It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Miller Time?

Occasionally at the San Diego Comic-Con, some comic book news sneaks out among the sneak peeks at the latest genre TV shows and movies and games. Over from the fine folks at DC, we learned there's going to be a new series called Superman: Year One. 

So we're going down this road again. About 10 years ago, writer Mark Waid and artist Leinil Francis Yu produced Superman Birthright, a epic project that examined Clark Kent's transformation into Superman.  

A few years later, Geoff Johns & Gary Frank undid Birthright with Superman: Secret Origin, yet another epic project examining Clark Kent's transformation into Superman. 

Then the New 52 came along and immediately consigned Secret Origin to the dustbin of retconned history as Grant Morrison & Rags Morales crafted yet one more epic project that examined Clark Kent's transformation into Superman.   

Now with the latest Rebirth retcon of the New 52 retcon, it appears it might be time once more for a new epic project that explores Clark Kent's transformation into Superman.  And this time, the task of writing this latest epic tale of Clark Kent's transformation into Superman falls to Frank Miller.

Yes. That Frank Miller.  

Frank is no stranger to the Man of Steel, bringing him into the narrative fold of The Dark Knight Returns.   

The Dark Knight Returns is and remains a seminal work of creative genius as is other work produced by Frank Miller at the time on Dardevil and Wolverine for Marvel. 

But Miller's output since those heady days has been less than consistent. Miller's best known project of the last 10 years is the one he didn't finish: All Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder. A series lavishly illustrated by Jim Lee that gave us mind-bending scenes like these.  

From the mind bendingly weird and frustratingly never finished All Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder.  

And there was the recent Dark Knight III: The Master Race, plagued by numerous delays, dragged across the finish line by Brian Azzarello & Andy Kubert. Miller's involvement in that series varied depending on who you talked to in the last 5 minutes.  

So now Frank Miller is committing to a 12 issue run of a Superman project?God knows what we'll get or when we'll get it. Or IF we'll get it. Or if we WANT To get it.  

Yes, part of Frank's good rep is staked on a Year One story for Batman. But that was back when Frank knew how to write and how to deliver.  And it was just four issues.  

Now Frank thinks he can produce 12 issues of Superman. And even if he can and he doesn't screw it up, will we want to see it? The artist for this project is John Romita Jr.  

John Romita Jr was a long time artistic icon over at Marvel but his work at DC, especially on Superman has been inordinately stiff and sketchy.  

The one thing that might interest me in a Miller/Romita Jr Superman Year One story if that year was 1938, if the story of Superman's 1st year was an Elseworlds type adventure of a social justice warrior Superman unleashed on Depression era America, just like Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster did way back in the beginning. I could imagine such a story playing to Frank's strengths and John's art would be evocative of that era.  

What we don't need is yet another retcon of Superman's beginnings and if that's what we're getting, I don't think Miller & Romita Jr are the ones to bring it to us.  
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Hey, kids. So far I've managed to avoid politics since Saturday but too many stupid things are going on for me to ignore the topic. Sorry! 

Until next time, remember to be good to one another.