If you're not familiar with the public domain, for our purposes it's a list of intellectual properties and characters that anyone can use, and includes notable names such as Santa Claus, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Zeus, Thor, Snow White, and Aladdin. And under current law, in a few years Steamboat Willie and then Action Comics #1 will enter the public domain as well, meaning that anybody will be able to use the original versions of Mickey Mouse and Superman.
So my hypothetical question is this; IF these characters do actually enter the public domain (and yes it's a big "if" just roll with me here) would you be interested in seeing Image/Dark Horse/IDW/whoever introduce their own Superman? Forget about the legal issues and reasons for this not to happen; just pretend that, somehow, those problems have been dealt with, Superman is available to everyone, and you now must contend with whether to use this or not. Would you be interested in the indies adapting their own version of Golden Age "leap tall buildings" Superman, or no?
Keep in mind, the Superman entering public domain bears little resemblance to what the character has become. No flight, no heat vision, no Lex Luthor or rogues gallery to speak of really, no Daily Planet, Jimmy Olsen, or kryptonite. No parents even; originally Clark Kent grew up in an orphanage. All those classic elements will eventually reach the public domain as well, but only after reaching the current time limit of public domain law; meaning that something which debuted ten years after Superman will take ten years to enter public domain after him.
For an example of what comics can build on public domain, look at Marvel's Thor. Presumably the differences between an indie's Superman and DC's would be as stark as the differences between Marvel's Thor and the figure from Norse mythology. Other examples of public domain figures in comics include Grant Morrison's Klaus from BOOM! and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
So what do you think? Do you say "If I wanted to read about Superman I'd be a DC fan in the first place! Keep any version of him out of my comics!" or do you say "I already fan casted Jon Hamm as Superman for a Hellboy crossover movie!"
And if not Superman, then what about other characters? The year after Action Comics #1 enters public domain, Batman's first appearance will as well. Then Captain America, Wonder Woman, and so on. Would you be interested in versions of those characters under one of the indie publishers?
Posted the same question to the Marvel board too, in case that publisher is more appealing in this scenario.
https://community.cbr.com/showthread...uperman-Others