is far more interesting to me than the DCAU incarnation from a character standpoint.

[The Frog Bros]

I hope PKJ is staying, but that response does not make me optimistic. I think he would have simply said he was staying on if he was.

I don't think Hickman is realistically going to be jumping over to Action while relaunching the Ultimate Universe and Ultimate Spider-Man over at Marvel.

Jason Aaron's Thor was awesome, but his Hulk was abysmal. That's really the only stuff I've read of his.

Waid I'm just not feeling on the main books at the moment. Just don't think it would gel very well with Williamson's take and I don't really want yet another throwback take on Superman.

Same here. While I have generally enjoyed WF, even though some of the recent arc have started to get boring to me, I don’t think I’d want his throwback-y vibe on an ongoing such as Action. Part of why WF works is that it’s not beholden to current continuity (and of course Mora helps ) and set in the past. I wonder if PKJ is indeed leaving if they’d find someone who can keep the vibe he’s created, or just take the book in a whole new direction? Personally, I really like the style that PKJ has brought to the book and would like to see it continue along a similar path. Although I would be fine with shrinking the size of the family a bit.