Brian Michael Bendis to ‘Shake Up’ Superman’s Origin Story

Man of Steel Superman - Art by Ivan Reis

“Well I believe in truth, but I’m also a big fan of justice.”

DC Comics and Brian Michael Bendis are starting their newly-formed partnership with a bang! Today, Bendis was announced as the next writer of the Action Comics title. Well, it turns out Bendis has even more plans for Superman. Along with Action Comics, Bendis is writing a six-issue series entitled Man of Steel. While Bendis’ first story will be with artist Jim Lee in Action Comics #1000, this series will be his true DC premiere. The weekly mini-series will debut on May 30th.

Man of Steel will feature some of the best artists in the business. Accompanying Bendis on his first DC journey are Ivan Reis, Evan “Doc” Shaner, Ryan Sook, Kevin Maguire, Adam Hughes and Jason Fabok. That’s a fantastic list of artists to make this new and limited series something special. DC also announced a preview sampler entitled DC Nation #0, which will include a preview for Man of Steel by Bendis and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.

DC describes the mini-series briefly, “this series will shake up the classic story of Krypton’s final days and Kal-El’s path to becoming an iconic hero, introducing a new villain that knows a terrifying secret behind the destruction of Superman’s homeworld.”

terrifying secret behind the death of Krypton? Will the first story Brian Michael Bendis tells for DC Comics change Superman’s origin to one of sabotage? That’s what the brief description describes. Though different interpretations have different explanations, most stories that explore Superman’s origins remain the same. Krypton’s imminent explosion led to Jor-El sending his son Kal to the planet Earth. Little did readers around the world know, that Krypton’s fall may have been the plot of someone sinister.

A Brief Tease

It’s a bold choice for Bendis to make with his first DC story. The writer has never been afraid of taking risks or chances, so it’s no surprise he’s bringing that mentality over to DC Comics. Hopefully, his contributions won’t be limited to the pages of Superman.

Thankfully, it turns out every one of those pages will be lined with beautiful art. All of Bendis’ announced collaborators are some of the best artists in the business. Leading them all is none other than Ivan Reis. The Man of Steel series will feature six interconnected covers by Reis. That alone is worth the cover price. Reis has been one of the best comic artists of the last 10 years. His presence on any book is usually brief, but fantastic.

DC teased his presence on the mini-series by releasing the sample covers of issues 1-4. The art is obviously unfinished, but still features Reis’s incredible touch.

Man of Steel Cover Art by Ivan Reis

It looks incredible, epic, and wonderfully detailed. Three details that any comic series featuring big blue should be. The image likely reveals a lot of about how Man of Steel’s story will play out: with teases of Superman’s present, past, and probable future. Brian Michael Bendis has already set his sights on some of DC’s best titles and characters. Hopefully, his stories live up to the hype.

Because expectations are flying just as high as Superman.

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