Beard: Controversial author to write Superman
Written by Jim Beard | | news@toledofreepress.comNoted science fiction novelist Orson Scott Card has been hired by DC Comics to write a Superman story for their upcoming anthology title Adventures of Superman.
That sounds like a good move, right?
Well, a storm of controversy has whipped up over the announcement, due to Card’s notoriety as an outspoken opponent of gay marriage and a member of an organization that seeks to ban it.
Some fans see the hiring as bizarre, what with the Man of Steel championing the rights of people everywhere. Others have proclaimed that they’ll boycott the project altogether; at least one comic retailer has said he won’t carry Adventures of Superman and may even drop all of DC’s titles. Even production of the film adaptation of Card’s most famous work, “Ender’s Game,” may slow down while the writer weathers the storm.
Ed Katschke, manager of Monarch Cards & Comics, who is openly gay, has a different take on the issue.
“While I completely understand the emotional reaction some gay activists are having to news of noted author and homophobe Orson Scott Card’s participation in the [title], I also find it rather unnecessary to shed too much light and attention upon the situation. Since the work that he has been hired to perform on Superman is one chapter in an ongoing project that is primarily going to be seen through digital distribution, I personally think it would be better to just ignore the whole thing and watch as his small contribution to the Superman legend sinks without a trace. People will find themselves tuning in merely to see what he has to add to the Superman legend and I guarantee it won’t be much.”
DC’s official response noted that they “steadfastly support freedom of expression,” but also that the “personal views of individuals associated with DC Comics are just that — personal views — and not those of the company itself.”
Tags: Comics, DC Comics, Jim Beard, Orson Scott Card, Superman
