Scott Lobdell & Kenneth Rocafort Take Over SUPERMAN

More news from the DC Comics September solicitations! It would seem that the creative team behind Red Hood and The Outlaws will be moving to Metropolis to take over Superman. They start with September’s zero issue.

While this is Scott Lobdell’s first time on a Superman book (he also currently writes Superboy), this isn’t Kenneth Rocafort’s first Superman rodeo, he drew two issues of Action Comics in 2011.

Both Lobdell and Rocafort released statements through DC’s The Source blog.

Lobdell’s statement read, in part:

Grant Morrison has left me a lot of new bright and shiny new toys on the table through Action Comics — and you better believe I’m going to take every one of the around the block for a ride! Thank you, Grant, for the this brave new world, and thank you DC for trusting me with the super hero who started it all.

Rocafort’s statement read, in part:

Comic books have had a long list of wonderful characters… but heroes?… Superhero?… An iconic Superhero?… There is only One!  And to be part of the creation team is an honor a real privilege.  I’m very grateful to DC Comics for trusting the opportunity.

One would assume that this means the end of Rocafort on Red Hood and The Outlaws.

I really, really want to love this book. The first creative team in The New 52 didn’t do anything for me, neither did the replacements. Lobdell and Rocafort are interesting, though mostly for Rocafort’s art, but they don’t thrill me. I am, however, willing to be won over.

Comments

  1. My sentiments exactly.

  2. Avatar photo tripleneck (@tripleneck) says:

    This makes total sense to me. I’m a Red Hood & the Outlaws buyer and I discovered Rocafort on the Action issues he drew right before the Re-boot. I’ll definitely start buying Superman again when they takeover the book. I wonder if I’ll continue with Red Hood though… Depends on the creative team, I guess.

  3. Rocafort is a good choice. Lobdell on the other hand….

    • I completely agree. Rocafort does wonderful things for Red Hood and the Outlaws, and his issues of Action Comics were just as beautiful. I really worry about putting Lobdell on this, though. In my opinion, he does not seem like a good choice for Superman, especially with the frat-boy mentality he infuses in RHatO.

  4. Jurgens was better than Perez but that’s a pretty low bar and I still didn’t get past one issue of each creative team. I’m liking Morrison on Action more recently but I’d like to have a more standard Superman book that’s fun and readable. Here’s hoping this is it.

  5. I might check this out because I love Rocafort’s art. Wasn’t digging the story in Red Hood, so we’ll see how this goes.

  6. Avatar photo Mickey">Mickey (@GeeksOfChrist) says:

    Superman’s true Gilded Age: 1986-1993
    Besides a handful of specials and the Johns/Frank stories, there haven’t been any Superman comics that have even piqued my interest.

    I love the character and his world too much to get on the roller coaster of hope and disappointment. This news is promising, but I’ll just let everyone else read it first.

    • I think you meant “Golden Age”

    • Avatar photo Mickey">Mickey (@GeeksOfChrist) says:

      I meant Gilded.

      I wanted to distinguish between the Golden Age proper, which is apparently based solely on chronology, and a period in DC Comics’ production history which I find to be marked by the highest quality.

  7. totally agree with your sentiments. I just want it to be awesome.

  8. So Supes will have a skinned nose tip now like every single person in Red Hood? Rocafort’s art just seems so labored and overworked and I don’t see it fitting Superman, but who knows. I’ll flip through a copy in my LCS when it lands. Superman #1 actually made me so angry and disappointed that I threw it away after finishing it. I have only intentionally thrown away maybe 3 comics ever in my life and it was one of them, that is a special bar to hit in my rating scale for sure. 🙂

  9. I know I’m in the minority on this, book I’ve really enjoyed Red Hood. I’ve read every issue and it’s kept getting better with each one. I’m looking forward to their Superman work and hope they bring some excitement to the title.

    • So you’re the other RHATO fan on this site, eh?

      I’ve been loving that title and am a little disappointed that Rocafort is off, as his design style really works well with that title, especially when dealing with the exotic locales of the All-Caste.

      Being a lifelong Superman fan and collector, however, I’m always pleased when we get someone a little bit different to handle the art chores. Rocafort’s first stab at Action was a bit inconsistent, so I’m looking forward to see what he brings to Superman this time around.

  10. I have really really liked Red Hood and the Outlaws. I hope this book is good if we are going to lose the other one.

    I am rooting for good superman. He has not been good in the new 52.

  11. I’ve enjoyed Red Hood loads too, let’s hope the guys go wild on Superman.

  12. Well… Teen Titans and Superboy have both been fun books, and Red Hood is very pretty…

    I will pick it up.

  13. This means two things for me: I won’t be picking up Superman again. I won’t be dropping Red Hood as was planned.

    Lobdell has made Jason Todd a shell of himself and the art has been slightly above average to me.

  14. Count me among those who’ve enjoyed the hell out of Red Hood. In my opinion, the best take on Jason Todd this side of Winick. Much better defined and consistent. Probably in the minority of having appreciated Lobdell’s work on Teen Titans and Superboy as well, but I really think he’s turned in solid work. And Rocafort’s art is stellar. Hoping this move finally makes something out of Superman, which I have been trying desperately to like. Much as I’ve enjoyed Morrison’s work on Action, it feels sometimes like he’s sucked all of the air out of the room where Supes is concerned.

    • I’ve enjoyed Red Hood a lot, too, but Superboy has dried up with its crossover with Teen Titans, and I’ve grown tired of that book, too, but it’s the only place with Tim Drake. Lobdell writes the characters very well, but most of the stories haven’t impressed me. Here’s hoping to Superman, though, although I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it now, but I’m guessing I’m in the minority there.

  15. I love Rocafort’s work. Maybe I’ll start buying Superman again. He’s my favorite, but there hasn’t been any good Superman since before the whole JMS kerfuffle.

  16. Meh- I will give it a try, but I am not a fan of Rocafort’s art, and haven’t read a comic by Lobdell in ages. Not expecting the title to do anything for me more than it already is (and that’s not a lot)

    Sorry to seem so negative, but I think DC really dropped the ball on Superman with the DCnU; worse than any other major character I can think of.

  17. So the readers of Red Hood and the Outlaws have to be punished for Superman not getting enough readers? Kenneth Rocafort is my favorite thing about Red Hood and the Outlaws.

  18. Lobdell is one of the few people in comics whose name alone puts me off a book. I’m off the title.

  19. I hope they sweep Conor off his feet.

  20. Too bad 🙁

  21. I’m not thrilled with Rocafort’s art, but I’m a Lobdell fan, so I’ll give this book a 3rd shot.

  22. They should have put Lemire on Superman.

  23. Looks like I’ll be giving Superman a shot. Might be dropping Red Hood. This should be an interesting shake up.

  24. FUCK YES. I WAS HOPING FOR THIS SINCE THE NEW 52 WAS ANNOUNCED.

  25. Please guys, give this a shot. I really want this to do well. Give it just the first issue.

  26. Despite the fact that I haven’t enjoyed his other books, I think Lobdell will do better than the previous two authors (that’s not sayin’ much, but oh well). Also, as a new reader I would like to read more stories about Superman other than in Action Comics. I like Rocafort’s art though.

  27. This is enough to get me back on. For some reason I stayed on Superman all the way through Perez’s run (one of the worst comic book runs I’ve ever read) and I stayed for two issue of Jurgens and Giffen’s attempts but finally I called it a day because the overall quality a Superman book deserves was sadly lacking throughout. I’ve never read Lobdell but Rocafort… err… rocks. I’m willing to give the book another try at the very least so I’ll be getting that #0 issue and probably #13 too when they start their run.

  28. Cant remember reading anything by Lobdell but Rockafort is awesome, and was great with his short stint on Action Comics.

    • Oh and cant wait to see what they have in store for Superman, haven’t felt a real punch so far from the current team.

  29. Didn’t Rocafort drew that terrible doomsday arc at the end of Action Comics?

  30. Good god DC, GET IT TOGETHER! They seem to just keep playing musical chairs with Superman right now. Honestly, I think they are total idiots for removing Paul Cornell. The dude was having so much fun with Lex In Action Comics a year ago and when he finally got to write Superman he was forced into a horrible crossover and then the reboot happened. Anyone who has read Captain Britain knows that he is the perfect writer for an epic sci fi superhero comic that we all want in Superman, I just dont understand why DC hasn’t changed this.

  31. I’m willing to consider giving this a shot if my budget allows. I did thoroughly enjoy Red Hood, but had to drop it after the first arc for budgetary reasons.

  32. I’m a Lobdell fan from back when he was writing Uncanny X-Men. Its probably going to have to wait for the trade; but I’m curious to see what he does with the character.