With the recent release of the strange TEASER IMAGE from DC a couple of years back, it seems that the dark days for superheroes will continue. I could see the covers with “NOW WITH EVEN MORE ADDED DEATH!!!” blurbs on them to attract readers. It seems as though with all the death and mayhem going on at both DC and MARVEL combined with the super-heavy continuity element to the stories, the Big 2 may have given up on attracting new readers to the comic book marketplace. I don’t see any 13 year old picking up CIVIL WAR or whatever this upcoming DC book will be and being particularly drawn to all the darkness and death. That’s why I think that books like ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN are such a good idea. Much of the ULTIMATE line is about as dark as anything going on with the original versions these days…. but I think ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN has had a pretty big impact not only in the direct market… but also in the brick and mortar book stores where the trades are very popular with new readers.

I was thinking that the ALL STAR line at DC might buck the dark trend… and the SUPERMAN title seems to have done that, but the BATMAN AND ROBIN title is as harsh, if not more so, than other superhero books out now (not that it’s anything more than an annual these days… I think it’s vying for the title for latest comic in the world). I would have loved to see a small line based on their major icons that featured the characters in very young versions. Young heroes coming into their own and discovering their limits and foibles as they grow as people as well as champions is something that’s very appealing to me, even as an older reader… and I can’t help but think it would also be attractive to potential readers as well. I would think that a small line of books, not handled in the ‘ADVENTURES’ manner, could be very popular.

So with that in mind, I did today’s SUPERBOY sketch. Of course, with the legal battles between DC and the Siegels over the ownership of the character, a SUPERBOY title would not be possible, but it could still be titled SUPERMAN, even with the character being a teen. Anyway… it’s not something likely to ever happen.. but it’s fun to think about at any rate.

This is Entry 332.

Mike