Morrison said that he wanted a more realistic take on how he started wearing his costume, saying that no 17-year-old would want to wear a “romper suit” that his mother knitted for him.
What a dick. One of my favourite moments in Lois & Clark was when Superman told a little girl that his mother made his suit. Clark’s pride in wearing the costume his mother crafted is yet another endearing quality of post-Crisis Superman. It’s an example of his genuine respect for his parents and the perfect illustration of his progressive worldview: it would never occur to Superman that as a man he’s “supposed” to devalue things associated with women.
I really want to focus on this comment, because Morrison is making a strawman argument by conflating the Silver Age Superboy origin with Superman. Why the hell is he referring to Martha “knitting” a “romper suit” for Superboy all the way back in the Silver Age?! That hasn’t been part of Superman’s canon in, like, forever. (Geoff John’s attempt to bring back the Silver Age origin in his 2010 Superman: Secret Origin notwithstanding). Utter bullshit. He’s supporting the new origin by making fun of something only a handful of older hardcore comics geeks could even remember reading first-hand, and being a sexist asshat in the process.
Superman has had a “realistic take” on the costume: many many times in the last 25 years! How incredibly arrogant to just completely dismiss every other incarnation that the vast majority of Superman fans have been exposed to. Morrison thinks he can do better?!
More and more it sounds to me like Grant Morrison never moved beyond the Silver Age stories he grew up reading.
Source: Newsarama’s live blog coverage.
Ok just read some of the stuff on Newsrama, “Will Superman have a past as Superboy within the Legion? Morrison: “Yes, but slightly different.” Morrison says there’s a reference to the Legion in Action Comics #1 if you look very closely.”
I loved Superman: Secret Origin and thought it was very clean…. Even though so of the new stuff sounds rubbish comments like “slightly different” have me convinced they will have a go and it will just get rebooted in another 2 years and probably renumbered back.
This stuff really should have been an Ultimate style take on Superman IMO just like the JMS Superman Earth 1 business and All-Star Superman.
That is a sad comment — reflecting perhaps someone who thinks that their parents had no respect for him. Sounds like Morrison is turning Superman into a loner that perhaps Morrison was, when REALLY Superman is someone that had a whole lot of mutual respect for his parents. That Superman is a loner of sorts is not from a lack of self-esteem or lack of confidence derived from his parents at all, but from him having superpowers far beyond any of the people around him, and that he had to keep that a secret.
Sounds like Morrison is turning Superman into a loner that perhaps Morrison was, when REALLY Superman is someone that had a whole lot of mutual respect for his parents.
This is an interesting point. Superman has a very strong, healthy, mutually respectful relationship with his parents (when they’re portrayed as being alive). It’s rare to see that in comics, and it’s a direct contrast to the stereotype of the “loner comic book fanboy, who can’t talk to women, living in his parents’ basement”. Jim Lee seems to think that the portrayal of Clark as a loner (and IMO a loser) at the start of Superman will be sympathetic to comics fans. Wow, thanks a lot!
Good lord…
I loved that scene in L&C, the animated TV shows and crossover episodes, The JL and JLU shows, in the Smallville tv show, and in the movies, too-I think-and sad about this comment that Morrison’s giving on the suit.
I love the fact that Martha knits the suit for him-and other Super-related people in the series like Superboy, Mon-El-I think, and I also believe Supergirl, too… But if I’m wrong correct me in the reply. That made him unique as a character and to show his pride about it is wonderful!
The most common story is either that she sewed his costume out of the Kryptonian fabric he was wrapped in, or out of regular fabric but his aura protects it, or she designed it and he used heat vision/super strength to sew the invulnerable fabric, but yeah, there was definitely a collaborative process of the adoptive mother and son working to create a garment that reflects his birth heritage. Which is actually really complex and beautiful and rings true to the experiences of my adopted relatives, so I can totally see why they’d want to jettison that. /sarcasm
I don’t know about Mon-El, and Kon’s costume is just a t-shirt, but she definitely designed and sewed Kara’s costume post-Crisis.
Also, it’s pretty clear that Morrison doesn’t actually know what knitting is. I’m pretty sure Superman’s not flying around in a sweater-unitard.
Thanks for the info.I wasn’t certain as to which Super-person’s costumes Martha has sewn recently. I’m sad to see this iconic storyline vanish just for a mini-cape, t-shirt, and jeans. :-/
I figured Morrison was referring to Silver Age Superboy based on the age and the “romper suit” comment, even though “17″ is pushing it a bit, and “romper suit” sounds more like Superbaby. *rolls eyes forever*
Also, it’s pretty clear that Morrison doesn’t actually know what knitting is. I’m pretty sure Superman’s not flying around in a sweater-unitard.
Knitting, sewing, what’s the diff? It’s stuff that women do, so knowing the difference isn’t important. Superman certainly wouldn’t lower himself to collaborating in the process. /snark