Morrison thinks that Lois Lane is a prize for Clark to be jealous over. Morrison thinks that Clark is a pathetic, dickish Nice Guy (TM) who is disrespected by his boss and colleagues.
Not a surprising characterization from a man who references Carl Jung and Joseph “the hero’s journey/monomyth” Campbell as his inspiration:
Morrison also said he read a lot of nonfiction books, mainly popular science novels, in order to “spark off ideas” for his stories, pointing to the works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell as influencing his take on Superman in “All Star-Superman.”
Now I understand why Morrison has a rapid contingent of badly socialized fanboys who idolize what they mistake as his “genius”. He’s cribbing from the same misogynistic, discredited, woo-woo crap that George Lucas helped popularize years ago.
(It probably doesn’t hurt that he boasts about “allow[ing] comic books to rule his entire life”. Only someone that insulated could naively claim that comics are “the social realist fiction of tomorrow”.)
You can read more of Morrison’s kooky thoughts in CBR’s write up of the SDCC Grant Morrison Panel, Morrison says SUPERGODS Predicts Comic-Reality Convergence and Grant Morrison Just Plain Talks Comic Books. The last post ends with a reference to his sharing panels with Deepak Chopra. Yeah…
I won’t be reading any Superman until a new writer takes over and retcons away this travesty. And I’ll be sticking to my vow to never again pick up anything written by Grant Morrison, New 52 related or otherwise. Still bitter over getting burned with Final Crisis.
Edited to add: Sue just reported that a DC editor at SDCC referred to Superman as no longer having a “trophy wife”. Urge…to kill…rising…
ETA #2: I should point out that the Superman #1 scans linked to above were not written by Morrison. Writing and art breakdowns for Superman are being done by George Perez. However, this new interpretation is being driven and shaped by Morrison’s vision of Superman and Lois Lane (even if he’s working off directions by DC management). It was Morrison who said that “a fanboy at a convention convinced him that Lois couldn’t understand Superman”.
ARGH ARGH ARGH. Turning Lois into a “prize” and Clark into a Nice Guy ruins both of their characters. Sorry, turning Kal-El into a Nice Guy.
brb screaming impotently at the sky
This is really is the worst possible characterization one could choose for both Clark and Lois. It’s like they took all the most sexist, socially maladjusted views of the characters and made them canon.
I’m just flabbergasted that DC brass don’t grasp that Man of Steel was so successful (even with all its flaws) because it made both Clark and Lois *confident, capable, and likable* people. I remember showing Lois & Clark to my boyfriend years after it played and how delighted he was that (in his words) “they gave Clark a backbone!” The post-Crisis version of Clark *completely* changed his view of the character and its the only characterization he’ll accept. Pre-Crisis Clark is for children. Post-Crisis “Man of Steel” Clark appeals to grown men. Confident, capable, driven, risk-taking, likable Lois appeals to grown men. Guess they would rather appeal to misogynistic losers.
This Nice Guy (TM) shit, where Clark is a dick and Lois is a not-so-bright ‘bitch’ who exists solely to be fought over by men, does *not* fit with the Golden Age sensibility they’re trying to replicate with Superman being an “anti-authoritarian” social reformer. I think there are going to be a lot of disappointed readers who were excited by the prospect of a 1940s style Superman.
Morrison can do magic. I’ve seen him levitate the readership of many dying comics. Sadly he will run out of ideas unless we can get the Hadron Collider to hurry up! I heard he wanks towards it with a turban on his head.
I know you meant walking, but wanking seems so much more appropriate in Grant Morrison’s case ;-)
Also, you have officially won this comment thread :)
This is Action Comics set as a prequal to the main DCnU story timeframe so just maybe this story of Clark trying to win Lois will be told and they will get back to a proper relationship, Clark will learn to fly again, get those silly jeans off and slip some red duds on over his blue body stocking and comics will be ok again.
I thought that at first myself, but the images I linked to are from Superman #1 not Action Comics. This is them after 5 years of working together. The idea of Clark being a “loner” who doesn’t connect with anyone and is disrespected by his boss and colleagues just makes my head hurt.
/Slaps own head while all hope fading
Oh damn, though isn’t Grant Morrison only writing Action Comics?
I should also mention that I hate the new (deaged) Perry. There’s just nothing to like here. Maybe it’s a good thing they killed Martha and Jonathan. Who knows what Jimmy’s going to be like.
I think Jimmy being a ginger is part of their new diversity.
Ohhh. Boy.
This isn’t going over well with me. Clois rocks. The way DC’s going with this isn’t right. At all. :(
I have long maintained that Grant Morrison is the most overrated writer. Note the lack of qualification in that previous statement. I am glad to see more people waking up to just how overwritten and pretentious, to say nothing of shoddy, his work is. I am sorry that he is doing this kind of damage to classic characters and stories.