Comments on: 365 Reasons to Love Comics #55

By: Blues

Blues — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:56:01 +0000

I wouldn't want steel having an armor like his niece. I never understood how that thing grew. I like his original look(heh not the bearded one that left his face exposed). I think they should give him a five component suit(gloves, hands, chest), and some sort of face mask, and then have the rest of the suit be some sort of liquid metal. He shouldn't be so super strong (like tony starks). He isn't abou that, they should give him a known limit of about twenty men or something, some neat gadgets that last instead of a new one every issue or apperance(Damn you stark!). Then you just need a good characterisation and the character would fit nicely anywhere. He could even just appear more on superman's titles. They could fly by each other while they're handling different cases, and if one finishes early, they help the other.(he could have an action comic arc or issue devoted solely to him everyonce in awhile)

By: Bill Reed

Bill Reed — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:17:32 +0000

I still haven't purchased or read New Frontier, so you might want to go gun shopping tomorrow. Just in case. Of course, I have lasers from space. So watch yourself.

By: The Kirbydotter

The Kirbydotter — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 22:46:57 +0000

Meh!
I know next to nothing about Steel.
He came out with another of these Big Events multi-crossovers (Death of Superman) that I'm allergic to.

I like what Darwin Cooke did with the concept in his seminal NEW FRONTIER (this title HAS GOT TO BE INCLUDED somewhere down the line before this series end or I will buy a gun, go through sniper training, and hunt you down!)

By: Matt D

Matt D — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:26:39 +0000

I doubt any character is going to come out of 52 stronger than Steel.

They gave him a huge push, down to beating Lex Luthor and standing triumphant at the end.

I'd be amazed if he didn't get an ongoing out of this.

By: Jack Potts

Jack Potts — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:01:16 +0000

I'd like to see him become a character akin to Alan Moore's Big Brother from Alan Moore's brief collaboration with Steve Skroce on Youngblood. Big Brother was a guy who had armor in various sizes, even one as big as a skyscraper that the team flew around in. To get him away from the comparisons to Tony Stark, make the suits into big, heavy, industrial, mecha battle suits that he operates, instead of slipping on.

In his series, Steel lived in the Washington, DC area to be closer to his family. To emphasize his "man of the people" status, DC could just move him down the road a piece to Virginia, where he could reopen one of the old shipyards as an armor factory. Some would be two-seaters, and built like tanks. Some would be as big as a submarine, bristling with non-lethal weaponry. Steel could be like a one-man cavalry, arriving on the scene with the right tool for the job.

By reopening shuttered shipyards, Irons could give manufacturing jobs to people building these suits, where they would all have a sense of pride in contributing to keeping the world safe, and feel like heroes in their own right.

By: Rebis

Rebis — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:47:28 +0000

Steel's a great character in the main DCU (even more so than in New Frontier, where his story was compelling but ultimately felt completely tangential â€” almost tokenized â€” to the rest of the action). John Henry's had a good storyline in 52. I really like him becoming Luthor's primary adversary while Clark's been on the sidelines. (Though they botched the climax (his final showdown with Luthor) a couple weeks back, unlike the so-far satisfying rides of the Ralph and Booster storylines.) Morrison wrote Steel really well in JLA, where he played a very valuable role as tech/security expert that made perfect sense for the team. (Not unlike Mr. Terrific's role in JSA, though Terrific was also team leader for a time.) After experiencing a League with Steel, Oracle and J'onn, any other roster without them (or someone filling their roles) is an understaffed team.

By: MAF

MAF — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:29:45 +0000

Steel's 1950s incarnation in "The New Frontier" was the only time I found the character remotely interesting.

By: GTS

GTS — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:58:24 +0000

I also liked Steel in the 'Death of Superman' stories, and saw great potential for the character beyond that. Following '52' reminds me of that fact again, although I've got to say that I was irrationally rooting for him to keep his newfound powers (making him something more or less like X-Men's Colussus) which I see now just adds to the confusion for writers building the character.

By: Bill Reed

Bill Reed — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 06:45:29 +0000

This goes for Tony Stark too. How can you be a weapons designer and not know that people are going to get hurt?

The same way you can be a pilot dropping bombs on stuff and never think of the consequences until you see the injured children. Before, it was just pushing a button. After, it's bringing death and wreaking havoc. Maybe I've been watching too much MASH lately. Maybe John and Tony could design and build the things but they never really thought about what would happen afterwards. It's about convincing yourself you're doing the right thing and finding out you were wrong.

By: Ian

Ian — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 06:26:11 +0000

"esk"? Wow.

This goes for Tony Stark too. How can you be a weapons designer and not know that people are going to get hurt?

By: Billy F

Billy F — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 03:39:31 +0000

From my own interpretations, it seems that everything you want Steel to be has come to fruitation in 52. The writers have played up the John Henry folk hero aspect, and the whole what it means to be a hero question (expecially in comparison to his neice Natasha in 52). It's not that convoluted a story, and quite a nice read.

I've also heard Steel's story in 52 called Hamlet-esk, but I've yet to really see the comparisons.

By: Denn

Denn — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 01:30:46 +0000

As Steel is a main character in 52, he won't be seen OYL, well, until 52 is done and it's one year later.

By: The Mutt

The Mutt — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:27:40 +0000

I love the Iron Man meets Thor look. I read some of the Death of Superman stuff and liked him there. I never read his solo book, but I've liked him in 52. I think Steel would work better in the JLA than in his own title. I much prefer armored human to superpowered Steel. Has Steel been seen OYL?

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 22:59:49 +0000

What I think is cool about Steel is the same thing that I thought was cool about Blue Beetle. Both guys were placed into a situation where they felt they had to take over for a hero (Beetle for the original Beetle, Steel for Superman), only they didn't have the powers of the guy they were replacing.

So they used can-do spirit to become superheroes ANYways, even withOUT powers.

The changes to Steel over the years I have not been a big fan of, though.

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 22:36:35 +0000

I guess I have trouble seeing what it is about Steel's origin or character that makes him unique. It seems like a tired story in superhero comics, and it hits every wrong note.

And I just cannot get past his name.