There Is Something That Can Make Me Buy Superman Regularly

I don't own many Superman comics, four to be exact. Three of those belonged to my dad, the other was the issue Kurt Busiek wrote about the Prankster, which I bought because I thought the Prankster was a fun adversary ("villain" doesn't seem right, somehow). He has that flair and showmanship I like in villains.

I don't necessarily dislike Superman. I used to, when all I had to go on was my dad's Silver Age stuff. He was too powerful, the super-powers just seemed to pop-up out of nowhere (super-willpower was my breaking point), and he could be kind of a jerk (as has been attested to by any number of other bloggers). But there are a lot of people out there who have written about what Superman represents to them, or in his fictional world, and how that makes him awesome. That's made me more neutral towards him, if not a fan. It can be interesting to read other characters' comics where he makes guest appearances and we see what he means to them, in small doses. Don't need lots of comics about that, but the occasional issue, that doesn't derail the book's ongoing stories is fine.

Recently, I've become more certain I'd buy a Superman title if DC handed it to Garth Ennis for at least a year. This is strictly hypothetical, just something I'd be interested to see (in case you thought I'd gained some inside source at DC). Superman is the one costumed hero Ennis really seems to like*, and somehow I think he'd surprise people if given the reins. I don't know what he'd do, what it would be about. Maybe how Superman tries to fit in amongst people, rather than hold himself apart. I've seen bits of Hitman #34 where Tommy talks with Superman on a rooftop, and I think that was something Monaghan said he liked about Superman. I don't know if Ennis was expressing his own feelings through Tommy, or just the reason he thought Tommy would have for admiring Superman and Ennis' are completely different. Since he seems to feel Superman represents the best of the U.S.'s ideals, he might confront Superman with problems representing the worst of the realities of the United States? I'm just throwing that out there, it would probably be something completely different.

I'm not sure how it would go over with Superman fans and readers**. Some folks are always going to buy Superman. There are probably at least a few people who like Superman and Ennis that would stick around, and a few like me who would check it out based on Ennis. I imagine there would be folks familiar with Ennis' work, but not fans of it, who would drop the book because they didn't feel he was a good fit for Superman. And some of the things that were common in his Punisher MAX work, the people being set on fire and such, probably wouldn't fly in Action Comics. I have this feeling he could do fine without the graphic violence and such, if he really wanted to write the book, but knew he'd have to tone things down some. OK, probably a lot.

I doubt it will ever happen, and it might turn out horribly if it did, but I'm still intrigued by the idea. Heck, while we're at it, who is someone you'd like to see write an ongoing Superman title, who hasn't so far? Or, if there isn't anyone new, who is someone you'd like to see return to the title?

* I remember an interview in Wizard, when the Thomas Jane Punisher movie was close to release, where Ennis said he doesn't hate superheroes, he hates how they dominate the market. Would that mean when he had Spider-Man or Daredevil appear in his Punisher work, it was his way of saying "You want superheroes? Fine, I'll give you superheroes. See how you like this"? He'll give the fans what they want, but do it his way?

** Now I'm stacking a hypothetical on top of another one.