Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Superman | Tagged: bryan hitch, lex luthor, mark waid

Bryan Hitch On Why Superman: The Last Days Of Lex Luthor Is "Late"

Bryan Hitch & Mark Waid's comic book series Superman: The Last Days Of Lex Luthor #2 was cancelled and resolicited for December.

Bryan Hitch, Mark Waid and Kevin Nowlan's comic book series Superman: The Last Days Of Lex Luthor was first rumoured by Bleeding Cool back in August 2021, then planned for 2022. The project was confirmed by Hitch the following month and then announced by DC Comics eighteen months later in April 2023, to be published in July 2023, and the first issue was. The second issue was solicited for September but was recently cancelled and resolicited for December. Bryan Hitch took to XTwitter to explain what was going on.

"Since it's come up a few times, yes Superman-Luthor is 'delayed' but it's been a long road of delays for all of us. Here's the story. When Waid and I first started this, he was still Boom exec and I was also mulling some other longer form jobs. Issue one got written but there was going to be a long beat until Mark could get to issue two. Then there were other, scheduled series, monthlies Mark needed to prioritise and, after pencilling issue one, I took on Venom which ran for 16 issues and Ultimate Invasion (150 pages)."

Hitch's run on Venom with Al Ewing and Ram V was published from October 2021, and Ultimate Invasion has only just concluded, which itself had a troubled publishing history since it was originally written by Donny Cates and had to be reconceptualised from scratch with Jonathan Hickman when Cates had to leave the project.

"So, I came back to Superman with issue three written earlier this year after UI finished in Late July. Had a nice summer and dug in again this month, just wrapping issue two. So issue one came out a few months ago, right? I was certainly surprised it was solicited, let alone published as, then, Kevin was maybe 4 pages into a 48 page issue 2 and I hadn't done more than about 20 pages of it myself and couldn't for months still."

"I suspect, it came out because it had to fall into some financial quarter/year or period but for our part on the drawing end, it just makes us look a bit lagging behind when it's really nobody's fault. It's been a very delayed project for Mark, me and Kev for loads of reasons. I'll be done with the full series in early November or so, Kevin, quite a bit after that. Nobody is rushing anything here; it will be done when it's done and likely published in full early next year. We all LOVE this book and have loved making it. Mark and I had talked about it for years now so getting to do it all has been just brilliant. We've been really gratified by the response to (as far as we're concerned) a very premature release of issue 1 so thank you all for that."

"I really appreciate it never looks good when books are delayed but the delays here look worse because issue one came out too soon really, from our p.o.v. It's been sitting with me since early 2021 and I'm glad I'm getting to finish it the way we want to. Mark's script is one of those perfect Superman stories I think will be appreciated for decades to come. Kevin is putting so much into the inks and I finally got to draw a proper Superman story. Hang in there with us. It is getting done."

Issue 2 is currently scheduled by DC Comics for the 26th of December. A Boxing Day surprise, or might the New Year be calling?

SUPERMAN THE LAST DAYS OF LEX LUTHOR #1 (OF 3) CVR A BRYAN HITCH
(W) Mark Waid (A/CA) Bryan Hitch
Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch reunite to tell a tale centered on their favorite superhero. Superman learns Lex Luthor is dying, and he wants the Man of Steel to help him find the cure for whatever is causing his rapid decline. While the world wants to say good riddance to Luthor, Superman will go to the ends of the universe, through different dimensions, and across time to save his foe. But just why does he want to save the person who's spent his life trying to destroy him? And will he even be able to find the solution? Retail: $6.99 In-Store Date: 7/25/2023

SUPERMAN THE LAST DAYS OF LEX LUTHOR #2 (OF 3) CVR A BRYAN HITCH
(W) Mark Waid (A/CA) Bryan Hitch
Superman continues his mission to find a cure for what's killing Lex Luthor. When the present has no answers, maybe the future will! But will the Legion of Super-Heroes help Clark find a cure for a man like Luthor? Retail: $6.99 In-Store Date: 12/26/2023

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