Could Steel Sell His Own Book?

[Mr. Holmes]

Given that the Superman line only has 4 books, if you were to add another book, I think Steel is the best choice (don't see the need for another Superman book). I also think it would be a good idea since a lot of the books that have been and will be cancelled brought some racial diversity that is being lost. Question is, can he hold his own?

As much as I enjoy the back-up in Action Comics, that's not exactly what I'd want to see in an ongoing. It has some good monologue and establishing of who Steel is, but I think a full ongoing should be more high-concept driven and more ambitious. I think you can do a lot with Steel. Obviously he can be DC's Iron Man, but he's not nearly as hedonistic and has a more socially conscious slant. You can do a mix of superhero and cyberpunk, sort of Warren Ellis-esque.

[Jabare]

I could see a Steel book working, especially with the right team. Honestly, I think you'd have to get Morrison to write him or another superb writer than get a good art team.

[Oni Squirrel]

I think a Steel book would have an excellent shot with the right team and concept. I do think compared to the other Superman family books it would have an uphill battle.

[Desaad]

I'm not sure.

It's not that he's not an interesting character, not that I don't think one could tell a creatively successful story with him. Quite the opposite, in fact. But it'd certainly be a tough sell.

John Henry Irons is, at his core, a very interesting piece of work. He's the most human - or perhaps HUMANE - genius in the DCU and MUs. The most integrated, whole person. The only one who has answered the ultimate question, engineered inner peace. He is what Lex Luthor has always said he could be, what he would have been had Superman not come along, etc. And in that way he very much proves Lex wrong, of course; he's not devalued in the least by Superman's presence, but elevated by it.

But too often he's played as a generic super genius, there for tech support, or some depressingly anachronistic nagger, whinging about his niece's lack of work ethic.

He's not a generic super genius in the least, though. Where Reed Richards and Ray Palmer are largely concerned with exploration, where Hank Pym and Doctor Will Magnus are quite literally mad with inspiration, the Van Goghs of the super-scientist set, Steel (and to a lesser extent, Stark) is a SOCIAL engineer. For Irons, technology is a means to an end, and nothing more; a tool of transformation, a symbol of the limitless possibilities with hard work and initiative.

And I think that has to be the direction one takes with his next mini series, or what have you. It seems almost obvious to me.

The set up would be, roughly, as follows; Something happens to underscore to John the complete failure of his transformative agenda. The death of a friend, a loved one, an ex-girlfriend. Perhaps some sort of gang warfare. It's the straw that breaks the back, the stray bullet that brings his attention to the war. He takes a good hard look at the world, and he sees death, he sees poverty, he sees hunger, he sees inequality. He sees the expansion of institutions designed to oppress, and an unprecedented backlash against institutions designed to empower, supported largely by the very people they are trying to help.

So he goes into his workshop, alone, isolated. And he doesn't come out. Not for a year. He spends a year building and building and building in “Steelworks”, preparing, planning. Building dreams. Building wonders. Planning miracles.

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? The installations, the factories, the provide everything, INCLUDING jobs. Including purpose. With all basic, physical needs taken care of, people are expected to help in other ways; using their skills to raise others up.

The conflict, then, comes from those institutions who don't care for an empowered citizenry. The nameless, faceless corporations, as represented by Mr. Orr and Equus from Brian Azzarello's "For Tomorrow", the perfect foil for Steel on every level, and one that isn't too played out (unlike the more obvious choice of, say, Lex Luthor or Metallo). Equus provides the physical component, Orr the strategic counter, and his backers the resources, the esoteric technology, the wide reach, as they systematically destroy everything he's created.

[Conan The Barbarian]

I love Steel so I would buy it for sure

[Desaad]

I could see a Steel book working, especially with the right team. Honestly, I think you'd have to get Morrison to write him or another superb writer than get a good art team.

I'd rather see a strong up and comer with something to prove and some new ideas to prove it with. Preferably guys who like to do bleeding edge stuff.

Some choices would be Eric Trautmann (based on the strength of JSA Kobra, The Shield, and Checkmate, all of which show elements of the kind of high minded science and strategy I'm talking about), Mike Costa (based on the strength of Blackhawks and Hawksmoor, both of which show elements of the high minded sci fi to which I am referring), Brian Clevinger (based on Atomic Robo, though I admit this would probably be a very different book from the more earnest, played straight books I've mentioned thus far), Paul Cornell (Action Comics) and Nick Spencer (based on Existence 2.0/3.0, Infinite Vacation, Thunder Agents and Jimmy Olsen, all of which high minded sci fi elements).

I'd also like to see guys like Joshua Hale Fialkov, Rob Williams, Matt Kindt and a host of others give it a shot, not because of anything in particular they have done that would lead me to think they could do a good job, but just because they've done a lot of good work.

[Mr. Holmes]

I'd rather see a strong up and comer with something to prove and some new ideas to prove it with. Preferably guys who like to do bleeding edge stuff.

Some choices would be Eric Trautmann (based on the strength of JSA Kobra, The Shield, and Checkmate, all of which show elements of the kind of high minded science and strategy I'm talking about), Mike Costa (based on the strength of Blackhawks and Hawksmoor, both of which show elements of the high minded sci fi to which I am referring), Brian Clevinger (based on Atomic Robo, though I admit this would probably be a very different book from the more earnest, played straight books I've mentioned thus far), Paul Cornell (Action Comics) and Nick Spencer (based on Existence 2.0/3.0, Infinite Vacation, Thunder Agents and Jimmy Olsen, all of which high minded sci fi elements).

I'd also like to see guys like Joshua Hale Fialkov, Rob Williams, Matt Kindt and a host of others give it a shot, not because of anything in particular they have done that would lead me to think they could do a good job, but just because they've done a lot of good work.

After reading Wildcats 3.0, I think Joe Casey would be a good fit.

And yeah I can't see Grant Morrison on anything beyond the stuff he's already talked about (Multiversity, Wonder Woman, Flash, New Gods?,Vertigo/Image creator stuff). But I'm really glad a writer like him likes Steel enough to incorporate him in the Action Comics relaunch (as well as JLA back in the day).

[Desaad]

Indeed. Joe Casey often bleeds into the silly more than is warranted or necessary, with this hopeless self consciousness with some of his work (look at you, Godland) that I find off putting, but when he's on, he's ON. He often loses the plot, though, and I don't think he'd be well received on a book like this. In fact, outside of the indie scene, I just don't think he's very marketable right now.

I'd definitely be willing to give it a shot. I really enjoyed Vengeance, the book no one read. Not so much his most recent stuff at DC, though.

[Jabare]

Oh I think a lot of other writers could do a great job with this bok. I just worry about sales. In the current market I don't know if Steel could break into the top 50 without someone like Morrison attached to him, or a writer known for penning top selling books.

[Ness]

You'd probably have to have a pretty good team. A good writer and a good artist. A megastar like Finch or Lee would definitely help it sell. I was never really into Steel. Just like I was never really into Iron Man as a kid. Suits of Armour never really came across to me as having a super power. Interestingly enough I'm a pretty big fan of Batman though. Perhaps it's because I find Bruce Wayne to be such a compelling man underneath the mask (and the way he interacts with others), and I'm not as familiar with Stark or Irons.

[Mr. Holmes]

Stark is kind of douchey; he's narcissistic and hedonistic; at one point he was even an alcoholic. But I don't say that to knock the character, as that is part of the appeal. He is also a philanthropist and a genius. I like to think of him as what Lex Luthor would be if he was a hero. John Henry Irons is more of the guy who grew up in the slums, so he's more socially conscious and worried about how to use technology to fix those problems in human society. I think they're both interesting characters. They're superhero versions of the real life technology industrialists like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk.

[paulski]

Could Steel Sell His Own Book?

Honestly? I don't see it happening.

I think it would end up turning into another Captain Atom or Mr Terrific unless DC put some seriously top-notch - and popular - talent on it.

[Dr. Hurt]

Honestly? I don't see it happening.

I think it would end up turning into another Captain Atom or Mr Terrific unless DC put some seriously top-notch - and popular - talent on it.

Unfortunately this. Unless they give him a very cool suit so he can at least rival Ironman in the armor department. A cool armor should help him a bit. Cyborg has a better chance of keeping his own book though.

[The Ray II]

Steel is my favorite black super hero, so I would buy it.

[vampiric_cannibal]

Oh I think a lot of other writers could do a great job with this bok. I just worry about sales. In the current market I don't know if Steel could break into the top 50 without someone like Morrison attached to him, or a writer known for penning top selling books.

This. It'd die within a year, 2 if it was lucky.