Well, as you know now, it isn't a WildCATS book that Lee's doing next--but in case you guys didn't see it, at a , Lee said that WildCATS and Divine Right are basically being reserved for him to start back up.
Speaking as someone who is a Superman fan, the fact that Helspont beat him up in the Annual didn't really bother me--what did was at the end when Superman was doubting himself at the end. With how I interpret the character, and how he's been played in places like Action Comics, I think he would take Helspont's claims as a challenge and would want to throw it back in Helspont's flaming grill.
As for where it fits in Red Hood...it can't fit in terms of chronologically, because at publishing time they were on the planet Tameran. However, the end of #13 it says the next issue will be the Outlaws meeting Superman, so it's possible it'll take place between those two issues.
As for why Lobdell's doing this combination of characters, I think he's just using the biggest alien characters in the DCU, hence the usage of Martian Manhunter and Hawkman, since he isn't writing any of them.
Eh...it's certainly mysterious, but I don't think the Annual was that much of a mess. Really, when I see Liefeld's words and compare him to his work, I think his interpretation of "making a mess of his work" is, in reality, "making his mess legible." Frankly, I'm glad that he's burned all his bridges, now he's an official has-been.
Yeah, it's possible that the Adam One we see in Stormwatch #0 isn't the real him--but I think it's also possible that Adam was able to break out without the Shadow Lords knowing...
...You know, I just thought of this--you guys mention that the red skies in Stormwatch signified the arrival of the Daemonites--but in the DCU, that has a completely different connotation--the coming of a multiversal Crisis. Every single Crisis story starts with the first sign being the skies turning crimson red...
Grifter #0...my main feeling after reading it was, "and Liefeld thought Clark's art was what was bringing the book down?" It's amazing, comparing Clark's art to Liefeld is not that unlike comparing a master artist to a monkey throwing his own feces at the walls and observing the patterns the awful substance creates. The plot was kinda...not there, though.
As for the origin for his mask--personally, I would make it simple and simply have that he thinks it looks cool. Not everything has to have as deep a story as what you mentioned in the old WS-verse.
As for the Gen Factor not affecting this Team 7, I think there is going to be a bit of it, but it's not going to be the genesis of the team--I mean, Dinah still needs to have her Canary Cry, Grifter I don't think has his telekinesis thing, nor is Deathstroke the super-soldier yet.
Good episode, guys.
