According to the advanced March solicitations for “Action Comics” and “Superman,” Superman will be MIA and other heroes will be patrolling the skies of Metropolis in his place.

The current storyline running through the Superman books is called “New Krypton”. It has the city of Kandor returning to Superman continuity and this time around the people are no longer living in a bottled city, but are now living on Earth. There is tension developing between the people of Earth and the Kryptonians and this will all lead to a “dramatic finale” which will lead into the new “World Without Superman” storyline. So come 2009, DC fans can look forward to not having both the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight staring in their own monthly books.

It’s funny that DC is doing this because it seems like we are experiencing the 90s all over again. In the 90s Bruce Wayne stopped being Batman and was replaced by Azrael after Bane broke his back. We also had the Death of Superman where the heroes of Metropolis and the DC Universe try to make up for the lost of Superman. Now we have Bruce “missing” and there will be a “Battle for the Cowl” to see who replaces him and now something will happen to Superman at the end of “New Krypton”. I know DC and Marvel tend to rehash old stories and plotlines, but I just feel that there is no need to go this route with these characters again - especially so soon.

The Knightfall and Death of Superman storylines are etched in the minds of many comic book fans in their 30s and up. It’s one thing to do what Grant Morrison has done in his run on “Batman” with the reintroduction of the Batmen of All Nations because that storyline was done years ago in the 50s. However Knightfall and Death of Superman were not too long ago. (Knightfall was 1993-1994; Death of Superman was 1992-1993)

It really upsets me that Superman and Batman won’t be around. I know they will eventually come back, but I just don’t see the need for this right now. Hopefully they’ll be back soon.