The DC Comics Thread Vol. 3

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

I feel like I used like Giffen, in the late 80s when he defined the funny JLI run. But it's been a long time since I read that stuff and I don't think I've liked anything he's done in this millennium.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Too many writers are kept around for too long, or are recycled, when there's no reason to think they're going to produce anything of value.

In the NBA, nobody's stats improve after four years, and at a certain point they decline. That's true in comics too.

I posted a while back at CBR that I couldn't think of one writer of fiction who has ever written in peak form for more than 12 years. Most people there went ape-shit when I said that, but it's true.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Morrison is the answer. It's always Morrison. Pretty sure he's got a three classics per decade average.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Morrison is the answer. It's always Morrison. Pretty sure he's got a three classics per decade average.

Um OK.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I imagine it's hard for a writer to stay relevant, when your are writing 20 page installments every month. How many years can you do that and offer something fresh?

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

I imagine it's hard for a writer to stay relevant, when your are writing 20 page installments every month. How many years can you do that and offer something fresh?

DC and Marvel let guys rest on their laurels from 10, 20 and even 30 years ago. That keeps them from bringing in new talent and developing it.

On the other side of the continuum, if I were running a comics company and a new writer hadn't shown any signs of promise in, say, three years, then I wouldn't use him any more. Why would I? There are plenty of people out there who I could give a chance to show me something.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Morrison is the answer. It's always Morrison. Pretty sure he's got a three classics per decade average.

Decided to fact* check my claim...

*fact in that these are the arguable classics from his bibliography.


1980s: Animal Man, Doom Patrol, Arkham Asylum
1990s: JLA, Flex Mentallo, The Invisibles
2000s: New X-Men, Batman, All Star Superman
2010s: Multiversity...

I'd say that Flex is not a classic, however it bought Frank Quitely to the limelight. The Invisibles is also not a classic to me, but it was so divisive that I put it on the list. The 2000s is when I started to fully appreciate him as a writer. Just saying Batman does it an injustice. If Batman and Robin launched in 2010 instead of 2009, I would have had no problem putting it on that list.

Still, in the end, I'm with you. It's very hard to find a new writer that you can hitch your wagon to. At least for DC Comics it is. I think Marvel has a much easier time developing new writers, but you still have to credit the Image Comics and Vertigo's for putting them on the radar.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

DC and Marvel let guys rest on their laurels from 10, 20 and even 30 years ago. That keeps them from bringing in new talent and developing it.

On the other side of the continuum, if I were running a comics company and a new writer hadn't shown any signs of promise in, say, three years, then I wouldn't use him any more. Why would I? There are plenty of people out there who I could give a chance to show me something.

That depends on your definition of "promise" then wouldn't it? I'm sure Dan Didio is just fine with the work Keith Giffen is putting out there. But is he just fine with say Michael Moreci? Peter Tomasi has been with DC forever but it wasn't until this year where he got write Superman. You think even now, they'll say "Pete, pitch us a big DCU event series!" Nah. That's not going to happen. I think 3 years a little harsh.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

That depends on your definition of "promise" then wouldn't it? I'm sure Dan Didio is just fine with the work Keith Giffen is putting out there. But is he just fine with say Michael Moreci? Peter Tomasi has been with DC forever but it wasn't until this year where he got write Superman. You think even now, they'll say "Pete, pitch us a big DCU event series!" Nah. That's not going to happen. I think 3 years a little harsh.

Maybe it is. But I would give a guy a lot free rein to show what he could do. I wouldn't have a chief creative officer telling him when to breathe, and I wouldn't force him to waste his energy and enthusiasm by folding his stories into crappy events.

Three years of that much freedom would give me a good look at what a writer could do.

Re Morrison, maybe he is all that. But really, one guy can't write all that much. I dunno -- maybe he should have Geoff's job at DC. But he doesn't, and I doubt he'll get it. Anyway what's needed is not any particular writer but a different approach to handling writers.

Maybe there just aren't that many good writers out there who want to write comics. I guess that's possible. But too many guys are being kept on board who have shown they're not going to set the woods on fire.

[Ωmega Man Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Ωmega Man]

They work well with editorial, where other writers have egos and go on to do other things after being burned writing tights and spandex heroes. That's why people like Tomasi are still around and why folks like that butthurt WW artist and Justin Jordan aren't....

~//V\\~

[buffalorock Star Sapphire's Love Slave Find all posts View Profile Close buffalorock]

Keith Giffen is probably mainly kept for his knowledge. He isn't nearly as funny as he probably thinks he is, but he probably knows the DCU inside and out.

He should be the resident continuity expert and that is all.

I was curious if Morrison would eventually be EIC at DC. When he took the spot at Heavy Metal it would be a natural stepping stone but he might still be too young and want to be in a more creative capacity. I haven't read all of his stuff and haven't enjoyed all of it, but I think he would be brilliant at a higher up spot with DC.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

So I've read a few of the Metal one-shots exploring the Dark Knights' origins. My store can barely get reorders in because of the demand, and I only got the copies I did through either enough people being satisfied that extras were on the rack or another member had doubles he accidentally received and was feeling generous.

As such, have only flipped through Murder Machine but thought it was good; bought and read Drowned, Merciless, and Red Death and found each to be pretty damn good. Probably going to pick up the trade for this, and I might end up getting the trade for the main series as well if future flip-throughs of the floppies hold up in quality.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

I refuse to work with people who are difficult, no matter how capable they are. I take the attitude that I'm good enough that I don't need such people, whether I really am that good or not. I think that's the only way to proceed.

It goes back to Occam's Razor -- the truism that the simplest solution to a problem is usually the best one. By definition, difficult people complicate matters unnecessarily.

But if I were running a comics company I also wouldn't keep writers who aren't good, just because I could work with them. Writing is too important for that. I'd want no prima donnas, but no untalented writers either. I don't think that's an unattainable goal for DC or Marvel.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

...As such, have only flipped through Murder Machine but thought it was good; bought and read Drowned, Merciless, and Red Death and found each to be pretty damn good. Probably going to pick up the trade for this, and I might end up getting the trade for the main series as well if future flip-throughs of the floppies hold up in quality.

I only got Dawnbreaker (a GL story, so a must-buy for me) and Murder Machine. I only got the latter because I missed that it was a tie-in and mistakenly assumed it was a main Metal title. They were both good reads, but I can't really add a bunch extra $5 books right now.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Pretty sure Justin Jordan is still at DC working on one of those New Era books, being co-written by Didio himself.