James Harvey
02-04-2002, 10:41 AM
The comic website <a href="http://www.comicon.com/newsarama">Comic Newsarama</a> recently interviewed Jeph Loeb about the current changes happening in the Superman titles, including the long-awaited drop of the "sheilds" on each cover. Below is an excerpt:
NRAMA: The Superman books have dropped the triangles that kept the four series in “order.” Did you guys have a say in this decision?
JL: Gawd, I hated the triangles - and I'm a collector. The idea that you had to go from here to here to here - it was like "Where's Waldo" with your comics. We went to Eddie and proposed a compromise. When we do a four-part story - like for example when we did “Return to Krypton” - we bring back the "Shields" for R2K Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Otherwise, the stories take place "around the same time." There are stories that are two and three parters in Adventures and Action and Man of Steel in the next few months that run concurrently with single issues that are in Superman. It means that sometimes the subplots aren't going to hitch up perfectly, but it won't be from lack of trying.
It's the nature of serialized storytelling since some stories are being told month to month; and others are being told one month at a time. Hopefully, the readers can enjoy each flavor while still getting a Superman story each week. And it's not just our franchise. Spidey now has Amazing, Ultimate, Team-Up, and Peter Parker. Batman has Batman, Detective, Gotham Knights, and Legends. The X-Men has New, Uncanny, Ultimate and X-treme. Good company to keep. Good reading!
Right now, we're telling stories that don't intersect with the other books. But, if Jimmy breaks his arm in Man of Steel, he should have a cast on in the other books, or we should try and explain he’s not wearing one. Will there be stories that cross into each other in the future? Sure. That's another way to tell stories. But, it won't happen until July. That much I know.
As to how do I store my comics? I put them in alphabetically. And if I want to find out what book shipped with Adventures that month? I look in the letters' pages -- where Eddie usually details the books for that week or month.
To reasd the complete interview, which contains ALOT of spoilers, go <a href="http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000122">HERE</a>.
NRAMA: The Superman books have dropped the triangles that kept the four series in “order.” Did you guys have a say in this decision?
JL: Gawd, I hated the triangles - and I'm a collector. The idea that you had to go from here to here to here - it was like "Where's Waldo" with your comics. We went to Eddie and proposed a compromise. When we do a four-part story - like for example when we did “Return to Krypton” - we bring back the "Shields" for R2K Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Otherwise, the stories take place "around the same time." There are stories that are two and three parters in Adventures and Action and Man of Steel in the next few months that run concurrently with single issues that are in Superman. It means that sometimes the subplots aren't going to hitch up perfectly, but it won't be from lack of trying.
It's the nature of serialized storytelling since some stories are being told month to month; and others are being told one month at a time. Hopefully, the readers can enjoy each flavor while still getting a Superman story each week. And it's not just our franchise. Spidey now has Amazing, Ultimate, Team-Up, and Peter Parker. Batman has Batman, Detective, Gotham Knights, and Legends. The X-Men has New, Uncanny, Ultimate and X-treme. Good company to keep. Good reading!
Right now, we're telling stories that don't intersect with the other books. But, if Jimmy breaks his arm in Man of Steel, he should have a cast on in the other books, or we should try and explain he’s not wearing one. Will there be stories that cross into each other in the future? Sure. That's another way to tell stories. But, it won't happen until July. That much I know.
As to how do I store my comics? I put them in alphabetically. And if I want to find out what book shipped with Adventures that month? I look in the letters' pages -- where Eddie usually details the books for that week or month.
To reasd the complete interview, which contains ALOT of spoilers, go <a href="http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000122">HERE</a>.