In 1987, following his ground breaking miniseries The Dark Knight Returns – which has seen two sequels in the past two decades – writer/artist Frank Miller collaborated with artist David Mazzuchhelli to retool Bruce Wayne’s beginnings in Batman: Year One. Thirty years later, Miller intends to do the same for the Last Son of Krypton.
During the DC Master Class panel at this past San Diego Comic Con, Frank revealed his plans for Superman’s retooling. During an interview with Vulture, Miller elaborates:
“I’ve got a new Superman project that’s getting started, telling his origins. [It’s] tellings his beginnings from when Pa Kent discovers him in the cornfield, and the little boy goes to youth, and finally manhood.”
This is the first time that Miller has tackled the Man of Steel outside of Batman’s world. Both as antagonist and supporting character, Superman’s characterization in Miller’s Dark Knight series has evolved from obedient government tool, to disillusioned outsider, and finally one seeking to reconnect with humanity again alongside his daughter sired by Wonder Woman.
“You know, through Dark Knight I got to touch just about the ones in the DC pantheon but I never had my real meaningful crack at Superman. In the case of DC Comics, which has by far and away the strongest and richest mythology, there are those three fundamental pillars they have of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. All of the other characters, they kind of string along underneath them, which is wonderful.”
Miller’s most recent work was Dark Knight III: The Master Race, on which he collaborated with Brian Azzarello and contributed “minicomic” backstories within a few of the nine-issue arc. Although privately battling cancer, the 60-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. Besides the proposed Superman project, fans can expect a follow-up to Frank’s graphic novel 300, entitled Xerxes: The Fall of Darius and The Rise of Alexander. Published by Dark Horse Comics, this sequel will hit the shelves sometime this fall.
