Maybe I am playing devil's advocate here, but can be your perception about casual readers be a bit flawed? I mean, if I were a casual reader I would be way more intrigued by American Alien than any Superman incarnation in the latest, I don't know, 10 years maybe (at least, the ones in continuity). It's very close in tone and approach to several modern, mature comic books, like the ones published by Image comics, and certainly more interesting.