That's true. I like period pieces myself and that's partly what's drawn me to Jupiter's legacy, Huck, Flash Gordon and most of what Darwyn Cooke and Doc Shaner worked on. This is why I'm so curious to see what his modern take would be. I would have thought it would be more in line with what Grant Morrison and Greg Pak did with Nu Superman.
Sounds pretty interesting. Millar LOVES Superman (although I didn't like the ending of his movie trilogy pitch for Big Blue. Why would he even stay on Earth after everyone else is gone/dead?), and I'm very intrigued about the ideas he has for the character.
HOLY. CRAP. This is INCREDIBLE. And I have the exact same question you do. Will he have changed anything from that pitch? (I'd say that, most likely, yes).
Also, being a SMWW fan, what he said there gives me hope that -in the case he gets to write Supes- he could hook him up with Wonder Woman. Oh, THE AWESOMENESS.
Honestly I just thought he was less draconian in his views of what should be. His creation of Huck, JL, JC, Superior, and Chosen are all well marinated in the Superman concept, but it's twisted and stretched to yield new and interesting results. Take Huck for instance. It's an almost 1 to 1 retelling of the Superman idea (complete with the immigrant angle) but he adds and pulls from it to create something fresh. JL is basically finding the shortcoming in the idea of an outdated Superman (Sheldon) in modern times and then rebuilding a new and stronger one for the modern age (Jason).
Nowadays Millar almost screams progression of the Superman concept. Who's to say what he feels now that he's made all of these characters and it's not 2004?
I honestly had my money on him enjoying the idea of having a more classic Superman back who is moving forward in life (given Jupiter's Legacy)
Millar doesn't seem to be down for Superman having any strong and steady romantic relationship. Of which I understand his reasoning and somewhat agree with. I'm just more lax in the sense that I think its fine for him to date. But that's it.
"They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El
You're absolutely right. Made me rethink the Clark Lois dynamic differently in light of what happened to Sheldon and Jane. In any case you would think a classic take would be something he'd shoot for especially with him praising doc Shaner's take on Superman on Twitter.
Yeah and then there's also the contradiction that actually comes from his direct reaction to a resent Superman movie (MOS), Huck. In there Huck likes a human girl but he's too shy to say anything. It's strange that in what is basically his Superman you've got that in there given his 2004 comments.
Whatever his Superman is, I can't find a concrete throughline outside of that he thinks Superman should represent what he thought was great about America.
Also I really thought that Sheldon and Jane stuff was an interesting way to give "Superman and Lois" issues. I actually think any writer going with Lois and Clark should take SOME inspiration from this. Doesn't have to break them up, but it's interesting drama.
I must admit that I'm intrigued by the idea - but I'm not quite as pumped about the thought of him writing Superman now as I was 10 years ago. His more recent work has been of a decidedly gratuitious nature - I have no interest in seeing that in my Superman-comics. Before, when he was young, I could have seen editors rein him in - but now? When he's at the peak of his power? No way. It'll be like Johns on GL or nothing - almost complete freedom or he won't do it.
That freedom scares me a bit...
I know why New-52 Superman isn't his thing - it's because of who created him.
GRANT MORRISON - once considered himself Mark Millar's best friend, and helped him to get into comics - but something happened in the early 2000's... around the same time as Morrison was finishing up New X-men at Marvel, that made them BITTER ENEMIES!
I actually think that's why he doesn't like New-52 Superman, because Morrison created him, and all that old stuff between them gets in the way of a real assessment of the character.
1) Hey LR you should checkout his creator owned Huck comic. That should definitely ease your worry. It's what makes me excited to possibly see him return to DC and write superman again.
2) How did you hear of Mark and Grant's friendship deteriorating over time in the early 00's any source? I'd like to read up on that if at all possible.
"So as I pray, Unlimited Pak Works!"
To be fair Jim Lee and Didio created the concept of New 52 Superman. Morrison's job was to fit some sort of origin in there but end at that concept.
Morrison himself doesn't actually think of the New 52 Superman as "his" Superman (I'll find the interview later). I'd imagine Millar just wasn't vibin with it same and Morrison.
I always thought Morrison formed the concept of New 52.
Nah there's a few interviews around that make it pretty clear that he was just brought on to give an origin to an already thought out concept.