2015 Comic Book News Archives

November 16, 2015: Neal Adams' Thoughts on Superman Ahead of "The Coming of the Supermen"

Coming of the Supermen "The Coming of the Supermen" by Neal Adams is a six-issue miniseries scheduled to start in February 2016 that will (according to the man himself) feature "all of Jack Kirby's characters fighting Superman; beginning with Kalibak." In an interview with IGN.com Neal Adams speaks about returning to write Superman after so many years, his ideal version of Superman, and how he wants fans (especially women) to react to the character. Here's an excerpt from the interview...

    Superman has changed so much over the years. Right now he doesn't have the cape; he's got the t-shirt, and his powers have been reduced. Max Landis is currently doing a young Superman story that's a little different. We've seen the Man of Steel movie with Superman coming to the point where he has to break Zod's neck. Have any of those takes on Superman influenced how you write him?

    Adams: Well, I must say that I walk the center line. I truly believe that the Superman I'm trying to do is Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman, a Superman who might not be able to fly into the Sun - a Superman, though, that doesn't have his powers taken away and is the most powerful comic book superhero. I'm enjoying what DC Comics is doing with Superman now, but I'm not doing that Superman. The other guys are doing that Superman. I'm doing Superman.

    On the other hand, since I'm a realistic type of character, I'm trying to do a realistic Superman. So when he does get hit in the face with a girder, he does fall and get hurt, and maybe he gets a bruise. He's a superman, but he's not a god. So I feel very strongly that the Superman I'm doing is Jerry and Joe's, and I feel that I'm in that tradition. I'm enjoying that tradition. Because after all, in a weird kind of way, it's the only tradition for me since that's what I started with, and that's what I continue with. So I'm not going all the way out - you know, I'm not a lefty, I'm not a righty; I'm right down the middle of Superman being Superman. I like the idea of utilizing the two words in that: "super" and "man." I want him to be a Son of America. I want him to believe in the things that we believe in. I want him to use his best abilities, to do the best things. I don't want him to let people die. Of course, I don't want him to break villains' necks, as it happened in the movie. That's not the Superman that I believe in. I believe Superman would win by not doing that. I like that Superman.

Read the entire interview at IGN.com.



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