Legendary comic book creator John Byrne, whose new X-Men project “Elsewhen” hits shelves next week, had some sharp words about his famous 1980s stint on Superman — a run that was so high-profile it landed on the cover of “Time” magazine.
Despite the cultural impact, Byrne says the whole experience was poisoned by broken promises from DC Comics. “DC lied to me at every turn,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “The whole project, which should have been a dream come true, was just an endless stream of disappointments and frustration and ultimately I quit.”
In a moment of career retrospection, he even floated an alternate history: he wishes he’d taken Batman instead, leaving Superman to Frank Miller — who was, at the same time, busy producing the landmark works “Dark Knight Returns” and “Batman: Year One”. It’s a tantalizing what-if for comics fans.
Byrne, who turns 76 in July, is characteristically blunt about how it all went wrong. The Superman run remains a sore spot even decades later — a reminder that the biggest opportunities don’t always make for the best memories.
“X-Men: Elsewhen”, published through Abrams ComicArts, goes on sale June 23.
