Superman Leaving Action Comics?!

I am angry right now. I've just read an LA Times article at SupermanHomepage.com stating that Superman will no longer be the star of Action Comics:

Dan DiDio participated in an interview over at the LA Times website, where he dropped this bombshell in regards to the future of Superman comics... especially "Action Comics"...

DD: [W]e're going to be making changes in Superman's world as well. Superman has been the star of "Action Comics" for its entire run, essentially, and he will be leaving it and handing it over to new characters. The only time he hasn't appeared in the book, I believe, was after "The Death of Superman," in those years. So this is a lot of fun for us. I think that's going to get people excited and scratching their heads and wondering what's going on. In his own book, "Superman," there will be a dramatic turn as the hero leaves Earth and it seems like he's leaving for good. We'll follow his adventures in space more so than his adventures on Earth, and that's a big and exciting thing. We're also bringing back one of the old-time favorite titles of DC Comics, "Adventure Comics." It will be back with a new No. 1 and with new stars but old stars at the same time. It'll be pretty easy to guess who will be the stars of "Adventure Comics" if you know who the title was most identified with...

GB: Well, which era? Sandman, the Spectre, Dial H for Hero, Superboy...

DD: [Laughing] And who did Superboy appear with?

GB: Ah. The Legion of Super-Heroes.

DD: So this is a lot of fun for us. "Action," "Adventure," and "Superman," these are some of our premiere titles, some of the titles with the longest history. To affect a real level of change on these titles is exciting for us. It makes our oldest and most enduring titles fresh again.

Read the complete interview at the LA Times website.

I'm pretty upset about this. First of all, Superman is my absolutely undisputed favorite superhero ever. He made his debut in Action Comics #1 in June 1938, 70 years ago this year. Separating Superman from Action Comics is just unthinkable. Especially with Geoff Johns writing it and making it my favorite comic book at the moment. It's the book I look forward to the most every month. I really don't want to see second-string characters taking over a first-string book and ruining it. The main reason I got into comics was because of Superman. From there, I've branched off into most of the rest of the DCU, but Superman remains the driving force behind my comic fandom. If they do this, I will be severely disappointed. My only hope is that this happens, if at all, after Geoff Johns' run on Action Comics ends in 2010. Then the Superman arc will at least have a definite ending and it won't hurt quite as much.

Then there's the matter of where they'll be going with Superman Comics once Action gets invaded by the second tier of the DCU. Superman in space? Really? I mean, you can do that when it's for a couple of episodes of a TV series, or even for the lenght of a movie, but to have it be a big part of an ongoing series? As long as it's just your typical 4-7 issue arc for trading, I'm fine with it. But somehow I don't get that vibe from the way DiDio phrased it. Superman works best protecting Earth (specifically Metropolis) and interacting with his supporting cast: Lois, Jimmy, Perry, Kara, even Steve Lombard, Ron Toupe, and Cat Grant. As long as it's a relatively short arc with a definite plan laid out, I might enjoy it. But if they plan for this to be the state of Superman for the foreseeable future, I will be pissed. 

So many things to consider. I'm sure they'll reveal more in the coming months. Hopefully by the time I'm at New York Comic Con this February, there will be more details readily available. If not, I just may get in line at one of the DC panels and pose the question to the parties involved. For now, I'm going to continue enjoying the New Krypton story, because it is mind-blowingly amazing. I should really start reviewing comics on here. It'd be fun, plus it'd help me realize what I really think about them. When I sit down to try and express my feelings about something in writing, it becomes much clearer to me and I gain better insights into my own thoughts. Is that weird? I don't really care. 

And now, a random awesome YouTube video brought to my attention by my friend Alex:

New Yahoo! Exclusive Watchmen Trailer

This is the most new footage I've seen for the movie in a while. It's really getting me pumped! Also, DC Comics recently re-printed the graphic novel in trade paperback, hardcover, and Absolute editions. I'm trying to decide which one I want. It's tough because the Absolute Edition is an oversized hardcover with a clipcase. It's just a gorgeous book. It's also $50. That's a little steep for a comic, no matter how epic. We shall see...

The Awesome and the Not-So-Awesome

First, the not-so-awesome:

I have to to work in a minute, so I'll keep this short. I didn't have a great morning. Mostly for one big reason. I turned on my laptop to find that the bottom one-third of the screen was all messed up. The colors were all washed out and there were what I can only describe as rows and rows of seemingly dead pixels. I tried touching the LCD screen or lightly slapping the side and bottom of the computer, and I would get a proper display for a second, but then it would fade back to the way it was. I brought it to the Laptop Shop on campus (thank God for those guys) and the guy who helped me said that they would need to ship it out to IBM because, as he and I both agreed, it appeared that the video card needed to be replaced. So I asked him if there were any loaner laptops available, and he got me one. It's pretty old, maybe 4 or 5 years, and slow. 500mb RAM w/ Intel Centrino. Yeah. That's a bad thing, in case you didn't know. At least this time I have a replacement computer, unlike the time my battery died and my charger broke in the same week. Yeah. And that was finals week. Finals - Laptop = Hell. So I am grateful that they were able to hook me up this time. In theory, I'll be reunited with my Lappy in 7-10 business days, but you never know. I tend to think it'll be at least 2 weeks. We'll see. 

And now for the awesome:

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New "Watchmen" Footage!

Oh this is awesome. Recently Spike TV's 2008 Scream Awards featured a new trailer for 2009's big screen adaptation of the most revered graphic novel of all time Watchmen. Having read the book myself recently in preparation for the film's release, I can vouch for its high levels of awesomeness. If you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and pick it up. You can find it at any bookstore like Borders or Barnes & Noble. "Absolute" and regular hardcover editions are due out in the next few weeks, so it might be worth the wait. For a quick synopsis of the film, check out the video's description on the YouTube page.

Oh Digg, How I Love Thee!

Lately I've been checking out Digg.com a lot. Pretty much daily. Lately it's been Obama-central, but hopefully that will slow down after next week. It's usually a great place for interesting and funny news. If you like bizarre but true stories, have a look. Here's a prime example:

The Muppet's Animal Caught Speeding, Driving Police Crazy

See? Hilarious and true! Stuff like this pops up constantly on Digg. Then there's also interesting pop culture stuff:

It's official: Robert Downey Jr. will suit up for 'The Avengers,' Jon Favreau on board as an executive producer

That particular story makes me very happy, by the way. I loved Iron Man. And I'm not a fan of the character, nor Marvel Comics in general. I'm looking forward to this Avengers movie. I know pretty much nothing about The Avengers, and in a way I want to keep it that way so I can enjoy the version of the story they decide to give us in the film. Anyway, check out Digg. They're rather awesome. Incidentally, they have a podcast, DiggNation, which I'll be reviewing soon as the next installment of my "Podcastin'" series.

Podcastin' Part 6: Speeding Bulletin and Radio K.A.L.

Each Thursday night, after Smallville has already aired, I look forward to downloading the newest episode of Speeding Bulletin. The first segment of this weekly video podcast is hosted by the Superman Homepage's webmaster Steve Younis. Speeding Bulletin provides viewers with a weekly summary of Superman news from the past 7 days. It's a must-view for any true Superman fan, as it covers news of upcoming comics, TV, movies, and fan events, such as charity events and conventions. If you want to know what's going on in the world of Superman, this is the show to watch. Once Steve has covered all the news, his friend and Superman Homepage contributor Neal Bailey gives a quick rant about some piece of Superman news that has caught his fancy. He is hilarious and his immense knowledge of all things Superman make his segment extremely entertaining. Speeding Bulletin averages 10 minutes in total between the two segments. 

Once a month, Steve and Neal team up for an audio podcast called Radio K.A.L. In this show, they pick 3 or 4 recent Superman headlines and discuss them at length, giving their personal opinions and insights on the topics at hand. Other segments include reader e-mails, a monthly contest, and the presentation of a Superman-related song, usually something by a little-known independent band. Radio K.A.L. along with Speeding Bulletin are essential for Superman fans who like to keep up with current goings-on. Both shows receive 5 out of a possible 5 celophane Superman shields and the coveted Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval.

This made my day:

I just saw this on someone's laptop and it totally made my day. Awesome. If I seen it a month ago, I would have SO bought one for myself. "Keep the Change." Classic!

Well what else is new, you ask? Let me start by telling you about the awesomeness that was last night's episode of Smallville. On the surface, the story doesn't even sound all that great. At least, I didn't think so. Clark's best friend and confidant Chloe Sullivan and her fiance Jimmy Olsen (yes, that Jimmy Olsen) are kidnapped by a madman after their engagement party and strapped to electric chairs. They are given a polygraph test, and when one of them lies, the other gets a shock. The purpose of the test is to gauge their loyalty to one another. In an effort to save them, Lois and Clark pose as a couple and get themselves kidnapped as well. Sounds mediocre. Well, my friends, it was AMAZING. Especially towards the end. Lois was forced to admit her feelings for Clark, causing some major awkwardness between them. Later, back at the Daily Planet, they found themselves on an elevator together. Lois wanted to avoid the tension by trying to take the stairs, but Clark encouraged her to stay, saying that the elevator is "statistically the safest way to travel." MAJOR GEEK-OUT MOMENT. That's a classic line from the Superman movies, usually used by the Man of Steel when he saves a doomed aircraft. While I really don't like those movies, I still LOVED the brilliant usage of that line. Lois then went on to claim that she had slipped the electrode from the polygraph off her finger and lied, so she didn't really love him. It was a bad lie, and Clark seemed to almost buy it, but there was clearly still some doubt in his mind. Either way, the awkwardness receded and Lois crawled back into her protective shell of the tough, intrepid reporter. It was a great episode that hinted at things to come. The trailer for next week's episode shows that charismatic paramedic Davis Bloome will begin to undergo his slow and gradual transformation from all-around great guy to the evil Doomsday, Superman's nemesis and eventual killer. I can't WAIT!

This week's comics weren't all that great. Trinity #20 was once again awful and had pretty much nothing to do with the characters after whom it is named (Superman, Batman, & Wonder Woman). Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1 was decent. It told a pretty good story of Jimmy on the trail of a hot mystery that could spell doom for Superman if it isn't solved in time. I haven't had a chance to read DC Universe Decisions #3 or Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #2 yet. When I do, I'll let you know. Well I'm off to work. I have a 2:00 appointment in the Writing Center.