This week Jorn Romita’s first Superman comic debuts, a fairly notable event in that Romita has been known all his career for his Marvel work. DC pulled out the big PR guns and the Times covers the move:
For comics fans, Mr. Romita’s change to DC from Marvel is the equivalent of Derek Jeter leaving the Yankees to play for the Mets.
Mr. Romita used a different metaphor: “DC and Marvel are like Coke and Pepsi,” he said, explaining that his decision to move was about trying new things. “Staying at Marvel, I would’ve been doing the same stuff, character wise.”
I think I like Romita’s metaphor a little better. As you may recall, Romita became a “free agent” last year and was roaming around looking for new work and ended up drawing the Man of Steel, in a version which debuts Wednesday in Superman #32 by Geoff Johns, Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson.
Long time Marvel artists going over to DC have had some mixed results — Marvel-storytelling is actually very different from DC’s background-heavy style. People tell me this book is kind of its own thing outside the New 52, so it could be worth checking out aside from the crosstown rivalry aspect.
John Romita Jr. is one of the best artist to be working in the busines in the past 20 years, and very likely the best storyteller. Should be interesing to see what he can do with Superman.
Never really understood the appeal of this man’s art.
How is it outside the new 52? Superman is in the Jim Lee Armor, and it’s written by Geoff Johns, one of the architects of the reboot.
Yeah – gotta go with what Zach says here. What does “outside of the new 52” mean when it’s written by Geoff Johns and is clearly the Jim Lee redesign of the suit? And it’s in the regular Superman book – not a special one shot or whatever. It isn’t like this is an issue of the now cancelled Adventures of Superman title or something – this is the core continuity.
(Unless you’re saying that this isn’t like the New 52 Superman we’ve been stuck with for the last few years and they’re once again trying something “new” with the character. Which is, I think, what everyone was assuming they were going to be doing given that they’ve put Geoff Freaking Johns on the title.)
John Romita Jr.’s art is AMAZING. And then he met Klaus Janson, and decided Klaus was a great inker for him! And his art has never been as amazing, since… sigh.
John Romita Jr. is a class act. The good-humored advice and mentorship he gave me early in my career was invaluable, his work ethic is second to none and his charity work blows me away. PLUS HE IS A STORYTELLER, AND HE DRAWS HIS ASS OFF. Superman is lucky to have him.
Perhaps the “outside the new52” thing was a poorly worded way of saying that its storylines will not be crossing over with the other Superman or other new52 books and vice versa.
Perhaps. I love having to guess at what news sources are trying to say. Sometimes I put the NBC Nightly News on in Spanish just so I can only understand every other word.
“Jorn Romita”???
smh…
This guy is just a gift to the modern comics medium, along with Klaus Janson’s on inks. Fantastic colorist on this too. Jr Jr is always consistent, always superb and strives to serve the writer with his unique spectacular storytelling and flair (though maybe he should object once in a while to convoluted stories). Sometimes I react against to his blocky mannerism but he’s got so many checks for doing things right, I give it a pass. And those great action scenes as thrilling as Hollywood blockbuster movies. With a good team on his side and his Jr’s design flair on full display, maybe this could be good. (not even a superstar artist can save that horrible Superman suit but whatever) Read a few Justice Leagues so not optimistic about the scribe, just like the writing side of the equations for Captain America, the Millar stuff or Avengers. Flipped through but didn’t follow them.The artist can only do so much. Wish them luck though.
p.s. it’s going to be cool to see what he does with the DC characters now that he’s focused on it. That will be interesting story to follow in comics. People are so used to him doing Marvel so nothing is new there no matter what he does. So this was a good move. Doing neat stuff with Superman already even in the preview pages released so far.
If this is such a big deal, why didn’t DC start it with a new #1? New creative team, new direction (one would assume)…would have made sense to start the numbering over. You KNOW Marvel would’ve done it.
I enjoy his art for the most part, but I looked through the issue and I was just blown away on how awful the art was and this art REALLY showcases how stupid the “new52” Superman armor looks.
Way too many lines. Too noisy.
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