Superman: One Time Only

Regular readers know that over the last few weeks I've been looking back at the Justice League Detroit era of the Justice League of America and writing up reviews of the stories. The latter half of the run takes place post-Crisis and I came across something that, in light of the forthcoming reboot, gave me a chuckle.

At the time, Dick Giordano would write a column called Meanwhile which highlighted what's coming up in various titles along with hints of the future direction for DC.

Here's the Meanwhile from Justice League of America #251:

Among the mentions of the then-tentatively titled Legends follow-up to Crisis... and the changes to the Batman editorship, is the John Byrne re-vamp of Superman that came out of Crisis... and a summation of what that huge event allowed them to do:

You read that? From 1986, Dick Giordano explains that Crisis... allowed DC

"to alter, for one time only, the details of the events that created our characters."

One time only, folks! It's never going to happen again! Byrne's Superman re-boot will be the definitive version of Superman and his origins!

No . . . hang on . . . word's coming through . . . there's a couple of changes . . .

There, that's better. So, I know Dick said "for one time only" but Mark Waid's got a really good story in Superman: Birthright that it will now be the definitive . . . what? Really?

Another one?

That soon?

Right, right, of course, DC's wunderkind Geoff Johns and his Superman: Secret Origin. Well, that's bound to stand as the definitive . . . origin story . . . for . . . for . . . ummm . . .

Ah, crap . . .