Last year brought some pretty epic changes to the world of Superman, and as crazy as it sounds, 2019 may have it beat! With so much on the horizon, we have some pretty big questions about what awaits the Man of Steel, and we know you do as well. That’s why we hosted a special Reddit AMA with Super-scribe Brian Michael Bendis yesterday, who answered questions about upcoming events like “Leviathan Rising” and other things Kal-El will be facing down in the months to come. He also revealed some new details about YOUNG JUSTICE, NAOMI and Jinxworld, and shared some nifty never-before-seen art.
If you missed out on the AMA action, don’t worry. We’re here with some of its most intriguing highlights—including the new art Bendis shared from ACTION COMICS #1012, SUPERMAN #10, NAOMI #6 and PEARL #10, which you can find parsed out below.
ACTION COMICS #1012 cover art by Jamal Campbell
While Bendis was heartbreakingly vague when it comes to much of “Leviathan Rising,” he did give us a sense of what criminal organizations will be involved:
Read ACTION COMICS starting with issue 1007 and you will have a very good sense about who is going to be involved and why. I think some people will be VERY surprised with who comes out of the woodwork on this one. Leviathan is targeting the major organizations of the DC Universe. That's a lot of very interesting DC continuity. Checkmate, Leviathan, DEO, Cadmus, ARGUS, Kobra Cult... lots of players from all over DC are involved.
With the debut of Krypton last year, it appears that many Superman fans have also become fans of Adam Strange. Well, good news! The zeta beam surfing sci-fi hero will be returning to the pages of Superman and Action, along with a much more surprising DC hero:
Adam Strange is in both ACTION COMICS and SUPERMAN! He is part of what is going on with Rogol Zaar, and is witness to a major catastrophe in LEVIATHAN RISING. Meanwhile, the Question is all over ACTION COMICS and is front and center in the big hinted at DC mystery event we are cooking for this summer. I posted some yummy Epting Question art on my Instagram this weekend!
SUPERMAN #10 art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado
He also shared another—much quirkier—thing we have to look forward to in the pages of Action Comics:
Clark goes undercover in issue #1010 of ACTION COMICS. He grows facial hair by flexing his jaw muscles. I am not lying! Undercover Clark's name is Chaz and he looks exactly like Bradley Cooper in AMERICAN HUSTLE. Lois loves Chaz.
Bendis also answered quite a few questions on YOUNG JUSTICE, his new series with artist Patrick Gleason that kicked off Bendis’ new Wonder Comics imprint. One of the most intriguing bits of information is that the final Young Justice lineup hasn’t yet been revealed.
He also discussed his overall plans for the series, including how the characters and storyline will unfold:
Pat and I are going to be telling you the main thrust story of what's going on with Gemworld, really opening up that whole part of the DC Universe, and showing some connection between things that you may not have known before. It's such a fun place to tell stories. And in every issue, like issue two, we will be focusing on what's been going on with one of the beloved characters who hasn't had a lot of screen/panel time in a while. So issue three is a very big Connor Kent issue! For people who have been missing him, you're going to be very happy. Also each flashback has a clue to how all of this could be happening. There is a lot of question whether these characters are in continuity or not because of their storied past. That is all going to be dealt with in a very interesting way through these flashbacks as the audience gets to put together all of the clues, maybe even before the characters can!
Naomi #6 cover art by Jamal Campbell
When asked who they would focus on in issues #4, #5 and #6, Bendis gave the following answer:
Amethyst (by Jon Timms) gets the spotlight in issue 4. We also have a Stephanie Brown and Tim Drake sequence by Kris Anka in issue 5, with more Tim in issue 6. And favorite artist Elena Casagrande also joins the team as she delivers a look at Jinny Hex’s origins.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Bendis if he didn’t also use the opportunity to have a little fun. One fan asked if he had any favorite silly Silver Age Superman covers:
YUP. Oh God yes! Here are a few of my favorites ...
SUPERMAN #162: https://www.dccomics.com/sites/default/files/imce/2018/04-APR/sup162c-01_5ad0fc72002f18.66467780.jpg
SUPERMAN'S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #40: https://www.dccomics.com/sites/default/files/imce/2019/02-FEB/Lois_Lane-040-00_5c6c9738eb59e0.85436387.jpg
SUPERMAN'S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #99: https://www.dccomics.com/sites/default/files/imce/2019/02-FEB/Lois_Lane099_01fc_5c6c97d4ef1a22.03303190.jpg
He also gave his thoughts on who would win in a fight between Grant Morrison and Alan Moore:
Alan Moore's mage powers are not to be f**ked with!
PEARL #10 cover art by Michael Gaydos
Who are we to argue with that? You can read all of Bendis’ AMA by clicking here. And be sure to pick up NAOMI #2 by Bendis, David F. Walker and Jamal Campbell, available today in print and as a digital download. Haven't yet checked out Bendis' Superman? You can start at the beginning with SUPERMAN VOL. 1: THE UNITY SAGA - PHANTOM EARTH by Bendis, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Oclair Albert, in comic shops on 2/27!
