Mark Millar could be working on something Superman soon??

[SuperCrab]

You should think about reading Millar's Superman: Red Son

I have that one (Well, digitally, but that's how I read all my comics)! I just didn't realize he had written it. Half the comics I have, I don't know who wrote them off the top of my head. It's been a while since I read it, but you're right, it was a really good one. My vague recollection is that I really liked the way they handled Lex Luthor, and also there was a neat cyclical time sort of thing at the end. I don't remember the details, but that'll make it more fun to read again in a couple years. By then the swerve at the end will be a total surprise to me all over again.

Huck, Jupiter's Circle or Jupiter's Legacy.

Actually, a lot of people have mentioned these three to me. I probably should get them at some point given how many people separately have come to the conclusion that I'd like them.

[dancj]

What about a Superman series where every issue flashforwards in line 100 years because Superman (for the purposes of the out of continuity series) doesn't age? You start with a Superman in the 1950s or some other "classic era" in an issue. Next issue, he's 100 years older and everyone he knows is dead, and he's got a different human identity, but he's still Superman, and you can tell he feels very alone and people remind him of other people and it's sad and bitter sweet. Then there's another hundred years. And another. Eventually you get a guy who is almost like Dr. Manhattan- sticks to the Superman core and identity, but he starts to with all that time and perspective, and having gotten used to losing everyone he loves over and over again and seeing the whole world constantly change around him, becomes insular reflective and less human, but somehow wiser?

Sounds very like John Byrne's Generations minis. IIRC, the first couple jumped 10 years and then the third (which I haven't read) jumps 100

[JackDaw]

I liked his run on Superman Adventures and Red Son, so if he did a Superman mini/ whatever I'd most likely read it at some point.

I seem to recall that in an old interview he said he'd planned out a 60 issue Superman story from beginning to end that he'd like to do in mainstream continuity...but it would require other main continuity Superman stories to fit round it.

No chance...DC are never going to be sensible enough to allow a good writer with a consistent vision to write Superman for around 5 years. 5 months...maybe, with exceptional luck.

Anyway...wish DC would persuade him to do the full 60 issue run, maybe as a Vertigo or All Star type series.

[Sacred Knight]

I'll amend my first post about only being interested in an OOC project. I'd be interested in an in-continuity project if he got the gig to bring New 52 Superman back. Fat chance, but hey, its worth noting it'd have my interest.

[manduck37]

I'd read a Mark Millar Superman book. Any version they want to give him. I've enjoyed his past Superman work. I love Huck and feel more people should check it out. So if it turns out to be the case, I'll pick up his book.

[Last Son of Krypton]

I'd like to read a Mark Millar Superman series. I wonder if his view of Superman has changed in the last 10 years...

On his connection to Batman: "[Superman and Batman are] both orphans. They absolutely understand each other and know that there's nobody else they can count on as much as they other. PS I know Superman isn't an orphan in this dreadful period he's been under seige (from 1986 until Hitchy and I fix him again), but the true understanding of the character is, like Bambi, he loses his Mum and Dad again. All the iconic heroes do whether it's Superman, Bambi or Batman."

On why Bryan Hitch is his ideal Superman collaborator: "Hitchy's even worse than me. Although he looks much older and has trouble sleeping through the night without a piss, Hitchy is only three weeks younger than me. Thus, we grew up on the same Cary Bates Superman comics aged 6-14. Exactly the same comics. We were also 8 years old when we saw Superman and Hitch, like me, can repeat the entire movie line for line. You should hear our daily phone chats. They're a hymn to Superman. Fixing this mess has been our destiny. It'll happen. Not for a while, but it'll happen."

On Clark Kent: "Clark is a pair of glasses. Superman doesn't need glasses. He puts on the glasses for no practical reason; just to dress up and pretend to be this mid-westwern guy he's not as a means of rubbing shoulders with the people on this planet. Superman would have thought he was human until puberty. Until maybe 12. The easiest way to understand it is to think of Jesus in the temple and the moment where his mother has to tell him the truth. He always knew he was different and alone. This is when it was all explained to him. He could still love his parents, but Clark is him trying to understand what humans are all about. As Elliot Maggin puts it, Clark Kent is a living, breathing work of art."

On Lois Lane: "Superman doesn't love Lois. Clark loves Lois and Superman tries HARD to love Lois, but he can't because she's the wrong species. But he tries. Again, Maggin sums it up beautifully. It doesn't have to be complicated... Clark loves Lois, Lois loves Superman, Superman loves Clark [...] Perfect. This is also one of the reasons Superman shouldn't be married to Lois. It's just stupid. It makes no sense and destroys the whole dynamic. Superman is God, Jor-El is the Holy Spirit and Clark Kent is Jesus. The Kents are Mary and Joseph and Lois is Mary Magdelene. She's the NYC girl who's ____ed her way around the city and found nobody who measures up. She's just had it with men and is focusing on her career... then Superman shows up. This is why Margot Kidder was perfect for the role and why Lois should be played by someone around 30 even if Supes is being played by a 25 year old. You'll see what I mean when we fix it."

On the current version of the character: "[Kingdom Come] is close to perfect. Waid gets it. None of the other American writers do, though Loeb comes close. His only weakness is getting caught up in the whole farmboy thing. The farm is where he grew up and knew he was NOTHING LIKE THESE PEOPLE. He affects it for the Clark persona, but that's it. He's as Kryptonian as Jesus is divine. Did Jesus shag Mary Mag? I don't think so. Superman should never shag Lois. It's insane and what happens when artists start touching tyoewriters. Jimmy is the reader-identification figure and the comedy relief. PS I'm saving everything else for the launch. No other ideas from me here, I'm afraid, in case some ____ nicks em."

On mixing metaphors: "No brimstone for Superman. He's interesting enough without it. He sees Earth the way immigrants saw America 100 years ago. He sees a chance for hope and a new life after losing his homeland as a kid. He loves people because he recognizes their great potential and, like Krypton, he wants to encourage them towards the Utopia his father sent him from. Forget Byrne. Read the Bible."

On the previous pitch Millar had made with Grant Morrison, Mark Waid and Tom Peyer: "The pitch we did was very late 90s and all the things I WOULDN'T do if Superman was being revamped now. It was nice, but it was the whole retro 60s thing that Grant's into as opposed to what I'd want to do myself. This thing was pretty good, but would be absolutely wrong for now. It still had Superman married to Lois and all that ____. There was another draft Mark Waid added with Earth getting a mind-wipe to forget that stuff and it had some nice touches, but I'd just start from scratch."

On how close Superman is to humanity: "Humans were apes less than 50 million years ago. Kryptonians are what we'd be like in 20 billion years. I have this all worked out as part of the proposal. In the last two years, I've filled two entire ring-binders with the plan. There's some AMAZING stuff in here. Hitch has also been doing little design doodles for the last five years. It's fate that we met."

[Superlad93]

Wow I don't think I've ever seen that interview, but given his thoughts then I'm shocked the New 52 Superman wasn't to his liking as he's stated a few times.

And if Superman 2000 wasn't to his liking either then I'm desperately wondering what he'd do.

I REEEEEEEEALY hope he picks DC and Superman!!

[Sacred Knight]

The New 52 version is easily the closest to his preferences though. They should pick him up to revamp him IF he is to be brought back.

[suemorphplus209]

Wow I don't think I've ever seen that interview, but given his thoughts then I'm shocked the New 52 Superman wasn't to his liking as he's stated a few times.

And if Superman 2000 wasn't to his liking either then I'm desperately wondering what he'd do.

I REEEEEEEEALY hope he picks DC and Superman!!

Well, if he still has those preferences, Millar could still do a Superman "Elseworlds" or an Elseworlds sequel. I mean, I don't think a Red Son spinoff would be all that bad considering that there were plenty of events that would have occurred over the long time period covered by Red Son. Plus, a miniseries about a young Superman could be done by him too, and still fit.

[Superlad93]

If the idea is to bring Millar on to do something that he'd love, then I'd just rather he make his own version. That way there's no baggage of the things he disliked about the New 52 Superman.

It's unfortunate though. I'd still like to see his take on the Superdad and family situation or T shirt and jeans Nuperman.

I guess I've always known Millar had a rather 'draconian' view of the character given his work, but some of his comments are a little shocking (but super interesting because I'd like to see them in some from).

If Superman 2000, Birthright, New 52, or anything in between don't count as a proper modern update to him then I wonder what will. Does he just fall into the writing trap of retelling his favorite stories from his childhood with nicer art, or does he have something really new to say?

Huck, Chosen, and Jupiter's Legacy seem to create a paper trail for what he feel, but I can't be sure.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Wow I don't think I've ever seen that interview, but given his thoughts then I'm shocked the New 52 Superman wasn't to his liking as he's stated a few times.

And if Superman 2000 wasn't to his liking either then I'm desperately wondering what he'd do.

Maybe he's just like Alan Moore and doesn't like anything except his own stuff.

The New 52 version is easily the closest to his preferences though. They should pick him up to revamp him IF he is to be brought back.

That would be great. I can see DC give Superman to Millar for the next relaunch to apologize for the mistakes of Rebirth.

[Superlad93]

Maybe he's just like Alan Moore and doesn't like anything except his own stuff.

Likely the case. Millar is a VERY nostalgic writer (all writers are to some degree or another). Most of his projects are all driven by his rose tinted views of things like Flash Gordon, Back to the Future, 50s-70s DC comics, or what it felt like to live through DC's Crisis in the 80s (Wanted).

It may all be slathered in nostalgia, but when he's on the man is on. Books like MPH and Jupiter's Legacy (which is his nostalgia for Star Wars and DC comics) make me quite hopeful for his take being modern. Plus he's a VERY good businessman and he knows how to incorporate trends.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Likely the case. Millar is a VERY nostalgic writer (all writers are to some degree or another). Most of his projects are all driven by his rose tinted views of things like Flash Gordon, Back to the Future, 50s-70s DC comics, or what it felt like to live through DC's Crisis in the 80s (Wanted).

It may all be slathered in nostalgia, but when he's on the man is on. Books like MPH and Jupiter's Legacy (which is his nostalgia for Star Wars and DC comics) make me quite hopeful for his take being modern. Plus he's a VERY good businessman and he knows how to incorporate trends.

I'm sure that his possible takes on Superman will feel like a pitch for a modern blockbuster movie.

[Superlad93]

I'm sure that his possible takes on Superman will feel like a pitch for a modern blockbuster movie.

Just wondering, when was that Millar interview? Link?

[Last Son of Krypton]

Just wondering, when was that Millar interview? Link?

It's an old Wizard interview (2004). It has been transcribed by Newsarama (the original link no longer exists) and posted in multiple forums/blogs: http://fanboyrampage.blogspot.com/20...49228576306005