Alright: you've gotten me addicted to comics. I've picked up the Death & Return of Superman...and the Batman: Death in the Family series.
Now...I want to pick up something that's really caught my attention: the Electric (Blue/Red) Superman series. HOWEVER...I can't find out anything about them, back stories, anything. Nor can I find issue numbers for them. I've even searched Wikipedia, which always has something about anything...but there isn't anything. Damn.
So, the task for the great W's here (who have gotten me addicted once again to comics)...tell me about the Blue/Red Superman. There's a comic store that I can visit...but I'd rather talk to the people here instead. Cuz you guys are cool, and stuff. :-)
Thanks!!!
(edited by Oliver on 6.2.06 1756) Whatcha gonna do?
Well, I'm no comic book expert. Alls I can tell you is what I've been able to find online.
The storyline ran from February to May, 1998. The issue number seem to be here: Basically it's Superman Red, Superman Blue #1 (with a special 3D cover), Superman #132 - 135, The Adventures of Superman #555 - 557, Superman The Man of Tomorrow #10, Superman The Man of Steel #77 - 79, and Action Comics #743 - 744. Then Superman's back to normal with Superman Forever #1. And that first link gives synopsises for each of the books as well.
The original idea for two Supermans dates back to a Silver Age story from Superman #162, which is from July 1963.
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Originally posted by OliverNow...I want to pick up something that's really caught my attention: the Electric (Blue/Red) Superman series. HOWEVER...I can't find out anything about them, back stories, anything. Nor can I find issue numbers for them.
In a nutshell, Superman was de-powered in DC's "The Final Night" crossover, in which the sun was engulfed by an enormous alien. For mysterious reasons, the restoration of the sun didn't immediately bring Superman's powers back, forcing him to try various other methods which caused unexplained side effects. A crossover in Superman #122, Adventures of Superman #545, Action Comics #732, and Superman: The Man of Steel #67 had him slowly transforming into a blue energy being, and he required a special containment suit to keep from dissipating into nothingness.
With the new costume and new energy-based powers, Superman couldn't so much fly as teleport from one place to another. He was immaterial and could only stop bullets or touch things by creating force fields. And he became Clark Kent by turning into a human being, making him powerless in Clark form.
Superman spent most of 1997 in his weird blue suit with his weird electro-powers, and when one of his enemies tried to kill him it caused his energies (and personality) to split into two Supermen--one red and one blue, in homage to a classic Silver Age story. When Superman (er, Supermen) somehow triggered an ancient prophecy that caused enormous Milennium Giants to rise up and "cleanse" Earth of all life, the twin Supermen epxelled all their energies in one last-ditch effort to save the world. Somehow this caused Clark to be reunified into one being with his original powers.
The Elecrto-Supes era ran through Superman #123-135, Adventures of Superman #545-557, Action Comics #732-744, Superman: The Man of Steel #67-79, Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #9-10, and various annuals and specials. All Superman comics from this period are easily identifiable by the revised "Superman" logo on the cover. It's not really a single cohesive story--just a lot of little ones that all happen to feature the same funky costume, until the Milennium Giants show up and then it's a major crossover.
Superman Forever #1 is Superman's first appearance back in his old costume, but it has far less to do with Superman Red/Superman Blue than with the storylines that followed it.
Originally posted by OliverInteresting story, Jim...was the entire Blue/Red Superman storyline accepted, or was it generally unpopular?
It was pretty much reviled at the time because many people hated the new costume. Bear in mind that the main idea was the new costume--which lasted for a year--not the twin Supermen that was just a plot twist in the final few months. What most people cared about then, and remember now, is the costume, not the Red/Blue thing. (The people who did react to Superman Red/Superman Blue generally said "Nice homage to the Silver Age story, but I wish he wasn't wearing that ugly costume.")
I started reading the Superman books with "Reign of the Supermen" so I gave the creative team some leeway on the costume. But as it happened the writers were running out of steam by that point, so even readers who didn't judge the stories just from the costume weren't exactly blown away. When Superman returned to his old costume in 1998 it sparked more interest among fans, but the writing was still stale. The creative teams on the Superman books were completely overhauled in 1999.
Originally posted by OliverDid both the Blue and Red Supermen combine to become Clark Kent when they were out of the uniform?
They became two Clark Kents. In fact, when the split occurred, neither Superman was aware it had happened--Superman Blue didn't notice anything different and Superman Red noticed he'd changed color but didn't mind much. They each changed into Clark Kent and went to work at the Daily Planet, where they caused considerable confusion before bumping into one another and figuring out what happened. Part of the split was that Superman Blue was the rational and cerebral half while Superman Red was the carefree and impulsive half, so it was very difficult for them to cooperate on anything until they rejoined.
All I know is it was enough to get me to drop buying the Superman line after 15 of of it. I never really got back into the Superman books after that, just sporadic stroy arcs. It SUCKED.
I sure got a kick out of it, as it was pretty fun and very blatantly temporary... so I didn't get up in arms.
The costume was cool, the powers were nifty, and the backlash was just my fellow nerds being over-sensitive. It's because we grab the pitchforks so quickly as a knee jerk reaction to things like Red/Blue and the Scarlet Spider that comics never really progress outside of company wide crossovers (whose ramifications get undone in the end anyway).
But uh... no one thread jack this into a Clone Saga debate. I'll do those with you over PM until I'm blue in the face.
I spoke with a comic store the other day, and I'll be picking up a couple of the Blue/Red Superman comics over the weekend. I'm looking forward to it. They'll look good in my bookshelf, along side my copies of Readers Digest and stuff like that :-D
Oliver, pick up some of the early Morrision TPBs of JLA. They have lots of good stuff with Superman in his blue garb. Like rasslin' an angel, stopping the moon from slamming into the EArth, etc. etc. just flip through some of the old ones till u find one with the blue Superman. enjoyable reads, espically one where he...
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becomes a Green Lantern in his fantasy world due to the Key
Originally posted by AngryJohnnyI sure got a kick out of it, as it was pretty fun and very blatantly temporary... so I didn't get up in arms.
The costume was cool, the powers were nifty, and the backlash was just my fellow nerds being over-sensitive. It's because we grab the pitchforks so quickly as a knee jerk reaction to things like Red/Blue and the Scarlet Spider that comics never really progress outside of company wide crossovers (whose ramifications get undone in the end anyway).
But uh... no one thread jack this into a Clone Saga debate. I'll do those with you over PM until I'm blue in the face.
Kinda puts the new "Iron Spidey" costume in its proper perspective eh? Of course, I still dislike JMS and haven't ready any non-Ultimate Spider-Man books since Jenkins stopped doing them.
I enjoyed the Superman Red/Blue stuff for what it's worth.
It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them. P. G. Wodehouse (1881 - 1975), The Man Upstairs (1914)
I'm really not keen on Rip Hunter's identity. I don't like a Silver Age character being tied that closely to a modern age character. I'm still reading my stuff from this week, but the Martian Manhunter and Manhunter were both great.