Inter-Action
"Ask Eddie" Fan Forum Archives
Here are Eddie Berganza's answers to questions fans put to him in March 2004:
Eddie's Answers
miguel gutierrez (a_j_hilario@yahoo.com) asks:Can Superman die of old age?
Eddie: Eventually, although I don't think anyone of us will live to see it.
Jeffrey Burns (jbb4747@ksu.edu) asks:
I have a question about the recent Superman revamp (I know, you're probably sick of fielding these questions, but it's something that's been bugging me). In issue number 4 of "Superman: Birthright", Metropolis is testing new "anti-terrorism" weaponry, and on page 2, the cabbie says, "Given the manner in which we volley between yellow and orange alerts...," implying that the events of "Birthright" take place in a post-9/11 world. Is this true? Because if it is, that would indicate that it has only happened in the last couple of years, probably ageing Clark down to somewhere in his 20s. This would also imply that events that took place before-hand (i.e., "The Death of Superman, which happened in 1993) no longer exist in current continuity. Is this the case?
Eddie: No, it doesn't invalidate the Death of Superman, but it does make Superman's arrival to Metropolis more contemporary. It's the same reason SMALLVILLE isn't set in the late 60s. It's more for reader/viewer I.D. And I'm sure I can count on you guys to have all this make sense.
Carey Lester (track13d@aol.com) asks:
When will the "Contact Us" section of the DC Comics website be availale? Letter columns were done away with because of email, supposedly, but the email system has been down for almost a year.
Eddie: There are plans to fix all this, don't worry.
Kevin (Kevin@k-squared.com) asks:
Hey Eddie... First, I want to thank you for taking the time each month to answer our questions here. Second, I've been a fan of Superman for nearly 30 years. I lost interest in the comics a couple of years ago with some of the changes that were occuring, the art, and the lack of continuity between the Superman titles. I've been contemplating getting back into them. What would you say is a good "jumping on point" for newer readers?
Eddie: Thanks, this is a fun forum. And there's no better time to start reading Superman than NOW! So go to your comic shop and buy ACTION #814 on sale now then THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #627 and finally SUPERMAN#204. You should have also picked up SUPERMAN/BATMAN#8 too!
Joey (brknwngsdsignr@msn.com) asks:
So I hear that "Birthright" is the new origin, that's fine, I guess I can live with that... but why make him a vegetarian?!? What happened to beef bourguignon with ketchup being his favorite meal?
Eddie: Ah, that's still a story to tell, isn't it? Don't worry that's one of my favorite bits, and I'm sure that we'll get into it.
Jim Hall (james_hall@emerson.edu) asks:
First off, I was really blown away by the events in "Superman #200" and how it makes the new continuity of Superman's origin fit into place without a re-vamp per-ce. My question is, how many events in Superman's life since 1986 will be kept? Does he still get killed by Doomsday? Did OWAW still happnen? etc. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Eddie: Glad you got the point of #200, and all of those events did indeed happen--they were too cool not to have.
Gerry Beritela (berbacc@aol.com) asks:
With "Birthright" being confirmed as the new origin, Byrne's MOS, as written, is DEFINITELY obsolete. There is no way the two origins can co-exist! The Kryptons are radically different. The character of Pa Kent is quite different. The motivation for donning the uniform is competely different as is Superman's attitude toward his planet of origin. Supplanting MOS with "Birthright" means that although the present status quo is partly the same, the stories leading up to the status quo cannot stand as written. For example, the origin of the Eradicator now makes no sense. Even the presence of Krypto is questionable since his origin was linked to the Phantom Zone alternate Krypton which was created in order to lure Superman to an idyllic Krypton in place of the stark, cold MOS Krypton. EVERY past story that referenced the MOS Krypton or what sprang from it cannot stand as written. I do like "Birthright" and am willing to accept the new continuity, but you have to admit that it is a NEW continuity. Otherwise how do you explain the Eradicator's origin?
Eddie: Yeah, how do we? Don't worry, we have plans. You guys really are hung up on this.
Russ (e-mail address withheld by request) asks:
Is Superman's heat vision visible to humans? Do people see the red beams coming out of his eyes, or not? It seems like sometimes people can see them and sometimes they can't.
Eddie: It all depends on their intensity.
Max (Sonixnfire@aol.com) asks:
Does Lois know that Clark killed the pocket universe Zod? Superman's talk with psychiatrist Claire Foster made the answer a little confusing.
Eddie: Lois does, but it's not something he's at all comfortable speaking about, obviously.
hakavon (hakavon@yahoo.com) asks:
I don't mean to keep beating a dead horse, but once or twice questions on continuity seem to have been...shall we say...poo-pooed.
Personally, I LOVE the return of something a little more like the Silver Age Krypton in BIRTHRIGHT. The problem is I'd like to know, plain and simple, if certain elements that SEEM negated by BR are actually still in continuity (as has been claimed..."the stories you like are still intact").
- Eradicator's history and relationship with Clark seems to DEPEND on the cold Byrne Krypton having existed.
- Henshaw's being able to become the Cyborg Superman depended on his stealing the birthing-matrix with Clark's DNA and Kryptonian metals. (Did he steal the BR version of the ship instead?)
- The Kents being able to pass Clark off as their own depended on his being newborn when they found him, and on the snowstorm. That part of Byrne's MoS was PERFECT...yet now it seems negated. Then again, Waid skipped over the actual landing and them finding Kal-El. Are there at least SHARDS of "Byrne" still in the new continuity?
I'd love to hear that you've managed to restore Krypton but not touch ANYTHING that happened after the ship came down. The problem is, we seem to be getting contradictory answers, both "Nothing's been changed" and "This is a new continuity" having been said. And then there's the dreaded "Don't worry about the past, enjoy the present and the future". The past will affect what's done in the future! We'd like to know!
Is it simply that no decision has been made yet and you CAN'T answer?
We'd like to know there will still be a legitimate timeline with specific events that DID happen, even if now they're said to have happened a little differently. PLEASE don't leave us out in the cold! I don't want to have to get my information from the Inquisitor!
Eddie: That would be a bad thing, but since there is a concern (a big one from this session) about all this, we will be addressing it all as we revisit some of that material, but don't expect it immediately. BIRTHRIGHT is the jumping on point to all the new stuff coming out now. The past and present will all be made clear in time.
Thanks Eddie! We appreciate you answering our (sometimes) tough questions.
Eddie: No worries. I hope you guys are enjoying the books.
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