SDCC '11: Highlights From DC's Superman Panel; More Details On New Status Quo!

Thanks to Newsarama, we have the following highlights from the "DC: Superman" panel at the San Diego Comic Con. Be sure to click the link below to head on over to the site for even more details about the upcoming change in status quo for the Superman family of titles.

On the Superman panel: Superman group editor Matt Idelson, Action Comics writer Grant Morrison, Superboy writer Scott Lobdell, Superman: Earth One writer J. Michael Straczynski, Supergirl co-writer Mike Johnson.

Morrison on Action Comics: "He doesn't know much about his Kryptonian heritage. The idea is to do a younger, more accessible Superman."

Morrison said that he wanted a more realistic take on how he started wearing his costume, saying that no 17-year-old would want to wear a "romper suit" that his mother knitted for him.

Idelson says Superman, taking place in the present day, will have a supporting cast with a "five-year backstory."

Art of the Superman: Earth One sequel is shown on the projector.

The image shows Superman standing among what appeared to be charred skeletons. "Never piss off someone with heat vision," JMS said.

Idelson says in the DCnU the Daily Planet will be a very different place, and bought by a media conglomerate. There's the newspaper end, which is struggling, and the TV and web side.

Lois Lane will be running the new media side, and be an equal to Perry White, who runs the paper.

Idelson says George Perez and Jesus Merino work very well together given that they're thousands of miles apart and can't speak the same language.

"To put anyone at ease, this is the Conner that we've known pretty much for the last — 15 years, I guess?" Lobdell said.

Johnson says that it'll be a mystery to Supergirl how she ended up on Earth.

Regarding the costume, Morrison says he wanted to make the costume "stand for something."

"The cape is the one thing he has from planet Krypton that he's still got, it's a very important object for him," Morrison said.

Here's something — Lobdell: "The supervillain for the first year of Teen Titans is going to be Superboy."

Idelson said they thought about possibly doing things they could never do in the main continuity in the months right before the relaunch, but decided against it. Morrison said it's better to go in fresh.

A fan asked if the "whimsical" elements of the character will still be seen in the new Superman continuity. Idelson said there will always be some degree of fun.

Morrison said Lex Luthor in Action Comics is kind of a good guy, a scientist working for the government who is an "up and coming" rich guy that's sold a few patent.

JMS hints that there may be "a Luthor" in Earth One very soon.

Any plans to bring in Lionel Luthor or Chloe Sullivan? Morrison said he doesn't have any plans.

Possibility of a Steel ongoing? "He has a really big role in these first six issues of Action Comics," Morrison said, adding that the hope that the character will be "so well defined" that he can sustain an ongoing.

Role of Jimmy Olsen? Morrison said it's a Clark and Jimmy friendship, calling them "two geeks."

Will elements of All-Star Superman be used in Action Comics? Not a lot, it looks like. "I want to make this a very different book, feel very different," Morrison said, adding that he has 16 issues planned out so far of Action Comics and will probably keep going.

Status of Krypto? "I'm not dealing with Krypto," Morrison said, but added that the super-dog might not be gone for long, since he is well-liked.

Will Lex Luthor have hair? "I don't like hair," the bald Morrison said.

Jor-El and Lara will be seen in Action Comics #3. "We're not telling that origin, everybody's seen it before, but it will be a different look at Krypton," Morrison said.