Could Superman Comics Change Future Film?
Tue, December 8, 2009 
I remember when baseball used to be called the "National Past Time". You would sit for hours at the park or in front of your television enjoying peanuts and cracker jacks. Americana at it's finest. This is what Superman was and is. Then football's popularity sky-rocketed. It was a faster game, "America's Game". Cheerleaders, beer, and buffalo wings. This is Batman, faster and sleeker. Superman, like baseball, has become secondary in America. The \S/ has been replaced by a BAT, and things just haven't been the same.
Bryan Singer's "Superman Returns" didn't help matters, especially when you compare it against Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight". Singer brought a knife to a gun fight and forgot to sharpen it. Did I mention there is also a lawsuit creating a kryptonite laced cloud over the Superman franchise which has further delayed the Man of Steel's return to the big screen. In past years, my sources at WB/DC told me that deliberation was going on regarding a way to get around some of the roadblocks the lawsuit has created,starting with changes to the origin in the comics and then possibly expanding to film. One of the ideas involved a retelling of the origin in the comics and then later translating this to the big screen. According to DC Universe the retooled origin is on its way via the comics, could a film version be next?
Starting next year, DC Comics will unveil SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE and BATMAN: EARTH ONE, two graphic novels spotlighting the most powerful heroes of the DC Universe, with their first years and earliest moments retold in a standalone, original graphic novel format, on a new earth with an all-new continuity.
Return to Smallville and experience the journey of Earth’s greatest adopted son, as he grows from boy to Superman in SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE by J. Michael Straczynski and artist Shane Davis.
J. Michael Straczynski: “What I’m trying to do is to dig in to the character and look at him through modern eyes. If you were to create the Superman story today, for the first time, but keep intact all that works, what would it look like?”
Shane Davis: “It is monumental for us as comic readers to see Superman birthed for the first time. It’s a privilege to realize that you’re the artist that gets to draw it, better yet having the luxury to do it in an original graphic novel. This is going to be epic!”
Reader Comments (8)
I don't understand, I thought the problem was that the Siegel/Shusters owned certain characteristics and characters? How does shuffling the same deck chairs somehow constitute new characters?
maybe the new superman version would be even better.
Wait a minute, Geoff Johns is currently re-booting Supe's origin in the ongoing series Superman: Secret Origins. From what I'm told it's a sincere collection/ mish-mash of practically every origin the character ever had in one series. It's nothing new, but its very endearing true to the character(s). Not to mention that the story begins during Clark's boyhood days in Smallville, and has practically no mention of Krypton already four issues into its run.
Why don't they just try making that into a movie
I didn't appreciate that much Straczynski's retelling of Doctor Strange origins for marvel and that was reportedly his "movie" version of the character. So I don't think this new Superman origin will be that better.
And do we need another alternate version of this classic characters? Is it any different from the All Star line?
Will the Stracz version be better than Byrne's or the still being published John's ?
Anyway I don't think the Superman GN will have that big influence on future movies. The big problem is still the lawsuit.
that drawing is one of my faves I've ever seen of Big Blue. Unlike Anto, I rather enjoyed JMS Doctor Strange, so I'll be looking forward to this.
Supes definitely looks like an ass-kicker (while still traditional) in that picture.
Or they could be using these to test the waters since they've got nothing but time in regards to superman. Secret Origins is getting great reviews. We'll see how this one turns out. Either way they'll have a template to work with.
That is an awesome picture.
They need to just pay the folks whatever and make the darn film right. If its good the folks will come, to the sequel at the latest ala TDK's massive jump from BB.