DC Comics Universe Spoilers follow.
Brian Michael Bendis Becomes DC’s Authoritative Voice For Superman With Action Comics #1000 and Beyond, Man Of Steel Mini-Series & Relaunched Superman Series!
Forbes got the scoop on Brian Michael Bendis’ plans for DC Comics and they are as huge and multi-facted as his announcement of his DC Comics / DC Entertainment exclusive deal.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis becomes the authoritative guiding force behind Superman!
Bendis had the following to say about Action Comics #1000:
- My first appearance in DC Comics will be Action Comics #1000.
- It was a lovely offer from [DC Comics Co-Publisher] Dan DiDio when we were discussing my plans and what I could or couldn’t do. He called me up the next day and he goes, ‘I don’t want to be greedy or rush you, but we happen to have this once in a lifetime Superman situation going on with Action Comics #1000.’
- Dan goes, ‘There is a possibility we could give you a first shot to write in Action Comics #1000, and make it really a big part of the Superman legacy and our legacy.
- What if we put our foot down and say this is a big part of the character, where we’re headed is a big thing and we believe in it, so there’s no better place to put it than in Action Comics #1000 with our publisher Jim Lee drawing it.’
- And I was like, of course I’m going to say yes to this!”
- In that first story [in action Action Comics #1000] it’s not just some random backup story or flight of fancy. It is a major chapter in what we’re doing, with some really big bombs we’re dropping in Superman’s life — and two of them happen right there in Action Comics #1000.
- So it’s a huge tease of what we’re doing and what’s coming up in Superman’s life.
- Handing in that script was as nerve racking as anything I’ve ever done. Not only was it my first statement on this universe I’ve just joined, but it’s in the middle of this amazing anniversary filled with not only the greatest comic book creators of all time, but literally my heroes.
- There are people there who I look at in complete awe, and it was an honor just to be asked for those ten pages, let alone the first ten pages of what will hopefully be a long and successful run.
Bendis dishes on his weekly sixe issue Man of Steel mini-series that launches May 30, 2018:
- It’s a big weekly Man of Steel event. It’s six issues, and I’m writing all of them. They’re telling the giant new story that’s the status quo, what’s going to be going on with Superman and Metropolis and everything around him.
- Again, it’s following up on the big bombs we drop not only in Action Comics #1000, but following up all of those beats and digging in even deeper.
- Every single issue is being drawn by one of the great DC artists working today, who are also some of the greatest DC artists of all time. I’m very honored to be doing my first project with all of these artists I’ve never worked with before, who I think are amazing.
- The only artist I’ve worked with before in the run is Kevin Macguire, and I wouldn’t do this without him, because I think he’s one of the greatest DC artists of all time.
- But then I get to launch with Ivan Reis, Doc Shaner, Jason Fabok, and others [Adam Hughes and Ryan Sook] who’ve done amazing runs with the character or who’ve been waiting to do very special thing with the character. I’m very honored they all said yes to this.
- The Man of Steel story will debut a huge new villain, a blockbuster villain who connects deeply to Superman’s origin story and to his birthright.
- We’re going to dig in very hard, this is one of my goals, to be a additive to Superman as possible.
The characters we debut right away, including this new villain, will send ripples of horror across the entire Superman family and beyond!
Writer Brian Michael Bendis will then “take over writing duties on the monthly titles Superman and Action Comics. The Superman monthly will relaunch with a new issue #1 on July 11, while Action Comics picks up with issue #1001 on July 25, and each will have a different approach and tone. While the main Superman title will be an adventure-driven book, Action Comics will delve into Clark Kent’s daily life.”
Bendis talks about his two ongoing Superman series that appear to revert to monthly from twice monthly:
- The fallout of Man of Steel #6 is enormous.
- It is some of the biggest status quo changes to Superman literally since Crisis [on Infinite Earths].
- So we’ll be launching Superman with a brand new #1, and that’s going to be very Superman-focused and big DC action stories.
- Action Comics will be launching with #1001, I’m very happy to say, and that will be focused more on Clark and Metropolis and the Daily Planet, and how the world of Superman effects the world of DC.
- For those who are worried, they should not be. The last runs on Superman by Dan Jurgens and Peter Tomasi and Pat Gleason have been phenomenal runs, and my run will be following their runs. We’re not throwing anything out, we’re not abandoning anything, we’re following what’s been going on and taking it to surprising new areas. [This is not a reboot.]
- I can honestly tell you the choices we’ve made and bring to Superman are deeply connected to his origins. I don’t want to say too much right now, but it’s a reflection of where he came from and the world we live in now.
Interesting times ahead.
