ADVENTUROUS CHANGES: RUCKA AND KERSCHL TALK ADVS OF SUPERMAN

[MattBrady]

Without saying too much, 2005 will see many changes for Superman, both as a character in the DCU, and throughout his respective three ongoing series. First up in these changes will be a shuffling of the creative teams on the titles, given the previously reported departure of Chuck Austen from Action comics as writer, as well as the conclusion of Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee’s twelve issue “For Tomorrow” storyline on Superman.

Starting with what will be the Superman series with the least amount of creative team turnover, we spoke with Adventures of Superman writer Greg Rucka, who will remain on his title for the coming year. The change in Adventures comes though, as current series penciller Matthew Clark bows out with March’s issue #638, to be replaced by Karl (Majestic) Kerschl, beginning with issue #640.

And yes, for those keeping track at home, the shuffle on the titles means that Rucka is now the senior Superman writer.

Don’t tell him that, though.

“Well, that’s flattering and everything, but a year does not a senior guy make,” Rucka said. “I’m just the only guy who’s still around, after what was pretty much known to be one-year stints by everybody coming in. Everybody knew that Brian and Jim were going to leave Superman…I was the only guy, as far as I knew who was looking at it in at least two years, if not longer. If you want to call that seniority, well…you can, but I question any broader meaning that might be attached to the word.”

When asked why he opted to stay on the title for a second year, Rucka answered the question with one of his own – “Because I wasn’t telling a one-year story?”

“My terms when they gave me the job was that I had stuff I wanted to do and stories that I wanted to tell, and now, DC Countdown is going to lead into a bunch of other stuff over the summer, and I’m one of the three writers on Countdown, and Superman is one of the three icons of the DCU. So, here we get at least some consistency and continuity in terms of what we are trying to build, coming out of the Countdown book. That’s a big part of it.

“Frankly, even if I was thinking of leaving, and I love working with Matthew [Clark], I’m not going to sneeze at Karl coming in. Matthew and I go back a long ways at this point, and we will work together again, but the opportunity to do Superman with Karl is not one to be missed.”

Rucka’s mention of Countdown belies a broader theme that will carry through all three core Superman books in 2005, that is, they will be tied more closely to the larger DCU. No, not a return to one, huge interconnected storyline with “triangle numbering” – each series will still tell its own story, but Superman’s actions will take place in the broader context of the DCU.

It is, Rucka said, something that’s not going to be limited strictly to the Superman book, either. “You’re going to start seeing events all through the DCU synch up a little more. There’s going to be a concerted effort there, and Superman will be part and parcel to that. It was pretty difficult to do before this, because what Brian was writing pretty much, a story that absolutely posted barbed wire and sentries around his story, and said, ‘Stay Away’ – that’s not at all a critique on the story, it was just that we were all at different points in time. That put Chuck [Austen] and myself in a position of needing to do our own things. That’s no longer going to be the case.

“With the other writers who are coming aboard, who I will leave nameless at this time, are going to be very easy to work with. That alone will lend itself toward working more cooperatively with each other.”

On the art side of things, landing the regular gig came as something of a surprise to Kerschl. “I don't think I had it in my head to pursue work on a monthly book, but as I was finishing up the last few pages of the Majestic miniseries I was on the phone with Tom Palmer and I asked him, without any real agenda, what was going on with the Superman books. And the next day, Eddie mailed me a cryptic message suggesting that we talk further. Things just moved on from there.”

Having handled short stints and miniseries prior to this, Kerschl felt that it was time, career-wise, to take the plunge. “At first I kind of reeled in terror as self-doubt hit me and I wondered if I might be getting in over my head, but I've since sobered up and I'm really, really excited,” the artist said. “I've been working on Superman-related stuff for the last year, including an issue of each of the three titles, but I haven't had the opportunity to draw Superman much, so this feels extremely rewarding. I won't go into all the mushy yada-yadas about why Superman is such an important figure - I tend to get carried away, but I will say that I still get goosebumps when I listen to the John Williams score, and I'm eager to try to transfer those feelings of joy, sorrow and hope to the page.

“I think an important part of portraying Superman is conveying in him a sense of honesty and timelessness. He can't look too young, nor can he look too old. He can't be fashionable. His face should be stern and no-nonsense, but kind. He should be tall and muscular, but not too defined, and he should be sincere in every action. Basically, he should be Christopher Reeve. I keep tweaking my Superman design, but I'm getting much closer to something I'm happy with. He's deceptively difficult to draw, because he's more than a chiseled jaw and a spit-curl. You have to believe what's behind those eyes.”

On the flipside though, there is the decades old challenge of having to draw Clark Kent – someone who, by just looking at, readers should accept can be Superman. That is, some Superman has to come through Clark, but not all. How do you get that across on the page?

If you know, could you please tell Kerschl?

“Honestly, I've never had to draw Clark. The trend seems to be toward drawing Clark with the same build as Superman, and while that's a logical approach, I'm not sure it's fitting. I'll probably experiment with Clark's physique a bit and draw him a touch smaller than I'm drawing Supes - but not so drastically that it appears 'wrong.’ He should look fit, but his chest shouldn't be bursting underneath his work shirt. One persona has to believably contrast the other, right? I think there's room for a bit of suspension of disbelief in regards to Clark's, um... shrinkage.

“We'll see how it goes. I really believe that there should be a balance of Clark and Superman in every issue - too much of either one can sometimes make you feel distanced from the character. It's a tightrope.”

While Kerschel admits that he’s more familiar with Rucka’s writing via Wonder Woman, rather than Adventures, he has caught up with the current storylines, so coming on board won’t present any large hurdles.

“I’ve been reading Greg’s Wonder Woman since he started his run. It's brilliantly paced and gives Diana a real sense of character and purpose. I think it's a stickier thing to apply the same mindset to Superman, because there's more baggage involved; more history, a more integrated supporting cast. And the Superman books all have to inter-relate somewhat, so there's not as much room to play with straight-up character stuff, but I'm hopeful. Greg and I share an appreciation of quiet moments in stories. I'm certain this book will have a signature flavor to it.”

Kerschl’s slight anxiety about starting to work with Rucka is mirrored somewhat by the writer, who, in recent years, has been working to tailor his writing for the particular artist he’s working with.

“With Matthew, he’s here in town [Portland, OR], so it was very easy to work together and kind of ‘see’ through the same eyes,” Rucka said. “With Karl, it’s going to be a matter of us figuring out what will work best for each of us – what’s the best way that I can support his style? I don’t know how I’m going to do that yet, but I don’t doubt that we’ll be able to make it work.

“Generally, I want to get out of the writer’s way. I want the script to say, ‘these are the events of the story. This is what the events mean to the characters, and this is where we’re going, and this is why it matters.’ When I hand that script to an artist, it’s always an issue of this is the story, but use your own visual sense. Don’t change the meaning of the story, but I trust their ability to tell the story, visually. Talking to Karl so far, I have great faith that we’ll be able to work together very well.”

So – what’s set to come up in the series both leading into and after Kerschl comes on board as artist? Well, three words: Identity Crisis fallout.

“In [January’s] #636, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have their first big meeting since the events of Identity Crisis,” Rucka said. “Those who are not up to speed on what happened during Identity Crisis, meaning the characters who weren’t aware of all the sordid secrets, find them out. It leads to what will be the start of a huge fracture between the three pillars of the DCU. You’re going to see the beginnings of a breakdown.

“We’re not doing anything new – there’s a reason other writers have told these kind of stories before, because it is possibly the most core, relevant story of the DC Universe, which is: when Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman aren’t getting along, bad things happen. This is the start of them not getting along. And the rest of that sentence…well, it’s coming.

“So, there’s that. We’re going to take the Ruin story to what will look like its conclusion, except that…it won’t be. #638, which is Matthew’s last issue, will be a fun Mxy issue, which will have a Calvin and Hobbes and Bruce Timm riffs. #639 is Judd’s Shazam story, and then Karl and I are back on #640, and we’re going to try and do that issue as a good jumping on point, so we’re going to wrap up the Ruin stuff there, and make it as accessible as possible to new readers.”

According to Rucka, who has previously hinted that Mr. Mxyzptlk’s appearances have been leading to a very dire turn of events, promised that Mxy has two more appearances before his purpose in bothering Superman recently “becomes abundantly clear.”

Rucka also promised that after #634, there would be no further fumetti appearances of DC editors…

And for the final word from Kerschl, currently, he’s not really even hoping that Rucka will put in certain elements that he’s itching to draw – drawing Superman every day is enough.

“I'd love to do some classic, Fleischer-esque stories with Lois in distress and giant robots or mad scientists, but y'know, the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that every really good Superman story hinges upon one pivotal moment, and that is the exact moment in which Clark Kent has decided that he's done all he can do as Clark, puts on his resolute face, and rips open his shirt to reveal the 'S'. It's the turning point in the story. It's the point where we know that only one man can get the job done. It's the moment the music swells. That’s what I want to draw.”

[kcekada]

Kerschyl is finally getting a monthly series? About time. Love his art...and I'd rather see him on the real deal than some Wildstorm wannabe (Majestic).

[Mr Wesley]

I'm just happy to hear that Rucka is staying around after the current roster changes. The creative teams haven't been stable on any of the Superman books since whatisface took over as editor. I think the longest any one creator stayed on a title was 2 years, and that's just not long enough for a writer or artist to have a real, long-lasting impact on a title or character.

[Astrovik]

This is good ... and bad, while i love Kerschls work, i like Matt Clark just as much, so i hope he moves to more great stuff, he'd be good on Batman i reckon. But anyhoo, Rucka is working Wonders on this title, and has got me interested in Superman, no matter who the artist

[The Shadow]

I just hope Rucka is going to inject some "ADVENTURE" in the comic. Say what you want about Austen, his books weren't boring!

Sounds cool though and I like the artist... will continue to get it!

[Amoebas]

What excites me the most from the news above is that the DCU is going to be a DCU!

I love continuity and am very glad to see a company use it as an advantage rather than a crutch like the other guys do.

With Azz and Austin off the Supes books, It can only get better!

[Ras Al Ghul]

Looks like I'm gonna give this title another go in May. Tried it thus far, and despite being a huge Rucka fan, it just wasn't to my tastes. It seems like he's definitely looking to make things a little more mythic, kind of like his No Man's Land issues, and that's all I need to be enticed.

[Aaron]

I can't think of a recent year that HASN'T been a "year of change" for Superman.

[aceatkins]

Originally posted by Aaron
I can't think of a recent year that HASN'T been a "year of change" for Superman.

HA! That was my exact same thought as I read the lead to this piece and rolled my eyes.

Not that change is a bad thing, though. When you've got a loooooong-established character like Supes or Bats, you have to keep things constantly moving to avoid getting stale. Still, I wish someone had a real long-term vision for the character/book rather than the revolving door of creators we've seen lately.

Rucka sure seems to have a long-term plan...I just wish he'd actually start putting it into action. This book reads fine, and I loved Matt Clark's art. But I just feel like nothing has happened. Or, more correctly, there's been no resolution to anything since the run started. Ruin is still running around. The Parasites--rather annoying characters that have taken up too much space already--do the same. Mxy shows up every third issue (please let that not continue, I really, really hate that character). Lois is back from the war, but I felt that plot could have actually been a lot more engaging. Instead it ended up just being a way to put her in danger, and have Supes rescue her. I wish they'd give Lois the respect she deserves and start treating her as an equal rather than arm candy. (I know--the book is "Superman," not "Lois Lane." But these two are a pair. Lois seems to have almost dropped out of the books of late, though.)

Just my two cents. Still my favorite of the Superman books, but given that I dropped Action after four issues and Superman is only now starting to make sense, that really ain't saying much.

[perk9600]

Keep it coming Greg!

[The Shadow]

Originally posted by Aaron
I can't think of a recent year that HASN'T been a "year of change" for Superman.

LOL

VERY true!

[glecharles]

“In [January’s] #636, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have their first big meeting since the events of Identity Crisis,” Rucka said. “Those who are not up to speed on what happened during Identity Crisis, meaning the characters who weren’t aware of all the sordid secrets, find them out. It leads to what will be the start of a huge fracture between the three pillars of the DCU. You’re going to see the beginnings of a breakdown.

“We’re not doing anything new – there’s a reason other writers have told these kind of stories before, because it is possibly the most core, relevant story of the DC Universe, which is: when Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman aren’t getting along, bad things happen. This is the start of them not getting along. And the rest of that sentence…well, it’s coming.

Greg Rucka is one of my favorite writers and has managed the formerly impossible feat of making me interested in Superman. Adventures' seemingly slow pace has allowed Rucka time to properly define his take on Superman, Clark Kent and the supporting cast, and I love the fact that he's approaching it with a long-term plan as opposed to the hit-it-and-quit-it mentality so many writers/artists have these days.

[TcPark]

Yeah! So looks like the rumors about the Countdown storyline is true (the main DCU charecters will be gone for 1 year time in the comic and come back as kind of a reboot, kinda of aheros reborn with out them actually being out of the dcu for a real year). Glad to see the heads at DC finally get together and bring back some continuity.

[Michael C Lorah]

I'm looking forward to Kerschl on AoS. He seems to have a strong grasp of Superman, and I can't wait to see that reflected on the page.

Matthew Clark was fine. His biggest problem was that I felt that he never established a real artistic presence on the title. Too many fill-in's, which contributed somewhat to the choppiness of the title. I was wondering why DC didn't go to the alternating-artist-per-storyarc to accommodate Matthew's artistry.

I agree with the sentiment that Rucka's AoS has been good, but not great. It's been a little too methodical. It's like Kerschl was saying above that great Superman stories have Superman moments- those page-exploding scenes that remind that Superman is not like those other super-heroes. The wink at the reader moments. The majestic, floating in air with something just enormous in his hands moments. The "you really don't have a chance against this guy" moments.

I've got a lot of faith in Rucka though. Even if it's not what I might consider definitive, his AoS has still been enjoyable.

In fact, the only thing about this article that isn't good news is the DCU ties, which might not be bad news either. We'll just have to see how it plays out. As AoS is the ONLY DCU title that I'm reading right now, lots of ties to the rest of DCU isn't something that I'm really interested in.
I'm more interested in seeing Greg Rucka, writer whose work I enjoy, tell stories about Superman, the definitive super-hero.

[Jed Saxon]

Without Austen I think it's back to BOOOORING Superman again? I'm so out of there.

[Jason Seaver]

Originally posted by Michael C Lorah
In fact, the only thing about this article that isn't good news is the DCU ties, which might not be bad news either. We'll just have to see how it plays out. As AoS is the ONLY DCU title that I'm reading right now, lots of ties to the rest of DCU isn't something that I'm really interested in.
I'm more interested in seeing Greg Rucka, writer whose work I enjoy, tell stories about Superman, the definitive super-hero.

Let me give this an amen. As much fun as the DCU is, it feels kind of overstuffed at times - like all three Super-books have guest stars from other corners of the DC Universe every month. Superman should be enough - he was for most of the various TV, radio, and movie incarnations - but, once you've created this interlocking continuity, there's no disentangling oneself from it.

[Michael P]

Well, it looks like both Rucka's and Kerschl's heads are in the right place. Good luck to them both.

A Mxyzptlk story with echoes fo Calvin and Hobbes? I get images of Supes playing Calvinball, and I smile.

[willyd]

Originally posted by TcPark
Yeah! So looks like the rumors about the Countdown storyline is true (the main DCU charecters will be gone for 1 year time in the comic and come back as kind of a reboot, kinda of aheros reborn with out them actually being out of the dcu for a real year). Glad to see the heads at DC finally get together and bring back some continuity.

i haven't heard anything about this...where did this rumor come from?

but you know what...this makes some sort of sense...especially since the next Superman movie has him "returning" from an unspecified absence...

[Ras Al Ghul]

Originally posted by aceatkins
HA! That was my exact same thought as I read the lead to this piece and rolled my eyes.

Not that change is a bad thing, though. When you've got a loooooong-established character like Supes or Bats, you have to keep things constantly moving to avoid getting stale. Still, I wish someone had a real long-term vision for the character/book rather than the revolving door of creators we've seen lately.

I think the only reason for the "revolving door creators" is that, well, they tried a "bold, new approach" and it didn't work, so they were sent back out the door. I don't disagree with that approach. I mean, Seagle's Supes was given that 12 cent initiative issue, and his run turned out to be nothing special at all. I actually feel better about them signing teams for intentionally-limited runs lately (Godfall, Azz/Lee, upcoming Winnick/Churchill) because it guarantees that even if their approach doesn't work, it won't last too long.

Superman is an incredibly tough character to write. He's just too perfect a hero. The only writer I could imagine consistenting writing good Superman stories on a monthly basis would be Alan Moore. However, I do urge more writers to try to do it right. Given them a single arc to try their hand. (by the way, I feel the same way about Spider-man stories too, although for different reasons)

[aceatkins]

Originally posted by Ras Al Ghul
I think the only reason for the "revolving door creators" is that, well, they tried a "bold, new approach" and it didn't work, so they were sent back out the door. I don't disagree with that approach. I mean, Seagle's Supes was given that 12 cent initiative issue, and his run turned out to be nothing special at all. I actually feel better about them signing teams for intentionally-limited runs lately (Godfall, Azz/Lee, upcoming Winnick/Churchill) because it guarantees that even if their approach doesn't work, it won't last too long.

Superman is an incredibly tough character to write. He's just too perfect a hero. The only writer I could imagine consistenting writing good Superman stories on a monthly basis would be Alan Moore. However, I do urge more writers to try to do it right. Given them a single arc to try their hand. (by the way, I feel the same way about Spider-man stories too, although for different reasons)

I agree completely, especially with your assessment of why Supes is such a tough character to write. But I cringed when I read about a Winnick/Churchill run--when is this, what book and for how long? Those are two creators I could do without for a while. I feel that Churchill is one of those artists who actually gets worse as he gets older (did anybody see that recent Outsiders cover with Jade? Give Rob Liefeld all the crap you want, but the proportions on that were monstrous). And Winnick just seems to be writing every goddamn book on the planet right now, and they're all suffering for it (except for his wonderful non-hero stuff like Barry Ween and Blood + Water--that's where he really shines, in my book).

[skaly]

I think it makes sense for the heroes not to be isolated in their own books. Events in the world, (or "universe"), should naturally affect them. I like it when the books acknowledge one another, because it makes the whole "universe" concept more credible. Lately the trend in comics has been to keep each character isolated even from their own books. It makes sense from a "relaunch" point of view. The characters need to be redefined, and it is probably better to define them before tossing them into the larger "universe" context.

Now books like Identity Crisis and New Avengers are proving to be another launching point. These appear to be attempts to restore the "U" in the "DCU" or "MU." Of course, it's also an attempt to make money, but I can hardly fault Marvel and DC for that anymore. They will never stop trying to make money, so I can either accept it or quit comics which, for the most part, I am still very much enjoying.

[Gerson]

Originally posted by Aaron
I can't think of a recent year that HASN'T been a "year of change" for Superman.

From 1999 to 2003 there was practically no change in the SUPERMAN creative teams. Loeb, Kelley, Casey and Shultz all had lengthy runs on their respective titles - ranging from 3 to 4 years depending on the writer. Before them, there was Jurgens who've worked on SUPERMAN for more than 10 years. It was only recently that they started to make yearly changes on the titles.

[ComicBook Conventions.com]

Originally posted by willyd
i haven't heard anything about this...where did this rumor come from?

but you know what...this makes some sort of sense...especially since the next Superman movie has him "returning" from an unspecified absence...

It was reported in Lying in the Gutters.

Brian Pate
Comic Book Conventions.com - The Web's Best Convention Calendar!

[Michael C Lorah]

I think it makes sense for the heroes not to be isolated in their own books. Events in the world, (or "universe"), should naturally affect them.

There's no doubt that it makes more sense for the universe to integrated fairly closely, but I'd argue that from a business and creative standpoint, it makes no sense.

As a consumer, most of us have limited comic budgets. We're following a specific creator or a specific character (both in my case of reading AoS). If we're not interested in reading another title, reflecting the events of that other title (too strongly) is a deterent to the enjoyment of the title that we are reading.

I'm not against the occasional crossover (I can take a chance for a month or so, or I can read my regular title only and miss out on something, or I can skip my title for a month), but a stongly cohesive universe could make it more difficult for me to enjoy the DCU title(s) that I'm reading.

I will admit, however, that we haven't seen how tight these ties are going to be. Moving toward a more cohesive universe is not a move that I'm excited about, but it's not something that I'm going to write off out of hand.

[Kevin Street]

There's bad news and good news here. On the bad side, it's unfortunate that Matthew Clark is leaving - but Clark's run on Adventures had way too many fill in issues, so perhaps it's best for someone else to try their hand at this point. On the good side, Greg Rucka has signed on for another year! Rucka's Superman stories have been kind of uneven, but he's still far and away the best writer currently working on a Superbook. And it's a pleasant surprise to hear that Karl Kerschl is going to be the new Adventures artist, since Kerschl's Majestic mini was one of the big sleeper hits of 2004. Quite nicely drawn.