DC The New 52: The Superman "GD" Controversy

Honestly, I don't see what the fuss is about either with this one, but it's definitely making the rounds, and it happened "faster than a speeding bullet" as soon as the issue hit stands this week.

In the newly relaunched Action Comics #1 penned by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Rags Morales, Superman utters the words "GD" when he takes a hit from a tank missile. That was enough to send a retailer over at North Carolina, The Comic Conspiracy, on a campaign to boycott the issue, pulling it from his store. The story and reason behind this were reported in site Bleeding Cool, and here's the accompanying pic from the article.

For those who want to know the score, "GD" is a spelling of "God"that some Jews use (actually spelled "G-d"). This is where the controversy stems from, and some mixed reactions as of the story have come to light because of it. The NC retailer later on issued a formal apology to Morrison for his angry reactions to the Scottish writer which ran in this story in BC, and the retailer finally got his answer from the writer himself, explaining the meaning behind the word. As how most people (myself included) know and have come to accept after reading the issue, the caption was supposed to emphasize a "grunt" like "UUMPH" or "DHH". DC's official blog The Source also published the story along with Morrison's answer to the supposed controversy. It looked like things could be put to rest from that point forward, but something new related to "GD" popped up just recently, courtesy of writer Mark Waid and his Twitter.

From an old Superman story in 1964. I guess the speculation and meaning behind the word will continue.

DC The New 52 Preview: Action Comics #1

It ships into shops next week, and sites like Yahoo! and Newsarama have already featured 6 gratuitous pages of the much anticipated DC Comics relaunch of Action Comics #1, a title that focuses on the early days of Superman that is penned and illustrated by the dynamic combo creative team of Grant Morrison and Rags Morales respectively! After checking the preview for myself, all I can say is... Wow. I'm definitely going to consider picking this title up after what I just saw in those six pages!

As a bonus, here's the variant cover to the issue... As drawn by DC artist extraordinaire and  co-publisher of the company, Jim Lee!

Go to Yahoo! or Newsarama now to check on the preview!

DC Reboot Update: Full look at "NEW" Superman in Action Comics #1

If there's anything to feel awkward about the forthcoming DC Reboot, this new reveal presented by DC Comics and the New York Post of the cover to Action Comics #1 probably takes the cake:

Ok, let's take a moment to ponder and analyze this entire cover pic.

It's the new look of Superman.

He's wearing a classic blue "S" symbol T-Shirt.

He has a short cape.

He's wearing a regular pair of jeans and shoes.

How the heck this got approved to usher in the DC Reboot is beyond me and most of the DC fanbase. While the focus in this book is being justified as a "Year One" concept for Supes, I'm not too sold on the "half-assed"Supes outfit. It looks too much like one of those T-Shirts you can buy off the department store, and all you need is a red towel and you're good to go... in an awkward sort of way.

Granted, the good news is that the book will be written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Rags Morales, but this "new look" of Superman does the opposite of making me excited about reading this book based on DC's iconic superhero. I know this version of Clark Kent is actually his "past self", when he was still learning to control his powers and didn't have the ability to fly yet, but why couldn't they take a different approach at tailoring his costume, let alone NOT give him a costume at all? I know they're taking a page out of Tom Welling and his portrayal of a younger Supes from Smallville, but this is just a downright silly look for the Man of Steel. Heck, it reminds me so much of a Super Friends episode where Superman regressed to a child again (due to Red Kryptonite) and Firestorm used his powers to make his costume fit his age at the time. When he finally turned back, you can just imagine how tight fitting and small his costume was, and that's the feeling I get from this new costume. Well, one can only hope there's a good reason why Kal-El looks like this and why his marriage to Lois Lane had to go down south like Spider-Man's did a few years ago, but that's the repercussions of the DC Reboot for you. For more on the story, visit the source posts at the New York Post and Newsarama.