Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Superman: American Alien
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 8/3/1985
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0484840/ * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Landis * http://www.dccomics.com/comics/superman-american-alien-2015/superman-american-alien-1
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2012069940
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2012069940
HEADING: Landis, Max, 1985-
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670 __ |a Chronicle [VR], c2012: |b container (screenplay, story by Max Landis)
670 __ |a Internet Movie Database, May 10, 2012 |b (Max Landis, writer, actor, producer, director, born Aug. 3, 1985, in Los Angeles County)
PERSONAL
Born August 3, 1985, in Los Angeles, CA; son of John Landis and Deborah Nadoolman.
EDUCATION:Attended the University of Miami.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Screenwriter, comics writer, producer, and director. Syfy network, executive producer of Channel Zero; BBC America, creator and showrunner for Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Director, Me Him Her, 2016. Also director and producer for short films and music videos.
WRITINGS
Screenwriter for films, including Chronicle, 2012, Victor Frankenstein, 2015, and American Ultra, 2015.
SIDELIGHTS
Max Landis has worked as a director, producer, and screenwriter, and he is also the author of the comic book collection, Superman: American Alien. The collection was initially released as seven serialized comics from 2015 to 2016, and it focuses on reimagining the early life of Clark Kent. Beginning with Clark’s mysterious appearance in Smallville, and his adoption by the Kents, Superman: American Alien, focuses on key moments in Clark Kent’s biography, as well as his first encounters with Lex Luthor. Unlike most Superman comics, Landis’s collection is centered on Clark Kent’s emotional life. Landis thus touched on Clark’s struggle to accept that he is different from everyone he knows, and the author also comments on how the people of Smallville react to Clark. Commenting on his approach in an online Newsarama interview, Landis told Vaneta Rogers: “In a big way, American Alien is about alienation. And it’s grounding the alienation we all feel, being a story about a guy who actually is an alien, although his awareness of and interaction with that is limited, due to the fact that all the other ones are dead.” Landis added: “Superman can be criticized as being, in previous iterations, fairly one-note. And I don’t think we need to do that. And DC has given me an opportunity to do something a little different. And I think it’s very brave of them, and I hope people read it.”
Several reviewers praised Landis for his emotionally-focused approach, and online Comics Alliance correspondent Kieran Shiach advised: “This book is a pretty incredible achievement for someone’s first miniseries. At times, he shows an understanding of how to structure and pace a comic that belies his relevant inexperience. Alongside some of the greatest artists working in comics today, has produced a flawed but impressive debut work.” Focusing on the first part of the serial version in the online AV Club, Oliver Sava announced: “American Alien #1 is one of the best Superman comics in a year when the character has already experienced some major changes for the better. But unlike the current story unfolding in the main Superman titles, this issue isn’t memorable because it takes the character in a bold new direction. It’s memorable because it gets at the heart of what has made the character one of the world’s popular heroes. Because he’s not restricted by continuity, Landis can commit to his ideal version of Superman.”
Kotaku Website reviewer Evan Narcisse reviewed the first six parts of Landis’s collection, and he observed: “When American Alien started, I wondered if we needed yet another take on Superman’s origin story . . . But the Superman we’re getting here feels reinvigorated. He cares about people as always, but he also cares about what people think of him more than ever before. . . . Though the methods vary from decade to decade, Superman is supposed to be his best self and inspire us to do the same. In American Alien, he’s doing exactly that.” Indeed, online Under the Radar writer Cody Ray Shafer found that “American Alien excels as a Superman story because it acknowledges the qualities that made the character interesting to a 1940s audience are not necessarily the same qualities we need to see in Superman in 2016. But it also proves that The Man of Steel is more malleable than we presumed.” Lauding the collection further on the IGN Website, Jesse Schedeen asserted: “Superman: American Alien is required reading for DC fans. It’s as simple as that. Landis and his artistic partners cut through all the fluff to deliver seven emotionally rich stories that trace the evolution of Clark Kent from confused boy to Man of Steel. The series is funny, heartfelt and a true testament to the undying appeal of DC’s preeminent superhero.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 31, 2016, review of Superman: American Alien.
ONLINE
AV Club, http://www.avclub.com/ (November 13, 2015), Oliver Sava, review of Superman.
Comics Alliance, http://comicsalliance.com/ (June 27, 2016), Kieran Shiach, review of Superman.
IGN, http://www.ign.com/ (October 14, 2016), Jesse Scheden, review of Superman.
Kotaku, http://kotaku.com/ (April 23, 2016), Evan Narcisse, review of Superman.
Newsarama, https://www.newsarama.com/ (July 10, 2017), Vaneta Rogers, author interview.
Under the Radar, http://www.undertheradarmag.com/ (October 20, 2016), Cody Ray Shafer, review of Superman.*
"Superman: American Alien." Publishers Weekly, 31 Oct. 2016, p. 60. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA470462540&it=r.
Accessed 2 July 2017.
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SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN Not About 'Becoming A Superhero' But Becoming 'Not-An-A-Hole'
By Vaneta Rogers, Newsarama Contributor
October 1, 2015 04:00pm ET
"Superman: American Alien" first look
Credit: DC Comics
Credit: DC Comics
Despite his experience with blockbuster Hollywood movies, Max Landis' upcoming Superman: American Alien isn't a bombastic tale about how Clark Kent became the super powerful hero known as Superman.
Instead, he says, "it's just about how Clark Kent became Clark Kent."
Told over seven issues beginning November 11, Superman: American Alien is illustrated by some of DC's most popular artists, including Jock, Francis Manapul and Jae Lee. And although the series features action and fight scenes — including a scene in the final issue the writer describes as "the most violent, realistic fight Superman has ever been in" — Landis says the stories in American Alien are "less about becoming a superhero and more about becoming not-an-asshole."
A screenwriter on movies like Chronicle and the upcoming Victor Frankenstein, Landis has made no secret of the fact that he's a huge Superman fan — whether via the internet, including his now-famous YouTube version of the Death of Superman, or through his Eisner-nominated depiction of the character in a two-part Adventures of Superman story last year.
Credit: DC Comics
Now he gets the chance to tell some of the stories about Superman he's wanted to tell for years, and Newsarama talked to Landis to find out more about American Alien.
Newsarama: Max, what's the meaning behind the title American Alien, and how does it apply to the stories you're telling?
Max Landis: The stories are thematically united by the idea of identity, but not so much "secret" identity… more "personality" identity, who we want to be versus who we are from moment to moment.
The reason it's called American Alien is that the thing that's always interested me about Superman the least are his alien origins. I think they're important thematically, but ultimately what I like about him as a character is that he was someone who was "born" in the U.S.A. and has grown up wanting to be the best kind of person.
Each of the stories is him challenging himself — while being challenged — about what kind of person he is. They're less about becoming a superhero and more about becoming not-an-asshole.
Credit: DC Comics
Credit: DC Comics
Nrama: Wow, what a description. It's interesting that you said it's not about him becoming a superhero, because I've noticed that most of the descriptions reference him as Clark Kent. Are these stories more about Clark Kent than they are about Superman?
Landis: I would say 150 percent yes. This is not a Superman comic. Superman is in it. Clark puts on the costume a couple of times, although I don't want to give away where and when, but it's more about the man behind it.
Because honestly, Superman as a hero, most of the stories involving him have been told so brilliantly, that could be told — you know, he's lost his powers, he's died, he's turned evil a million times, he's stopped world-enders and con men and aliens and robots, he's fought inter-dimensional gods, And all that was exciting, but I've seen it. And I wanted to write a comic about what we haven't seen, which is just sort of his day-to-day and the stories he would tell you if you were his friend.
Because Batman doesn't have one of those. Batman's secret identity is he's killing time until he can be Batman again. And Superman, as Clark Kent, they're the same person. Superman doesn't, to me, doesn't exist — it's just Clark in a costume choosing to try to help people. If there's an immediate call to Superman then he's Superman. You know? I don't think he ever willfully identified as Superman until he saw it on the news, and then he went, why not?
Credit: DC Comics
So yes, it's much more based on…. my interpretation of this mythos is much more based around Clark Kent not just as a secret identity of Superman, but as a character.
Credit: DC Comics
Nrama: It's interesting that you said he's trying not to be an asshole, yet so many people think of him as this squeaky clean boy scout. Yet he has the powers of a god compared to us. Does he really struggle with not being an asshole? Or is it more than you're saying we all struggle with that, and he just happens to be super-powerful.
Landis: We all struggle with that. In a big way, American Alien is about alienation. And it's grounding the alienation we all feel, being a story about a guy who actually is an alien, although his awareness of and interaction with that is limited, due to the fact that all the other ones are dead.
The thing is, though, Vaneta, that each story is so different. Each story is so different from the next one. But we're all colors on the palette of human emotion. You've dealt with situations like the ones in the comic that I wrote. You know? You may have never fought Parasite, but I didn't write an issue of a comic about fighting Parasite. Superman fights Parasite in it, but ultimately, it's about Clark Kent dealing with a bunch of unwanted attention.
I don't write any "Superman" stories. I mean, arguably, the last comic — the last issue, #7 — probably features the most violent, realistic fight Superman has ever been in, but at no point in it do we feel like it's bad-ass; it's just violent and scary and we're worried that our hero Clark is going to get badly injured.
Credit: DC Comics
Credit: DC Comics
Those are the kind of emotions I want to evoke, because as you say, Superman can be criticized as being, in previous iterations, fairly one-note. And I don't think we need to do that. And DC has given me an opportunity to do something a little different. And I think it's very brave of them, and I hope people read it. I don't think it'll piss people off.
Nrama: You mentioned Parasite, and I was going to ask you about what villains he gets to fight, but it seems like that's not the focus.
Landis: It's not. There are no superheroes or villains until the fourth issue.
Nrama: Yeah, there have been a lot of iterations of the character over the years. What do you think has to be part of the character? What are his core elements that make him Superman?
Landis: There are a bunch of elements that make him Superman. But if you're talking about the most core element of him, it's that he's a nice guy in a mean world.
Credit: DC Comics
Credit: DC Comics
You know, he's not Batman, he's not Green Lantern — he's not even Peter Parker, because you know, Peter Parker got guilted into being a superhero. And he keeps fucking up at it. And Batman, again — trauma. Hal Jordan was inducted. Wonder Woman was raised as one of these people. Green Arrow fell onto an island. The Flash, it was an accident and got turned into this.
Clark Kent was born with superpowers in Kansas. He could have done anything.
You know what he did? He went to high school, went to college and got a job.
I mean, that, to me, speaks volumes about how this character could or maybe should be written.
You know, even in Superman: Birthright, which is a comic that I really enjoyed, ultimately that comic was a run toward becoming Superman. How did Clark Kent become Superman?
My comic is not about that and doesn't even really address it head-on. It's just about how Clark Kent became Clark Kent.
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Max Landis
Biography
Showing all 10 items
Jump to: Overview (2) | Mini Bio (1) | Trivia (6) | Personal Quotes (1)
Overview (2)
Date of Birth 3 August 1985, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Height 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Mini Bio (1)
Max Landis was born on August 3, 1985 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Chronicle (2012), Victor Frankenstein (2015) and American Ultra (2015).
Trivia (6)
Son of director John Landis and costume designer Deborah Nadoolman.
Brother of Rachel Landis.
His favorite work of his father, John Landis, is American Werewolf in London.
Max has stated that he has no favorite movie, but he has a movie he's seen the most, Gremlins 2, and a movie he thinks is the best, Love Exposure.
Wrote a run of Superman comics called 'Superman: American Alien' back in 2015.
He and his father share the same birthday: August 3rd.
Personal Quotes (1)
I love my job, it's a really hard job and there are parts of it that suck. Your [a screenwriter's] job is to distort, edit, reformat and re-equip your passion, your babies, your scripts to suit a perceived corporate and commercial need. That's what being a screenwriter is, it's not writing scripts. Anyone can write scripts, being a screenwriter is changing a script in order to try to get them made.
Max Landis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the American basketball player, see Max Landis (basketball).
Max Landis
Max Landis 2012.jpg
Landis in 2012
Born August 3, 1985 (age 31)
Beverly Hills, California, United States
Occupation Screenwriter, film director, producer, comic book writer, actor
Years active 1996–present
Parent(s) John Landis
Deborah Nadoolman Landis
Max Landis (born August 3, 1985) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, comic book writer, and actor. He is best known for writing the films Chronicle (2012), American Ultra (2015), and Victor Frankenstein (2015), as well as a variety of short films including The Death and Return of Superman and Wrestling Isn't Wrestling. Recently, he has acted as an executive producer on the Syfy anthology horror series Channel Zero, as well as creator and showrunner for the American adaptation of Douglas Adams' science fiction detective comedy novel series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on BBC America, which both premiered in October 2016.
Landis has also written for comic books, beginning as the author of the DC Comics seven-issue mini-series Superman: American Alien (2015-2016) and continuing with the nine-issue medieval fantasy drama series Green Valley for Image Comics (2016–present).
He is the son of director John Landis and costume designer and historian Deborah Nadoolman Landis.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Upcoming projects
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
4.1 Film
4.2 Television
4.3 Short film
4.4 Web series
4.5 Music videos
5 Bibliography
6 References
7 External links
Early life[edit]
Landis was born in Beverly Hills, California, the son of director John Landis and costume designer and historian Deborah Nadoolman Landis.[1] His family is Jewish.[2] He left Beverly Hills High School for a therapeutic boarding school in Connecticut,[3] but still graduated with a Beverly Hills High School diploma.[4]
Career[edit]
Since he started writing at 16, Landis has written 75 screenplays.[5] He sold his first script at the age of 18, a collaboration with his father, John, on the Masters of Horror episode "Deer Woman".[6] He would later be asked to return to the series in its second incarnation, Fear Itself, independently penning the episode "Something with Bite".[7] He also wrote for Bluewater Productions' Back to Mysterious Island, a 2008 comic series.[8] Landis has made cameo appearances in a number of John Landis' films, including The Stupids, Blues Brothers 2000 and Burke and Hare.[9] In 2011 and 2012, Landis was listed among Forbes magazine's "30 Under 30" young people to watch in the entertainment industry.[10]
While attending the University of Miami,[11] Landis wrote numerous shorts which were produced by students in the school's film program. Upon leaving the university, Landis went on a "spec-selling streak", having three of his pitches optioned within six months.[12] First, Landis sold Chronicle to producer John Davis and 20th Century Fox's Davis Entertainment. The Chronicle script was previously included on the Black List, an annual compendium of the year's best unproduced screenplays.[13] A documentary-style movie about three Seattle teenagers that develop superpowers after encountering a strange substance in the woods, Chronicle was directed by Josh Trank,[14] and takes a different approach to handling superpowered characters.[15]
Chronicle was released on February 3, 2012. It received wide acclaim and currently holds a "Fresh" rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, which said the film "transcends its gimmicks with a smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from its young, talented cast".[16] Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert praised the movie, saying, "sometimes a movie arrives out of the blue that announces the arrival of considerable new talents", and singling out Landis' dialogue as adding a natural authenticity to the proceedings.[17] The film opened in 2,907 theaters and exceeded expectations by grossing $22,000,000 to win the weekend box office.[18] It has grossed over $126,000,000.[19] Landis wrote a draft for a sequel, but Fox was unhappy with the draft and Landis is no longer working on the project.[20][21]
Davis and Fox again opted to team with Landis for a film based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.[22]
In September 2012, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Landis created a TV series for Fox and would executive produce it with Homeland producer Howard Gordon. The series, entitled Vigilant, centers on a young woman who creates a fictional vigilante persona to stop crime and combat a brutally coercive police department and its corrupt internal affairs department. Landis will also write the pilot script.[23] Though the initial report described the show as a "superhero police drama," Landis said on his Twitter that it is not a superhero show and "has more in common with The Wire than Smallville."[24]
On the same day Chronicle was released, Landis released a short comedic film to YouTube entitled The Death and Return of Superman. The video, drawing inspiration from the Drunk History series of short films (including Landis' own Drunk Comic Book History videos about Robin and Batman: Knightfall[25]) retells the story of Superman's death and return through Landis' voice and perspective, with scenes acted out by his friends and actors including Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore, Simon Pegg, Jennette McCurdy, Ron Howard, Elizabeth Gillies.[26]
In 2012 Landis began work on his directorial debut Me Him Her.[27][28][29][30] The film was released in March 2016.
In February 2015, Landis directed Ariana Grande's music video "One Last Time".[31]
In March 2015, Landis, a wrestling fan, released a short film, Wrestling Isn't Wrestling, for free on YouTube. The comedic film explained the nature of professional wrestling using the career of wrestler Triple H. Several actors and wrestlers had cameos.[32] In response, Triple H described the film as "awesome" and that Landis "gets it".[33] PWInsider described it as "very engaging" with "unique and creative production", "especially worth passing on to anyone who ever questions why you enjoy pro wrestling"; while prowrestling.net said it was "must-see", "innovative" and funny.[32][34] Landis was later on secretly hired as a consultant for WWE Raw. [35]
Landis is the author of the DC Comics seven-issue mini-series Superman: American Alien (2015-2016), which was launched on November 11, 2015, and concluded on May 18, 2016. The series has enjoyed a very positive reception for its grounded take on the titular character and artwork, which varies from issue-to-issue as an artistic choice to tell various segments of Clark Kent's life through different tonal art styles (the art for the series was drawn by Nick Dragotta, Tommy Lee Edwards, Joëlle Jones, Jae Lee, Francis Manapul, Jonathan Case, and Jock, with covers drawn by Ryan Sook.) The collected hardcover edition with bonus material was released on October 18, 2016.
Upcoming projects[edit]
Ambox current red.svg
This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2016)
Landis' script for Good Time Gang was then optioned by RCR Pictures, a production company helmed by Robin Schorr and professional poker player Chris Ferguson. The film will star Jonah Hill and Mark Wahlberg as a "bumbling pair of antiheroes".[36] The cast also includes Chris Evans.[37]
In April 2011, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment purchased Landis' pitch for Amnesty. Brian Grazer will produce the film and Ron Howard is attached to direct.[38] That project has been characterized as a spy thriller set in a fantasy world.[37]
20th Century Fox's Davis Entertainment hired Landis in May 2011 to script a reimagining of the German fairy tale of the Pied Piper. The project has been characterized as a "fantasy thriller" and is being overseen by Steve Asbell.[39]
In January 2012, Variety reported that Disney picked up a pitch Landis made for a space adventure focusing on a brother and sister. The film is set to be produced by Wedding Crashers producer Andrew Panay.[40] According to Landis' Twitter account, he is also working on a project entitled Villains.[41]
It was revealed in April 2012 that Landis would produce his first movie, an "edgy family adventure" named Woogles, along with Bazelevs producers Michele Wolkoff and Timur Bekmambetov. The project will be written by Nick Antosca and Ned Vizzini and is based on a script Landis wrote in college.[42]
On March 30, 2016, it was announced that Landis's script for a psychological drama-thriller titled Deeper is set to be directed by Kornél Mundruczó, starring Bradley Cooper and produced by Landis and David S. Goyer.[43] Production is expected to start late in 2017. [44]
In July 2016, it was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that Max is currently penning a Pepé Le Pew feature film for Warner Bros.[45]
On November 7, 2016, Deadline reported that Max Landis will write and direct a remake of his father's film An American Werewolf in London. The remake will be produced by Skybound Entertainment and being helmed by The Walking Dead executive producers Robert Kirkman and David Alpert.[46]
Personal life[edit]
Landis is a fan of pro wrestling and of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
Year Title Credited as Notes
Writer Director Producer
1996 The Stupids Role: Graffiti Artist
1998 Blues Brothers 2000 Role: Ghostrider
2010 Burke & Hare Role: Handsome Coachman
2012 Chronicle Yes Story co-written with Josh Trank
2015 Me Him Her Yes Yes Role: Party Bystander
American Ultra Yes
Victor Frankenstein Yes Based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
2016 Mr. Right Yes Executive
2017 Bright Yes Yes
TBA An American Werewolf in London Yes Yes In development
Television[edit]
Year Title Credited as Notes Ref.
Writer Executive producer
2005 Masters of Horror Yes 1 episode: "Deer Woman"
2009 Fear Itself Yes 1 episode: "Something with Bite"
2016–present Channel Zero Yes [47]
2016–present Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Yes Yes Creator. Based on the novel by Douglas Adams. [48]
Short film[edit]
Year Title Credited as Notes
Writer Director Producer
2012 The Death and Return of Superman Yes Yes Role: Himself
2015 Wrestling Isn't Wrestling Yes Yes Yes Role: Himself
Web series[edit]
Year Title Role
2007 Trailers from Hell Himself as commentator
2015-present Movie Fights Himself as competitor (6 episodes)
2015 Best of the Worst Himself
2016 Honest Trailers Writer: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"
Music videos[edit]
Year Title Role
2015 "One Last Time" Director
Bibliography[edit]
Year Title Role Publisher Awards
2015 Superman: American Alien Writer DC Comics Will Eisner Award Nomination, Best Writer[49]
2016 Green Valley Writer Image Comics
2017 Superman: Agent of Batman Writer DC Comics
Superman: American Alien
Publishers Weekly.
263.44 (Oct. 31, 2016): p60.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Superman: American Alien
Max Landis et al. DC, $24.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-4012-6256-3
One might think the very last thing the comics world needed was yet another twist on the Superman story--
until one picks up this awesome story from Landis (iChronicle, Green Valley). Things start as usual with an
alien boy in Smallville and progress swiftly through the different stages of Clark Kent's early life. Key
characters are seeded in: Lex Luthor's genius billionaire megalomaniac--who seems to get richer, smarter,
and more tiresome with each DC reinvention-- Bruce Wayne's nosy rival superhero, and a highly
enthusiastic Jimmy Olson, who in this incarnation is black and gay. Landis brings a fresh and lively
humanism to each of these tales, tangling throughout with Clark's uncertain feelings about his powers and
fracturing the Smallville narrative with small-town jealousies and a meth-fueled crime rampage. The art
runs the gamut from rich manga speed to washed-out jottings, though some might wish they'd picked one
style and stuck with it. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Superman: American Alien." Publishers Weekly, 31 Oct. 2016, p. 60. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA470462540&it=r&asid=a83b22634a85c18c0d20d7bb99431134.
Accessed 2 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A470462540
Free from continuity, Superman: American Alien flies high
By Oliver Sava @OliverSava
Nov 13, 2015 12:00 AM
Cover by Ryan Sook
Cover by Ryan Sook
319
Each week, Big Issues focuses on a newly released comic book of significance. This week, it’s Superman: American Alien #1. Written by Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra) with art by Nick Dragotta (FF, East Of West), and colorist Alex Guimarães (Lord Of The Jungle, Lords Of Mars), the issue is a sterling example of why superhero publishers should loosen the reins of continuity and allow creators to put their unique stamp on iconic characters. (Note: This review reveals major plot points.)
With Convergence and Secret Wars, 2015 has been a year of big continuity experiments at DC and Marvel, providing temporary glimpses at what the superhero comics landscape would look like if publishers relaxed continuity restrictions and allowed creators to play around with different versions of established characters. The two events are far from perfect: Convergence has very uninspired creative teams on the majority of books, and Secret Wars has lost significant momentum due to the delays of the main title. But it’s fascinating to see how these publishers change when they stop worrying about how books connect to one another. With its history of Crises that wipe out older versions of its characters, DC pays tribute to its eradicated history in Convergence, bringing on board many creators that helped shape the publisher’s past. Secret Wars is similarly rooted in Marvel’s history, but creators aren’t caged by it, instead given the opportunity to reimagine classic concepts through their distinct perspective.
Convergence: Superman art by Lee Weeks and Brad Anderson
Unfortunately, a shared universe with a clearly defined continuity is the norm for the Big Two, and they’ve returned back to the status quo after these events (or during, in the case of Secret Wars). While the post-Convergence DCYOU initiative has taken steps forward with a new focus on stylistic and creative diversity, “All-New, All-Different Marvel” has stumbled by failing to live up to the promise of its name, turning to familiar creators and proven properties instead of taking risks. There are some unexpected Marvel releases like Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur and Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat coming down the line, but the first month of the relaunch lacked the excitement that defined the best Secret Wars miniseries.
DKIII art by Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson
DC and Marvel understand the benefits of unshackling creators from continuity, but these stories typically unfold in contained miniseries rather than open-ended ongoing series. The most famous example is Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns: DC giving Miller free rein on one of its most popular characters ultimately changed the entire course of superhero comics. The necessity of this year’s new DKIII: The Master Race is questionable, but it’s still cool to see Miller expanding on his own interpretation of Batman, albeit now with some help from co-writer Brian Azzarello and artist Andy Kubert. While it may not be an interpretation that readers are comfortable with (see: Miller’s All-Star Batman & Robin), it’s one that reflects Miller’s changing creative sensibility, allowing him to make a strong artistic statement he wouldn’t be able to if he were working within a tight continuity framework. Those artistic statements don’t necessarily lead to good comics, but the fact that Miller can make them at all speaks to how a continuity-free model could reinvigorate superhero comics.
That model has resulted in some of Superman’s most powerful stories, including Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Superman For All Seasons, and Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen’s Superman: Secret Identity. It’s too early to tell how Max Landis’ new miniseries, Superman: American Alien, will stack up to these past works, but this week’s debut issue makes a big impression with a heartfelt story about a young Clark Kent discovering his ability to fly. Each issue partners Landis with a new art team for a self-contained story set during a different period in Superman’s life; that structure is possible because Landis doesn’t have to align his version of the hero with anyone else’s.
In an interview running in the back of all DC’s titles this week, Landis mentions that DC reached out to him around the time he released his opinion piece “Regarding Clark,” in which he details the qualities he values about Superman and the ways he’s disappointed by the treatment of the character in Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel. Landis has a smart perspective on the character, seeing him as an ordinary guy from Kansas who chooses to do good with his extraordinary abilities. The first issue of American Alien drives that idea across by focusing on the relationship between Clark and his adopted parents. In “Dove,” Landis makes Clark’s unpredictable, uncontrollable ability to take flight a metaphor for puberty, exploring how the sudden changes in his body force him to interact differently with the world. He’s confused and afraid, but luckily he has two loving parents who will do everything in their power to help him, even if they’re confused and afraid too.
Art by Nick Dragotta and Alex Guimarães
Artist Nick Dragotta and colorist Alex Guimarães are the perfect art team for this coming-of-age tale, bringing a youthful sense of wonder to the page while grounding the story with clear emotional storytelling and finely detailed environments. The cartoonish exaggeration of Dragotta’s characters gives the issue a playful atmosphere, but he handles the dramatic moments with subtlety and nuance that bring depth to the script. The artist’s talent for bold composition is regularly showcased in the ongoing East Of West, and he begins American Alien with a dramatic splash page showing Clark Kent floating high above his house with his panicking mother tightly grasping his leg as he ascends. The body language of both mother and son reveals their shared terror, and small details like Martha’s falling slippers intensify the danger of the situation by drawing attention to the steadily expanding distance between Martha and the ground.
American Alien is Guimarães’ highest-profile assignment as a colorist, and DC would be wise to give him more work based on the strength of this issue. He has a firm handle on using color to create a specific mood, and he makes confident, intelligent choices that elevate Dragotta’s artwork. His coloring is actually very similar to Dragotta’s East Of West collaborator Frank Martin, particularly in the texturing and the contrast of warm and cold colors. Making blue the dominant color for the first scene creates a point of contrast for the bright explosion of reds and oranges when Jon Kent dreams about his son’s crash landing, using colors to accentuate the tension between father and son. There’s a part of Jon that is afraid of his alien son, but he doesn’t let that diminish his affection for Clark, an idea that is also reinforced in the coloring. During one of the issue’s most touching scenes, Jon carries Clark over his head and runs through a cornfield in hopes that he’ll trigger his son’s flight powers, a moment that is colored with a harmonious balance of warm and cold tones to emphasize the comfort and closeness of their bond.
Art by Dragotta and Guimarães
Landis does exceptional work with Jon and Martha Kent, delving into the complexity of their relationship with their son and fleshing out their backstory with “The Castaways,” a two-page spread at the end of the issue that uses letters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other assorted items to detail major events in the Kents’ lives: the move to Kansas to maintain the Kent family farm when Jon’s father dies, the drunk-driving accident that causes a pregnant Martha to miscarry, the process of forging records to explain their new adopted alien child. Featuring art by Matthew Clark and colors by Rob Schwager, “The Castaways” cleverly delivers a huge amount of information, and it defines Jon and Martha more fully as characters as a result. The back-up adds new layers to the main story, and it’s worth rereading “Dove” after learning about the Kents’ past.
Art by Matthew Clark and Rob Schwager
With a poignant story, expressive artwork, and sleek lettering by industry legend John Workman (whose skill for evocative sound effects is unparalleled), American Alien #1 is one of the best Superman comics in a year when the character has already experienced some major changes for the better. But unlike the current story unfolding in the main Superman titles, this issue isn’t memorable because it takes the character in a bold new direction. It’s memorable because it gets at the heart of what has made the character one of the world’s popular heroes. Because he’s not restricted by continuity, Landis can commit to his ideal version of Superman.
American Alien Is The Best Superman Story In Ages
Evan Narcisse
4/23/16 5:00pmFiled to: SUPERMAN
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Superman: American Alien is a reminder of how great the Man of Steel can be in the hands of people who care.
Originally published 4/20/16
Spoilers follow.
Despite the fact that hundreds of great stories exist about Superman, one of the worst fallacies about him is that he’s a boring character who’s hard to write because of how all-powerful and altruistic he is. All you need to do is look at the way that Man of Steel and Batman v Superman turned out—hormonally moody in the most annoyingly adolescent way—to see that Zack Snyder and the powers that be at Warner Bros believe that idea.
While there has been a persistent set of status quo ideas that aggregated around the meanings of Clark Kent’s multiple identities, Superman has always been a character who changes with the ages. He was a social justice strongman at his inception in 1938, a sci-fi father figure in the 1950s and a trustworthy TV news reporter in the 1970s. That malleability has been one of the biggest strengths of his publishing history.
Superman changes with the now, and those changes reflect how society’s conception of itself and the individuals who make it up. In older Golden Age adventures, Superman was a stand-in for the voice of authority. The biggest latter-day shift in approach to the character has made him less paternalistic and all-knowing, as seen in John Byrne’s pivotal 1986 Man of Steel miniseries, which made a point of shifting Clark Kent away from simply being a milquetoast cover identity. He remains an aspirational figure but has increasingly been characterized with more doubts, fears and regrets than in the past.
Now six issues deep, Superman: American Alien continues the tradition of a more humanized version of the Last Son of Krypton. What works best about the series—written by Max Landis and illustrated by a suite of top-shelf artists—is that it’s a series of emotional snapshots that show you how Clark is coming to grips with his extraterrestrial origins and abilities. The series started by showing readers a younger Clark who thinks he’s a freak, afraid of floating away from his parents.
American Alien concerns itself with how Clark grows up and away from the tight-knit farming community of Smallville, trying to figure out his place in a world he wasn’t born on.
So far, the series has shown him awkwardly growing up—at turns, impulsive, cocky and resolute—and has also cast him as a figure meant to be feared.
Landis’ version of Clark leans hard on the goofy bro male archetypes of the moment but retains enough altruism and vulnerability to not come off like a douchebag. Issue #3 is the best example of this, a jokey mistaken-identity romp where he pretends to be Bruce Wayne after a crash landing puts him near the billionaire’s yacht. Despite the boozy guffaws, Clark’s feelings of yearning and loneliness still resonate.
This week’s issue #6 focuses on a visit from Clark’s friends who are coming to the big city of Metropolis for the first time.
Pete Ross and Kenny Braverman know he’s Superman, and Landis spends the bulk of the issue examining how the tension of changing childhood relationships is heightened to a painful degree when you’re friends with Superman.
Landis assumes a certain amount of pre-knowledge in his audience, which lets him fold in fun references to other characters.
When American Alien started, I wondered if we needed yet another take on Superman’s origin story, especially since it was just redone as part of the 2011 New 52 reboot. But the Superman we’re getting here feels reinvigorated. He cares about people as always, but he also cares about what people think of him more than ever before. But, unlike the brooding Kryptonian dunderhead who’s shown up on the silver screen of late, this Clark Kent feels like he can rise above the controversy surrounding his very existence. Though the methods vary from decade to decade, Superman is supposed to be his best self and inspire us to do the same. In American Alien, he’s doing exactly that.
Superman: American Alien: Written by Max Landis
DC
Oct 20, 2016 ISSUE #58 - THE PROTEST ISSUE
By Cody Ray Shafer
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In terms of popularity, Superman is a paradox among superheroes. He is the heroic archetype, iconic and eternal. But when it comes to actual stories, nothing outside of his origins really come to mind, and most fans would even admit that the overpowered nature of Superman's abilities just makes him boring.
Because of this, truly great Superman books are rare, Grant Morrison's absolutely essential All-Star Superman being chief among them, but not much else. Rather, the publishing history of Superman has turned into more of a cautionary tale for comics editors who try to pack too much gimmick onto the pages and not enough substance. Its as if the greatest quest for a 21st century Superman is the everlasting search for his own appeal.
Enter Max Landis, a sort of wunderkind of his own, whose rise to fame is rooted in a viral YouTube video where he breaks down The Death of Superman, the pinnacle of gimmicky comic book cash-grabs from the mid '90s. Landis may be constantly in the middle of a self-started Twitter firestorm, but at the very least he is a pretty good writer with a Superman obsession that would even worry Lex Luthor. American Alien is Landis' deconstruction of the Superman character in search of his humanity. The setting is updated, and the origin arc completely reconfigured, but it seeks out the heart of The Man of Steel in a way that extends beyond any contemporary landmarks.
And so what does Mr. Landis teach us about Clark Kent, the American alien? For starters, we are reminded that he is Clark first and foremost. Unlike Batman, whose Bruce Wayne persona is a burden worn out of mortal necessity, the Superman identity is a mere facade kept for security, not because Clark is worried about his loved ones as much as he is worried about protecting the man he chose to become, the man his Earthly parents raised, the good, decent, all-American man that was welcomed by exotic strangers. Landis' series is centered on a young Clark finding the values he will protect as Superman, but first he has to decide why they are worthy of fighting for. Landis introduces these concepts in complex and intriguing ways, like having an intrepid college student Clark interview Lex Luthor only to receive an obtuse Ayn Randian speech about power and privilege. Clark decides, in that moment, that Luthor is his nemesis, before he's even donned the cape, based on a difference in ideology.
American Alien excels as a Superman story because it acknowledges the qualities that made the character interesting to a 1940s audience are not necessarily the same qualities we need to see in Superman in 2016. But it also proves that The Man of Steel is more malleable than we presumed, and that a search for the Kryptonian's soul could lead to his most human story to date. (www.dccomics.com)
SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN - HC / 14 OCT 2016
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: SUPERMAN - AMERICAN ALIEN
Share. Superman Begins.
BY JESSE SCHEDEEN Superman has seen plenty of revisionist origin stories over the years, from John Byrne's Man of Steel to Mark Waid and Leinil Yu's Birthright to Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Secret Origin. At this point, DC might be a little too preoccupied with revisiting Clark Kent's journey to becoming Superman. But they managed to avoiding retreading old ground with their most recent attempt at exploring Clark's early years. Thanks to writer Max Landis and a cavalcade of talented artists, Superman: American Alien easily takes it place among the all-time classics.
American Alien immediately sets itself apart because it doesn't aim to re-tell the entire saga from baby Kal-El's escape from Krypton to Superman's first battle with Lex Luthor. American Alien instead chooses seven specific stories from Clark's life, ranging from his childhood to his early months as Superman. Each issue features Landis collaborating with a different and telling a standalone story, and all seven eventually combine to offer a cohesive portrait of a young man finding his place in the world and becoming a hero.
Much as the best biopic films tend to be those focused on a particular period of time, American Alien succeeds because it doesn't try to accomplish too much. It avoids formulaic storytelling and doesn't rehash the same beats we've seen. The structure allows Landis to dig in deep and really explore Clark's emotional evolution as much as his physical growth. The first issue showcases a young boy coming to terms with the sheer terror ad the the joy of flying for the first time. Later issues show him forging connections with key DC characters as he continues his journey towards becoming Superman. It's a terrific, poignant coming-of-age story that would work even if there were no superhero elements at play. Landis makes one of the most convincing arguments yet against the constant complaints that "Superman isn't relatable." His Clark is perfectly human without losing any of the character's fundamental decency and optimism.
The incredible characterization extends to every character in the series. Landis does wonders for Jonathan and Martha Kent as he explores their fears and aspirations as the parents of a superhuman child. Landis adds a hilarious new wrinkle to the classic Batman/Superman dynamic. He paints an endearing picture of the friendship between Clark and his Smallville buddies as they visit him in Metropolis for the first time. But the biggest and most welcome surprise in this book is the relationship between Clark and a pre-Cheetah Barbara Ann Minerva as explored in issue #3. Landis forges such a heartfelt bond between the two that it makes you wish the same relationship existed in the regular DC Universe (American Alien being more or less an out-of-continuity tale).
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In almost every case, the art is perfectly matched for the needs of the story. That's despite the fact that many of the artists aren't necessarily the first choices that would spring to mind when it comes to rendering the Man of Steel's early adventures. Tommy Lee Edwards and Jae Lee drawing sentimental Superman stories? But clearly, a lot of care went into choosing artists for each particular chapter. Nick Dragotta's rendition of a young Clark being swept through the Kansas cornfields is an early highlight. Dragotta creates such a fluid sense of motion in his pages that it's impossible not to be swept up along with Clark. Joelle Jones shines in issue #3 as she depicts a raucous yacht party and the intimate bond between Clark and Minerva. Jonathan Case offers a fantastic interpretation of a 20-something Clark reconnecting with his old friends, one that thrives on the strength of Case's body language. And it hardly needs to be said that Francis Manapul fires on all cylinders as he depicts one of Clark's earliest costumed escapades. This is a truly gorgeous collection.
Special mention should also be made of cover artist Ryan Sook. Alongside Landis, Sook is the one common thread throughout the series. Each issue's cover aptly summarizes the themes and conflicts within, boiling them down into one detailed, strikingly designed image. How can you not look at issue #2's depiction of a bloody, defiant Clark posing for a mug shot and not want to read the story?
The final chapter is the only one that doesn't entirely work. Issue #7 ties the series together well thematically, but Landis' choice of villain is a little odd and creates some tonal imbalance in what's otherwise a very grim story. And Jock's art, though well-suited to that tone, is often too murky to really convey the hard-hitting action as the rookie Superman battles his first true metahuman opponent. The final chapter is hardly flawed enough to ruin the experience, but it is disappointing that American Alien couldn't end on a high note.
Those who already own the individual issues may be wondering if the hardcover offers enough incentive to double-dip. Unfortunately, DC didn't give American Alien the Deluxe Edition or Absolute Edition treatment the series so clearly deserves. So the artwork is no larger, unfortunately, but the hardcover does offer up a healthy amount of supplemental material, including a cover gallery, sketches and other concept art. There's also a copy of Landis' original pitch document for the series (which, among other things, reveals that all seven issues were inspired by different species of bird). I would like to see more creator commentary from Landis himself in the inevitable fancypants edition hardcover, but this book offers plenty of insight already into the series' development.
The Verdict
Superman: American Alien is required reading for DC fans. It's as simple as that. Landis and his artistic partners cut through all the fluff to deliver seven emotionally rich stories that trace the evolution of Clark Kent from confused boy to Man of Steel. The series is funny, heartfelt and a true testament to the undying appeal of DC's preeminent superhero.
A Superman Super-Fan On Max Landis’ Flawed-Yet-Impressive ‘American Alien’
by Kieran Shiach June 27, 2016 10:00 AM
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Ryan Sook
Ryan Sook
Max Landis is a divisive figure in modern pop culture, to say the least. The son of acclaimed director John Landis, he burst on the scene as the writer of the found-footage film Chronicle, about three friends who gain immense superpowers and find their friendships tested. He’s also known for his online rants about how Rey from Star Wars is a Mary Sue, or defending the casting of Scarlett Johansson in Ghost of the Shell.
So he’s a man with opinions who likes to share them. He also recently finished up his first miniseries at DC Comics, Superman: American Alien, backed up by an impressive roster of A-list art talent, including Nick Dragotta, Jae Lee and Jock. The series follows Clark Kent at various points in his life from childhood through to his early days as Superman, and takes a more grounded approach to the Man of Steel, but often skims and bounces off the ground a bit too hard.
The following assessment of the series will be unavoidably personal in places, because I am a huge Superman fan, and more often than is usually the case even with iconic superheroes, Superman fans tend to have very rigid ideas of who he is. Max Landis does too; he’s talked about them openly and displays them on the page to see. I’m not necessarily right all the time, neither is he; sometimes our viewpoints line up and sometimes I nearly stopped reading because I vehemently disagreed with what was on the page.
Nick Dragotta
Nick Dragotta
Before I start talking about the Landis’ character work, it should be noted that this book is a pretty incredible achievement for someone’s first miniseries. At times, he shows an understanding of how to structure and pace a comic that belies his relevant inexperience. Alongside some of the greatest artists working in comics today, has produced a flawed but impressive debut work.
The series takes the form of seven one-shots at different points in Superman’s life, from childhood through to his earliest days in the red and blue trunks, and each issue is a slice of life from that time. There is continuity between the series, but it’s largely standalone and better off for it. Not every aspect of Landis’ ground-up DC Universe sticks the landing, but it works a lot better than if it was forced to dance between the raindrops of The New 52’s already incredibly confusing Superman continuity.
My favorite thing about the series — and occasionally my least favorite, because people are fickle beings — is how human Landis’ Clark Kent is. I am not a fan of Superman as an alien outsider, and prefer him as a down-to-Earth boy from Kansas, and American Alien has that in spades. Clark Kent just wants to do the right thing here, and while he often doesn’t know what that is, he’s going to try.
Tommy Lee Edwards
Tommy Lee Edwards
However, Landis often leans in too hard into trying to show Superman’s humanity in ways that are unappealing and unnecessary. In one ghastly scene, a young Clark Kent confronts a criminal wanted for murder and accidentally severs both of his arms with a blast of heat vision. Fans of Man of Steel will likely say that such a failure only serves to drive Superman to succeed later in life, but I’d rather have a Superman that does good deeds without having mutilated a criminal.
Clark Kent as a teenager often reminds me of the bratty Billy Batson of The New 52, and just as those stories did, it misses the point. There’s a trend in modern superhero storytelling that everything needs to be “real,” and “real” is often just a synonym for lousy and cynical, which is a problem that this book suffers from throughout its run. When it soars, it’s majestic but it’s often dragged down under the weight of its own need to be taken seriously.
One of the true highlights of Superman: American Alien is the portrayal of Superman’s supporting cast, especially Lois Lane, who is every bit as fierce and determined as she should be. Jimmy Olsen’s brief cameo is fun too, as Clark Kent brings his friends from home to a gallery opening of Olsen’s photography work and they just don’t get it. The character Landis nails more than anyone, however, is Lex Luthor.
Jae Lee
Jae Lee
Lex is immediately introduced as having already accepted there is no-one in the world greater than he, but when Superman shows up, it cuts Lex to his very core. When he gets an up-close interaction and realises that Superman is just a dumb kid winging it, that reinforces Lex’s feeling of superiority and his need to prove to the world that their savior is a fraud. The characterisation does sometimes teeter on a culmination of every “millennials are lazy” article ever published, but ultimately Lex is driven and determined in a way that’s been missing from the main DC Universe.
One of the most interesting choices Landis makes is the use of Lobo in the final issue, which is the only time we see Superman, in his iconic red-and-blues, fighting a super-powered villain. At times it doesn’t work, because instinctively you want Superman v Luthor, Brainiac, Doomsday or Darkseid, but Lobo as an alien visitor to Earth represents everything Superman is not, and highlights the very best qualities of The Man of Tomorrow.
Most of the issues come complete with back-ups featuring Landis collaborating across one or two pages with the likes of Evan “Doc” Shaner, Steve Dillon and Matthew Clark, which don’t always hit — but they show a great deal of craft. The one page Mr. Mxyzptlk story with Mark Buckingham about the power and threat of ideas is possibly the best thing Landis has written, and if you read one thing from American Alien, that’d be what I recommend.
Mark Buckingham
Mark Buckingham
The art across American Alien is one of the best showcases of what the industry has to offer, and each artist was perfectly chosen to contemplate the specific moments and events of young Superman’s life. Nick Dragotta’s childlike wonder in the first issue is nothing like Jae Lee’s overwhelming moodiness as Clark Kent settles into Metropolis, which is nothing like Francis Manapul’s awe-inspiring take on the city as Superman settles into his role as its protector.
Tommy Lee Edwards draws the gruesome scene I mentioned previously, but he’s also one of the best artists for drawing the isolation of small-town America. Jock’s Lobo is Sam Keith meets Bill Sienkiewicz, Joelle Jones is perfect for the “low-stakes” yacht party issue, and Jonathan Case brings enormous character to Clark and his friends as they argue about how the big city has changed him.
Jonathan Case
Jonathan Case
When the project was announced, Landis drew fire for his claim that he wanted American Alien to be “the opposite of All-Star Superman,” widely regarded as one of the best and most true interpretations of the character. It takes either courage or stupidity to invoke such a great work, because your own comic will from then on always be compared to it, and most likely found wanting.
As a series, and especially as a debut series, there is a lot to like here. If you’re a Superman completist interested in a unique take on the character, you could do worse than American Alien. You could do better, but you could do worse.
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