It's true: Donner and Johns take over Action Comics

[Kevinroc]

http://comics.ign.com/articles/719/719224p1.html

Richard Donner and Geoff Johns will be the writers of Action Comics starting in October.

[Ontir]

Great Ceasar's Ghost!

[J. Robb]

Oh boy, another General Zod. Nothing like repeating the same brilliant idea every new creative team has had for the past six years...

[protege]

yeah- wake me when this arc is over...

[DonC]

Oh boy, another General Zod. Nothing like repeating the same brilliant idea every new creative team has had for the past six years...


It's not like they're saying Zod might be the baddie in a sequel to Superman Returns.

Oh, wait. Nevermind. (http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Movies&action=page&obj_id=51723)

[astronato]

Ursa and Non are going to be in it. Nice!

[Ilash]

Not sure about this. Johns is usually very dependable except for when he spreads himself out too much but Donner...

Yeah, I know he directed Superman, which is one of the best superhero flicks ever but he didn't actually write it. In fact, looking at his IMDB bio, he's written virtually nothing over his long Hollywood career so what makes DC think he can successfully write an ongoing Superman title. Sadly, this seems to be a stunt much in line with hiring the writers of the Flash TV show for that character's book and that hasn't exactly turned out all that great.

Still, I'll give the first issue a try but I'm not expecting much, especially since it deals with yet another version of the Zod character.

[Mister Mets]

I think it's a brilliant A-list team, and it's about time for a definitive Zod arc.

Johns started out as Donner's assistant, so the two have a relationship. Apparantly Donnor was known for adding small details to the movies he was working, and allowing everyone involved to suggest ideas.

[J. Robb]

I get the feeling this conversation has been heard in the DC offices a few times now:

New Writer: "I have a great idea, I'm bringing back General Zod!"

Editor: "Okay, let's see... What was his last appearance?"

New Writer: "No, no, a new Zod! This time, he'll be done right!"

Editor: "That's what the last guy said."

:)

[Captain Jim]

Am I the only one finding a dead link here?

[shyguy]

Fmeh. Can't stand Johns and I think Donner's Superman movies were mediocre at best, so not really looking forward to this.

Which is a shame, because I wanted to want to pick up both Superman titles once Adam Kubert was on the book.

[chriskenny]

Am I the only one finding a dead link here?

It seems to me to be a premature announcement. Maybe they had to take it down. It said in the article the announcement would be made in San Diego and no other news source reported it.

Chris

[Hellcow]

Fmeh. Can't stand Johns and I think Donner's Superman movies were mediocre at best, so not really looking forward to this.

Which is a shame, because I wanted to want to pick up both Superman titles once Adam Kubert was on the book.


Agree.

Donner's film was good for the time and in the context of what had come before in the TV show. But its not a great film. Who made this decision, or was it agreed back in the days when Singer was selling them on the idea that Superman revolved around the 78 film? So many missed opportunities.... pity...

[Rylon]

Oh boy, another General Zod. Nothing like repeating the same brilliant idea every new creative team has had for the past six years...Well, they could always redo Superman's orgin. That's never been done before either. ;)

[PatrickG]

Didn't the stuff Didio said at HeroesCon surface anywhere yet?

The difference, as I understand it, is that THIS Zod will incorporate the other versions somehow but still essentially be much like the movie version.

And note Busiek's use of Admiral Dru-Zod in SUPERMAN. There's the seed of something there. Busiek has refuted that the Zod seen there is the one in the Phantom Zone, I believe.

DC realizes they've pulled a Hawkman with Zod. And I think this is part of an honest effort to set things right.

And in the popular sphere, Zod is one of Superman's top three enemies.

So DC is gonna keep trying this until something sticks.

[KET]

Didn't the stuff Didio said at HeroesCon surface anywhere yet?

Does it MATTER? DiDio's hype and blather will probably get repeated ad nauseum in San Diego, since DC is showing more creative bankruptcy with each new "startling anouncement".

The difference, as I understand it, is that THIS Zod will incorporate the other versions somehow but still essentially be much like the movie version.


Great...so he'll be a 'Hawkman' Zod.......eeeewww, and that idea worked out SO WELL before. :rolleyes:

Sorry, but Zod has still been DONE TO DEATH lately in the Superman books. Making yet another that's a watered-down amalgam of what came before doesn't change a thing.


DC realizes they've pulled a Hawkman with Zod. And I think this is part of an honest effort to set things right.

Sounds more like the usual cherry-picking, due to lack of honest creativity.


And in the popular sphere, Zod is one of Superman's top three enemies.

Patrick, this nebulous "popular sphere" is merely nostalgia for a TWENTY-FIVE YEAR OLD movie. Face it, the ONLY reason DC is going here at all is because Richard Donner is involved. The guy whose last major movie was 16 BLOCKS. How long did THAT last in theaters? :D

So DC is gonna keep trying this until something sticks.


..because Dan DiDio doesn't know any better. He treats comics like they're TV shows.

[Andy S.]

If "Up,Up, and Away" is any indication of things to come, then this couldtotally rock.

I wonder how much truth there is to it? I was wondering what Busiek was talking about when he dropped the "Dru-Zod" hint in "Up, Up, and Away". That isn't one of the previous Zod incarnations, I take it?

[algertman]

Cool beans. Nice that they didn't pull a "King" like MARVEL and just paid him to slap his name on a cover

[Kintales]

WooHoo Donner and Johns combo! Gotta give the series a try then. Let's see how they put Zod back into place as one of Supes' top villains.

[Yoda]

Sounds good to me, John's is doing great on Green Lantern & Titan's and Up, Up and Away was great, so i'm confident that he'll pull this off. And if they actually have a good Zod, that'll be even better.

[The Sentry]

Can't wait !

I can't remember the last time I felt this excited about the Superman titles !

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Wasn't this leaked six or seven months ago?

I don't know why DC is making such a big deal of keeping this hush, hush. It's the worst kept secret in comics.

[CaptainAwesome]

Fmeh. Can't stand Johns and I think Donner's Superman movies were mediocre at best, so not really looking forward to this.


I completely disagree with this statment and because I disagree I will counter it with a mature and well crafted response. You're mediocre at best! Thats right, I said it.:p

Now back to the Zod issue. Im not too familiar with the history of Zod in the comics. I've only really ever seen him in Superman 2 and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Having said that, I am still looking forward to this arc because a) Johns has proven a reliable writer after the whole Infinite Crisis, and b) there really is no "b)". The point is that Zod better have a shiny shirt or else there will be hell to pay.

[J. Robb]

DC realizes they've pulled a Hawkman with Zod. And I think this is part of an honest effort to set things right.
They pulled a Hawkman with Superman, the multiple Zods is just a side effect of that.

[jwd]

Oops. Sorry about the double post. I kind of had a computer glitch or something. Feel free to axe this one.

[jwd]

Am I the only one finding a dead link here?

Yep. DC wanted the story pulled. They emailed a few other message board mods and asked them to pull the story. I think this was going to be the big suprise reveal at San Diego Con this year.

Of course a lot of people had been saying this is who it will be.

I get the feeling it'll be Geoff Johns being the primary writer with Richard Donner giving plot ideas and advice - (directing in other words). I figure eventually Geoff Johns will take over fully.

With comics at nearly $3 a pop I've decided I'll skip it. Try to read some non-spoilerish reviews or just look at people's comments and if they sound mostly postive then pick up the inevitable tpb.

[Babylon23]

I'm excited. Up Up and Away was an excellent story, and Johns is one of my favourite writers, so I'm happy to see him staying on Action. Donner is an interesting addition, but given that he's never produced any comic work before, he's an unknown factor. I'm willing to give this the benefit of the doubt until I actually see the first issue.

Also, why not use Zod. The recent versions of the character have been pretty mediocre, and IC has reset a lot of things, so why not recreate one of Superman's most infamous villains. Busiek and Johns did a great job on revitalising Superman's rogues gallery in Up Up and Away.

[Tony Bang]

I hope this isn't just Donner's orginal plan for Superman II. It could just be him puting Zod back into the top-tier of Superman's villians, which is cool.

I'm not that huge of a Johns fan, I love Green Lantern though. I'm hopeful for this. (If not there's always Morrison.)

[Sean Walsh]

Yep. Marvel wanted the story pulled. They emailed a few other message board mods and asked them to pull the story. I think this was going to be the big suprise reveal at San Diego Con this year.

Say, that's an awful nice thing of Marvel to do for DC there...... :p

[Sean Walsh]

Didn't the stuff Didio said at HeroesCon surface anywhere yet?

I wanna say that Newsarama's been posting that at their site over the last day or so...

[jwd]

Say, that's an awful nice thing of Marvel to do for DC there...... :p

what are you talking about? I said "DC" . ;)

That edit feature is nice to have. :)

[PatrickG]

Yeah. I saw that today.

They've posted a cleaned up version of everything Didio said on the record, pretty much.

If Rich Johnston wanted an inside scoop, he should:

A) Go to the editor drink-ups.

and...

B) Find a way to get on good terms with these people.

What he prints now is a fraction of what he would print otherwise.

Unless you account for the fact that the publishers typically know who is leaking stuff to Johnston and send fake rumors his way all the time to mask the real ones.

The problem is that Johnston is in the business of publishing spoilers and leaks... and WIZARD and such are in the business of publishing company spoonfed (or creator crafted) propaganda.

To get an honest view of where these companies are taking things, you need somebody who can sit down and have a beer with Quesada and Didio and share the ESSENTIAL stuff without the details.

Wizard (and many of its online competitors) misses the big picture because they supply a spoonfed big picture. Rich Johnston misses stuff because he thrives on telling people specific details that aren't meant for the public.

As a journalist, you can't treat Marvel and DC as a benefactor and you can't treat them as a bank vault ready to be looted. Treat the people who work there LIKE PEOPLE, interact with them face-to-face if possible, and you get the interesting stuff. The stuff that isn't always flattering and isn't always damning but the stuff that gives people room to make up their own minds.

[chriskenny]

[QUOTE=KET] The guy whose last major movie was 16 BLOCKS. How long did THAT last in theaters? :D QUOTE]

Regardless of how long it stayed in theaters, it was a great movie.

[Ontir]

16 Blocks was great!

[The Gunslinger]

16 Blocks was great!


I like the movie better when it was called The Gauntlet

[bugmenot]

Can Donner actually write, or will this be Donner stroking some broad plot arc, giving added gravitas for what is ultimately yet another Geoff Johns comic?

If they wanted someone from the Superman movie to write, why not Tom Manciewicz? He can write happily married couples (Hart To Hart), various flavors of dramatic action (James Bond movies, Ladyhawke), and even some comedy (the Dragnet spoof). Get this -- he's a writer!

[TheTen-EyedMan]

I like the movie better when it was called The Gauntlet

Ouch....some mecurochrome to the Comic Book Resources forum please.

[RichJohnston]

Yeah. I saw that today.

They've posted a cleaned up version of everything Didio said on the record, pretty much.

If Rich Johnston wanted an inside scoop, he should:

A) Go to the editor drink-ups.

Anyone got an intercontinental teleporter to hand?

Top of my head, this year, I've scooped lesbian Batwomen and the creative team, Wonder Women writer, projects from Paul Dini, Garth Ennis, John Woo, Richard Donner, Civil War disinformation, Ellis recycyling, projects such as "Dr. Fate", "Detective Chimp," "Black Alice," "Sargon The Sorceror," "Ibis The Invincible" and "Zauriel", "Spawn/Batman III", "Battler Briton", "Blackout", "Fascist Regime", "The Question", the letting go of Pasko and Greenberger, resignation of Kupperberg, Tommy Lee Edwards exclusive, New Line at DC, Marvel's UK license being subverted for gambling, Byrne's problems with DC, the first "Heroes" review, Liefeld on Onslaught/Heroes Reborn, the first review of the complete Lost Girls, Texeira exclusive, the download dilemma at DC, Marvel's spoiler controls, the return of Gun Theory, the Steve Niles tapes, Danijel Zezelj on Desolation Jones , Bart Allen as Flash, problems with Dream Engine, JMS on Thor and much more.

All sourced without any assistance from the publishers in question.

Unless you account for the fact that the publishers typically know who is leaking stuff to Johnston and send fake rumors his way all the time to mask the real ones.

No. Really. I know what's happened to people suspected of being a leak...

The problem is that Johnston is in the business of publishing spoilers and leaks... and WIZARD and such are in the business of publishing company spoonfed (or creator crafted) propaganda.

I'm not actually. I'm in the business of pubvlishing gossip and rumour. Sometimes that involves spoilers and leaks.

To get an honest view of where these companies are taking things, you need somebody who can sit down and have a beer with Quesada and Didio and share the ESSENTIAL stuff without the details.

I've had a ham sandwich with Joe. Does that count? The danger with that is both Joe and Dan are experts at spinning.

Wizard (and many of its online competitors) misses the big picture because they supply a spoonfed big picture. Rich Johnston misses stuff because he thrives on telling people specific details that aren't meant for the public.

I miss stuff but then I get stuff too. Isn't that wonderful?

As a journalist, you can't treat Marvel and DC as a benefactor and you can't treat them as a bank vault ready to be looted.

Well, you could.

Treat the people who work there LIKE PEOPLE, interact with them face-to-face if possible, and you get the interesting stuff. The stuff that isn't always flattering and isn't always damning but the stuff that gives people room to make up their own minds.
No, you'll get spun.

[Ontir]

"Anyone got an intercontinental teleporter to hand?" ~ Rich Johnson

What does this mean?

[Mon-el]

"Anyone got an intercontinental teleporter to hand?" ~ Rich Johnson

What does this mean?

It means since Rich lives in England, and Dido is in New York. He needs a teleporter to actually "Go to the editor." From my understanding Rich phones most of his stuff in.

[algertman]

Newsarama comfirmed the worst kept secret

[J. Robb]

Newsarama comfirmed the worst kept secret
Nothing about Zod though, hopefully that part of the rumour wasn't true.

[Mister Mets]

I see some great Superman stories resulting from this union.

Really cool news. And one of the best creative teams the characters has ever had. Maybe even the best on a monthly title.

[RichJohnston]

It means since Rich lives in England, and Dido is in New York. He needs a teleporter to actually "Go to the editor." From my understanding Rich phones most of his stuff in.

What a phrase to use... 8-)

E-mail, sir, e-mail.

[Ontir]

But... Dido IS English!!!

The "to hand" now makes more sense. You Brits and your English!

[algertman]

But... Dido IS English!!!

The "to hand" now makes more sense. You Brits and your English!


You sure? Looks like an Italian plumber to me

[chriskenny]

Yeah, I saw him speak at a comic con in Philly last year, and he did not have an English accent.

[Kintales]

Wow Donner and Johns plus its drawn by Adam Kubert! WooHooo!!

http://www.newsarama.com/SDCC06/DC/actionkubert.jpg

[Nick Kal]

This will most likely be amazing.

[mrc1214]

This is great. I think Johns is a very good writer.