Would you buy a Steel ongoing?

[golgi]

Or mini series? Who would you want to write it?

[arrowsonthemyscira]

Or mini series? Who would you want to write it?

Is someone gonna call me a racist if I say Priest?
I just think he does tech really well.

Also, I'd be cool with Rucka on it. Also, whichever one of the writing team did most of the Steel/Natasha stuff for 52. (Which also might have been Rucka, I can't say for sure.)

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Oh god yes, Steel is one of my favorite characters and one of the coolest characters out of the Supes family.

Also, the writer who did the current Steel mini in Action would be a great choice for writing him ongoing or mini.

[Cavemold]

Yea, pending art, and writer. I'd give a shot.

[arrowsonthemyscira]

Oh god yes, Steel is one of my favorite characters and one of the coolest characters out of the Supes family.

Also, the writer who did the current Steel mini in Action would be a great choice for writing him ongoing or mini.

As much as I enjoy Steel, there's no way I'm buying Action just to read a backup feature.

[Desaad]

Absolutely, with the right direction and creative team.

I was deeply disappointed by what I read of the previous Steel ongoing, including the Priest years.

And as with Mr. Terrific, my affection for the character and the character's potential wouldn't blind me to a low quality result. Sorry, Mr. Wallace.

Writers I'd like to see would be: Sholly Fisch (current writer of the Action backup), Joshua Hale Fialkov (original writer of said backup, who said his work with it was one of his favorite things he's written), Greg Rucka (just because he writes smart, socially conscious people), Eric Trautmann (for his JSA vs Kobra), Peter Milligan (for his take on the character in Infinity Inc), Mike Costa (for his Blackhawks), and proably a whole host of others.


Direction:

Something big happens to him to underscore how fully he’s failed in his transformative agenda. Crime is as high as it has ever been, the poor and the disenfranchised as powerless as ever. Spends a year building and building and building in “Steelworks”, preparing, planning. And then he launches it – “Futuretrack”, an initiative to set up a Civilization/cooperation/relief Railroad….installations, factories, gardens that grow medicine, food, clean drinking water, clothes, even batteries. All for free. All for nothing. What do you need to fight and kill for now? What do you need oppressive government for? This causes immense backlash from The Big Boys – not nations, but the men BEHIND the nations, the corporations…they all make money off of the suffering of others. “That hammer will be the death of me…”, and it would be true.

I feel like the real strength of John Henry as a character and a concept is this notion of him as a builder, though. An...evolver. I feel like writers have sort of dropped the ball on positioning him in any sort of interesting way. I mean, looking at something like his old solo series, which I just recently read on a lark...Priest turned in some decent (if dated) work there, but there was never the kind of big concept through line and direction that I think the character needed/deserved.

What Matt Fraction is doing with Tony Stark right now, what Warren Ellis did with the Changers in Stormwatch, is what should be done with Steel, is what fits John Henry Irons better than any of those others.

And DC already has a couple of really good potential antagonists in place. The first one that comes to mind is the Big Guys represented by "Mr. Orr" from Azzarello's For Tomorrow (and also in Countdown, among other things). The idea that Corporations control presidents and kings is nothing new in the DCU (or in fiction in general), and DC already has a fairly charismatic face to put on it (Orr) and a visually striking physical atagonist for John in his Steel armor, for maximum visual/action potential (Equus). It also captures the current anti-big business zeitgeist.

I see the final scene going something like this...

That’s the thing about Clark. He’s the most magnanimous, empathetic creature on earth. He loves life, he loves every single being on the planet, with a capacity that is truly BEYOND that of mere mortals. But for all his humanity, he IS NOT HUMAN. He does not see us as we see ourselves; how could he? To him, we live fleeting lives, are as easily burned or torn or crumpled as old parchment. He can’t know how STRONG we are, how resilient. He has no idea what we are capable of; not truly. He can peer through miles of granite, can trace the orbits of spinning electrons around nuclei like planets, but he is blind to the fiber that makes up the human spirit, he cannot know that our fragile physical forms have forced us to compensate, to build our strength in secret ways.

Its not his fault, it is nothing he can help; but it's time the Man of Steel saw what Men of Iron are capable of.

Gentlemen. Glad to see you’re all here. Oh, yes, I know you all. Know what you have been doing, what you want.

I’m here to say you can’t have it. And I’m here to take everything else.

I deny you this small scrap, this ephemeral, undefinable thing, the only thing of value. I'm here to defend human dignity, this thing you would so blithely steal from the world as if it were yours by right.

You’ve gone to great lengths to hide your organization, your conglomerate, from the general public and from your individual corporate concerns. An impressive piece of obfuscation. No doubt by now you all know how…uncomfortable…I am with leaving things half done, though, so I thought I’d finish the job.

What you’re seeing on your screens – I’ve co-opted and repurposed your equipment, I knew you wouldn’t mind – what you’re seeing on your screens is the systematic disassembly of your lives. Your personal bank accounts have been emptied, their contents spread across thousands of charitable organizations and millions of individuals in need. Your physical possessions have been auctioned off, the profits being similarly redistributed.

“You’re insane, this will never…”

Not. Finished.

What you’re seeing now is a crossection of your CIA files, Tax returns, social security records…every digital and physical record that confirms your existence, that makes you YOU. And what you’re seeing NOW….[blank screens]….is all of them gone. Poof. I have just erased your digital and physical fingerprint, gentleman.

Your wives, your children, your parents, your siblings…they have been given new identities, new lives…a second chance. And, I have to say, to a one they were grateful for the opportunity. Seems you’ve all got faces not even a mother could love.

You wanted anonymity? My gift to you. You’re so off the grid you won’t be able to get a STARBUCKS CARD. I’M GOING TO EAT EVERYTHING YOU ARE.

“Irons, I..I ---“

…I have built machines that turn dust and garbage into statins and tomatoes. That produce free, clean energy…ENDLESSLY. I have raised myself up to stand shoulder to shoulder with GODS by the unyielding force of my will and the keen edge of my intellect. Did you really think I hadn’t planned this out to the last, meticulous detail? That I wouldn’t be smart enough to see YOU coming?

This is EXACTLY what I planned, you outmoded relics of a dead age! I’m here to tell you that it’s over. The definition of power has changed! In an epoch in which anyone with a mind and a 200 dollar laptop can make miracles, money means nothing. You’re OBSOLETE.

I’d recommend that you clear out of this building, incidentally. It seems it’s now registered to a local community organization, and someone has altered the police to trespassers. I don’t suspect the questioning will go easy for 11 old men who shouldn’t exist.

This WHOLE THING was one elaborate trap to DRAW YOU OUT. With the one bait, the one threat, I knew you couldn’t ignore – the surging of the human spirit. You thought I walked into your trap? You’ve been living in MINE for months!

I'm not some naive idealist. I'm an engineer by training and temperament; I know how long it takes, how hard it is, to build something that lasts. You can't expect people to change overnight, or even in the course of a lifetime. Not even with everything they could ever want free. It takes more than THINGS to make a man, a woman, a family. Paradise must be earned; not easy to achieve, not easy to maintain, it cannot be handed you. It must be built anew every day, reaffirmed with every action. The fact that you ever thought THIS was a threat to you shows only how pitifully out of touch you really are.

This wasn't about changing the hearts and minds of the citizenry of the world. It was about FREEING them from YOU. You, your dirty fingers pulling every string, hands suffocating the poor and the week, enfeebling the strong.

You're done. You're over.

[MajorHoy]

I'd strongly consider a Steel comic book (regular or mini-series), but it depends on writer and artist.

No Morrison, Kruhl, or Winick on the writing, though. Sholly Fisch could easily sell me on it.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

If they get the current writer and artist doing the minimini Steel right now and put them on an ongoing or actually mini series, then they've sold me

[pryde15]

No, never.
Steel is just one of those characters that I don't care for, for whatever reason.

[Lemurion]

I don't know.

Depends on the creative team and the take on the character. Something like the current Mr. Terrific? Nope. A team and take I liked? In a heartbeat. Most takes? I'd try the first issue digitally when the price dropped and go from there.

[vampiric_cannibal]

About the only thing I've read with him as a major character is 52, and his story wasn't the best and ended quite abruptly. So no.

[G. Boney]

Is someone gonna call me a racist if I say Priest?

Heh. Probably.

Like others have said, it would depend on the creative team for me. I tried his series way back when for the first couple of issues but didn't like it.

[Slaughter]

Didn't Priest write for Steel monthly? Pretty sure it started sucking, then.

[Desaad]

Didn't Priest write for Steel monthly? Pretty sure it started sucking, then.

It was horrible before Priest took it over. It got marginally better, but was still very bad IMHO once he did.

[DarkAngryWolf]

I'd buy a mini-series, maybe even a maxi-series. However, I'm not sure about an ongoing.

Though there is one very stupid thing. We have somthing like Men at War that any other company can make to fill the new 52, despite the fact that it will probley be inconsiquenctial to the DCU as a whole... and no Cyborg series!? Really, I wouldn't have much of a problem... if not for the fact that he is a part of the original 7 of the new Justice League!

[Slaughter]

It was horrible before Priest took it over. It got marginally better, but was still very bad IMHO once he did.

No, pretty sure it started sucking after Priest took over, and not before.

The Steel monthly before that was pretty good.

[titanfan]

I like the Steel character, but in a supporting role. Even in his book, I tended to find his supporting cast more interesting than him. I really wished his Force Works/Infinity Inc. concept took off I thought that was a great role for him--as a mentor/leader to another younger super team.

That said, with the right creative team I might give it a try,

[The Ray II]

I would indeed!

[Hulk_Is]

As long as the concept is interesting and I find the creative team tolerable I don't see why not. I've always liked his schtick.

[Desaad]

No, pretty sure it started sucking after Priest took over, and not before.

The Steel monthly before that was pretty good.

I read through the whole thing in one big sitting, and while I can only speak for myself, the stuff that came before Priest's run was the absolute worst kind of 90s indulgence. Really mediocre.

Priest's run was, at the very least, more adult. I didn't think it was particularly good, but there was a better craft on exhibit there by lightyears.

[Genki Sudo]

Maybe, depends on the team as Steel is a part of the Supes family and I don't read any of those titles

[shaggydoo]

I would def buy it, of course there would need to be good creative team. Of the current DC artists or independents that are not regular artists on DC ongoing series(at least I believe so) I think any of the following would be good choices(no particular order):

Ethan Van Sciver, Andy Kubert, Dwayne Turner, M.D. Bright, Mike Choi, Marcus To (Huntress miniseries), Chris Sprouse, Fabrizio Fiorentino, Ken Lashley, Jay Faybok or Scott Clark.

For writing I would like to see either Gail Simone, Matt Wayne, John Rozum, Tony Isabella, Judd Winick, Ron L Washington or Marv Wolfman take on Steel.

[sethysquare]

I would love to read a steel ongoing. I hope he colors his armor at least the symbol red blue and yellow. im bored with a regular steel color.

[HalaSon]

I would love to read a Steel series, love the character (I even watched the movie) But I just can't bring myself to buy a steel series until DC gives me a good steel series to read. I'm just assuming here but I doubt Steels never been given top creative teams at DC.

[MFitzH2O]

No, pretty sure it started sucking after Priest took over, and not before.

The Steel monthly before that was pretty good.

MADNESS! It was initially very good, but went downhill after the first arc. Once Priest took it over, it was a strongly written title with characters who were actually interesting. It's the stuff in between that was awful.

I bought that series and loved it when I younger (except that one issue with MAN FOOD) accepting it for what it was ... But would I buy a DCnU Steel title? No. No, I would not. It's a different character; he's not the Steel I used to read.

[Thundermonkey]

No I would not.

[dupersuper]

Well, I bought his last ongoing...

[sethysquare]

No I would not.

Why?
10char

[Eliseu Gouveia]

Like any title, it all boils down to who´s in the creative team.

[MajorHoy]

http://www.tocapercussion.com/product/bongos/images/rafael_padilla_bongos2.jpg

[DiceRoll]

^Well put. There must be bongos.

[gwydion]

An ongoing, no. A mini, maybe. It would depend on the entire creative team and the story they were telling. It would have to be a very unusual take to get me interested.

[godzilla2099]

No. I would not buy a Steel ongoing.

At least, not this new DCnu Version.

I like John's Character when he was introduced in the ROTS Line.

A good, blue-collar, hard working citizen who was inspired by Superman to make his life count for more. After Superman's Death, he welded this Steel Armor and decided to carry on Superman's Legacy the best way he could by fighting the underground crime that risen in Metropolis.

When DC decided to make him Tony Stark 2.0 and he suddenly knows anything about everything, I quickly lost interest.

I would have kept Henry as a guy very similar to the ROTS Origin who fashioned the armor and another party that developed his circuitry.

Now that is a book I'd buy in a heart beat.

[dupersuper]

When DC decided to make him Tony Stark 2.0 and he suddenly knows anything about everything, I quickly lost interest.


That was pretty freakin' soon after, considering he was revealed to be a weapons expert almost right away.

[Slaughter]

That was pretty freakin' soon after, considering he was revealed to be a weapons expert almost right away.

I never understood when people compared him to Tony Stark, he's a very different character. Stark is the playboy Bruce Wayne never was, and much more. JHE was very much a family man. The whole weapon expert thing is part of his origin.

[The_Dork_Nut]

no. Whatever "version" it be.

[dupersuper]

no. Whatever "version" it be.

Why ever not?

[C-Dot]

I never understood when people compared him to Tony Stark, he's a very different character. Stark is the playboy Bruce Wayne never was, and much more. JHE was very much a family man. The whole weapon expert thing is part of his origin.

Exactly. Two totally different characters. And Steel's backstory and reasoning for his armor is completely opposite from Stark.

[C-Dot]

Well, I bought his last ongoing...

I read it too. From Simonson to Priest.

Natasha's personality change did take some getting used to though.

[sandmountainslim]

No. The only titles I buy are Superman. Always has been my only pull for 30 years ;) If Steel happens to be in a Superman title (as he is in Action Comics) I will read his adventures if not then nope.

[ugkfan2681]

im black so of course

[MajorHoy]

im black so of course

No offense, but that's silly.

A black character in a bad comic book would still be a bad comic book.

I'm a white male, but I don't automatically support every comic book with a white male. In fact, I wish there were more minority and female lead characters in good comic books that I could enjoy. At least DC seems to take more chances with females getting their own books . . . I haven't done the math comparing DC with other major comic book companies when it comes to minorities as lead characters. (I do miss the Milestone universe, though.)

[Hatut Zeraze]

I'd buy it. I love the character.

[Fonecrusher]

No. I would not buy a Steel ongoing.

At least, not this new DCnu Version.

I like John's Character when he was introduced in the ROTS Line.

A good, blue-collar, hard working citizen who was inspired by Superman to make his life count for more. After Superman's Death, he welded this Steel Armor and decided to carry on Superman's Legacy the best way he could by fighting the underground crime that risen in Metropolis.

When DC decided to make him Tony Stark 2.0 and he suddenly knows anything about everything, I quickly lost interest.

I would have kept Henry as a guy very similar to the ROTS Origin who fashioned the armor and another party that developed his circuitry.

Now that is a book I'd buy in a heart beat.

I partly agree, I liked Steel's origin in the old DCU a lot better. And I thought his intro in the DCNU was kinda rushed one minute he walked out on the project the next he had some super fancy suit and hammer.

Having said that I'm a fan of the character regardless and I thought his short was decent in Action Comic so I would definitely give it a chance, as long as they do something about that armour, right now it's Cyborg 2.0

[FanboyStranger]

I do like the character, but as always, it really depends on the creative team. I'd really like Priest to come back and write the book, but since that's unlikely, I'd go with John Ostrander. Maybe even John Rozum.

[deadboy80]

Not sure about the " new steel", but if they haven't screwd him up to much by not having himvinspired by Supes death, then I might give it a chance. A mini would probably be the right way to go though.

[Conan The Barbarian]

I would definitely get Steel, I was disappointed that last year's issue was only a 1-shot and not an on going

[Slaughter]

I can't believe there are people who want Priest to take over a future Steel title. Are you out of your minds, people? Priest's run SUCKED! IT WAS BAD!! BAD! It had no interesting antagonists, few interesting stories, it was boring, etc.

[FanboyStranger]

I can't believe there are people who want Priest to take over a future Steel title. Are you out of your minds, people? Priest's run SUCKED! IT WAS BAD!! BAD! It had no interesting antagonists, few interesting stories, it was boring, etc.

Couldn't disagree more. Both Skorpio and Dr. Villain were great antagonists that were outside of the norm for a superhero-- I mean, Skorpio turned to assassination to pay back his college loans and what can you really say about Will-hane-- and Priest had a great dynamic between John, Nat, and the lady doctor. There was also a major overarching storyline with the 99 Bridges that unfortunately was cut short, but was far more interesting than anything that was going on in the other S-books at the time.

[dupersuper]

I can't believe there are people who want Priest to take over a future Steel title. Are you out of your minds, people? Priest's run SUCKED! IT WAS BAD!! BAD! It had no interesting antagonists, few interesting stories, it was boring, etc.

All due respect to Simonson, but Priest had the best Steel run.

[Super Buddies Forever]

The only thing I didn't like about Priest's run was taking Steel out of Washington D.C. I loved the idea of that being his home base, but of course, once the series ended it made more sense to move him back to Metropolis.

I'd love to see Grant Morrison writing a Steel ongoing. He seems to have a great affection for the character, bringing him into his JLA and making sure to introduce him so early in the Action Comics run, and as his Batman run showed, he can mix street level action with crazy sci-fi.

[Super Buddies Forever]

No. I would not buy a Steel ongoing.

At least, not this new DCnu Version.

I like John's Character when he was introduced in the ROTS Line.

A good, blue-collar, hard working citizen who was inspired by Superman to make his life count for more. After Superman's Death, he welded this Steel Armor and decided to carry on Superman's Legacy the best way he could by fighting the underground crime that risen in Metropolis.

When DC decided to make him Tony Stark 2.0 and he suddenly knows anything about everything, I quickly lost interest.

I would have kept Henry as a guy very similar to the ROTS Origin who fashioned the armor and another party that developed his circuitry.

Now that is a book I'd buy in a heart beat.

Well, his job as a construction worker was always part of him being in hiding, going by the name "Henry Johnson" and all. I do like the blue collar aspect of that origin, but unfortunately it was always a cover and tied into the White Rabbit/Toastmaster plot.

I do miss all the blue collar heroes of that era of Superman though, like Gangbuster and even Bibbo. Having a street level view of Metropolis is something that was lost when Loeb took over.