PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Vordan]

I’m holding off on judging it’s handling of hero worship with regards to Clark until after Kal-El Returns because I fully expect Clark bringing the Phaelosians to Earth to go FUBAR. That might be the point where PKJ starts interrogating the way we look at Superman. Of course he’s said he likes his Superman to be more morally righteous rather than flawed, but Kal can still make mistakes as he did with how he approached freeing the Phaelosians in the first place. Maybe Metallo kills many of them? That would definitely help re-establish him as a threat.

Edit: Speaking of Metallo, here’s a better look at him! I hope they’re letting Federeci redesign him:

[Ascended]

That Metallo looks amazing. Legitimately creepy. Love it. And is that.....paper.....he's drawing on? I thought that was a lost art and everyone did it digitally now?

And yeah, I have no idea where PKJ is gonna take things, I'm just throwing ideas out there. I actually "expect" him to treat Clark as the hero, with minimal-to-no questioning of whether that's actually a good and right thing. And I'll be fine with it, if that's what happens, and the moral of the story ends up being "be careful who you emulate and always ask yourself What Would Superman Do?" or whatever.

But I'm just thinking of how PKJ handled Last God, and I can see him showing the downside of hero worshipping Superman. I dunno if the story will go there, but PKJ as a writer is capable of doing it, and doing it in a way that works and doesn't make Superman a horrible, awful false idol. Whether we get that or not? Who knows, I'm just along for the ride.

[Vordan]

That Metallo looks amazing. Legitimately creepy. Love it. And is that.....paper.....he's drawing on? I thought that was a lost art and everyone did it digitally now?

And yeah, I have no idea where PKJ is gonna take things, I'm just throwing ideas out there. I actually "expect" him to treat Clark as the hero, with minimal-to-no questioning of whether that's actually a good and right thing. And I'll be fine with it, if that's what happens, and the moral of the story ends up being "be careful who you emulate and always ask yourself What Would Superman Do?" or whatever.

But I'm just thinking of how PKJ handled Last God, and I can see him showing the downside of hero worshipping Superman. I dunno if the story will go there, but PKJ as a writer is capable of doing it, and doing it in a way that works and doesn't make Superman a horrible, awful false idol. Whether we get that or not? Who knows, I'm just along for the ride.

What specific part of The Last God are you thinking of? The business with the king definitely runs along similar lines of “just because you’re raised to believe someone is right and just doesn’t mean they are, the winners write the history books”. But the king is more like Mongul than Superman.

[Vordan]

Tomorrow is FOC for ACTION COMICS #1046, next-to-last issue of THE WARWORLD SAGA!

This is an extremely impactful issue, with the first appearance of a major character and a massive story reveal. Featuring the art of the great @FicoOssio, who did SPECTACULAR art for this issue.

https://twitter.com/phillipkjohnson/...cvjtmt-gcPWgGw

Fico is great and I’m glad we’ll get him drawing an issue, but this does call attention to a consistent problem the run has had: Aside from Federeci Action keeps rotating through artists. DC needs to find someone who can be as consistent as Sampere was.

[HsssH]

Yeah, at least get someone who can do 4 issues in a row since I don't think that we really had that with Action?

[Vordan]

Yeah, at least get someone who can do 4 issues in a row since I don't think that we really had that with Action?

Federeci has done at least part of multiple issues in a row. And I’m willing to roll with other artists helping draw other portions in exchange for art like this:



I just wish they’d pick one or two other guys and have them stick with the book. After Warworld it looks like Federeci is taking a break with Kal-El Returns, I hope the arc after that features another artist. Give Federeci a break and time to work ahead so he can do all the art for a 4 issue arc by himself.

[Vordan]

Phillip Kennedy Johnson talks storytelling and stakes in ‘Superman: Warworld Apocalypse’

AIPT: How does it feel to be done with the Warworld Saga?

Phillip Kennedy Johnson: Amazing. The Warworld Saga was always the plan when I came onboard Action Comics, and now it’s finished, every bit as ambitious as when we envisioned it. I still kind of can’t believe we got away with it. DC Comics let us tell a Superman story about human trafficking, refugees, and the dangers of propaganda and hero worship, while also telling a story about what it means to be Superman, by definition, the best of us. We got to transform Warworld, introduce a ton of new characters, and make Superman’s family a little bigger and a little richer… I couldn’t be more proud of it or more grateful to all my collaborators on the series.

Because of the off-world setting, there are a lot of characters and settings I haven’t had a chance to write yet, and I’m incredibly excited to bring Superman home in September. We’re about to explore Metropolis just as thoroughly and thoughtfully as we explored Warworld, so stay tuned.

AIPT: Did it all turn out the way you’d hoped or did the “map” shift at all?

PKJ: With comics, I’m a pretty meticulous outliner, but it’s always with the understanding that it will invariably course-correct throughout the writing process. Something that reads well in the outline suddenly makes less sense when I go to page breakdowns, or a decision a character makes in the page breakdowns feels implausible or out of character when I see it in the actual dialogue. I always try to get it as right as I can in the early stages, but no matter what I do, the story always changes, and it’s always best when I let it.

In the case of The Warworld Saga: because it was such a long-form story, lots of things through the middle chapters changed quite a bit, but ultimately we ended up more or less where I wanted to go. Probably the biggest change is that a character I invented for the express purpose of getting killed ended up surviving, and a character I intended to live is about to get killed. But in both cases, the story is better this way.

I think Byla is the one getting killed and Clark’s Phaelosian combat trainer will survive, but it could be the other way around.

[Robanker]

I’m holding off on judging it’s handling of hero worship with regards to Clark until after Kal-El Returns because I fully expect Clark bringing the Phaelosians to Earth to go FUBAR. That might be the point where PKJ starts interrogating the way we look at Superman. Of course he’s said he likes his Superman to be more morally righteous rather than flawed, but Kal can still make mistakes as he did with how he approached freeing the Phaelosians in the first place. Maybe Metallo kills many of them? That would definitely help re-establish him as a threat.

Edit: Speaking of Metallo, here’s a better look at him! I hope they’re letting Federeci redesign him:

That's an incredible Metallo and I applaud making him smaller and decrepit rather than a hulking monstrosity.

[HsssH]

I think Byla is the one getting killed and Clark’s Phaelosian combat trainer will survive, but it could be the other way around.

I hope it is the other way around, combat trainer does nothing for me and while PJK didn't do much with Byla he is at least a bit intriguing.

[Ascended]

I agree, Byla is definitely more interesting (which doesn't say much, I forget the combat trainer exists until he shows up on panel). But if PKJ planned on killing one, and leaving one alive, and they ended up switching places?

Combat trainer seems the obvious choice for the one who was initially gonna kick the bucket.

[Vordan]

Or maybe one of the two he’s talking about is Thao? Or perhaps one of the Mongul Unmade Champions? I hope Byla survives too, I like him and with the reveal he’s an Old God creation I think he’d work well as a tag along for Superman and the Authority. Basically being the guy who records their adventures for posterity. PKJ has mentioned that he thinks he’ll get to do more with the House of El Future State characters, maybe Byla is connected to that since he seems to know the details of that future.

[Ascended]

Every group needs a good bard.

...said no one who played D&D ever......

Seriously though, I'd be down with that. Byla's cool.

[Robanker]

Every group needs a good bard.

...said no one who played D&D ever......

Seriously though, I'd be down with that. Byla's cool.

Every one of my favorite campaigns involved a Bard. Of course, I play a Paladin so I basically just want a cheerleader.

[Mantis-Ray]

Or maybe one of the two he’s talking about is Thao? Or perhaps one of the Mongul Unmade Champions? I hope Byla survives too, I like him and with the reveal he’s an Old God creation I think he’d work well as a tag along for Superman and the Authority. Basically being the guy who records their adventures for posterity. PKJ has mentioned that he thinks he’ll get to do more with the House of El Future State characters, maybe Byla is connected to that since he seems to know the details of that future.

On that note I wonder if we'll get anymore House of El one-shots.

I found the setting overall pretty fun, being a mishmash romp of Superman establishing a heroic dynasty with various DC mythology elements like a Blue Lantern Superman and a Tamaranean Superman brought in.

Plus its confirmed to be an AU setting so its existence is harmless.

[Vordan]

On that note I wonder if we'll get anymore House of El one-shots.

I found the setting overall pretty fun, being a mishmash romp of Superman establishing a heroic dynasty with various DC mythology elements like a Blue Lantern Superman and a Tamaranean Superman brought in.

Plus its confirmed to be an AU setting so its existence is harmless.

I’m hoping so, I’m not sure how he would fit in the FS House of El members into the main Action run. Maybe as backups?