Brian Michael Bendis is Off SUPERMAN… Now What?

Support Thinking Critical at Ko-fi. Monthly subscriptions receive bonus content and early access to some channel content. Ko-fi.com/thinkingcritical Thank you for supporting the channel! Thinking Critical Discord:   / discord   Twitch Channel   / thinking_critical_yt   TheRealComicBookGamer YT    / therealmacgamer   Brian Michael Bendis SUPERMAN: A Legacy of Destruction    • Brian Michael Bendis SUPERMAN: A Legacy of...   This week marked the beginning of the end for a key era in modern Superman comic book history. With the publication of Superman #28 on Tuesday, writer Brian Michael Bendis — a legendary Marvel creator who joined DC Comics in 2018 to take the reins of both Superman and Action Comics — marked the end of his tenure on the title alongside artist Ivan Reis. Next week's Action Comics #1028 will also mark the end of Brian Michael Bendis tenure on that title alongside artist John Romita Jr., paving the way for new creative teams to take over two of DC's biggest titles. Now, as we prepare for the end of the Brian Michael Bendis era, we're starting to see what the future holds. New Superman and Action Comics writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson aiming to change Man of Steel and DC "forever" Via gamesradar.com This new era of Superman begins with 'The Golden Age' Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson has taken the reins as DC's Superman writer, taking over both the flagship Superman title and its sister title, Action Comics, beginning in March 2021.  "I can't begin to describe what an honor it is to be writing Superman and Action Comics, especially following one of my industry heroes, Brian Michael Bendis," Johnson says in the announcement. "One of my very earliest memories is the thrill I felt watching the Christopher Reeve Superman films for the first time. My goal for every issue will be to give readers that same physical reaction, and the same lofty aspirations that Superman inspires: the desire to be better than we are, and to do more than the world thinks we can do.” Phillip Kennedy Johnson starts his run with a two-part story titled 'The Golden Age' in Superman #29 and Action Comics #1029, drawn by Phil Hester and Eric Gapstur. In the storyline, Superman's son Jonathan Kent (Superboy) returns from his schooling in the 31st Century to find his father fighting leviathans from a section of outer space called the Breach - creatures which, in the 31st Century, were said to have killed Superman. DC's New Superman Already Has Us Worried via screenrant.com In the wake of the final chapter of the Man of Steel, many are wondering if DC Comics made a mistake in assigning the future of Superman comics to Brian Michael Bendis. Rather than presenting a bold new vision for The Man of Tomorrow in both his lead-up to, and takeover of both Superman books, Bendis' opening act seems to have rehashed numerous elements from earlier stories, while removing several key components of Superman mythology for no reason (beyond shock value). The comics world was rocked when it was announced that Bendis had signed an exclusive contract with DC Comics, given Bendis' prominent role at Marvel Comics (imagine Mick Jagger leaving The Rolling Stones to sing for The Beatles). Hopes ran high when it was announced that Bendis would take charge of the Superman line of books with Action Comics #1000. The early advertising for the new line promised big changes and shocking revelations regarding the real reason Superman's home world of Krypton was destroyed. Sadly, the reality of "The Coming Of Bendis" has been far from magical in the eyes of many Super-fans, devoted or casual. In Bendis' new mythology, Krypton was destroyed by Rogol Zaar, an alien with a genocidal hatred for the Kryptonian people. While the idea of a crazed, racist strongman is not a bad start for crafting a villain, Bendis never gave Rogol Zaar any further definition or motivation for his actions. He did, however, attempt to establish Rogol Zaar as a worth enemy by having him destroy The Bottle City of Kandor. Effectively, there was little difference between Rogol Zaar and Doomsday from The Death of Superman, apart from Rogol Zaar being more articulate and arming himself with an axe. There is one final oddity regarding Bendis' Superman run so far that merits discussion. The Man of Steel miniseries was promoted as an entryway for those who wanted a good place to start reading the Superman comics (specifically, as a buildup to Bendis writing both Action and Superman). Despite this, the plot of Man of Steel was heavily steeped in the continuity of earlier stories, referring to events centering on Superboy in Teen Titans and Super Sons as well. Bendis' script made little effort to explain these points, or how exactly Jor-El is even alive, and has a less-than-loving relationship with his son. #superman #dccomics #comicbooks Contact Thinking Critical: Twitter:   / wes_from_tc   Email [email protected]