For the last week or so DC Comics had been trickling out the covers and solicits to their October comics. First we got a look at DC's upcoming Batman titles, and then DC revealed the covers and solicits to their Justice League and Young Justice books. Yesterday we caught a glimpse at all the rest, including a few variant covers to the second issues of some of their biggest upcoming books. Probably the most interesting of the bunch, however, has to be the second issue to Grant Morrison and Rags Morales' Action Comics #2.

We know that with all the new 52 #1's the DC Universe is set to undergo some massive changes, but the character that seems to be getting the biggest face lift also happens to be the face of DC Comics. Yesterday we talked about the two costumes DC is giving Superman; one full outfit fully equipped with a belt and a cape, and another very Superboy-esque look with a shorter cape, blue jeans and a t-shirt. But that's the least of Superman's upcoming changes.

According to a recent announcement, in the new Superman revamp, fans will witness Clark Kent the bachelor. That's right, that Superman and Lois Lane marriage never happened starting this September. Oh, and that's not all. The Superman we'll be reading in the upcoming Action Comics series will focus on Superman's history as a youth as well as his struggle to control his powers.

[Action Comics will focus on a] younger, more brooding" Man of Steel adjusting to his adopted homeworld. His powers are still in development at this point, as he "can leap tall buildings but can't fly in space."

This might explain the crazy new cover to the second issue where Supes is seen strapped to an electric chair which will leave you wondering whether Superman in Action Comics #2 is more enemy of the state than he is the protector and superhero we know him to be. While all of DC's major characters will be getting a little bit of a revamp, the most prominent seems to be Superman whose entire identity is seemingly shifting. So why all the changes to Superman? DC's co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee both discussed the changes to all of their characters in a recent interview with Newsarama, but more specifically, why they decided to change Superman. The answer? The same one DC's been dishing out since news of the revamp hit.

But we also wanted to get back to some of the grass roots of the character. And some of the best ways to do that is to really go back to the early days of the character, where you see him in his formative years, learning his powers, and learning how people react to him, as we'll be examining in Action Comics. But also, we want to re-examine his relationships, because we think there's a lot of fertile ground about him and the people he deals with."

Yet when asked whether or not the felt the character felt a little bit stale, Didio responded that indeed the character does feel a little bit "old."

I think in some cases, he felt a little old. We've made Superman such an iconic figure over the years that we've lost some of the character and the ability to tell stories with that character. There's so much continuity that's been built on this character. We really wanted to get a Superman that is more accessible to the audience...One of the reasons we did it with Superman is it was done once before, and very successfully. We're hoping for the same luck here.

In fact, Superman does indeed feel a little bit old, but that might be because he is old. 73 years old, to be exact. However, Superman hasn't been the same character for the last 73 years. Superman was first introduced in Action Comics #1 in 1938 and while the character has certainly evolved and changed more than one time throughout the years, (Golden Age, Silver Age, John Byrne's The Man of Steel), the relaunch of Action Comics #1 this September might be the biggest change the character has ever endured. And while DC might say that the changes are happening because the creators want to get to the characters "roots," it might have a little bit to do with what they aren't talking about, the loss of Superman's appearance in Action Comics #1 to the Siegel and Schuster estates.

A recent article over at Variety cited a report from the Columbia Journal of the Law and the Arts, the 7th Circuit of Appeals Judge Richard Posner's decision regarding the Superman case was influenced by the verdict of Neil Gaiman's suit against Todd McFarlane which was settled last July.

[The decision] ...Could provide the rationale for both parties to continue legally exploiting" Superman. Posner determined that Gaiman's "Medieval Spawn" was "sufficiently distinct" to justify a separate character copyright from the original Spawn.

You can read more details about the Neil Gaiman v. Todd McFarlane law suit here.What the ruling essentially comes down to is the fact that DC can continue to make Superman stories, but the stories they do make cannot be based on Superman's appearance in Action Comics #1. Which might be one reason why Superman is being completely reworked in Grant Morrison's Action Comics #1, set to release this September.

So what exactly do they have to change, and how much of the character will stay the same? Superman's first appearance in Action Comics #1 stated that he could "raise tremendous weights," and "run faster than an express train." Not only was it Superman's first appearance, it was also the first time Clark asked Lois Lane out on a date. And she accepted. We already know that those two won't be together in the upcoming new series, so what else do you think will change? Are you looking forward to Action Comics #1 this fall?

Honestly, most of these changes are the epitome of regressive storytelling and are just downright awful.

I really think that both ways could be a good idea. I think it would be better if they don't change him too much that way fan will still know his character.

A new take on Superman will be interesting as the character's gotten a bit stale in the past few years, All-Star Superman notwithstanding.
 
Nevertheless, I'm a bit worried about this notion of a new "broodier" Superman that has been rumored. I don't mind a hero lamenting how super-powered he is and the responsibilities attributed to that but PLEASE, no emo Superman!

I hope so.

I am open to all of it. The losses inquired are necessary evils for the overall improvement of the DC brand and the medium/industry as a whole.

Big thing for me is the reasons they give for why superman is a hero, it used to be a great nurture vs nature thing with ma and pa kent being essential to supes being the good "boyscout". 
 
Now if he no longer feels as if he is a citizen of earth and there has been no mention really of the kents, why will he decide to fight crime and what not.

So basically, Superman Earth-One?

I still can't get over that fact DC is actually billing him as "more brooding". They are making him a brooding protagonist. I want to laugh. The only thing missing is them saying "This isn't your father's Superman". Then the cliche would be complete. Back in the 90's, every publisher was trying to brooding hero angle, and almost none of them ever lasted. Thankfully, the Emo days of heroes have passed, but DC seems to be trying to revive it in Superman.
 
Batman is a brooding character, but that's all based around who he is. That's not Superman. Batman is the Dark Knight, Superman is the boyscout, and Wonder Woman is the Amazonian Warrior.
 
I still can't see how they can possible keep pushing this idea that this is a "revamp" and not a "reboot.".  You can't remove major events of a character's life as if they never happened (such as the marriage) and pretend you're only "revamping". It more seems that DC is just worried about the stigma that comes with the word "Reboot".

I wonder how much of this change is being driven by the fresh. new take the next Superman film supposedly has. Or was all this already well known enough in advance that these changes are actually affecting, influencing & reflected in the film. It wasn't lost on me that Wonder Woman's costume in the new Justice League advertisements is exactly the same as the one she was going to wear in that NBC series, that failed to green light. DC is clearly aligning all their media in sync. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy playing Superman is wearing the new JIm Lee designed costume, or that design work from the Green Lantern movie starts seeping into the Green Lantern titles.

Honestly, most of these changes are the epitome of regressive storytelling and are just downright awful.

So basically, Superman Earth-One?

@jointron33: 
Amen brother.

Awesome Article Babs! I am beside myself with excitement Golden Age Superman was the only version of Superman I consider valid and now he is FREE!!! FREE to roam the Comics OMNIVERSE. Which to me is a fitting reward for the first Superhero that mattered. God bless the heirs and the lawsuit, can't wait to read the REAL new first issue in 2013!!! 
  

Sounds good =) 
Thanks for the article

But we also wanted to get back to some of the grass roots of the character.

 Funny they say that, when they're no where near grass roots of a character.

Hm...interesting I might actually read this.

So basically, Superman Earth-One?

I trust Grant Morrison.

If it were anyone but Grant Morrison, I'd say hell no. But I'll give this a chance.

Let's see what happens

Sounds kind of like a return to some Golden Age roots for the Man of Steel with all this...at least partially anyway. I'm still on board!

@Croi said:

So basically, Superman Earth-One?

but written by Grant Morrison.

I guess the Superman logo here is the redesigned one. More or less anyway.

All Star and Batman have earned my trust in Morrison, so I'm looking forward to this.

I trust Grant Morrison.

                I still can't get over that fact DC is actually billing him as "more brooding". They are making him a brooding protagonist. I want to laugh. The only thing missing is them saying "This isn't your father's Superman". Then the cliche would be complete. Back in the 90's, every publisher was trying to brooding hero angle, and almost none of them ever lasted. Thankfully, the Emo days of heroes have passed, but DC seems to be trying to revive it in Superman.
 
Batman is a brooding character, but that's all based around who he is. That's not Superman. Batman is the Dark Knight, Superman is the boyscout, and Wonder Woman is the Amazonian Warrior.
 
I still can't see how they can possible keep pushing this idea that this is a "revamp" and not a "reboot.".  You can't remove major events of a character's life as if they never happened (such as the marriage) and pretend you're only "revamping". It more seems that DC is just worried about the stigma that comes with the word "Reboot".
           

Let's see what happens

I don't like the idea of a brooding Superman, he's not the type. Plus This Superman sounds so different. And there is ALOT of Goldenage within the character thats obvious since back in the 40s Superman wasn't the nice boyscout then either till a little bit later from then.
 
But the interesting thing is if there is NO marriage and Ma and Pa Kent are killed off, I think it might be difficult to tell good stories with Clark I mean the reason why Man Of Steel was good was because of his interaction with his parents other people in his life who knew he was Superman. So this Clark is more Kal EL and from what I have read about it is adjusting to Earth so this guy was what? 10 when he was placed in the rocket from the doomed planet krypton to remember it? and at 17 Ma and Pa Died? Is that what they are saying? 
 
I'm just a lil confused as to what his story is without having to wear the cape and suit. After all Clark has always been Clark Kent he was never Superman that was just a disguise for him to help people. 
 
And since this erases the Marriage does that mean The Death of Superman is gone too? So No more Doomsday either.

Where is Lex?

Do any of the changes effect Superman or just Action Comics?

Do any of the changes effect Superman or just Action Comics?

I've never been this excited about Supes before. Tear down the fat sacred cows and do something new, I'm all for it.

I'm going to wait until the new comic comes out before forming any solid opinion. It's fun to speculate but I like to avoid as many spoliers as I can. After All Star Superman we know Grant Morrison can write a very good Superman story. It may be a little to quirky for some, but not for me. The more I read about the DC relaunch the more excited I get.

I thought we were done with brooding heroes! And doing it to Superman? He's THE Good Guy Hero. I'm sorry Mr. Morrison but you're not that good! Well, you are, but it's still not enough.

I never read any of the superman comics, so I don't really have an opinion for this.

I rarely trust Grant Morrison these days, but seeing as though i don't care about Supes I'm willing to actually read Morrison write him. If he butchers him it'd be no sweat off my back and I'm sure I'd get an amusing read out of it all.  
 
@jointron33 said:

Honestly, most of these changes are the epitome of regressive storytelling and are just downright awful.

Aw man is Superman going to be a jerk now? I'm so sad.

Grant Morrison's a great writer, most of the time, but this still sounds like crap. Do we REALLY need a broody Superman?? I'll give it a read, but I'm still calling this an eventually doomed endeavor, basically "Heroes Reborn, Take Two". Hell it's even got some of the same players behind it. 
 
I'm taking bets on how long this "change" will last. Two - Three years tops. Maybe ONE, since this IS the current DC we're talking about. If it doesn't crap money immediately they quickly try to change their universe. They've been doing it since Infinite Crisis.

isn't that what kind of made superman different than everyone else? that (i only saw from comments and heard his recent stories had forced him to be whiny but beside the point) he never really was some brooding, scary character? he never got dark because, well, he's superman? what's to get dark about when you're almost omnipotent? i'm sure that forced the stories to get stale, but don't change the character, change the stories. you can't tell me that everyone looked at the palate that was the dc universe and said "...well, i have no idea what to do!" that's just not possible. no one was a creative writer? it's goddamn comic books! maybe instead of making jim lee anything (amazing artist when he's on time and a decent writer but come on) and since i have heard everyone loves geoff johns take on green lantern, maybe make him and morrison (i know, huge stretch) in charge if only because you take a look at what he did to just the batman universe and it was fantastic. superman didn't have to go down this route, but the powers that be i like to imagine shoved a bunch of papers, pencils and old superman comics and just shouted in a really belligerent manner "just change 'em!" into morrison's arms. he did all-star superman for god's sake. he can make the guy have deep stories without going all "he's totally gonna rock jeans. that's so contemporary!" it just really seems lazy. it's kind of the marvel's ultimate universe but with the histor-wait nope because apparently some stuff partially never happened. y'know some of those stories we read that were some of the best things we ever read might be totally taken out of consideration to meet current standards? genius! so it's One More Day, but for everybody ever. Hm. I know it sounds like i'm just complaining nonstop (and i don't even really like superman) but again, the only thing that makes me think this is even remotely acceptable is that this is some sort of deal where in two years everything goes back to what it was. i generally hate that stuff too, but this is stuff that i'll give a chance the same way i did when i first cracked open American Vampire and Morning Glories. and that should not be on the same level as characters that i grew up reading. that's just awkward.

Really what they are doing here is saying F**K YOU! To the heirs of the shuster and siegel, And what the artists and writers did in the last 73 years...And just as big F**K YOU AND LIKE US F**KING YOU! To all the readers and fans by telling us this farce is to give us a new take on these characters 

Honestly, most of these changes are the epitome of regressive storytelling and are just downright awful.