Talking to British newspaper, Metro, writer Grant Morrison has talked a little more about his plans for a fresh take on Superman in September's Action Comics #1. While we'd already heard rumblings that the title would focus on the early years of the Man of Stell, Morrison confirms below that he'll be offering a very unique take on the character which takes him back to his roots AND out of the iconic costume.
What have you got lined up in your writing for Superman?
I want to solve some of the problems that have grown up around the character. People now ask: ‘Why the hell would he dress up like that?’ I want to make Superman a more contemporary character. We’ll be changing how he looks, dresses and behaves. He’ll be more like the Superman who appeared in 1938 – more socially active and a champion of the oppressed.
He’s taken his underpants off in the current comics...
With what we’re doing he’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt – a Bruce Springsteen version of Superman, that’s the angle we’re taking. The cape’s still indestructible but the rest is picked up in a shop.
What are you proudest of getting into a comic book?
I’m proud of having Bruce Wayne stumbling through the streets of Gotham high on heroin. When the baddies get hold of Batman and really mess him up, that’s always fun. When I grew up, the comics I loved were by hippies in the late 1960s, which had a big effect on me when I was 12. I’ve always written for an imaginary smart 15-year-old. I’m introducing younger kids to big ideas and to authors and notions. Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges was in the last Batman story I wrote so I’ve hopefully introduced his work to some new people.
Do some fans take things a bit too far?
There was one guy in the US who was ready to kill everyone in the office when I was working for Marvel. The FBI got involved and locked him up. It was about something in an X-Men comic. I didn’t write it but it drew on stuff I’d created and we’d done something to ruin the purity of his favourite childhood character. I wouldn’t want to tar all fans with that – you get all sorts, from people who write clever analysis to some real nutters.
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