Superman 707, my first issue as scripter, has been out for a little over a week, and there’s been a bit of talk about it on the internet in that time, on forums, twitter, and comic sites, but there are three reviews in particular that I’d like to point out. All are by reviewers whose opinions I’ve come to trust over the last few years, so the fact that they speak favorably about my efforts on Superman is encouraging.

Timothy Callahan, Comic Book Resources
Chris Sims, Comics Alliance
Graeme McMillan, Savage Critics

So thanks for the great reviews, guys! I look forward to seeing what you make of the next issue…

Kerry Callen brings the funny, showing us that “invulnerability doesn’t solve all problems.”

Last night, the local news on KXAN, the Austin NBC affiliate, aired a piece on me that they filmed last week. If you have any interest in seeing it, here it is.

As someone who is just starting out writing the adventures of the Man of Steel, I’m sure glad that that Ty Templeton is around to explain the basics.

I may have mentioned that I’m writing the Superman comic for a few months, but if you haven’t yet heard the news… Hey, I’m writing Superman for a few months.

A cursory glance of past entries on my blog will show that I am a huge fan of Superman, and have been since I was six years old. Back in September, I was absolutely floored when Superman editors Matt Idelson and Wil Moss gave me the chance to write a two-issue fill-in on the Superman/Batman title. But I had barely begun work on the second of those two scripts when they called with an even more awesome offer–the chance to write Superman, the flagship title of DC Comics that’s been running continuously since June of 1939. Well, how could I say no?

My first issue is Superman 707, which is in stores today. It picks up from the first chapters of the “Grounded” storyline that’s been running in the title for the last few months.

Last week, the Austin American-Statesman ran an interview with me conducted by Joe Gross, in which I got to rave at length about my love for the character, and about why he means so much to me. Statesman photographer Jay Janner did a portrait of me to accompany the piece, which I think says it all.

Seriously, y’all, I’m writing Superman, for crying out loud. Me, a guy who literally spent his entire childhood reading Superman comics, watching Superman cartoons, making up stories with my Superman Mego figures, even dressing as Superman. Don’t believe me? This isn’t a new thing for me…

That’s me in the back, still wearing on Christmas the Superman costume I wore for Halloween.

But I managed to convert all of my siblings to the side of the Man of Tomorrow, too. (The kid in the Spider-Man underoos is my cousin, so we forgave his pulling for the other team.)

Underoos were a godsend to a kid who insisted on dressing like Superman, and I kept wearing them long after I was really too old to do so.

And here I am, years later, in 2000 at DisneyWorld with my wife Allison Baker on our honeymoon. I was still at it, though it was skillfully hidden under red flannel.

And now I’m writing Superman. Who’d have thunk?

The good folks at War Rocket Ajax interviewed me recently for their podcast, and if you want to hear me bloviate about my favorite Superman stories and writers, and why I think Superman is as important for moral instruction as any religious figure, head on over and give it a listen. 

Superman 707, in stores today. If you live in Austin and want to get a copy defaced by me, come by Austin Books between 4 and 7PM, and I’ll be happy to decrease the value of a copy for you.

From the minds behind How It Should Have Ended… the Tron Rap. (And no, I haven’t seen Tron: Legacy yet. I’ve got pretty low expectations, though, so here’s hoping.)

Apologies for the radio silence the last few weeks, internets, but I’ve been dealing with some horribleness. I’ll be posting soon about the crazy good news that’s broken in the last few weeks, namely that I’m writing Superman for DC Comics and Elric for Boom! (how crazy is that?!), but in the meantime, here’s a little holiday hilarity for you.

Today is (obviously) Halloween, but we got the party started yesterday. In the afternoon, we took the kids to the annual Halloween Carnival at the neighborhood park, and Georgia was able to put on her full costume for the first time. Georgia has wanted to be a cat for Halloween this year since about five minutes after Halloween last year, and Allison has been working on making it for weeks.  I think it turned out great, personally.

After the kids were off to bed, the grownups put on our costumes, and got ready for the costume party we were hosting. Sonrisa Trippe had spent all day working on the Tardis door, to go along with her Amy Pond costume, and I think it turned out amazingly well. Dean Trippe was Batman (naturally), and as for me and Allison…?

Allison makes a fetching Princess Leia, don’t you think?

As for me, I kept telling everyone I wasn’t dressed as Captain Kirk, I was dress as Captain Roberson, dammit.

But I wasn’t the only member of Starfleet in attendance. Robert Wilson IV and his wife Tiffany drove down from Dallas to join in the fun, though they’d opted for a more Old Skool look than my New Movie version. Still, we’re all one big happy Starfleet, as Khan said.

All in all, we had a fantastic time. Thanks to everyone who came! And today we’re finishing the decorating of the Halloween cookies, mutilating a pumpkin–erm, making a jack-o-lantern, that is–and going door to door begging for candy. What could be better than that?

Julian West has made a video for my old friend Chris Cannon‘s “Night Falls,” a track off his album vine street, which you can download for FREE. Give it a listen, and then go check out the rest of the album.

Check out Francesco Francavilla’s contribution to Comic Twart’s “Marvel What If” week, “The Avengers: Earth’s First Heroes.”

Here’s how Francesco describes the piece:

So I give you, for the first time I think, Hulk the Druid (a celtic primeval force of nature), Captain Amerigo (from the New World), Thor himself, and an unknown mysterious clad-armored gladiator known as Iron Man . Tigether they are The AVENGERS, EARTH’s FIRST HEROES and they fight evils and undead armies. How does that sound? 🙂

Sounds good to me, Francesco!!