Superman and the Authority

[BBally]

People talk about how Superman doesn't strive for changing the status quo, well you know who does? Clark Kent.

[BBally]

[Robanker]

Yeah, a good way to juxtapose Jon and Clark's methods for taking on issues was that Clark tried the brute force way in his youth but didn't see the change he wanted, so he's been trying to change things from within using the ways that have historically worked.

I think Jon being the kid to say "I'mma do it until it works" is just naive enough to work in that Golden Age Superman kind of way.

Ultimately, neither of them can be successful because of the media, but I like the idea of using them to show what the difference between having a youthful man full of piss and vinegar and another who has been there, done that and is trying something new.

I think that paints both of them in a better light than Clark just saying "well, it wasn't my place to change the world."


Eaaaaaaaat shiiiiiiiiiit. lol

[John Venus]

Not going to read through the all pages but has anybody brought up that interview with Grant Morrison where they said Didio wanted Superman to be a 'right wing authoritarian' on Superman & The Authority so they took on the assignment so DC wouldn't go down that route with Superman? Then Gail Simone chimed in and said she faced a similar situation wherein she didn't like the plans they had for Batgirl so she took on the title to starve off the worst?

[Vordan]

Not going to read through the all pages but has anybody brought up that interview with Grant Morrison where they said Didio wanted Superman to be a 'right wing authoritarian' on Superman & The Authority so they took on the assignment so DC wouldn't go down that route with Superman? Then Gail Simone chimed in and said she faced a similar situation wherein she didn't like the plans they had for Batgirl so she took on the title to starve off the worst?

Yep we talked about on the previous page I think. Also (while this was much more controversial), I believe the whole reason Azz took on the WW book was because Didio told him what they were planning if he didn’t sign on, and it was so awful Azz decided to try writing it just to save her from Didio’s plans. So Didio has a habit of it which made me theorize he deliberately approves godawful plans to blackmail creators he actually wants into taking on books

[HsssH]

I guess we got **** Wally stories because Didio failed to blackmail someone. But yeah, if it happened three times (probably more since not every writer is open about everything) then it starts forming a pattern.

[John Venus]

I've definitely heard of other cases where writers took on books because the original plans were so horrible.

I also think certain comics like 'Amazons Attack', 'Heroes In Crisis', 'Cry for Justice' and 'Graduation Day' are hit jobs, in that writers get more better gigs if they carry out these editorially mandated events. Wil Pfiefer got the Catwoman ongoing after AA, James Robinson got Justice League after CfJ, Winnick got Outsiders are Graduation Day, Tom King got to do more of his 'prestige' mini series and JT Krul got Green Arrow and Titans after writing the follow up to CjF with Roy losing his ****. I'm sure there are more examples. But this makes you wonder whether DC's a publishing company or the mafia.

[exile001]

I also think certain comics like 'Amazons Attack', 'Heroes In Crisis', 'Cry for Justice' and 'Graduation Day' are hit jobs, in that writers get more better gigs if they carry out these editorially mandated events. Wil Pfiefer got the Catwoman ongoing after AA, James Robinson got Justice League after CfJ, Winnick got Outsiders are Graduation Day, Tom King got to do more of his 'prestige' mini series and JT Krul got Green Arrow and Titans after writing the follow up to CjF with Roy losing his ****. I'm sure there are more examples. But this makes you wonder whether DC's a publishing company or the mafia.

Looking for conspiracies is fun but these examples don't add up.

Graduation Day's entire point was to launch Winnick's Outsiders and relaunch Teen Titans. Maybe he was asked to kill off Donna but he was wanting an important death anyway. IF that's the case it would have been her, Roy or Garth regardless.

Greg Rucka came up with Amazons Attack but left DC after feeling he was screwed on a bunch of things (including being kicked off Wonder Woman). Pfifer had already been writing Catwoman for a year or two before AA and was basically ****-canned from DC after it.

Cry for Justice was to launch Robinson's own Justice League book, but he just got the main book instead because interest was already low. He loves ensemble casts and DC's history so fit right in with the then vision of pushing a new crop of heroes/raising the Titans to Justice League status.

Heroes in Crisis happened in the middle of King's Batman run and he has stated several times he specifically asked editors who they wanted killed and who they wanted the killer to be. He continues to get miniseries because his books sell.

I'll agree Krull knows where at least body is buried because otherwise god only knows how else he got three goes at GA.

[TheKryptonMan]

I've definitely heard of other cases where writers took on books because the original plans were so horrible.

I also think certain comics like 'Amazons Attack', 'Heroes In Crisis', 'Cry for Justice' and 'Graduation Day' are hit jobs, in that writers get more better gigs if they carry out these editorially mandated events. Wil Pfiefer got the Catwoman ongoing after AA, James Robinson got Justice League after CfJ, Winnick got Outsiders are Graduation Day, Tom King got to do more of his 'prestige' mini series and JT Krul got Green Arrow and Titans after writing the follow up to CjF with Roy losing his ****. I'm sure there are more examples. But this makes you wonder whether DC's a publishing company or the mafia.

I'm starting to think that DiDio would do some of this **** which is so wrong. I remember Cry for Justice was bad , and Identity Crisis was also bad with the rape and all. I read comics for fun adventures of my favorite characters. Not for this kind of ****. I'm an older guy and I can read **** like that if I want in other media.
At the same time very glad that Morrison did write Superman one last time. Wish he would do more, but he probably won't.
To me Superman is not some Right wing authoritarian fascist or communist . He's a hero that inspires hope and the best in all of us.
Hopefully those that worked and helped DiDio are gone from DC.

[manwhohaseverything]

Yeah, a good way to juxtapose Jon and Clark's methods for taking on issues was that Clark tried the brute force way in his youth but didn't see the change he wanted, so he's been trying to change things from within using the ways that have historically worked.

I think Jon being the kid to say "I'mma do it until it works" is just naive enough to work in that Golden Age Superman kind of way.

Ultimately, neither of them can be successful because of the media, but I like the idea of using them to show what the difference between having a youthful man full of piss and vinegar and another who has been there, done that and is trying something new.

I think that paints both of them in a better light than Clark just saying "well, it wasn't my place to change the world."


Eaaaaaaaat shiiiiiiiiiit. lol

clark did changing the world with writing in goldenage.But,at the end of the day words can only go so far.People read something and go "yeah! This guy is right..I will snap out of it now" and then go right back to their routine.Actions impact more.That was how superman rolled.

Okay, so lets say Morrison doesn't do his version of older Clark for 5G and DiDio's take was it

Be very, very honest with yourself...

If you make the majority of that guy's history count and shape him...

Is he not a more right leaning than left on most days and in most takes?

Don't bring me none of that "but in the early Golden age blah blah blah", or "he renounced his citizenship blah blah blah" or "New 52 blah blah blah". I ain't ask all that. In his 80 something year history that's anecdotal. That's the exception rather than the rule. From mid Golden age to Tomasi's Rebirth Clark Kent is a centrist at his best, and flat out right the rest of the time.

He is.i agree

[Ascended]

clark did changing the world with writing in goldenage.But,at the end of the day words can only go so far.People read something and go "yeah! This guy is right..I will snap out of it now" and then go right back to their routine.Actions impact more.That was how superman rolled.

I tend to think of it as "Superman" being the one who saves lives and makes a difference in the short-term while encouraging people to be their best selves. But it's "Clark" who makes the long-term, lasting changes and gives those newly inspired people a direction to follow.

Kinda rolls out like this; some businessman is ignoring safety regulations, and it's Superman who saves the workers from getting hurt. That gets the workers motivated and ready to go on strike, or unionize, or petition their lawmakers for new, better policy. Clark writes about it, getting more people behind the movement, and helps connect those workers to the people and/or organizations that can help them achieve their goals.

Superman keeps the people alive and gets them off their asses and ready to enact change, while Clark's journalism provides the framework they need to actually make that change happen. You want better safety regulations, you can't just wish them into being, you need to rattle the right politician's cages, get lawyers involved, all kinds of things. Superman saving those workers on the nightly news is the spark, but Clark's writing is the kindling that starts the blaze.

[HsssH]

Yeah, but that almost never happens.

[Ascended]

Yeah, but that almost never happens.

Only because DC won't let me write Superman.

[Vordan]

Yeah, but that almost never happens.

I hate how they mostly just have Clark write useless puff pieces. Annoys me so much, and then they mock him for being corny! Think Venditti and Yang are the only ones recently to really make the journalism a focus of their stories.

[Vordan]

Late interview with Morrison, but I thought I’d share it because I really enjoyed reading their thoughts on the Authority members