Who can save Superman now? KURT BUSIEK!

[Great Rao]

I also like the Scientist/Business Lex.  It shows that Lex is so completely brilliant, that he can do anything - and that he does, using secret wheels within wheels.  This interpretation actually pre-dates Maggin, and goes back to the second Kirk Alyn movie serial, where Lex was the genius bald criminally mad scientist who, after he got out of jail, started up a television station business, and even hired Lois Lane as his "Man in the Street" TV reporter.  The public thought he had gone straight, but Superman eventually discovered otherwise and chased Lex off the planet in his (Luthor's) secret get-away rocket ship.

Oh, Luthor also discovered the Phantom Zone and attempted to trap Superman in it.  (You'll have to watch it to find out if he succeeded.)

Fantastic stuff, and the best Luthor portrayal I've ever seen.

[NotSuper]

I'm glad to see you posting here, Mr. Busiek. I post over at Millarworld (as "Justin) and I've enjoyed reading your responses to questions there.

I have two questions:

1: How does one become a comic book writer? Are there certain requirements?

2: In your opinion, which writer would be the best person to write Superman right now? Who do you think understands the character best and could create great tales?

[Uncle Mxy]

2: In your opinion, which writer would be the best person to write Superman right now? Who do you think understands the character best and could create great tales?

Kurt answered essentially the same question a few posts up:

Were I to pick my fantasy Superman-writing team, Paul {Dini} would be on it, as would Alan Brennert and Paul Levitz.

kdb

Alan Brennert was the one that caught my eye, since I loved the stuff he did with Manny Coto on the last season of Enterprise, as well as his past work writing Batman.  He also wrote:

https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales3/deadman-xmas/

which displays a healthy respect for Pre-Crisis Superman stuff that I think would be appreciated.

[Kurt Busiek]

1: How does one become a comic book writer?

Basically, you write comics.  If you want to be a professional at it, you find editors or publishers willing to buy them.  It's generally a freelance gig, not a staff position.

Depending on what part of the question you're most interested in, you might do well to track down a copy of A WRITER'S GUIDE TO THE BUSINESS OF COMICS by Lurene Haines, which goes into the business side in a fair amount of detail.

Are there certain requirements?

You've got to be able to write salable stuff.  This requirement means different things to different publishers, mind you, but it's the only one that matters.

2: In your opinion, which writer would be the best person to write Superman right now? Who do you think understands the character best and could create great tales?

I don't think there's any one "best" writer for Superman -- he's one of those characters that can work well under very varied approaches, so it depends what direction you go in.

As noted, my dream team of Super-writers would include Alan Brennert, Paul Dini and Paul Levitz, but I doubt any of them are available.  My all-time favorite Super-writer is Cary Bates.

But there's a lot of people who I think do a good job, from Mark Waid to Geoff Johns to Roger Stern, Len Wein, Steve Englehart, and more.  I liked SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS a lot, and have liked Chuck Dixon's few tales with the guy.  I wouldn't mind taking a shot at the guy someday myself, under the right circumstances.

I dunno.  I expect my answers would vary depending on the time of the day and the angle of the light...

kdb

[CRISISHATER]

Kurt, I'm a great fan thanks for your work. I always viewed your Astro City #0 was a heartfelt tribute to the childhoods lost in Crisis revision of the DCU. It's been hard for me to return to DC over the years after Crisis. I generally loath what Byrne did Superman and can't stay away from these characters as they seem to be returning to oldtime mythos. Do you ever think we will ever see a Superboy who was Clark as a kid? I think if we did the Legion would be fixed. No one seems to remember it went to hell when Superboy was wiped.

[Kurt Busiek]

Do you ever think we will ever see a Superboy who was Clark as a kid?

I think you mean that the other way around.

In any case, I have no idea.  Were it up to me, I'd try doing some Superboy stories featuring a young Clark as Superboy, designed as done-in-one albums and published in something like the classic Little Golden Book format, for distribution through bookstores.  I wouldn't worry much about continuity -- I don't think the bookstore audience cares.

kdb

[Uncle Mxy]

For Kurt and others:  

Does the Legion even need Superboy at this point?  

In the '60s, sure, Superboy was what made the thing work as a comic.
But I don't think it's needed today, FWIW.  

I liked the Legion all by itself, as sort of a long-running possible-future Elseworlds.  I never liked it as an entity that interacted with the modern era in great ways.

[CRISISHATER]

There is no Legion without Superboy! The last fifteen years have proved it. Kurt, agree with you about continuity. I don't see why we can't just have good stories with characters that we love....I mean there is a Krypto cartoon that's doing well. Wouldn't Superboy be even better? Why does DC tie it's own creative hands?