I’m Steve Gustafson and thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget to check out 411mania’s Comic Book Review Roundtable, every Thursday! Read up on the best reviews and let us know what you’re reading as well. Click to read the latest Comic Book Review Roundtable! Moon Knight, Darth Vader and more!

Now, on with the show!

Last week we discussed The New Super-Man! Here’s what you all had to say:

mpw2012: “If I were DC I’d rename the thing CASHGRABMAN, huge lettering, $ for the S, own it… own it DC”

DandySkull: “It’s not like they’re getting rid of Clark, and even if he did, they’d eventually bring him back (again) because, he’s like.. Clark. They’d just do a new comic with Clark, and run it in a different continuity, or the past, or something else.

He’s not the first, or last person to get a legacy hero name. I mean we started getting the, all the way back when Johnny Storm took the Human Torch name.

What matters is how good the writing for his book is, and the stories they tell with him. I haven’t read any of them yet, but I know Gene Luen Yang’s work, and he’s making an effort already to research what he doesn’t know, so those are good things.

Here’s to good stories with a new character. That’s the most we can ask for!”

Wyatt Beougher: “I mentioned this on another site that I frequent that features some pretty good comics discussions, but I think the issue that DC is going to face here (and, for the record, I have absolutely no problem with it, but to think it won’t be thrown around is insane) is that they’ve taken a minority character (at least by US standards, though he’ll apparently be based out of China) with the initials KK and had him take over the role of an existing superhero. It’s not like Marvel has gotten some serious critical and fan acclaim for doing the same thing with Kamala Khan, and when you couple it with “Lois’ Superman powers are killing her” and its comparison to Jane Foster’s plight in Thor, they’re just giving Marvel fanboys more ammunition.”

Chumunga64: “If the question is “Is whatever DC is doing a bad idea?” The answer is always yes.”

Rafe Antonio Ruiz: “I blame millenials for the utter destruction of Marvel and DC comics.”

Andrew Barbarash: “So Shazam is Chinese now? I’m confuzzled!”

Nelson Muntz: “So is this guy the equivalent of Miles Morales?”

Voice of Logic: “I’m not sure I understand this.. Is he replacing Clark, or is he a different character all together? The hyphen in his name leads me to believe he will not be Superman as we know him, but a new character with similar powers, maybe?”

Marty Confetti: “I think it’s an interesting idea. If the new character and setting allow for some good storytelling then I’m all for it. And that outfit is pretty awesome.”

Lance Snead: “I would not say that it is a “bad” idea. Unless Chinese rules forced them to change the character in order for it to be sold there, I think this is another silly marketing idea. It will be interesting for a while. Then the classic version will come back. The outfit is pretty good. I like it more than the Twin Lightning Supermen or the Tony Stark Spider-Man outfits.”

Thank you for your comments and keep them coming!

This week we tackle…

Turmoil at DC!

I originally was going to talk about DC’s CCO Geoff Johns comments on Rebirth and how it will begin with DC Universe: Rebirth #1 in May and conclude in the summer of 2018. You know, the usual comic book oriented stuff. Instead, I want to go behind the curtain and talk about some controversy that’s come out this past week or so.

As you may or may not have heard, veteran editor Shelly Bond is gone from her position as Vice President & Executive Editor of the Vertigo line. That title is no longer around thanks to some restructuring on DC’s part. By itself, this is big news. Shelly has worked on and overseen some of the most critically-acclaimed and well-loved books out. For her position to be dissolved and her being shown the door is questionable, borderline unthinkable.

It’s what came next that I want to focus on. Soon after the announcement, allegations of sexual harassment inside DC came flooding out. One of the publisher’s longtime editors, current Superman group editor Eddie Berganza was at the center of the accusations. DC Comics has stayed quiet on the news but that hasn’t stopped word from spreading.

The connection between Shelly’s departure and Berganza’s status at DC came out after former Image Comics Director of PR & Marketing Jennifer de Guzman took to social media to ask why Bond’s position was eliminated, while someone with “multiple complaints of sexual harassment” was still employed at DC. Berganza’s name was dropped by Nick Hanover from the website Loser City as the person de Guzman was referring to.

Berganza was involved in an incident of sexual harassment back in March 2012. The incident took place after show hours during the weekend of the WonderCon comic book cnvention and he was disciplined by DC and demoted from his then-position as Executive Editor. The details were reported as a “senior comic book figure” making an unwanted physical advance on the romantic partner of a freelancer working for the unnamed senior figure. Last September, comics writer Alex de Campi wrote a blog post claiming:

“Now, the Superman office allegedly employs no women, and a cursory glance over the mastheads of several Superman titles and Wonder Woman seems to confirm that allegation. The reason, I’ve been told by several people who work or used to work at DC, is because one of the most senior editors is a sexual harasser with multiple incidents on his HR file.”

Berganza name isn’t mentioned but it’s obvious he’s the one they are implying.

Fast forward to last week and when the flurry of social media activity started after Bond was let go. Former DC Comics editor Janelle Asselin wrote on Twitter, “I was one of many who reported Eddie Berganza’s behavior in [2010]. I left DC because they promoted him anyway.” Asselin later stated that it was specifically a sexual harassment claim that was made against Berganza.

Where does that leave us? Is this a telling moment for DC? For years the comic book industry has come under fire for not being welcome to female fans. This has extended over to gaming and cosplay, as we hear stories about the harassment female fans undergo. When it comes to harassment at the work place, for years we’ve been hearing about working conditions at DC. Should DC be called to task for keeping on Berganza? Is this reflective of a bigger problem of harassment in the industry? Keep it respectful in the comments below!

That’s all the time I have. Check out our Comic Book Reviews tomorrow and see you next week!