New Dan Jurgens Interview About Action Comics, Rebirth, and SuperDad

[Superlad93]

Isn't Lex already wearing the shield during the Darkseid War story? I'm a few issues behind, but from what I understand Lex has ended up with Superman's powers somehow after Darkseid "died" and Supes went all firepit infected, right? Plus the cover of JUSTICE LEAGUE #51 shows Lex on a throne wearing the shield.

Remember what issue #51 of Superman showed us? It said Clark is dying because a number of reasons and one of those reasons is the cell damage from becoming "the god of strength" via the fire pits. Lex might already know Clark's dying ala All Star Superman. Hell, if that's the case then Lex is part of the reason Clark is dying (just like All Star) since he's the one who suggested the fire pits to power Clark.

Lex could have the suit already locked and loaded by the end of Darkseid war because of this, right?

[superduperman]

I've thought about all this Rebirth stuff today during slow periods at work, and It occurred to me that perhaps everything we are being told is sort of a smoke screen to hide the " shocking events" that unfold in the REBIRTH special.

Perhaps what will actually happen is what I thought awhile back, I.E. the two Supermen merge, but maybe not as a result of a contrivance for just Superman, but as a result of the pre and post DCU timelines merging into one. Perhaps the solicits are fudging certain details and facts similar to how many of the solicits for the initial New 52 launch fudged certain details in order to preserve the mystery of just how profound the New 52 reboot was. Perhaps all this talk about Pre flashpoint Superman coming to Metropolis to take over the mantle is to hide the fact that after REBIRTH there are no preFlashpoint and post Flashpoint Supermen...just one Superman, a new Superman born from the merged DCU that just so happens to have more in common history wise with the Superman from Lois and Clark than Nuperman.

Somethng like this may still upset some, but at least we wouldn't have a situation where a Superman is killed and another taking over his spot. It'll just be a Superman in his native timeline, albeit a softly rebooted one. It still would be more Superdad than Nuperman but at least we wont have the awkwardness of Superdad "stealing" Another Supermans place, as this new universe is his.

This is why I'm still getting the one shot to see if they do something like this. If they do, I'm not sure what I'll make of it. I guess it'll be a matter of what elements they'll keep from each version. If they bring the Kents back I won't complain too much but if they give him another convoluted history/origin again then I'll probably walk.

[Tayswift]

I think Superduper is onto something, and really it's the only explanation that makes sense. Warners execs probably wanted Superman to reflect his film self and let's face it, preFlashpoint was much closer to that than New 52 is. As illogical as some of Didio and Lee's decisions have been, I don't think something like this originated from them given how obsessed they seemed with undoing the Super Marriage and side lining Lois Lane, and now suddenly they do a 180 degree turn? Doesn't smell right.

Well they could easily had new 52 more in line with The movie superman, specially if they used truth to work the status quo. seems like whoever made this decision, wanted it for yesterday.

[Sacred Knight]

A merging of the worlds though would require retelling the origins again for everyone, because they'd all be confusing and convoluted. Doesnt' sound like they're doing that. The only property that seems to be fixing stuff origin-wise is Wonder Woman. For everyone else, we'd be once again back with the same problems they had in 2011. And specifically on Superman's end, a merger of worlds doesn't help the fact that he's married again and has a kid, which I think will only begin to weigh him down, and much sooner than it began to weigh him down the first time around. It took about 10 years or so for the marriage to go stale. Only 5 years removed from the initial erasure for it, it'll go stale again MUCH more quickly. By a year if not sooner we'll see the cumulative effects about how, for Superman, married with children is boring as all hell. Well actually, maybe, MAYBE there's potential to strike gold with Clark and Jon's relationship. I'll grant that. It hasn't been done before so its possible it takes off. But that's not going to make the marriage anymore interesting. It certainly hasnt' generated much renewed interest since they've been back in their own title. In fact the stories and the interviews and all that lend credence to the idea that the only reason they're married again is to facilitate Jon. I highly anticipate them being just as boring as they were before the reboot and in the L&C mini. And for the millionth time that's not a statement on my feelings about marriage and parenthood in real life.

It would be a little better in the sense that Superman is no longer the odd man out of an absolutely brainless creative decision, but he'd still have crippling problems. Not to mention the timey-wimey stuff would be over the head of Jurgens to pull off even if a merger of worlds was the aim. On his end all the creative and interesting things you could do with it would be glossed over for the bland ideas. See his "Superman's more than his powers" quote.

in my mind there's no scenario better, more interesting, and more simple than just returning the pre-Flashpoint world, designate it Earth-1 or something, then you have the New 52 world (Earth-0) in the role of the main Earth, and Earth-1 in the role of the older Earth, for latter-year superhero adventures. It'd be so, so, easy, and I can't imagine there'd be a strong group of fans unhappy with that set up. But that, in the end, is the calling card of DC comics. Long, convoluted, confusing ways to get to an unsatisfying conclusion when there's a short, easy way to get to a vastly superior conclusion readily available that anyone with any knowledge of comics lore can see.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

I forgot, Jurgens mentioned in the interview that new Superman will think of Supergirl as his cousin even though they're from different universes (which, boy, forget being loved by the world, Superdad being preferred by the current guy's own family the way that's implied is the most thorough spitting in the face New 52 Superman can get), so I'm pretty sure merging is out.

[vasir12]

Eh... I'm still on the opinion that the married life can work. They've been a lot of friendships/relationships that have lasted the test of time in comics. Just cause this one is romantic doesn't mean it can't be the same. Really, all you need are new ideas which is all very possible.

I like how Jurgens rights Clark with family. Some don't, but we also got people like Tomasi and more.

[Sacred Knight]

I forgot, Jurgens mentioned in the interview that new Superman will think of Supergirl as his cousin even though they're from different universes (which, boy, forget being loved by the world, Superdad being preferred by the current guy's own family the way that's implied is the most thorough spitting in the face New 52 Superman can get), so I'm pretty sure merging is out.

I'm highly doubting it too, I think its just going to be the straightforward mindless scenario that we've been led to believe at this point.

[superduperman]

Keep in mind also that Didio and company went out of their way to get rid of all marriages and saying that marriages were off the table just a few years ago. Now we're expected to believe they've changed their minds? This smacks of people over their heads handing down an order from on high. Which means we could be looking at a permanent situation here depending on how long the PTB are looking over their shoulders.

[Superlad93]

And specifically on Superman's end, a merger of worlds doesn't help the fact that he's married again and has a kid, which I think will only begin to weigh him down, and much sooner than it began to weigh him down the first time around. It took about 10 years or so for the marriage to go stale. Only 5 years removed from the initial erasure for it, it'll go stale again MUCH more quickly. By a year if not sooner we'll see the cumulative effects about how, for Superman, married with children is boring as all hell. Well actually, maybe, MAYBE there's potential to strike gold with Clark and Jon's relationship. I'll grant that. It hasn't been done before so its possible it takes off. But that's not going to make the marriage anymore interesting.

I don't get it. What is SO inherently wrong with Superman being married to Lois or anyone else? It seems a bit ridiculous and hyperbolic to say that just because Superman is married his stories go down in quality. What inherently makes that happen??

I mean doesn't just come down to writing? Superman not being able to date other people shouldn't stop someone from telling a good story, should it? It's like that same argument people have with the Kents. There's nothing inherently wrong with them. Like ANY OTHER CONCEPT you can get bad story from it same as good.

It would be like judging the Superman/Wonder Woman relationship off it's worst stories and then call the whole concept unusable. Seem like a little much.

I think the marriage and married superhero characters work really well when you write them well (as with nearly any concept). I think you can get very unique stories from a Superman with a wife and kid that you wouldn't get with him being single. And vice versa you can get unique stories of him being single. But one isn't inherently better than the other.

[Prime]

I forgot, Jurgens mentioned in the interview that new Superman will think of Supergirl as his cousin even though they're from different universes (which, boy, forget being loved by the world, Superdad being preferred by the current guy's own family the way that's implied is the most thorough spitting in the face New 52 Superman can get), so I'm pretty sure merging is out.

Wow...That is F upped dude.

[Sacred Knight]

Its that meta thing I was talking about earlier. Everyone will love the guy because its Jurgens and the other writers trying to tell fans they have to like him too.

[Sacred Knight]

I don't get it. What is SO inherently wrong with Superman being married to Lois or anyone else? It seems a bit ridiculous and hyperbolic to say that just because Superman is married his stories go down in quality. What inherently makes that happen??

Nothing was inherently wrong with it. It just got really boring. It made Lois and Clark really boring. This is just my opinion of course, but if something's boring I'd rather not see it, be it marriage or any other idea. That's the only place this is coming from, there's nothing inherently wrong with the idea at all. And god knows under Jurgens' pen this Superman is going to be boring enough on his own.

[Prime]

Its that meta thing I was talking about earlier. Everyone will love the guy because its Jurgens and the other writers trying to tell fans they have to like him too.

I don't. Superdad needs to earn it first. Sure he had a good relationship with his Kara, but she is not here and she needs to earn it with this one. And it wouldnt feel natural if there isnt some animosity towards Superdad.

[Superlad93]

Nothing was inherently wrong with it. It just got really boring. It made Lois and Clark really boring. This is just my opinion of course, but if something's boring I'd rather not see it, be it marriage or any other idea. That's the only place this is coming from, there's nothing inherently wrong with the idea at all. And god knows under Jurgens' pen this Superman is going to be boring enough on his own.

I can respect it completely if it's your opinion. In hindsight I think I overstepped a little. I've just been really sick of people saying that the marriage will be the downfall of the Superman line, and then treating it as if it's proven fact by pointing to bad instances. So I apologize for projecting some of my frustration over that into my last post to you. Not cool of me.

But just as a response to this particular message I'd just like to say it doesn't have to be boring. You've got what you like and what you don't like, but sometimes good story can just be good story, right? Now I'm not saying Jurgens is gonna be the one to give it to use (hell I'm pretty shaky on Tomasi and he's the "ringer" in the situation), but the concept of the married/father Superman is one that has never be explored in real earnest. At the very least I can say Jurgens is passionate about this take, and DC seems pretty confident. So maybe they'll really give it a proper go? But what I most hope for is a new and fresh writer.

[manofsteel1979]

I forgot, Jurgens mentioned in the interview that new Superman will think of Supergirl as his cousin even though they're from different universes (which, boy, forget being loved by the world, Superdad being preferred by the current guy's own family the way that's implied is the most thorough spitting in the face New 52 Superman can get), so I'm pretty sure merging is out.

Yeah you are most likely correct, however, it could have simply been Jurgens fudging things a little as not to spoil something like merging the timelines. DC is selling this as "not a reboot." of the New 52,so I could see DC telling the creators not to divulge certain things in interviews or even mislead if necessary. If Jurgens had said "well, actually she WILL be Pre-Flashpoint Superman's cousin now." or been more cryptic , it may give away the "twist" of what happens in DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH. For now I think we should really sit tight for the end of SUPER LEAGUE and the REBIRTH special to get a clearer picture what exactly is happening.

I just get the feeling there is SOMETHING we are not going to see coming that we are missing here. Whether in a good way or a bad way is anyone's guess.