Comic Book Legends Revealed: Was Alan Moore Going to Write Superman?

[CBR News]

In the second installment of CSBG's three-part 400th edition celebration, discover if Alan Moore was originally going to continue writing Superman after "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"


Full article here.

[Desaad]

What a shame, though of course it wouldn't have been long for the world with the Watchmen controversy on the horizon. Between Swamp Thing (running at the time) and Watchmen, plus I believe he was finishing up Miracle Man and V for Vendetta, I wonder if he would have had time for it.

There was also talk of him submitting a pitch for a more Amazon-like Wonder WOman, complete with burned off breast.

[FanboyStranger]

What a shame, though of course it wouldn't have been long for the world with the Watchmen controversy on the horizon. Between Swamp Thing (running at the time) and Watchmen, plus I believe he was finishing up Miracle Man and V for Vendetta, I wonder if he would have had time for it.

There was also talk of him submitting a pitch for a more Amazon-like Wonder WOman, complete with burned off breast.

The Watchmen controversy didn't start for a few years after Watchmen was completed. What would have probably derailed it was DC's proposed ratings system, which is why Moore (and Miller, Chaykin, and Wolfman) left DC in the first place. That was late '87. People tend to forget that and pin Moore's departure solely on Watchmen merchandising. It was very much based on principle to begin with.

[Desaad]

The Watchmen controversy didn't start for a few years after Watchmen was completed.

Yup.

What would have probably derailed it was DC's proposed ratings system, which is why Moore (and Miller, Chaykin, and Wolfman) left DC in the first place. That was late '87. People tend to forget that and pin Moore's departure solely on Watchmen merchandising. It was very much based on principle to begin with.

Good point.

Though I believe the Watchmen merchandising and rights issue was as principled as any.

[Mr. Holmes]

It's criminal we got Byrne instead.

[FanboyStranger]

Though I believe the Watchmen merchandising and rights issue was as principled as any.

I do, too, but people who try to frame the thing solely around dollars and cents tend to ignore the real reason why Moore originally left DC and thrust a "it's all about money no matter how you dress it up!" argument out there, as if it invalidates Moore's position in any way.

[Coyote2010]

"Superman in Hell" by Alan Moore and ? I wonder who the artist would be or if Moore's run would be like his run on Supreme.

I definitely believe Moore's approach would have been to embrace and upate the entirety of Superman's myth in contrast to the original Man of Steel run. Supreme certainly did. Would love to have read a Swamp Thing size run of Moore's Superman. I wonder if Twilight of the Superheroes would have ended it?

What were the ideas he and Miller threw out there? Miller must have had some big thoughts about the character to trade cards with Alan Moore.

[Van Cleaf]

It's criminal we got Byrne instead.

Money talks.

[Brannon]

It's criminal we got Byrne instead.

But you know as well as I do that Superman written by Moore and drawn by Byrne would have been the greatest thing ever. Ever.

[lovelikewinter]

But you know as well as I do that Superman written by Moore and drawn by Byrne would have been the greatest thing ever. Ever.

As long as Byrne had nothing to do with the plotting or dialogue.

[lovelikewinter]

But you know as well as I do that Superman written by Moore and drawn by Byrne would have been the greatest thing ever. Ever.

As long as Byrne had nothing to do with the plotting or dialogue.

[Kurosawa]

But you know as well as I do that Superman written by Moore and drawn by Byrne would have been the greatest thing ever. Ever.

Written by Moore and drawn by Garcia-Lopez would have been much better. And written by Maggin and drawn by Swan was the best Superman team ever, and won't be topped.

Anything would be better than Byrne's abortion of a Superman, however.

[Brannon]

Written by Moore and drawn by Garcia-Lopez would have been much better. And written by Maggin and drawn by Swan was the best Superman team ever, and won't be topped.

Anything would be better than Byrne's abortion of a Superman, however.

I'm a big fan of Garcia-Lopez, and respect Swan, but it's hard for me to believe that many people who like Superman can't at least admit that Byrne's Superman, particularly as inked by Kesel, wasn't about as good as it gets. Heroic, awe-inspiring, etc. Swan's Superman is "classic", but quite stiff and unremarkable when compared to Lopez, Neal Adams and Byrne's versions.

[manofsteel1979]

I'm a big fan of Garcia-Lopez, and respect Swan, but it's hard for me to believe that many people who like Superman can't at least admit that Byrne's Superman, particularly as inked by Kesel, wasn't about as good as it gets. Heroic, awe-inspiring, etc. Swan's Superman is "classic", but quite stiff and unremarkable when compared to Lopez, Neal Adams and Byrne's versions.

Agreed. Say what you will about the stories and plots and the thematic changes of the Byrne era of Superman, from an art standpoint, Superman never looked better. This was Byrne at his prime.

In fact between Byrne's art on SUPERMAN and ACTION and Jerry Ordway on ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, that two year run was visually at least, the character at his pinacle.

Story and plot wise Superman had better periods (for me it was after Byrne and up through The Death of Superman from 1989-1993 that was my favorite era), but nothing can take away from the gorgeous artwork. I still thumb through those issues from time to time to just look at the art.

...and that takes nothing away from any of the previous artists or even those that came after. I respect Swan's place as the classic "template" artist for the character, and I am a huge fan of Garcia-Lopez's work, as well as the later day artists like Kerry Gammil, Tom Grummett and Dan Jurgens, but I just think those two years from 1986-1988 were a water shed.

...and if Alan Moore had been the writer and plotter instead? I can't imagine the level of awesome that era would have been!

[Auguste Dupin]

I'm a big fan of Garcia-Lopez, and respect Swan, but it's hard for me to believe that many people who like Superman can't at least admit that Byrne's Superman, particularly as inked by Kesel, wasn't about as good as it gets. Heroic, awe-inspiring, etc. Swan's Superman is "classic", but quite stiff and unremarkable when compared to Lopez, Neal Adams and Byrne's versions.

Meh. Byrne's art on Superman was all right on Man of Steel, but the issues of the main series felt rush and frankly, just not that good. I dunno, some panels, in my memories, were even kind of ugly.
But honestly, I never cared for Byrne's style of drawing. But overall, I prefered him in his Cap run with Roger Stern.