If you read last week's DC Comics or saw the preview we posted here, you've already seen five pages for this week's SUPERMAN #13. It turns out there's more to a new confidant in Superman's life as he tries to determine how strong he actually is.

USA Today posted the preview along with a little more information. It seems Clark Kent isn't too happy with the progress at the Daily Planet.

We've seen this sort of thing before. Checking out this first page makes it appear as if Clark is making up excuses to cover for his lack of reporting on Superman's activities. What is surprising is Lois Lane butting in while Perry White is questioning Clark's work. She even admits she has no say in the matter yet gladly voices her opinion.

Perhaps it's the text message she gets that makes Clark's decision easier.

We don't see him necessarily quitting but that's what USA Today is saying.

There's also the fact that Lois is making a big decision concerning her boyfriend Jonathan Carroll. We don't know if there will be any mention of Superman and Wonder Woman's kiss and possible relationship in these pages.

Scott Lobdell did mention the direction Clark may go once he leaves the Daily Planet:

Rather than Clark be this clownish suit that Superman puts on, we're going to really see Clark come into his own in the next few years as far as being a guy who takes to the Internet and to the airwaves and starts speaking an unvarnished truth.

I don't think he's going to be filling put an application anywhere. He is more likely to start the next Huffington Post or the next Drudge Report than he is to go find someone else to get assignments or draw a paycheck from.

SUPERMAN #13 is on sale this week. It's also a prelude to the upcoming crossover, "H'El on Earth."

Nope.

Lobdell... I know you like living in the past, but don't make Clark a Blogger. This isn't 2004 anymore, we all know they have no real power in the real world.

Well this is interesting. Can't wait to pick up Superman #13 this week.

Not sure how I feel about this. Lois is being really arrogant towards Clark though. The trend of her being depicted really badly might continue under Lobdell's run as well.

This is interesting. The way that the newspaper always clung to life in comics kind of stopped making sense a while ago. Seeing them address it in Superman like this could be interesting. It's definitely a different characterization for Clark. It seems like Superman is using Clark less like a mask and more as another way to combat injustices. As Clark he wages a war of words while as Superman he wages a war of muscle. Sure, Clark Kent was always a journalist, but the hard hitting stuff always seemed to fall to Lois. With Lois out of the picture at the planet and with Clark being a little younger and more brash, it makes sense that he'd move more in that direction.

It's a change that I think I'm a fan of.

Uh oh.

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

I do think I like the fact Clark's objecting to the news being poorly handled by the Daily Planet and Galaxy. It's just Lois' depiction that I'm not a fan of.

I'm seriously considering axing this comic off my list finally. I've read every issue & never felt impressed whatsoever. Why would I waste my money on this bull if things like Daredevil, Hawkeye, Saga, The Walking Dead & Batman exist? Maybe I'll come back onto the comic when Snyder & Lee do they're run but as of now it's pretty much dead to me.

I may be one of the only people that hates Clark Kent in this comic book. He's not interesting & neither is Lois or her relationships & all this other stupid drama the comic has going for it. I mean the first bad guys were elemental aliens that Clark just beats up & that's it. Then he fights Helspont & that guy gets smacked into a mountain & Clark is like, "Well I guess I defeated him!" AND HE LEAVES. Facepalm dude.

Anguish was the only cool villain sort of & that's a long stretch. The best issue so far was the #1 Annual so as of now F--- this comic book right now. It's a mess of galactic level stupidity at times. How can this be the Superman that stands beside Snyder's Batman?

Ridiculous. /Rant

I read the article except for the quotes... I don't want to spoil anything. I've been waiting for this for a month. I love Rocafort's art, though. I wasn't big on it in RHATO at first, but it's grown on me.

I think this has potential. Seeing not only Superman do good, but Clark try to do good is important, and certainly it's not unrealistic to think that the sensationalism they allude to in these pages would be anathema to what Clark/Superman wants to do as a reporter. There's a lot of good journalism that happens outside of major media outlets (or at least, outside of the traditional major media outlets).

What I think stands to be the most interesting--and perhaps most important--part of this decision is watching Clark go through the process of finding an audience. Exploring the dichotomy between being a celebrity superhero who creates a buzz about truth and justice and trying to become the voice for those things as a mere mortal seems rich with opportunity to delve into the relationship between his separate identities as well as how he perceives Earth.

@The Mighty Monarch said:

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

But Clark Kent can't use his powers in public, has to wear glasses, ergo, Clark Kent is also a disguise, a suit.

I love Keneth Rocafort.

@CircularLogic said:

Lobdell... I know you like living in the past, but don't make Clark a Blogger. This isn't 2004 anymore, we all know they have no real power in the real world.

Lois disses Clark even when she has no reason to be in the conversation? Shocker. I can't stand that twisted #$%%^$%# With a bucket of *&^%$#$ rhymes with witch.

@The Mighty Monarch: You're so right! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. That one of the resons why the 50's "Adventures of Superman" show was so good, it focused on Clark first and then had Superman show up when needed.

'Go easy on us Mortals Clark'

haha.

I'm glad to see more of an emphasis on Clark Kent, because that's truly the hero here. It might be his powers that make him super, but it's his moral compass provided by the Kents that make him not just just a hero, but the hero that all other heroes look up to.

Secondly, love the "Smallville" show shout-out via the font on his sweartshirt.

@bloggerboy said:

@The Mighty Monarch said:

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

But Clark Kent can't use his powers in public, has to wear glasses, ergo, Clark Kent is also a disguise, a suit.

I agree.

ive recently misplaced my Qpad, does someone have one they wana sell me?

@bloggerboy said:

@The Mighty Monarch said:

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

But Clark Kent can't use his powers in public, has to wear glasses, ergo, Clark Kent is also a disguise, a suit.

I agree. 

Does the text mean Lois is getting serious with this other guy? If so, it must suck for Superman to see the woman he loves with some other guy... Wow I think I can relate to Superman on a whole new level.

I interested to see what Lobdell does with Superman so I'm going to have an open mind about this.

It annoys me when pepole think every character has to be whiter than white and never be wrong and never argue 

@bloggerboy said:

@The Mighty Monarch said:

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

But Clark Kent can't use his powers in public, has to wear glasses, ergo, Clark Kent is also a disguise, a suit.

Neither Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne are disguises. That's just rhetoric people tell themselves so they don't get nosebleeds.

I trust in Lobdell's writing to make an interesting Clark. Its a drastically different direction for him to go in I suppose but print media is pretty much dead and lets be honest comic book's target audience is for what 14-20 somethings? (no offense to anyone older then 30 who reads comics of course) I can't remember the last time I picked up a print newspaper, I like most people my age get my news (and yes actual news not crap about snookie) online. I think this is a step into making him more believable as a character.

While I'm not a huge fan of the Superman-Lois breakup or either of them leaving the Daily Planet, since these were always just iconic things about Superman, but I think they're making the right choices here to keep comics relevant to the modern world. As much as I hate to admit it, newspapers are dying and it just wouldn't make sense to have him still working at a newspaper without moving on to electronic media. The one thing they could probably work on though is this hard-hitting reporter seeking to reveal the truth bit since that seems a lot more suitable for someone like the Question or at least how he was when he was in Hub City.

The only place this series can go is up and it looks like lobdell is taking it there.

@edge0076: anyone see Kill Bill Vol.? Watch the ending, it explains Superman and Clark Kent pretty damn good.

@The Stegman said:

@edge0076:

@bloggerboy said:

@The Mighty Monarch said:

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

But Clark Kent can't use his powers in public, has to wear glasses, ergo, Clark Kent is also a disguise, a suit.

I agree.

There are three identities 1. Superman 2. The Daily Planet Clark Kent, the bumbling, clumsy, nerdy guy with glasses and a suit two times too big to hide his muscles. 3. The REAL Clark, the one that cares about his friends and family, who was raised by the Kents,and has their values and morals instilled in him. I believe #2 is the disguise, the others are two halves of his persona

-Someone that hasn't read much Superman.

That is what you sound like. The only time Clark is depicted as a bumbling, clumsy nerdy guy is when Grant Morrison wrote him in All-Star Superman. He wasn't even like that in his new Action Comics.

There are two and always will be two personas.

1. Superman

2. Clark Kent

What you don't understand is that Clark/Kal-El's beliefs are in both. That isn't another persona. A more realistic Clark doesn't become nerdy when he goes to work. What would happen if someone from back home saw him? While it does look better in writing, that isn't what he is about.

One persona is more vocal then the other. Clark Kent has become quieter and Superman is more vocal about his opinion. When Clark is comfortable with people, he is able to be more vocal. As a reporter though, he SHOULD be more vocal. That is what I love about this. He can't be bumbling as a reporter. Reporters have GUTS and that is something Lois has always showcased, but never Clark.

They walk a line together.

This isn't Smallville and this isn't All-Star Superman.

@RuinedGlory: Superman hasn't been good in years. It's had it's moments with a few good stories, but other then that the books is lame. I haven't collected any Superman books, but I read the posts about him to keep in touch with what is going on with. I'll read him in Justice League book, but that's about it. The last Superman book I read that I really enjoyed was 10 years ago. That was The Tomorrow People. with Jim Lee and Brian Azzerello. Other then that, it's been all garbage. Even that crap Allstar Superman book that Morrison wrote. It was so weird. So Stupid. Got to much praise.

Honestly, I think it's about dang time Clark put his foot down. I really hate that the Lois/Clark marriage is over, but obviously this is not the same Lois that Clark married, nor is this the same Clark that Lois married, so it will be good to see Clark do something on his own, and we all know he can do it. He's Superman after all.

My knee jerk reaction was blinding fury, but then I realized that the real Superman is gone and that this Superman lite is all that remains. He's basically just a different character at this point so I'm not going to waste my energy complaining. I'll just keep not buying my favorite character.

Maybe Scott Snyder will be able to do a decent Superman story.

I think my problem with Lobdell isn't his writing ability (though i don't love the wordy adolescent dialogue) it's the same problem I have with a lot of the New 52, it's the fact that instead of building on what's come before and then doing something new, they're recreating the characters into something totally different and calling them the same name just to fit the writer's fancy.

@kid Apollo: No but i have the new Qpad 2 lot bigger than the old one.

That would be cool if Clark did that for the first time in long time Superman peaked my interest with this idea.

I'm ok with this. Let's see where it goes. You guys need to read SA where Superman was actually the real person and Clark the disguise and Post-Crisis where Superman was the disguise and CK th real person. It seems that in the New-52 they are the same. That's fine with me.

@mpierce2690 said:

I'm glad to see more of an emphasis on Clark Kent, because that's truly the hero here. It might be his powers that make him super, but it's his moral compass provided by the Kents that make him not just just a hero, but the hero that all other heroes look up to.

Secondly, love the "Smallville" show shout-out via the font on his sweartshirt.

That shout out, yeah.

This is interesting. May have to read Superman after all.

Clark Kent pulls a Jerry Maguire. I like it.

Huh, I like it. I enjoy how Clark is depicted here, and I don't have any problem with how Lois is written like many people seem to. And I LOVE Rocafort's art.

This actually looks kind of good. Alright Lobdell you have my attention

I hope this turns out good.

"Not a pervert but I saw Lois' bra" - Clark Kent.

KIll Loise.... mwahahahaha ^_^

@Imagine_Man15 said:

Huh, I like it. I enjoy how Clark is depicted here, and I don't have any problem with how Lois is written like many people seem to. And I LOVE Rocafort's art.

Yeah, i agree with this. I love that he's not a milk sop and can go head to head with Lois. That's the kind of spark their relationship needs to be relevant and to make interesting comics. Also love the more dishevelled look Clark has. It makes him more interesting (though i hate Perry's new hair do. Can comic characters wear toupees?).

I didn't know Mitt Romney worked at the Daily Planet

@sesquipedalophobe said:

@bloggerboy said:

@The Mighty Monarch said:

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

But Clark Kent can't use his powers in public, has to wear glasses, ergo, Clark Kent is also a disguise, a suit.

Neither Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne are disguises. That's just rhetoric people tell themselves so they don't get nosebleeds.

THANK YOU. Finally someone that has common sense about this fact.

@sesquipedalophobe said:

@bloggerboy said:

@The Mighty Monarch said:

I'm at least glad that Lobdell recognizes that Clark Kent is not just a suit Superman wears. The best Superman writing comes from the acknowledgement that Clark Kent is the man he is in his heart, and Superman is the suit he wears; counter to Batman who is Batman in his soul whose forced to wear the mask of 'Bruce Wayne.'

But Clark Kent can't use his powers in public, has to wear glasses, ergo, Clark Kent is also a disguise, a suit.

Neither Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne are disguises. That's just rhetoric people tell themselves so they don't get nosebleeds.

THANK YOU. Finally someone that has common sense about this fact.

Those pages are wordy of Claremount proportions

I love how everyone here agrees that newspapers are completely irrevelent and that they are no longer read in the real world. While it is true that fewer people get their news from printed papers nowadays, here in Metropolis, aka New York, we still have four dailies and about 20 weeklies that actual people read. And yes, they all employ actual humans! Even if the magical day comes when everyone can afford and wants to carry a tablet made by Chinese child laborers, where exactly do we think the news is going to come from? Print may be dying but the news is not, and never will.

Clark Kent as a blogger is beyond stupid. In the real world that means he will go from having the resources to report and investigate to becoming someone who comments on other people's journalism. Hardly the proactive man of integrity he's being painted as, huh?

I find the nu52 angsty twentysomething soap opera superman worse than boring- he's downright depressing. This is supposed to be THE premier inspirational hero in the dcu, and he makes me want to hug him and recommend a good shrink.

BTW, will someone explain to me how you can used x-ray vision to read the front of a phone that is pointed away from you?.