r ison ▁and ▁editor ▁Dan ▁Ras pler ▁were ▁un success fully ▁bra inst orm ing ▁ideas ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁take ▁on ▁the ▁character ▁outside ▁the ▁San ▁Diego ▁Com ic ▁Con , ▁when ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁" sh aman ic " ▁encounter ▁with ▁a ▁man ▁dressed ▁as ▁Super man ▁which ▁helped ▁spark ▁the ▁cre ative ▁process ▁and ▁inspired ▁the ▁cover ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁issue . ▁Mor r ison ▁states ▁in ▁an ▁interview : ▁ ▁The ▁ideas ▁generated ▁by ▁that ▁meeting ▁were ▁ref ined ▁and ▁pitch ed ▁to ▁DC ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁by ▁Mor r ison , ▁Mark ▁Mill ar , ▁Mark ▁Wa id ▁and ▁Tom ▁P ey er . ▁They ▁picked ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁fifteen - year ▁cycle ▁of ▁re bo ots ▁to ▁the ▁character , ▁the ▁previous ▁one ▁being ▁John ▁By r ne ' s ▁The ▁Man ▁of ▁Ste el , ▁and ▁suggested ▁a ▁new ▁approach : ▁ ▁Although ▁initially ▁green lit , ▁it ▁was ▁eventually ▁turned ▁down ▁and ▁Mor r ison ▁said ▁" I ▁didn ’ t ▁expect ▁to ▁be ▁doing ▁any ▁further ▁work ▁on ▁Super man " ▁but ▁the ▁chance ▁came ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁finishing ▁his ▁run ▁on ▁New ▁X - Men . ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁Matt ▁Br ady ▁from ▁News ar ama , ▁Grant ▁Mor r ison ▁stated ▁he ▁was ▁contact ed ▁by ▁DC ▁Vice ▁President ▁Dan ▁Di D io ▁and ▁asked ▁" if ▁I ' d ▁like ▁to ▁come ▁back ▁to ▁DC ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁a ▁Super man ▁project ▁with ▁an ▁artist ▁of ▁my ▁choice