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Post by HoM on Jul 9, 2017 9:36:03 GMT -5
Surprise! The final issue of Superwoman: For Tomorrow is now live! Because while I should have been working on Green Lantern Corps #75, I instead finished this issue and Omega Crisis #4! So as to not bother Steve in real life, I've lifted this really cool pin-up he did for the TEN YEARS LATER... PRELUDE issue and reused it here! We may get an exclusive cover down the line, but this is perfect for the moment.  If you give the issue a read, please take a minute and let us know what you thiiiiink! |
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Post by UltimateDC on Jul 12, 2017 19:35:50 GMT -5
Well that ended pretty much how I expected it to, which isn't to say it was bad. Quite the contrary; this was a tense, exciting story with action and conflict resolution driven by characterization and character relationships, which is something different and welcome. Also, I kind of want to see a prequel series about Luthor and Brainiac as two gay dads raising an evil daughter together. That sounds adorable!
This series was a pleasure to read and you did an excellent job with it. Great work.
-UDC
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Post by HoM on Jul 21, 2017 12:48:22 GMT -5
Well that ended pretty much how I expected it to, which isn't to say it was bad. Quite the contrary; this was a tense, exciting story with action and conflict resolution driven by characterization and character relationships, which is something different and welcome. Also, I kind of want to see a prequel series about Luthor and Brainiac as two gay dads raising an evil daughter together. That sounds adorable! This series was a pleasure to read and you did an excellent job with it. Great work. -UDC I've said it so many times: Lex Luthor is evil. We see the aftermath of his evil here, a pact made with Brainiac to co-opt Lena-- his own daughter-- into their never ending battle with the Man of Steel, but the Superman Revenge Squad didn't anticipate a different Kryptonian being the focus of their weapon's ire. Anyway, I have more to say but I have to head off for a bit-- to be continued! |
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Post by oblique on Aug 7, 2017 12:27:26 GMT -5
WOW. Just, wow. This was a great finale to my favorite story on this site right now, hands down. I love Kara and this issue neatly wrapped up all of the threads from the previous issues and opened the door to something I expect will be even better. I enjoyed the back-and-forth in the "Ten Years Later" timeline, but I'm also excited to see more in the future, seeing as how you mentioned yourself that Kara is now Superwoman in her own right (she's a hero for her own reasons and not just to honor Kal). In some ways, she has even transcended her cousin's legacy. I love her new-ish powers and abilities and her own roster of allies. While, of course, Lena was NEVER going to be her archnemesis, I'll admit, I did not see the final battle coming. Well played. Gorgeous action and clever writing to capture some of the nuances of telepathy, nanotechnology, and their inner battle in written form. I'm quite happy for these two lovebirds, and you did their (second) kiss justice. Lovely! (This reminds me that Lena Luthor was in Supergirl Season 2 and some fans were convinced, given the chemistry the two actors had on screen, that the show was going to take a similar route.)
I was actually quite worried (when I saw the finale subscript) that this was going to be the last Superwoman story! I was all set to write a glowing review and beg for more issues, and then I saw that the adventure will continue! Thank goodness. I see Zod is back! I wonder if Superwoman needs a new archnemesis of her own to round-out the supporting cast? I'm excited to see Lionel and what I hope will be a comedic introduction to his granddaughter's new life, although I might be missing the mark there. What a good story. Thanks, Charlie, for an amazing ride. I look forward to tomorrow, and more to come.
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Post by HoM on Aug 25, 2017 12:04:20 GMT -5
WOW. Just, wow. This was a great finale to my favorite story on this site right now, hands down. I love Kara and this issue neatly wrapped up all of the threads from the previous issues and opened the door to something I expect will be even better. I enjoyed the back-and-forth in the "Ten Years Later" timeline, but I'm also excited to see more in the future, seeing as how you mentioned yourself that Kara is now Superwoman in her own right (she's a hero for her own reasons and not just to honor Kal). In some ways, she has even transcended her cousin's legacy. I love her new-ish powers and abilities and her own roster of allies. While, of course, Lena was NEVER going to be her archnemesis, I'll admit, I did not see the final battle coming. Well played. Gorgeous action and clever writing to capture some of the nuances of telepathy, nanotechnology, and their inner battle in written form. I'm quite happy for these two lovebirds, and you did their (second) kiss justice. Lovely! (This reminds me that Lena Luthor was in Supergirl Season 2 and some fans were convinced, given the chemistry the two actors had on screen, that the show was going to take a similar route.) I was actually quite worried (when I saw the finale subscript) that this was going to be the last Superwoman story! I was all set to write a glowing review and beg for more issues, and then I saw that the adventure will continue! Thank goodness. I see Zod is back! I wonder if Superwoman needs a new archnemesis of her own to round-out the supporting cast? I'm excited to see Lionel and what I hope will be a comedic introduction to his granddaughter's new life, although I might be missing the mark there. What a good story. Thanks, Charlie, for an amazing ride. I look forward to tomorrow, and more to come. Superwoman continuing beyond this miniseries is something I think the title deserves. Heck, I wish I could continue it in the present day, along with all the other cool stories and characters I’m playing around with (I’m trying to figure out how to make that happen, so bear with me). That said, there’s no ETA on when she’ll be back, but I came up with a handful of stories through the run of the book that need to be told at some point, so I think we’ll probably see either one-shots set after the finale, or I’ll deliver-- after I finish every other ‘Ten Years Later’ title I’ve started, including Omega Crisis-- the anthology series I’ve mentioned elsewhere, called Decade. Decade would features stories set in the ten year period and after the event series itself. I have one for the Tim Wayne Batman I want to do which will be bat shit crazy but I think you can tell from everything I’ve said across the site that I’m worried about over-committing myself! Regarding Superwoman as a mantle, I think it’s important to note that at this point, she’s been a hero on Earth longer than Superman would have been. I think we pretty much stated that the timeline for our superheroes starts with his debut (the only hero being around longer in the Modern Age being Batman, who started two years before that) and she debuted six, maybe seven years into that, so she’ll have had a few years in his shadow as Supergirl before he leaves Earth. The world would have accepted her eventually, and she’s cast of that shadow, so who are they going to trust more now? Him or her? Oh, I think I just got an idea for another Decade story… On the topic of Kara’s ‘new powers’, I think I’ve mentioned it before but it comes from a conversation with Don, who I would always go to if I was having troubling breaking a story. We talked about how in the Age, Superman would develop amazing new powers depending on the story, and I think I was talking to him about that time the character demonstrated the amazing ability to… fire a miniature version of himself from his palm. And then there was super-ventriloquism. Which is like… why? Extrapolating that out, what would a 21st century version of this trend lead to? Being able to throw one’s voice is very pedestrian in the grand scheme of superpowers, even if you append that with ‘super’, but what if your eyes could see down to a molecular level, so you can theoretically see into computers and the flow of electricity, the flow of impulses, and then do things with your voice box that could interact with that? Superwoman is a very 21st century character, so we haven’t begun to see the end of what she can do. This is just the start of something very cool that we have the opportunity to do with her. I remember reading about the rapport that Katie McGrath (Lena) and Melissa Benoist (Kara) have in the ‘ Supergirl’ show and that played a small role in the change in their relationship in the DC2, but at the same time, the way I was writing, and the way the characters ended up interacting and emoting at each other, this was a natural place for their relationship to end up. We could have very easily gone the boring route and had another ‘generation’ of Els and Luthors feuding, but what’s the point? When some feedback in the earlier issues mentioned that their interactions felt very flirty, that hammered home the point that my writing was apparently trying to make to me—these two needed to end up together. You’ll see where that takes them in Omega Crisis, especially after the events of the second issue. One of the reasons I actually wanted to use Lena wasn’t because of her appearance in the TV show (I don’t watch it at all regularly) but because of her appearances in early 2000s Superman comics, where she became Brainiac 13’s apprentice. She became a very real character at that point, and I’m a firm believer in the earlier comics you read shaping your fandom. Anyway, when I wrap every other extraneous story I’ve started or plotted or teased on the site I’ll sit down and get to work on Decade, but before all that I have to finish Omega Crisis. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading! |
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Post by HoM on Aug 25, 2017 12:11:41 GMT -5
And I think it goes without saying that the artistic contribution to the series meant so much to how I shaped the book and how it was received. Steve Howard’s design work visualised Kara in a way that I didn’t think possible, and putting Kara and Karen next to each other in that first issue’s cover was perfect. Their relationship to each other made perfect sense and I hope that it showed in the writing. It also made me want to introduce Karen into the Justice League title proper, but that might be a while away at this point. Soon though, I hope!
Roy’s pinch-hitter of a cover for #2 was great, because I suddenly realised I had an additional story to tell in what was initially planned to only be three issues. He stepped up, took Steve’s design and put his own spin on them in a way that blew my mind.
Steve came back for #3 and my god, he took a nonsense pitch and delivered. Supergirl Red! Supergirl Blue! Electric Superwoman! Nuclear Woman! Power Woman! Devil Supergirl! Fem-Neutron! Lioness-headed Supergirl! The creepiest Toyman and the ultimate ‘Nope!’ Prankster! Not only do you see his eye for design but there’s almost an evolution of Kara’s costumes there, as each iteration demonstrates a different point in time and an adventure that happened but we weren’t witness to. Plus, look at that pitch perfect Mxyzptlk!
Thanks to both my collaborators on the book, and thank you to anyone who read or reads this project. I’m very proud of it.
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Post by oblique on Aug 26, 2017 12:19:31 GMT -5
Decade would features stories set in the ten year period and after the event series itself. I have one for the Tim Wayne Batman I want to do which will be bat shit crazy but I think you can tell from everything I’ve said across the site that I’m worried about over-committing myself! Regarding Superwoman as a mantle, I think it’s important to note that at this point, she’s been a hero on Earth longer than Superman would have been. I think we pretty much stated that the timeline for our superheroes starts with his debut (the only hero being around longer in the Modern Age being Batman, who started two years before that) and she debuted six, maybe seven years into that, so she’ll have had a few years in his shadow as Supergirl before he leaves Earth. The world would have accepted her eventually, and she’s cast of that shadow, so who are they going to trust more now? Him or her? Oh, I think I just got an idea for another Decade story… I remember reading about the rapport that Katie McGrath (Lena) and Melissa Benoist (Kara) have in the ‘ Supergirl’ show and that played a small role in the change in their relationship in the DC2, but at the same time, the way I was writing, and the way the characters ended up interacting and emoting at each other, this was a natural place for their relationship to end up. We could have very easily gone the boring route and had another ‘generation’ of Els and Luthors feuding, but what’s the point? When some feedback in the earlier issues mentioned that their interactions felt very flirty, that hammered home the point that my writing was apparently trying to make to me—these two needed to end up together. You’ll see where that takes them in Omega Crisis, especially after the events of the second issue. One of the reasons I actually wanted to use Lena wasn’t because of her appearance in the TV show (I don’t watch it at all regularly) but because of her appearances in early 2000s Superman comics, where she became Brainiac 13’s apprentice. She became a very real character at that point, and I’m a firm believer in the earlier comics you read shaping your fandom. Anyway, when I wrap every other extraneous story I’ve started or plotted or teased on the site I’ll sit down and get to work on Decade, but before all that I have to finish Omega Crisis. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading! I can't wait for more! I think your Superwoman, her new powers, and her relationship with Lena all deserve a continuation. Decade sounds like a ton of fun. It definitely feels like, and this is a compliment to how this story worked so well, Superwoman has been on Earth for a long time and truly established herself there. The tendency, and appeal, to retell origin stories and keep characters like Superman operating on Earth in such a limited time span (look at the New 52 and it's bizarre insistence that every superhero had only been in the public eye for jsut five years) is so limiting! I moved back through the New 52 and found a wealth of stories that played on how more established character and world dynamics can be just as, if not more interesting, than an origin story. In a remarkable achievement, Superwoman got to be both. I didn't know that Lena was a character in the comics, not that it's surprising, of course. It's so true that the earlier comics (and, perhaps, television shows) shape your fandom! Justice League introduced me to their Big Seven and John Stewart's place in my mind as the Green Lantern. The Batman (not the Timmverse) was my foundation for Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. When I started reading comics, the first stories I really got into defined my favorite characters. That said, it's been a real treat discovering new characters and new versions of their adventures on this site. Superwoman happened to receive a boost (for me) from the coincidentally concurrent show! And, yes, the covers were amazing. Such a strong, stunning vision for a superheroine. Her outfit was a pitch-perfect evolution of Superman's. Loved this story and look forward to more, no matter how long it takes. Your dedication to the craft, and this site, is very impressive. I hope new readers like me are a worthy reward. SaveSave |
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Post by HoM on Dec 3, 2017 13:30:36 GMT -5
I can't wait for more! I think your Superwoman, her new powers, and her relationship with Lena all deserve a continuation. Decade sounds like a ton of fun. It definitely feels like, and this is a compliment to how this story worked so well, Superwoman has been on Earth for a long time and truly established herself there. The tendency, and appeal, to retell origin stories and keep characters like Superman operating on Earth in such a limited time span (look at the New 52 and it's bizarre insistence that every superhero had only been in the public eye for jsut five years) is so limiting! I moved back through the New 52 and found a wealth of stories that played on how more established character and world dynamics can be just as, if not more interesting, than an origin story. In a remarkable achievement, Superwoman got to be both. I think the problem I have right now is that even when I'm struggling to write, I don't struggle to come up with ideas. My Notes app on my phone is filled with midnight ravings that keep me up, and unfortunately the majority of them are DC2-related, because those are the properties I'm closest to. I have some stuff occur to me for my original work (' Richard Faraday, Ghost Detective'!) but it's always tidbits for the future of Justice League or the continuation of Green Lantern Corps. Decade has two stories that I could launch into at any time, but I have to focus on the bread-and-butter content like Justice League. All this stuff is so niche, but do I want to go niche in a niche? Probably not. I think the two differing view points David and I had between Superwoman and Superman for Ten Years Later fuelled my writing on that story, and I like how conflict-- however unimportant or non-existent in reality-- can push us to write something that's actually challenging. I didn't know that Lena was a character in the comics, not that it's surprising, of course. It's so true that the earlier comics (and, perhaps, television shows) shape your fandom! Justice League introduced me to their Big Seven and John Stewart's place in my mind as the Green Lantern. The Batman (not the Timmverse) was my foundation for Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. When I started reading comics, the first stories I really got into defined my favorite characters. That said, it's been a real treat discovering new characters and new versions of their adventures on this site. Superwoman happened to receive a boost (for me) from the coincidentally concurrent show! When I was first getting into comics, I picked up a load of nineties Superman trades. Your stalwarts, really, e.g. "The Death of...", "World Without...", "The Return of...", but also outliers like "Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite", "Bizarro World", etc. That's my era of Superman, when Supergirl was Matrix, when Lex Luthor was Australian and had a full head of hair... but later on, when the Jeph Loeb-led 2000s soft relaunch occured, I picked up those trades as well, which led into "President Lex", " Our Worlds At War" and beyond. Lena played a massive role in the latter as a human-Brainiac hybrid for Brainiac 13, and the stories there really resonated, so it felt worthwhile to introduce her as a character into the DC2 mythos in her own way. And, yes, the covers were amazing. Such a strong, stunning vision for a superheroine. Her outfit was a pitch-perfect evolution of Superman's. Loved this story and look forward to more, no matter how long it takes. Your dedication to the craft, and this site, is very impressive. I hope new readers like me are a worthy reward. I wish Steve stuck around to do more, and maybe one day he'll send over the cover to #4 he was working on, but I won't push him or bug him about it. He was always a great asset to the site, but there were some artists who had a life outside the site and you didn't want to bug them. Folks like Craig and Ramon now. Plus, in this day and age, we're damn lucky to have folks like Roy and Jamie working for free on something as small-scale and unimportant as the DC2! And yes, I'm really pleased you've stuck around as long as you have, Oblique. I'd like to think I'd continue writing with or without an audience, but there have been some really fallow periods where I question everything I'm doing! NO PRESSURE OR ANYTHING |
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Post by oblique on Dec 6, 2017 18:39:14 GMT -5
Not to worry, I'm not going anywhere. I might work at a truly sluggish pace, but I'm happy to read, review, and comment.
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