Chad: "Did the Shadow's most trusted agents know his identity?"

I think a handful of them might have, but then it's not like he ever used it. :-)

Chad, "What I mean is, get rid of continuity. I mean all of it"

You say that, but if you think about it, that hasn't really been an approach that has historically worked for 99% of the characters.  Books were pretty continuity free in the 40s, and only a small percentage of super-hero characters managed to survive into the 50s, most of which were gone halfway into the decade.  Heck, two characters (Green Arrow and Aquaman) only survived because DC still had a desire for back-up features back then.

DC in the Silver Age tried a more continuity neutral approach at first in the Silver Age, but by the end of the 60s (1972 tops) most of those series had been cancelled as well.  Aside from the Big Three, the Flash is the only who made it.  (I feel weird counting the Justice League.) 

Marvel was built on continuity and continuing plotlines so a "countinuity free Marvel" would be something never seen before.

So really, you have Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman.  By the 60s, Superman had built up a pretty complex world around himself, Batman is rumored to have been marked for cancellation, and supposedly Wonder Woman mainly thrived because of her licensing potential. 

Hard to call it a defendable approach.

But if you're going to do it, you also have to be prepared to have the characters you like tossed as soon as sales dipped and revived in unrecognizable forms if they do decide to trot them out again (see what happened with Jay Garrick and the original X-Men).

Chad Carter wrote: "And it all makes Batman creepy as sh*t, if he's been sneaking boys into his twisted Batworld as partners for decades. I mean, really."

There's a memorable Marshal Law story in which a long-standing Batman character known as the Public Eye takes on a new sidekick every few months or so. As it turns out, he trains them, exercises them, and then, when they're at peak performance, harvests them for their organs in order to keep himself young and rejuvenated. He's apparently been at this for awhile...

Dave Phelps wrote: "In the Julius Schwartz period they did a "Superman (or maybe Clark Kent) No More"ish kind of story (#296-299), but it was four issues in one title rather than an 8 month event, you know?"

I remember that series of issues well, Dave. Not that it was necessarily influential upon the modern era, but as it was an unusually long story it was notable for the mid-70's. That's the story wherein it's suggested that Lois and Clark spent an evening together. As I recall, a line about her showing up for work the next day in the same dress was edited out. Plus, it was also collected for a trade paperback called the Great Superman Comic Book Collection alongside other, more classically vintaged tales. That was back in 1981.

Longer stories, adult content, writing for the trade... Damn that Cary Bates and Elliot S! Maggin! It's all their fault!! Y'know, Maggin's the one who created Superboy-Prime... I'm just sayin'... :-)

Here's an article about some *possible* changes with regards to Superman:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/06/11/grant-morrisons-super man-the-liberal-activist/

What's funny about this is that JB more or less did the same thing 25 years ago (with obvious differences), and was BLASTED for it.  Yet because this is Grant Morrison, if his Superman is less powerful and more humanized, fans will roll out the red carpet for him and talk about what a breath of fresh air it is.

Whatever.  I still love Man of Steel. 

QUOTE: Superman the liberal activist

Gag a maggot!

QUOTE: What's funny about this is that JB more or less did the same thing 25 years ago (with obvious differences), and was BLASTED for it.  Yet because this is Grant Morrison, if his Superman is less powerful and more humanized, fans will roll out the red carpet for him and talk about what a breath of fresh air it is.

WHERE ARE THOSE STUPID FANS when GM is doing his CREATOR OWNED PROJECTS? That's what I don't understand.

BATMAN AND ROBIN
DEMON KNIGHTS
SUPERBOY
LOSH
BLACKHAWKS
I, VAMPIRE
TEEN TITANS
ALL-STAR WESTERN

Both Legion books, but I am already getting LOSH/Adventures Comic
so this is just continuing
Teen Titans
Firestorm
Justice League of America or whatever they are calling the Johns/Lee
book.
Superboy (another title I was already collecting)

And

Superman--Perez version, a maybe but may get that as trades.

What do you guys think will be the name of the CRISIS that will reunite all 52 books next year?