Though Clark Kent has left The Daily Planet several times over the years for one reason or another, it’s especially poignant now that he–and his boss, Perry White–can blame dying print media on reality television, digital technology, and the growing number of bloggers and citizen reporters.
“Why am I the one sounding like a grizzled ink-stained wretch who believes news should be about– I don’t know, news?” Kent asks.
It’s a question asked by many journalists these days, when Honey Boo Boo and Kim Kardashian take up more news space than any stories of importance, and now that DC Comics is rebooting their entire superhero line in order to make their stories more relevant to today’s youth, Clark Kent is free to change up his career over it.
“In SUPERMAN #13, Clark Kent, after a heated discussion with Morgan Edge (the owner of The Daily Planet’s parent company, Galaxy Broadcasting), leaves his position as a reporter at The Daily Planet. This is the beginning of a multi-faceted storyline that will challenge Clark on all levels – personally and professionally, as both himself and as Superman. This is not the first time in DC Comics history that Clark Kent has left the Planet, and this time the resignation reflects present-day issues – the balance of journalism vs. entertainment, the role of new media, the rise of the citizen journalist, etc. Over the next several issues, readers will enjoy the many surprises in store for Clark as the “H’el on Earth” storyline unfolds,” says a DC spokesperson.
(image)
Of course, hardcore fans of the series know that this isn’t the first or even the last time Clark will leave the newspaper, but coming on the heels of, say, Newsweek’s announcement that they are going all-digital after 80+ years in print, the issue is especially topical.