The adventures of DC's most iconic hero, Superman, have been written by several comic book creators over his nearly 100 year publication history. Two of his best worked on groundbreaking Superman storylines that continue to influence him to this day. For a while, neither of these creators were working for DC Comics anymore, though that's finally changing.
Mark Waid and Mark Millar are both influential parts of Superman's modern publication history, penning some of his most well-regarded Elseworlds stories. Waid recently returned to DC to write one of the company's best current ongoing titles, and Millar isn't far behind. With two literary Supermen back at the helm, the Last Son of Krypton may be overdue for some great new stories.
Mark Waid and Mark Millar Wrote the Best Superman Stories
As much of a fan as any comic book reader, Mark Waid has a long history with DC Comics. Having written a long run on The Flash that set the stage for the development of Wally West and his family. Waid is perhaps most well-known for writing Kingdom Come with artist Alex Ross. This Elseworlds title was set in an alternate universe that acted as a narrative rejection of many of the dark tropes in '90s comics, with a jaded Superman being at the center of it all. From there, Waid would go a step further and bring back some of the Man of Steel's Silver Age continuity. Utilizing similar elements seen in the then-current TV series Smallville, the new origin stuck for a few years, with certain imagery being used in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. And, after a long absence from the company, Waid has finally returned to write Batman/Superman.
With Mark Millar, he's many times more well-known for his comparatively darker Marvel and independent material. Along with Civil War and the early parts of Ultimate X-Men, he would also go on to write his own books. At DC, however, he had a much lighter fare in the form of Superman Adventures, a tie-in comic book for the cartoon Superman: The Animated Series. After that, he wrote the iconic Elseworlds storyline Superman: Red Son, where the Man of Tomorrow crash-landed in Soviet Russia. Far from a mere evil Superman story, this examined how even a misguided Kal-El would strive to do what was best for those under his protection. The title would become one of the best alternate takes on the character.
Waid and Millar's Return to DC was Almost Inevitable
Mark Waid had a strained relationship with DC Comics in the late 2000s, disagreeing with many editorial choices during his tenure there. This included him calling out the publisher, similar to what he had done to Marvel's Bob Harras. Ironically, his departure from DC saw him go to Marvel, where he wrote for much of the 2010s. Millar's DC work was mostly relegated to the 1990s and early 2000s, with Superman: Red Son remaining his legacy at the publisher. Waid's tenure back at DC Comics has so far given fans one of the best Superman/Batman team-up titles in years, finally giving the World's Finest a strong friendship after years of post-Frank Miller rivalry. That's along with another Superman-centric project coming down the pipeline.
Recently, Mark Millar confirmed that he's finally returning to DC Comics to work on a new Superman project, too. It will be his first DC project in almost decades. Hopefully, Millar's return will similarly bless the Man of Steel and his fans with a fitting follow-up (if in nothing else but quality) to Superman: Red Son, proving that Superman's greatest power is the ability to inspire fantastic stories.