1st Look: Kenneth Rocafort's SUPERMAN

[Lexrules]

Now I cant get the image out of my head of Superman walking around with long flowing and spiky blonde hair charged with energy. ;)

When he sees the moons of Krypton will he change into an alien Ape?

lol. Gonna need some bad english dubbing as well.

[manofsteel1979]

I think the armor look fine. It makes sense in a story stand point and to this Superman. Maybe it doesn't fit the mold of the concept Superman (It still sorta does but I just give you it anyway) but for this man that we are reading about right here and now it does make perfect sense why he has it and why he still keeps it even after his powers go up (Matt I actually said that if it can break the armor then it's safe to say it can give Superman problems). If anyone remembers Mr Majestic, he had armor (a helmet some times) yet he was just as strong as pre flashpoint Superman (some say stronger....im not one of them) why? Because it was his culture and it was relevant to his character.

If you don't like the look fine but I think you can agree that it makes sense for him regardless.

On a personal note: I would absolutely hate it if someone like John or Batman made his suit for him. I love the idea of all of those lines because it actually makes it so artist can't make it look like Superman is just a naked man painted blue with some trunks and a cape. This makes it look like he has something on no matter what artist draws him.

Also the feeling of weight behind him when he has it on (this is also why I love the boots) so now when he's flying it more.....Idk the word for it....strong...real....grounded..Idk but I like it. I just love it as a whole.

To each their own...I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree. You have your own reasons to like the idea of armor, I have mine for disliking this, but it's all subjective. I personally think it's just another example of TPTB at DC/Warners trying to turn Superman into something he isn't supposed to be because of the belief of some at the company who are embarrased by Superman and insist he needs to be "fixed" somehow. I agree that it's a minor change and not as bad as it could have been, but I still feel it's somewhat unwarrented beyond the trunks going away perhaps, which I really don't miss all that much (sorry Lexrules, but the costume works ok without the trunks ).

As for the Mr. Majestic thing...armor works for him because he's an alien warrior. Kal is not. He's an alien who happens to be the defender of earth, but he is a product of two worlds. He was born on Krypton, but at heart he isn't an alien, nor is he quite human either. He's the best of both. The costume to me ALWAYS was a representation of both his Kryptonian and human heritage. It should be based on the dress of his planet of origin (and depending on the era, made from Kryptonian materials) and put together by his earth parents as a gift for their son. When he's Superman and wearing that suit, he's wearing his dual heritage for all to see, equally proud of both. Having him just simply find it on Brainiac's ship in a glass case to me feels too cheap and takes away from the uniqueness of the suit, in my opinion. That's why I almost wish that he was still wearing the t-shirt and jeans 5 years later. Yeah it looks a bit silly, but at least it sticks to the paradigm of his Superman persona being a product of both his nature and nurture. The Cape and insignia is of Krypton, the rest is of his Kansas, midwestern USA earthly roots.

[davidn15]

Damn that is some beautiful art. I do have a minor gripe with the coloring though. The glistening of the armor is just a tad overplayed for my taste.

[Superlad93]

To each their own...I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree. You have your own reasons to like the idea of armor, I have mine for disliking this, but it's all subjective. I personally think it's just another example of TPTB at DC/Warners trying to turn Superman into something he isn't supposed to be because of the belief of some at the company who are embarrased by Superman and insist he needs to be "fixed" somehow. I agree that it's a minor change and not as bad as it could have been, but I still feel it's somewhat unwarrented beyond the trunks going away perhaps, which I really don't miss all that much (sorry Lexrules, but the costume works ok without the trunks ).

As for the Mr. Majestic thing...armor works for him because he's an alien warrior. Kal is not. He's an alien who happens to be the defender of earth, but he is a product of two worlds. He was born on Krypton, but at heart he isn't an alien, nor is he quite human either. He's the best of both. The costume to me ALWAYS was a representation of both his Kryptonian and human heritage. It should be based on the dress of his planet of origin (and depending on the era, made from Kryptonian materials) and put together by his earth parents as a gift for their son. When he's Superman and wearing that suit, he's wearing his dual heritage for all to see, equally proud of both. Having him just simply find it on Brainiac's ship in a glass case to me feels too cheap and takes away from the uniqueness of the suit, in my opinion. That's why I almost wish that he was still wearing the t-shirt and jeans 5 years later. Yeah it looks a bit silly, but at least it sticks to the paradigm of his Superman persona being a product of both his nature and nurture. The Cape and insignia is of Krypton, the rest is of his Kansas, midwestern USA earthly roots.

I will agree to disagree with you.

However...

I can't speak for DC/Warner...I don't work there so I don't know what's actually going on (I assume you can't and don't as well) . All I know is what I see and read. And what I see and have read are valid points as to why he looks the way he looks and dresses how he dresses. All of it makes sense for this incarnation of Superman (you really can't say otherwise on that).

I have always seen it as Superman putting on his "kilt" and by that I mean dress and garb from his homeland. Just because it's not an amalgamation of two worlds does not mean he doesn't hold both in high regard. (in character) Grant has called Clark's cape his "security blanket" and "best friend" since he was young. He didn't even understand what it was but he knew it was the only thing he had left of his homeland so he loved it. Now he has the chance to get in touch with this place in a whole new way (the ship and armor) so he's gonna jump at the chance. This however is not to say that earth is just and after thought now, no. He grew up here and became the man he is because of here. He honers earth by being the same "fight for the little guy" man he has always been.

He even goes as far as to assure us of his unchanged status in Action comics #8 where he says that he's still the same guy even with the suit. But he also gives props to the suit because it saved his life during that fight in space. Both the blanket and suit are almost like his mother and father still protecting him even now. This is ALL in character and it makes sense and feels natural.

As for Majestic....I'm pretty sure in my last post I said that it was in character for him to have it because of who he was AKA a warrior even though he doesn't need it. Nowhere in my post did I say that Superman had his because he was a warrior (I give you why he has it above) Both may not NEED it but both have completely valid personal in character (relevant to this Superman) reasons for having them.....That is what I wanted to get across with the Majestic parallel nothing more.


Also the fact is that we got best of both worlds as you even pointed out in your post. He started T-shirt and boots from the farm then went on to alien armor and the best part is....the whole world saw him in both so he is known for both in some way shape or form. He even goes as far as to go back and forth with the to looks for either convenience sake or to put people at ease.

From an interview with Grant we Actually know that the reason he actually had the white T and not the blue T in issue 4 was because he wanted to look more patriotic with how things were going in his life at the moment.


Also the suit is not always a representation of his two worlds. Most of the time it's one or the other. Examples..Superman the movie: Krypton, Lois and Clark: Earth. 1st incarnation of Superman: Earth. The list goes on. It's never actually been a staple for it to be from both worlds. A lot of the time it's over looked or just glossed over.

This is the one time that I feel he has a strong almost (slightly) dependent relationship with what he has on. The blanket was how Superman knew he was safe as a kid even if not much could hurt him. This new wrinkle in his character is a very quirky, interesting, and humanizing in a very odd way so he still seems different than us even while we're humanizing him (story of his life)....well at lest that what I think.

But mainly my point is that it makes very good sense for THIS Superman which is (like all of his incarnations) an off shot of the concept as a whole.

Sorry to bore you lol

[Luck911]

Oh, and I'll keep saying it until I'm red yellow and blue in the face...SUPERMAN DOES NOT WEAR ARMOR. I could care less about the trunks being gone or the collar being high.

I think some of you guys need to grow up.Superman wears what ever dc wants him to wear.Superman does not even need to have a cape or be in color red and blue for people to recognize the character

[manofsteel1979]

I will agree to disagree with you.

However...

I can't speak for DC/Warner...I don't work there so I don't know what's actually going on (I assume you can't and don't as well) . All I know is what I see and read. And what I see and have read are valid points as to why he looks the way he looks and dresses how he dresses. All of it makes sense for this incarnation of Superman (you really can't say otherwise on that).

I have always seen it as Superman putting on his "kilt" and by that I mean dress and garb from his homeland. Just because it's not an amalgamation of two worlds does not mean he doesn't hold both in high regard. (in character) Grant has called Clark's cape his "security blanket" and "best friend" since he was young. He didn't even understand what it was but he knew it was the only thing he had left of his homeland so he loved it. Now he has the chance to get in touch with this place in a whole new way (the ship and armor) so he's gonna jump at the chance. This however is not to say that earth is just and after thought now, no. He grew up here and became the man he is because of here. He honers earth by being the same "fight for the little guy" man he has always been.

He even goes as far as to assure us of his unchanged status in Action comics #8 where he says that he's still the same guy even with the suit. But he also gives props to the suit because it saved his life during that fight in space. Both the blanket and suit are almost like his mother and father still protecting him even now. This is ALL in character and it makes sense and feels natural.

As for Majestic....I'm pretty sure in my last post I said that it was in character for him to have it because of who he was AKA a warrior even though he doesn't need it. Nowhere in my post did I say that Superman had his because he was a warrior (I give you why he has it above) Both may not NEED it but both have completely valid personal in character (relevant to this Superman) reasons for having them.....That is what I wanted to get across with the Majestic parallel nothing more.


Also the fact is that we got best of both worlds as you even pointed out in your post. He started T-shirt and boots from the farm then went on to alien armor and the best part is....the whole world saw him in both so he is known for both in some way shape or form. He even goes as far as to go back and forth with the to looks for either convenience sake or to put people at ease.

From an interview with Grant we Actually know that the reason he actually had the white T and not the blue T in issue 4 was because he wanted to look more patriotic with how things were going in his life at the moment.


Also the suit is not always a representation of his two worlds. Most of the time it's one or the other. Examples..Superman the movie: Krypton, Lois and Clark: Earth. 1st incarnation of Superman: Earth. The list goes on. It's never actually been a staple for it to be from both worlds. A lot of the time it's over looked or just glossed over.

This is the one time that I feel he has a strong almost (slightly) dependent relationship with what he has on. The blanket was how Superman knew he was safe as a kid even if not much could hurt him. This new wrinkle in his character is a very quirky, interesting, and humanizing in a very odd way so he still seems different than us even while we're humanizing him (story of his life)....well at lest that what I think.

But mainly my point is that it makes very good sense for THIS Superman which is (like all of his incarnations) an off shot of the concept as a whole.

Sorry to bore you lol

Nope, not bored at all. You make good points. At least you actually explain your like for the suit beyond the standard "Because the old suit was lame and outdated and the new one is cool! Get over it!!!" that some on other forums, (and rarely, here) fall back on. So I thank you for that, and I enjoy the debate. No one can doubt you are a "true"Superman fan (whatever THAT means).

I would love to continue with the debate, but perhaps later. Family Reunion picnic tomorrow, gotta get things together and get to bed soon. By the way, you would all be invited...but my family might object to a few hundred strangers in Superman and DC t-shirts raiding the potato salad and fried chicken and burgers, so I hope you all understand.

Again, Superlad thanks. You won't change my mind ( and I won't change yours) but at least we can all agree...Superman is awesome, Always was, always is and always will be!

[Will.S]

That looks quite good, Kenneth's art will definitely be a selling point for the book more than the writing.

[Superlad93]

Nope, not bored at all. You make good points. At least you actually explain your like for the suit beyond the standard "Because the old suit was lame and outdated and the new one is cool! Get over it!!!" that some on other forums, (and rarely, here) fall back on. So I thank you for that, and I enjoy the debate. No one can doubt you are a "true"Superman fan (whatever THAT means).

I would love to continue with the debate, but perhaps later. Family Reunion picnic tomorrow, gotta get things together and get to bed soon. By the way, you would all be invited...but my family might object to a few hundred strangers in Superman and DC t-shirts raiding the potato salad and fried chicken and burgers, so I hope you all understand.

Again, Superlad thanks. You won't change my mind ( and I won't change yours) but at least we can all agree...Superman is awesome, Always was, always is and always will be!

Yea Manofsteel this was fun and I understand where you're coming from. Enjoy your family reunion.

[drakeon]

That looks quite good, Kenneth's art will definitely be a selling point for the book more than the writing.

Yeah, good writing will only be a bonus on this. I'm buying this book exclusively for rocafort!

[nightwing1982]

Both superman covers for 0 month.



Just to complete the full SUPER set superboy and supergirl.

WOW!!! There is now two SuperBOY monthlies.

Still hate the armor look...SuperMAN, not SuperWinpman.

[Sacred Knight]

Sure doesn't look wimpy to me. And I don't get why Superman needs to look like an Alex Ross-drawn 50 year old or else he looks like a boy.

[HawkBoy]

That Superman Cover is so fricking cool

[666MasterOfPuppets]

If you haven't seen this yet......

http://www.newsarama.com/multimedia/...1BTnx8Y29taWNz

Looks pretty damn good, actually. I feel uneasy about the frequent changes in the creative teams, though. 3 teams in a year?

[manofsteel1979]

Sure doesn't look wimpy to me. And I don't get why Superman needs to look like an Alex Ross-drawn 50 year old or else he looks like a boy.

Who here said he he has to look like the Alex Ross vision of Superman? All that has been said is that he just looks FAR too young at times since the reboot. It depends on the artist mostly. Any of the stuff by Jesus Merino, Dan Jurgens and Jim Lee looks fine. It's only with Rags Morales that he looks too young and scrawny, even in the armored suit. Granted, we haven't seen his Superman "5 years later", but I wager he would look much the same. Ken Rocafort seems to be somewhere in between based on this cover, but maybe he will be a bit different when we get to interiors, but It does bother me (as well as others) when Bruce Wayne, or Hal Jordan, or Barry Allen or even Aquaman and Oliver Queen look OLDER than Superman. Maybe it's the trend to soften his facial features and the move to "lean" him down, particularly since EARTH ONE, but it is a bit odd when Superman looks a tad too boyish. Even in the Nu 52 universe, he's supposed to be THE Superhero. He should look similarly majestic and heroic. Young? okay. But for God's sake don't make him a soft jawed Edward Cullen clone in dark hair. Give him his square jaw and keep him buff. Jim Lee does a pretty good job of maintaining that balance in JUSTICE LEAGUE. That's what the artists should go for.

[Auguste Dupin]

Who here said he he has to look like the Alex Ross vision of Superman? All that has been said is that he just looks FAR too young at times since the reboot. It depends on the artist mostly. Any of the stuff by Jesus Merino, Dan Jurgens and Jim Lee looks fine. It's only with Rags Morales that he looks too young and scrawny, even in the armored suit. Granted, we haven't seen his Superman "5 years later", but I wager he would look much the same. Ken Rocafort seems to be somewhere in between based on this cover, but maybe he will be a bit different when we get to interiors, but It does bother me (as well as others) when Bruce Wayne, or Hal Jordan, or Barry Allen or even Aquaman and Oliver Queen look OLDER than Superman. Maybe it's the trend to soften his facial features and the move to "lean" him down, particularly since EARTH ONE, but it is a bit odd when Superman looks a tad too boyish. Even in the Nu 52 universe, he's supposed to be THE Superhero. He should look similarly majestic and heroic. Young? okay. But for God's sake don't make him a soft jawed Edward Cullen clone in dark hair. Give him his square jaw and keep him buff. Jim Lee does a pretty good job of maintaining that balance in JUSTICE LEAGUE. That's what the artists should go for.

From what I've seen from Rocafort's art, every one has this lean "quality" to him. That's just....his style you know. Some people draw muscular characters, others just don't. Rocafort doesn't. It would the old Superman, it would be just the same.
Anyway, his Superman doesn't look wimpy to me. I think one of the "complainers" had a nice comparaison by saying he looks a bit "elfic". But I don't mean that in a bad way. There 's some grace in that picture, in the way he's hovering as if it wasn't a big deal, and in his general traits. Yet, he doesn't look weak or effeminate. I think that balance between the two is very similar to the way elves are portrayed in Lord of the Rings for instance.