Potential spoilers for Superman and the Authority #1 ahead!
Superman is leading a new version of the Authority, and one of its members is Manchester Black, the hero who perhaps hates Superman the most. Manchester Black is one of a few new recruits and readers can meet this new version of the Authority in Superman and the Authority by writer Grant Morrison and artist Mikel Janin.
The Authority is one of the most popular new superhero teams of the last twenty years. Created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch, the Stormwatch spin-off followed the larger-than-life adventures of Jenny Sparks and her team, as they take on threats ranging from mad scientists to God. The Authority was designed in part to serve as a commentary on the dark and grim heroes of the 1990s, and as the team grew in popularity, other writers and artists began creating teams that served as a commentary on the Authority. One such team was the Elite, who first appeared in the now-classic What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way? in Action Comics 775; Manchester Black was a member of this hyper-violent team and after Superman bested the team in combat, Black would become a reoccurring villain to the Man of Steel over the years. Now, in Superman and the Authority from Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin, Manchester Black is joining forces with a more forceful Superman.
In an interview with Comic Book Resources, writer Grant Morrison discussed some of the Authority’s new members. Natasha Irons, Steel’s niece, will be serving as the new Engineer. The team's doctor has been replaced by DC's Enchantress, but it is Manchester Black’s inclusion that is the most interesting, a fact Morrison comments on, calling it the story’s “emotional spine.” Morrison likened it to a “buddy comedy” with Superman and Manchester Black on completely opposite sides, but it somehow still works. The interview, as well as the accompanying preview pages, show a more direct, authoritarian Superman, but Morrison cautions against viewing Superman in this light, saying that his actions in this series are born out of his “alien perspective.”
Morrison also feels that it is ultimately a testament to Superman’s goodness that he was able to get through to someone like Manchester Black, who considers himself Superman’s opposite and convinces him to be on the same team. Could Manchester Black keep the worst impulses of a more authoritarian Superman in check? This could ironically steer the team in a more humane direction—the opposite of what they were intended to be. And the fact that Manchester Black could serve as the voice of reason is even more ironic, considering he was created as a riff on characters such as Midnighter and Apollo.
By mixing established DC characters such as Natasha Irons and the Enchantress into the Authority, Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin are injecting new life into the property. Another new recruit, Manchester Black, hates Superman more than any other hero; now he must put aside his differences with the Man of Steel and work with him in Superman and the Authority, on sale July 20.
Source: Comic Book Resources