SUPER-MONEY

Take a good look at the attached image. It's Mon-El wearing a reverse-color Superman costume complete with the "S" symbol from an upcoming comic book cover, and it may be a bad sign of something to come. If you've been reading SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS, you know that the Man Of Steel has been displaced in his own books and starring in one current (WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON) and one upcoming SECRET ORIGINS maxi-series. The Origins series will not revisit the totality of Clark Kent's life, but rather his leaving Smalville and coming to Metropolis. "Why?" Might you ask and "Why is Mon-El supplanting Superman, and why can't the full origin be retold?" Well, this is just speculation, but it may have to do with real life events that have been legally surrounding Comics' first superhero. DC Comics has even stated that something big is building. Could it be that Superman may be lost to DC Comics and has to be replaced in continuity with Mon-EL as the new Superman because of several lawsuits brought on by the Heirs of Jerry Seigel (one half of Superman's creators)? There's even talk that Superman's origin cannot be retold in another film! Before I begin, I want it stated that I am not a lawyer and I'm not versed in every legal part of what I'm going to discuss, but I've been well-read and I'm going to offer a harsh opinion that is based more in ideas of fairness and truth than what lawyers can do in a courtroom. It started with Superboy and the heirs of Jerry Seigel suing over rights relating to the SMALLVILLE television show, and then the "Superboy" name and related concepts in DC Comics publications. The lawsuit forced DC to even "kill" current and most recent Superboy, Connor Kent and not refer to him by his hero name. Thankfully, some deal had been worked out and DC restored Connor to life and has once again been able to use the Superboy moniker, but it seems like the Seigel heirs can't stop smelling potential financial gains. I don't want to seem unfair here, but the Seigel heirs are destroying the name of their father/grandfather and his most honored creation, and are thus destroying the legacy of that man as well.

1938, Superman is purchased under a "work for hire" style arrangement that is common to that day by National Periodical Publications which would later be known as DC Comics. Jerry Seigel and partner Joe Shuster guided the adventures of their creation for some time to come, being published by National Periodical Publications. Long story short: NPP and/or DC thus owned the Superman character and his stories under working agreements of that time, and DC right up until this day has been the caretaker of this most incredible character... the Seigel heirs have not, and nor have they had anything to do with the creation or marketing of this most famous superhero. This has not stopped what I view as money hungry people that as stated, had nothing to do with creating Superman, from trying to receive financial gains by either getting a portion of Super-related monies or from trying to legally steal Superman away from the company that has nurtured their ancestor's creation. One wonders why the Seigels aren't doing something else with their lives to perhaps distinguish themselves in their own right instead of going after DC?

1978, SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE hits theaters with a rounding commercial and critical success and starting the genre' of the extremely popular superhero film. Around this time, in an act of fairness, apparently ( I do not know the full details because I've read conflicting reports) DC's now-parent company awards Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster monies for their creation of Superman and the resulting successes in different mediums. No lawsuit it seemed, but just a goodwill act of thanks to the two men.

The present: Just when things looked to be settled down, the Seigels continue with more lawsuits, further angering fans who love Superman and want to see him remain where he is, because Superman is a staple of the DC imprint across its entire line. Why? Once again, they're smelling the cash. If I was a judge on this case, I would have reprimanded the lawyers who took the Seigel suit to court, and made the Seigels pay DC for their legal fees as a result. I don't feel good about saying such harsh things about the descendants of one of the men who created the most well known and one of the most beloved fictional figures, but they brought it on themselves. So, does that mean that DC now has to prepare for the possible eventuality that they may lose the Clark Kent/ Smallville/ Superman and set about replacing him with a different character? I desperately hope not, I doubt it, and I wish the Seigel family the best in their lives so that they each may succeed at something on their own merits, so they don't have to greedily spoil things for comics fans everywhere while at the same time sullying the name of Jerry Seigel and his creation. Time will tell...