Phil Jimenez opens up about the creative struggles he had on Superwoman, including being told by DC editorial to aim the book toward Trump voters.
Phil Jimenez has opened up about the creative troubles he encountered on DC’s Superwoman title, which included a mandate to appeal to Donald Trump supporters.
In a post on Instagram, Jimenez discussed the two-year plan he had for the book, the issues he intended to tackle including intersections between race and class, as well as “burgeoning LGBTQ love” while reflecting on his own experiences with panic and anxiety. “Alas, my own creative/personal issues, mixed with behind the scenes upheavals/battles and a huge continuity patch to the [Superman] universe that rendered my first couple of arcs non-canon before they were even finished (and a note from higher ups that we needed to appeal more to Trump voters) wiped me out,” Jimenez wrote.
Jimenez’s comments about a “huge continuity patch” refers to the “Superman Reborn” story arc, which saw Superman’s New 52 and Pre-Crisis histories merged together. The end result also affected various members of the Superman mythos, including Lois Lane — who also had her New 52 and Pre-Crisis histories merged. Jimenez ultimately said that he was happy he got to write a Superman title. “I never in my life thought I’d ever get to play with Superman or his universe, and it was a great opportunity and a real honor; and got to work with some incredibly fabulous artists; learned so much (even at this age I keep learning!), and I got to write one of my favorite scenes in comics ever — when Lana Lang calls Lex Luther a giant piece of shit. Literally. That little panel made it alllll worth it,” he said in conclusion.
Jimenez served as the writer and illustrator for Superwoman when it was launched during the DC Rebirth era in 2016. The book originally featured the New 52 version of Lois Lane gaining superpowers before dying in a battle. Lana Lang took up the mantle of Superwoman afterwards, as it was revealed that she had electromagnetic powers similar to the “Red” and “Blue” versions of Superman that appeared during the ’90s.
Source: Instagram
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