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DC's Superman '78 is returning for a second volume, meaning the comic book adventures of Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel aren't over just yet.The first volume of Superman '78 was recently released in hardcover format. Series writer Robert Venditti's bio reveals that he is currently penning a second volume. "How many readers caught this stealth announcement in the bio section of the Superman '78 hardcover?" Venditti wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of the text in question.
Written by Venditti, illustrated by Wilfredo Torres, colored by Jordie Bellaire and lettered by Dave Lanphear, Superman '78 follows the continuity of director Richard Donner's Superman films, which starred the aforementioned Reeve as the Last Son of Krypton. Donner's Superman: The Movie originally released in theaters in 1978. A sequel, Superman II, released in Australia in 1980 before making its way to the United States in 1981.
Donner shot approximately 75 percent of Superman II before he was controversially fired as director and replaced by Richard Lester. Lester was the sole director credited in the film's theatrical cut. However, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut eventually saw the light of day in 2006. In the interim, Lester returned to helm Superman III, which hit theaters in 1983. Reeve's last outing as the Man of Steel came in director Sidney J. Furie's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which released in 1987.
The Donnerverse Lives
Set after the events of Superman II, Superman '78 finally introduced the DC villain known as Brainiac to the "Donnerverse." (Interestingly, Donner himself intended for Brainiac to appear in Superman III, had he continued to work on the franchise.) The comic book series ran for six issues from August 2021 to January 2022 before being collected as a hardcover this month.
Superman '78 is conceptually similar to DC's Batman '89. Itself a six-part comic book limited series, Batman '89 acts as a direct, alternate follow-up to director Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), ignoring the events of Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). Written by Sam Hamm, illustrated by Joe Quinones, colored by Leonardo Ito and lettered by Clayton Cowles, Batman '89 ran from August 2021 to July 2022. A hardcover edition is slated for release next month on Aug. 30.
Written by Robert Venditti, illustrated by Wilfredo Torres, colored by Jordie Bellaire and lettered by Dave Lanphear, the Superman '78 hardcover is on sale now from DC.
Source: Twitter