Hello comic book fans! I hope you are all doing well during these hard times. Now, we all have probably heard by now that the likelihood of a Henry Cavil Man of Steel 2 or sequel of any kind is practically nonexistent. That leaves us with the obvious question of what’s next for Clark Kent.
Well fortunately for us, Amy Adams who recently played the role of Louis Lane, said in an interview with Empire Magazine, that her time in the franchise is most likely over and that Warner Brothers is moving in a new direction with the character. Now this could mean a multitude of things for the character.
Firstly, it could just be a new actor, whether younger or older. It could also mean that the studio just doesn’t have a clue as to what that new ‘direction’ exactly is. However, as a comic book movie fan, I am choosing to believe none of those things and will instead begin speculation as to what potential comic story lines that WB could draw from.
All Star Superman
‘All-Star Superman’ written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quietly, is an amazing 12 issue run featuring a dying Man of Steel. I know that may sound like a strange choice at first but hear me out. This story is a brilliant take on a more vulnerable Superman who is reflecting on his entire life and more importantly, on the things he still needs to accomplish. The story begins with the Man of Tomorrow saving astronaut scientist from a certainly fatal collision with the sun. This near tragedy is revealed to be the efforts of Lex Luthor in an attempt to expose Superman to danger levels of solar radiation. The contact with the sun gives Clark new powers but is also killing him and is now left with only 1 year left to live. This story is really a fresh and new take on the character, that if done right, could easily be in contention for movie of the year. It is also my favorite comic of all time.
Red Son
Red Son is a basically a ‘What If?’ story answering the question of what if Superman had landed in the Soviet Union? Would he be corrupted by the communist regime or would he lead his people into a new world of hope. That is a very interesting concept to explore in either a single film or trilogy if necessary. This is a story that I admittedly have not read to the end. However, I know that it is a highly acclaimed run that became so well received that an animated film was made not too recently.
Death of Superman
The Death of Superman by Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, is definitely the most simple and straight forward story of the 5 listed here. It is simply a tale of good vs evil, man vs beast. This is not a negative, instead it is a shining example for studios that execution first and foremost, is key. Doomsday is causing mayhem throughout metropolis. We see many other major and minor heroes trying to take him down, only to be beaten mercilessly into submission. As the monster known as Doomsday continues to wreak havoc, Superman dons the cape and takes off to defend his city. However, the battle between Superman and Doomsday is so iconic not because it is a cool fight. It’s the mental battle within the mind of Clark Kent that is so incredible. He is facing a foe whose strength is equal to if not greater than his own, and continues to grow stronger. He has to come to the realization that he may not survive this encounter. Superman is forced to push himself harder than he has ever done before. Every blow is expertly displayed by Dan Jurgens. The final scene is something that I will never forget, Superman, having gave his all to end this unstoppable threat, lay still in the arms of Louis Lane.
Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come is truly revolutionary and to this day, I have never read a better written comic. It really is a story about superhero society more so than just Superman, however, since it features Superman as a main character I decided to include it. The story shows many of our favorite heroes as older men and women. Some have died, others have moved on to other ventures, some have even retired. Taking their place is a new generation of heroes. These youngsters are more violent and impulsive than their predecessors. This leads to many disasters and innocent lives being taken, due to the reckless battles that the ‘heroes’ deem necessary. The world’s governments decide that enough is enough, heroes and villains were becoming harder and harder to distinguish. This takes us to Superman, who as mentioned before is retired and isolated himself from the rest of the world. He blames himself for not leading the new generation and guiding them. However, seeing the way that the world is deteriorating, he decides to return and bring order to the chaos. This is where the brilliance of the story truly shines. Superman has to unite old allies, teach those who are willing to learn from a new generation, and punish those that only crave violence. Mark Waid showed the Man of Tomorrow fall and rise to become something new.
Injustice
Now the Injustice story, is one of the most interesting takes on the Superman character. I just find it fascinating how even a man that is supposed to represent all the good in the world, can fall. This story leans heavily into the idea that Louis was Superman’s link to mankind. When that link was broken, only anger remained. However, the interesting thing about this Superman is how his spiral into outright villainy is gradual. It begins with his murder of the Joker, but afterwards, he forces all the armies of the world to submit to him, and makes an announcement to the world of the new regime. His view of right and wrong is warped and twisted. This comic would best translate to the big screen in my opinion.
Well, that was just a few of the many stories that could be told. Do you agree with my choices? What are some Superman stories that you would love to see come to the theaters? Let us know down below!
