ACTION COMICS #9 Spoilers: Is Grant making meta-commentary on DC?

[Patrick Gerard]

I ditched the DC runs I was reading a few issues in and the comic shop I would go to here is closed.

But I heard that this issue has the Obama-like Superman (ie. Black President Superman Calvin Ellis) faced with an otherworldly evil Superman.

This is one that is created by well meaning scientists who turn to a corporation for backing. The corporation lawyers up and swindles them of their creation (which they accept at first, happy to create something) only to discover that the corporate owned Superman is a monster that feeds on more lighthearted Supermen from other universes, a living brand.

I saw this quote from the comic on a message board:

"They had 500 experts lined up, thinking in harmony to streamline the Superman brand for maximum cross-spectrum, wide platform appeal. They built a violent, troubled, faceless anti-hero..."

Uhm... I don't have the issue. I'm tempted to buy it because I'm intrigued by the whole thing.

Any thoughts on this?

Is Grant throwing the DCnU under the bus with this?

[FanboyStranger]

I don't think it's throwing the DCnU under the bus so much as acknowledging the mistakes that DC had made over the years regarding creator rights, particularly those concerning Siegel and Shuster. As Grant is the driving force of the DCnU Superman, I'd say it's more a take on the Superman-by-commitee era that preceded the DCnU over the past decade.

The issue itself is actually excellent, although I think Rick Veitch should get a shout-out for some of the ideas.

[Slewo.O]

Yeah, he was poking fun at the consumerism and corporate cross-media that invaded a character that was representative of the little guy. That along with the fact the creators of Superdoom (Clark, Lois, and Jimmy) getting screwed over hard and being haunted by their own creation.

It was an awesome issue.

[Thequeerjock]

I think it goes a lot broader than the DCnU in the criticism. The whole attempts at trying to make a cooler, hipper, edgier, badasser Superman have been in play for a while and it's not just something within DC publishing. See the whole Superman X thingie from the Legion cartoon or the laughable final few seasons of Smallville where they had Clark fighting crime in a black T-shirt and leather trenchocat. Or the Tim Burton Superman movie where he would've worn a black costume and had shape-shifting powers and stupid stuff like that.

[Lester C.]

Grant has had a very long career and high profile personal issues that OTHER people have talked about not him. He always takes the high road when it comes to these kinds of things so I don't see him attacking dc but rather as others pointed out general trends.

[Patrick Gerard]

Grant has had a very long career and high profile personal issues that OTHER people have talked about not him. He always takes the high road when it comes to these kinds of things so I don't see him attacking dc but rather as others pointed out general trends.

I thought that until I saw quotes and pages. This one isn't subtle.

[Hugin]

There's also the fact that his Superman beats up Superdoom while shouting "I'm Superman done RIGHT", which isn't exactly veiled language.

[Morrison_Lad]

I really felt that it was a little too "on the nose" for Morrison.

It seemed more or less like a commentary on popular culture, more than anything. If he had set out to criticize DC, it would have been more subtle.

[Patrick Gerard]

I really felt that it was a little too "on the nose" for Morrison.

It seemed more or less like a commentary on popular culture, more than anything. If he had set out to criticize DC, it would have been more subtle.

He's indicated, pretty much, that he's done with the big two aside from Multiversity and Seaguy after this run, hasn't he?

[Slewo.O]

He's indicated, pretty much, that he's done with the big two aside from Multiversity and Seaguy after this run, hasn't he?

Not that I've heard.