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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134159
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| Posted: 19 August 2024 at 3:04pm | IP Logged | 1
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LINKA generally positive view, but scroll down a bit and find that one of my ideas DC rejected was introducing Lois Lane as Luthor’s mistress. Nuh-uh. That idea originated with Marv Wolfman, and I rejected it before we even got started.
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Michael Hogan
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2066
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| Posted: 19 August 2024 at 3:47pm | IP Logged | 2
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I echo the general sentiment of the article, though. What
an accomplishment, sir.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 19 August 2024 at 5:25pm | IP Logged | 3
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While it’s flattering that so many people applaud my work on Superman, I can’t help feeling it would have been so much better if DC had been honest with me. They hired me to “reboot” the character, and everything I did was approved by editorial, all the way to the top, but after a few months I realized what they really wanted was some superstar to goose the sales without actually changing anything.
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Michael Hogan
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2066
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| Posted: 19 August 2024 at 6:25pm | IP Logged | 4
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I understand your position, JB.
My comment stems from this: I fell in love with the
Superman character as a VERY young boy watching George
Reeves on television. Advancing a few years (about age
14) and learning there were comics books that regaled his
adventures, I was overjoyed. I picked some up and say a
guy in the suit that had super-ventriloquism and that
good see things on other planets, not to mention all the
other baggage with which he had been encumbered over the
years.
Fast forward again to my mid-twenties, I heard about DC's
reboot. I picked up THE MAN OF STEEL. Lo and behold,
there was the Superman I had loved. A guy who was a
great bit more relatable. And NOT omnipotent.
So my inner grade-schooler thanks you.
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Steven Myers
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5725
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| Posted: 19 August 2024 at 8:51pm | IP Logged | 5
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I've never been able to read Superman comics for an extended period of time. I did recently read (some of which I had never read) the Byrne reboot run including the non-Byrne companion comics. From reading commentary about the reboot and your comments on various threads here I think the linked article above puts too much credit and blame on Byrne. DC had started reworking characters such as Brainiac before Crisis, and Marv Wolfman was discussing the reboot with editorial when they decided to offer the deal to you. So it became the "Byrne Reboot" because bringing you in was the most exciting part. But, as you've said, you couldn't do anything without the ok of the higher ups.
Still my favorite part of the reboot is having Ma and Pa Kent around! Really great idea, as it kept Clark very grounded and human!
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Jason Ditzel
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
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Posts: 448
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| Posted: 19 August 2024 at 9:19pm | IP Logged | 6
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Comic book information was so difficult to come by for a middle schooler turned h.s. freshmen back in 1986. I learned about your Superman move from regular media channels. DC was promoting it in magazines and on TV. I had never read a Superman nor DC comic until MoS #1. Their promotion worked on me.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134159
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| Posted: 19 August 2024 at 11:24pm | IP Logged | 7
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I miss the days when information came only through house ads. I still think about all those kids who walked into their local drugstores and newsstands and saw SUPERMAN vs THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN on the rack with no idea it was coming!
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Mark McMurray
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 217
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| Posted: 20 August 2024 at 12:37am | IP Logged | 8
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JB said:
I still think about all those kids who walked into their local drugstores and newsstands and saw SUPERMAN vs THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN on the rack with no idea it was coming!
******
That was me!
I was 8 years old and my head almost exploded when my Dad handed it to me. Loved everything about it down to the Infantino cover roughs included in the back. Still have my original copy :) |
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
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| Posted: 20 August 2024 at 12:48am | IP Logged | 9
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You just warmed my cockles, Mark!
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Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4916
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| Posted: 20 August 2024 at 1:03am | IP Logged | 10
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Let's face it - Superman really needed some retooling whether DC editorial ultimately thought so or not. Over the years they managed to undo many of the changes that were made, but the changes had to be made.
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Brian ONeill
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 July 2024
Posts: 74
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| Posted: 20 August 2024 at 5:16am | IP Logged | 11
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The 'Cary Bates' Superman was in dire need of an overhaul('page 3, Steve Lombard routine; page 4, Clark runs away, Lana says 'Luv', and Josh Coyle says 'Ohhh, my ulcer!'; page 5 ALIENS!...) , and JB delivered!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 20 August 2024 at 12:40pm | IP Logged | 12
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Long before I was anywhere near taking on Superman I was chatting with a couple of DC writers and mentioned a Joker story I had in mind. “It opens with Superman walking down the street,” I started. “No!” they cut me off. “Superman always flies on the splash page!”Eventually I did my story, as planned, and the world did not come to an end.
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