Why doesn't DC hire Straczynski.....

[Antonio B.]

I mean he is a great writter.

[Carl Orr]

He signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, that's why.

[literally exaggerated]

meh. he's hit or miss. Rising Stars and Supreme Power are awesome, but I find most of his spidey stuff to be crap.

[Lex]

DC can do much, much, much, much, much better than him. Superman definately doesn't need a "Sins Past" story.

[Shellhead]

I mean he is a great writter.

DC already has several great writers, and several pretty good ones. Unlike Marvel, DC doesn't go out it's way to recruit from Hollywood.

[Calamas]

As I understand it, when DC was publishing the Babylon 5 comic, JMS was less than thrilled with being constantly told how his characters would act. It was not an experience he was eager to relive.

I believe Top Cow came to him with the “Joe’s Comics” offer, though it wasn't called that at first. Marvel became interested when they saw how good Rising Stars and "Midnight Nation" came out. Straczynski says he still wants to do a Superman story, but I wouldn’t count on it any time soon. With the “Talent War” that is going on with the Big 2, Marvel will offer him an extension long before his exclusive contract expires.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

He's decent at times but you gotta question if he's staying on Spiderman to cash a check now. The 1st 30 issues was good for him. But everything from 509# to now has really went down. I blame this on the editors who have pretty much choked Peter Parker off what made him that charactor people loved to begin with.


JMS is ok. But its proof he needs a strong editor at this point and Marvel's afraid to say " No " to him and it shows. DC isn't like Marvel and they'll " No " faster on things. I don't expect Marvel to let him jump regardless.

[kcekada]

He's good on Supreme Power, though I'm getting a bit tired of that title. It has moments of greatness -- then nothing for a few issues.

His Rising Stars title read like a watered-down Watchmen in the first few issues. Maybe it got better, but I didn't stick around to see.

His Gwen Stacy storyline horrified me. I'll try the relaunch of Squadron Supreme, but I doubt I'll ever try another book he's written again.

[Lord Grog]

He's great on his own creations, or stuff that's been out in limbo and few have solid opinions about. He's not so great on the big characters.

LG

[Apathy Boy]

Straczynski has brief flashes of brilliance, but for the most part I've found his work to be drearily pedestrian and occasionally awful.

He seems to be avidly anti-DC right now, but both he and DC would like to see him on a Superman book someday, so who knows?

[The Scribe]

"Why doesn't DC hire Straczynski."

Was this a joke?

Because it made me laugh. :D :p

Dc has great writers.

Like Gail Simone. ;)

[jadrax]

JMS is ok. But its proof he needs a strong editor at this point and Marvel's afraid to say " No " to him and it shows. DC isn't like Marvel and they'll " No " faster on things. I don't expect Marvel to let him jump regardless.

Yeah there was a definate downturn in B5 when he got powerful enougth to get rid of the script editors. He has some truly awsome ideas but also a fair few crap ones, and the problem seems to be he wont let people bring out his best work by chopping out the pap.

[The Shadow]

DC isn't like Marvel and they'll " No " faster on things. I don't expect Marvel to let him jump regardless.
Like the return of Jason Todd, the length that horrible story has been, using a yellow fear monster (??) as a "reason" Hal went insane? Having Sue Dibney retroactivly raped and so on.

Yeah... DC says the "NO" word... especially to its hot writers. ;)

[CURSD BLADE]

I would love to see JMS on any of the big DC icons. Unlike most comics diehards, I haven't experienced much JMS I didn't enjoy.

Granted, the Sins Past arc of Spidey was pretty dumb, with tons of plotholes and a generally nonsensical premise.

His early Amazing Spider-Man really got to the essence of the character. Strange was a decent reboot of Dr. Strange's origins. Supreme Power is the best book of the last ten years IMHO. Book of Lost Souls is enjoyable fantasy. Dream Police was cool. Midnight Nation is another great piece of comic literature. Rising Stars was absolutely epic in all the best ways.

Imagine this guy on Superman, or the Green Lantern Corps..

[Expletive Deleted]

Unlike Marvel, DC doesn't go out it's way to recruit from Hollywood.True enough, albeit more their DCU line than Wildstorm or Vertigo.

That said, it's not as if Straczynski is some comics neophyte who'd be hired strictly on the basis of his Hollywood work.

[The Scribe]

True enough, albeit more their DCU line than Wildstorm or Vertigo.

That said, it's not as if Straczynski is some comics neophyte who'd be hired strictly on the basis of his Hollywood work.

Why do they think anyone from Hollywood or any writer for that matter can write a comic?

It's not like they were all collecting comics when they were young.

I'd rather see someone who's been reading/collecting comics write them. ;)

[The Shadow]

Why do they think anyone from Hollywood or any writer for that matter can write a comic?

It's not like they were all collecting comics when they were young.

I'd rather see someone who's been reading/collecting comics write them. ;)
You mean like Geoff Johns?

;)

[The Scribe]

You mean like Geoff Johns?

;)

Well, Johns or anyone who's been around comics as a fan.

You don't see sports teams hire the play by play guy to play on their team.

Why hire anyone who hasn't been around comics just because they are "famous?" :rolleyes:

[Gargus]

I wouldnt imagine they want him to badly.

When he is good he is just ok, but when he is bad he really sucks.

He really hasnt hit a homer in awhile. His spiderman stories suck, he bored me to tears with "Strange" which dr strange is one of my favorite charcters and it was more or less a useless story, his supreme power is basically just a bit of the ultimates using redone dc charcters like nighthawk as batman (his parents killed and now he runs around at night fighting crime), hyperion as superman (come on now a baby crashes on earth, flies, invulnerable, has heat vision, runs fast, super strong. What a rip), the blurr is flash.

[Bat-Mite]

It's not like they were all collecting comics when they were young.

I'd rather see someone who's been reading/collecting comics write them.

Considering they probably make more money writing for TV and movies, if they start writing for comics it's because they like comics and they read comics in the first place.

It's not like a bunch of movie/TV writing barbarians are standing at the gate waiting to get their hands on a slice the comic book pie of gold, ya know?

[The Scribe]

Considering they probably make more money writing for TV and movies, if they start writing for comics it's because they like comics and they read comics in the first place.

It's not like a bunch of movie/TV writing barbarians are standing at the gate waiting to get their hands on a slice the comic book pie of gold, ya know?

They probably would make more money, but I guess they think they can write for television and movies, why not comics?

A few might be able to, but not the majority.

[Bat-Mite]

They probably would make more money, but I guess they think they can write for television and movies, why not comics?


You guess? You guess they will simply start using their time for an activity that pays them less for their time? And an activity that pays them less and they are not interested in, in the first place for that matter?

Neil Gaiman doesn't write many or any comics these days, and that's because he makes a helluva lot more bucks writing novels and stuff. Meltzer doesn't write many comics either, and that's because he also makes more money with novels.

If someone starts writing comics, it is because that person likes comics. He may write like crap, but you can't say he doesn't like comics.

It is not like some guy suddenly wakes up and says "Hmmm... I write books, I write for TV... why I think I will tackle comics next, even though I don't give a crap about them!"

Personally, I find this whole "Oh no! Hollywood writers will come and take over our books" completely silly beyond words. Nobody is born a comic book writer. Do you know what Alan Moore did before he started working on comics? I believe he was a grave digger, and he also worked in a slaughterhouse once. Jamie Delano was a cab driver. Kurt Busiek worked in a sweatshop in China making shoes for cent an hour! OK, the last one is made up, but the Alan Moore and Jamie Delano ones are completely true. Nobody yells "Oh no! Grave Diggers are coming to take over our books".

Do you know where most of the early DC writers came from? They used to write pulp stories. That's right, they didn't come out of their mother's wombs with a sense of panel structure and sequential art.

What the heck does it matter if they used to write for TV, movies or they used to drive a cab or dig holes in the ground?

It doesn't matter at all to you.

[The Scribe]

It does matter to all of use wanting to break into a field that's already tough enough to get into.

The fact is they are starting to look for people like Straczynski because they have "experience."

They want to hire novel and movie writers instead of fans. Which is absurd.

I plan on one day writing in different fields but definitely for comics.
I just don't want to have to fight for a job because some guy use to write for a sitcom or "reality" television.

[Expletive Deleted]

They want to hire novel and movie writers instead of fans. Which is absurd.I believe the point Bat-Mite is making is that they are fans, otherwise they wouldn't even care about a (relatively) minor medium like comic books. They're just fans with experience.

[The Scribe]

I believe the point Bat-Mite is making is that they are fans, otherwise they wouldn't even care about a (relatively) minor medium like comic books. They're just fans with experience.

Maybe, I just don't consider comics "minor," just misunderstood, mostly in America.

Comics are considered for children or childish in America.

Which is sad.

In Japan comics and creators are treated much better.

Whereas in America people want to know everything about celebrities and what they are wearing to the awards show. :rolleyes:
I'm tired of that.
What do I care what they are doing? Most people in Hollywood have huge egos.

I just wish comics weren't treated as children's literature.

[The Shadow]

his supreme power is basically just a bit of the ultimates using redone dc charcters like nighthawk as batman (his parents killed and now he runs around at night fighting crime), hyperion as superman (come on now a baby crashes on earth, flies, invulnerable, has heat vision, runs fast, super strong. What a rip), the blurr is flash.
You really need to read Squadron Supreme.

[Ryan Day]

I just wish comics weren't treated as children's literature.

So wouldn't it make sense to hire high-profile creators who have had success in other, more mainstream and "adult" mediums?

Might someone not think differently of the medium if stories were being written by a popular author like Brad Meltzer? Or a writer who'd worked on Law and Order, or created some hugely popular franchise and directed a feature film?

At any rate, the point is: Nobody works in comics for the money. (Nobody with any real talent, anyway) What does Joss Whedon get out of writing a comic that's read by maybe a couple hundred thousand people when he can work on a TV show or film that will be seen by millions? Are Marvel and DC somehow able to pay better than Hollywood studios, TV networks, or major publishers? I doubt it.

And in many cases, you can see that these people have been following comics before: Watch Buffy and Angel, and you can see that Whedon's read a lot of Claremont X-Men books.

There are also plenty of people still coming up through the more "traditional" methods: Robert Kirkman, for example, came up writing indie books, and now he's writing Ultimate X-Men. I don't think Daniel Way's worked in other mediums, and he's got several plum gigs.

[The Scribe]

So wouldn't it make sense to hire high-profile creators who have had success in other, more mainstream and "adult" mediums?


It would be nice to see people take comics a bit more seriously as a medium by itself, instead of having to rely on "high profile" people.

Too many people in this country are illiterate and under educated in this country, maybe that's another reason people would rather watch something than use their imaginations.

http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/oct1998/ill-o14.shtml

http://indian-river.fl.us/living/services/als/facts.html


About Straczynski, ever since I read where he said Alan Moore had too many books coming out, I stopped caring about what he wrote. I like his Rising Stars book, when he wrote it, but he shouldn't have ever said that. Moore has been around a lot longer than he has and is much better than he will ever be.

[CURSD BLADE]

I think some of these objections to Straczynski are ludicrious.

The "high profile" arguement is such a "fanboyish" rant. The writer has proven his devotion to the medium through his exclusive work in the industry for the past SIX years! Before this, JMS has personally stated that his work in television and film was heavily influenced by his love for comics and even wrote an issue of Teen Titans Spotlight in the 80's.

The other objection, that of disliking the man personally so fans are boycotting all his work, is another insane motive. Why must one like the writer personally to enjoy his work? If I had to like everyone that made a piece of film, literature, music, ect., I wouldn't enjoy half the media I consume. It would be like boycotting Kanye West because of his arrogant statements of being the "best MC". Lets not watch anything with Brad Pitt because he cheated on his wife and left her for another woman.

That isn't punishing the artist, but rather denying yourself something enjoyable. JMS doesn't care if he loses one sale because a particular fan hates his treatment of Gwen Stacy. If you stop buying something you enjoy because you cannot seperate the artist from the work, then you are the one that ultimately suffers. If you don't like the work itself, then that is a perfect reason to not pick up something, but not because you dislike the personality of the writer.

[Justin D.]

Why hire anyone who hasn't been around comics just because they are "famous?" :rolleyes:

It might be possible that DC considers them to be good writers. Being famous doesn't hurt, but I think they're actually going to hire someone based on what they consider to be the quality of the work done.

[Bat-Mite]

The fact is they are starting to look for people like Straczynski because they have "experience."

Yes, they have experience. They write for other media already. There is no reason to put the word in quotes.

They want to hire novel and movie writers instead of fans. Which is absurd.

My God! They want to hire these people that have already proved they can write and that they can have commercial success... INSANITY! They should hire complete unknowns right off the street just because they love Metamorpho!

I am sorry, but you are being absurd here, not Marvel or DC.

I plan on one day writing in different fields

I wonder if there is an aspiring TV writer out there complaining about these comic book writers moving to TV gigs and stealing his chances of getting a job. If anyone finds one, we should make you fight him inside a Thunderdome. We can even bring in Tina Turner to present the match.

"Insanity! They should hire TV fans, not you!" says crazy TV fan.

I just don't want to have to fight for a job because some guy use to write for a sitcom or "reality" television.

And I don't want to fight for a job with the other thousands of guys who can do the same I do, but HEY! Guess what? Life is a bitch, and then you die.

Life is not easy, and it was never meant to be.

If you want the comic book companies to stop hiring people with experience in other media just to make your life easier... well... I am sorry, but that's just childish and naive.

[Justin D.]

This reminds me of an episode of South Park.

They took our jorbs!

Dey tuk r jaaarrrbs!

[geordiesteve]

Yes, they have experience. They write for other media already. There is no reason to put the word in quotes.



My God! They want to hire these people that have already proved they can write and that they can have commercial success... INSANITY! They should hire complete unknowns right off the street just because they love Metamorpho!

I am sorry, but you are being absurd here, not Marvel or DC.



I wonder if there is an aspiring TV writer out there complaining about these comic book writers moving to TV gigs and stealing his chances of getting a job. If anyone finds one, we should make you fight him inside a Thunderdome. We can even bring in Tina Turner to present the match.

"Insanity! They should hire TV fans, not you!" says crazy TV fan.



And I don't want to fight for a job with the other thousands of guys who can do the same I do, but HEY! Guess what? Life is a bitch, and then you die.

Life is not easy, and it was never meant to be.

If you want the comic book companies to stop hiring people with experience in other media just to make your life easier... well... I am sorry, but that's just childish and naive.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[Agentum]

And he has Supreme Power that he probably can do whatever he want with, if it was the real JLA ha couldn't.

[MicroZone]

I assume they didn't hire him because he's a mediocre writer whose biggest career achievement was writing a show that was damn near cancelled due to low ratings every season it was on the air. And then stumbled back time & time again with spin-offs & made-for-cable movies that made Star Trek's run on UPN look well thought out and inspired.

[dancj]

Having Sue Dibney retroactivly raped and so on.

Yeah... DC says the "NO" word... especially to its hot writers. ;)

From what I gather Sue Dibney's rape was the DC editors' idea, not Meltzer (not that I have a problem with it anyway). They also offered to let him kill The Atom and Martian Manhunter (bastards) and he declined.

Dan

[dancj]

his supreme power is basically just a bit of the ultimates using redone dc charcters like nighthawk as batman (his parents killed and now he runs around at night fighting crime), hyperion as superman (come on now a baby crashes on earth, flies, invulnerable, has heat vision, runs fast, super strong. What a rip), the blurr is flash.

I think you're missing the point of the comic. Supreme Power is an update of Squadron Supreme. Squadron Supreme were created as a way to have the JLA running around in the Marvel Universe. Their whole reason for existence was to be the JLA. DC also had an equivalent team based on The Avengers.

Dan

[dancj]

You guess? You guess they will simply start using their time for an activity that pays them less for their time? And an activity that pays them less and they are not interested in, in the first place for that matter?

Neil Gaiman doesn't write many or any comics these days, and that's because he makes a helluva lot more bucks writing novels and stuff. Meltzer doesn't write many comics either, and that's because he also makes more money with novels.

If someone starts writing comics, it is because that person likes comics. He may write like crap, but you can't say he doesn't like comics.

It is not like some guy suddenly wakes up and says "Hmmm... I write books, I write for TV... why I think I will tackle comics next, even though I don't give a crap about them!"

Personally, I find this whole "Oh no! Hollywood writers will come and take over our books" completely silly beyond words. Nobody is born a comic book writer. Do you know what Alan Moore did before he started working on comics? I believe he was a grave digger, and he also worked in a slaughterhouse once. Jamie Delano was a cab driver. Kurt Busiek worked in a sweatshop in China making shoes for cent an hour! OK, the last one is made up, but the Alan Moore and Jamie Delano ones are completely true. Nobody yells "Oh no! Grave Diggers are coming to take over our books".

Do you know where most of the early DC writers came from? They used to write pulp stories. That's right, they didn't come out of their mother's wombs with a sense of panel structure and sequential art.

What the heck does it matter if they used to write for TV, movies or they used to drive a cab or dig holes in the ground?

It doesn't matter at all to you.

Bat-Mite - you're a ray of common sense in this whole silly thread!

[The Scribe]

I assume they didn't hire him because he's a mediocre writer whose biggest career achievement was writing a show that was damn near cancelled due to low ratings every season it was on the air. And then stumbled back time & time again with spin-offs & made-for-cable movies that made Star Trek's run on UPN look well thought out and inspired.

:D

The Spider-Man fans aren't too happy with him. If you read the posts.
I believe he won't be around too long.
Also, what he's done with the Fantastic Four. Read (if you can find it) on the Image boards (Erik Larson's board) a lot of people don't like him including Erik, who stopped collecting F.F. because of him. ;)

[jaguarshark]

Just looking over the thread, I want to point out a few things...

-JMS' editors have said 'NO' to him on Spiderman. Specifically, they said 'NO' to the kids in Sins Past being revealed as Peter's, forcing JMS to come up with the Osborn explanation on the fly, after, I believe the first issue of the arc had already been completed (Hence why Deodato's art has the son looking like Peter). So JMS' editors actually caused the Gwen/Norman fiasco, although Peter having adult kids under JMS' plan was pretty bad anyway.

-DC is certainly not averse to hiring writers from film and television, even if earlier posters stated they don't go to that well as often as Marvel. Of course, Dini is on 'Tec, and just recently, the writers from the Flash TV show were confirmed as the writers of the relaunched Flash comic, and Richard Donner was rumoured to be co-writing 'Action Comics' with Geoff Johns.

-Speaking of Johns, the ultimate fanboy-turned-writer, he used to work as an assistant to Richard Donner. In, you know, Hollywood.

[Bat-Mite]

Speaking of Johns, the ultimate fanboy-turned-writer, he used to work as an assistant to Richard Donner. In, you know, Hollywood.


HE TRICKED US!

[jaguarshark]

Originally posted by Bat-Mite
HE TRICKED US!
My point being that clearly Johns is a major fan, and yet he comes from a Hollywood background. So the two certainly don't have to be mutually exclusive; there's nothing saying someone with that sort of background can't be a major fanboy. So just cool it, everybody.
Besides, there's nothing wrong with bringing influences besides comics to the field. Alan Moore brought an incredible literary mind to his work, and Frank Miller's material was heavily informed by cinema long before he started working there. Denny O'Neil, a journalist before becoming the comic book legend he is today, actually encouraged writers to expand their range of knowledge beyond comics before they enter the field, if I remember correctly.

[Bat-Mite]

My point was... that... you know... I was making a joke, and there is no need for you to explain something I already agree with. I mean... come on.

[jaguarshark]

Originally posted by Bat-Mite
My point was... that... you know... I was making a joke, and there is no need for you to explain something I already agree with. I mean... come on.
Dude... I knew you were kidding. I quoted your response as evidence of someone agreeing with me, such was the fierce sarcasm you showed, not someone disagreeing. I expanded on what I was saying for the benefit of finishing what I was saying, in case other posters didn't get if I was pro-film&tv/anti-film&tv coming into comics. Calm down, sorry for the confusion.

[scratchie]

Because they're perfectly happy with the powers and costume that Superman already has.

[Agentum]

I think you're missing the point of the comic. Supreme Power is an update of Squadron Supreme. Squadron Supreme were created as a way to have the JLA running around in the Marvel Universe. Their whole reason for existence was to be the JLA. DC also had an equivalent team based on The Avengers.

Dan
haha it's fun that people still don't get that and are pissed that Marvel suddenly has ripped of a lot of DC characters :D

And i think he is doing good, it can be better to put people like that on their own series to do what they want instead of give them Avengers or something to write.

[Shellhead]

From what I gather Sue Dibney's rape was the DC editors' idea, not Meltzer (not that I have a problem with it anyway). They also offered to let him kill The Atom and Martian Manhunter (bastards) and he declined.

Dan

I read one of Meltzar's novels, and it had a retcon rape angle, too. Okay, since it was a standalone book, the rape wasn't really a retcon. But it was something that happened but wasn't revealed until late in the book, and it was completely implausible in the context. Unless you think that it would be realistic for an advisor like Karl Rove to get away with raping Dubya's daughters for the last decade without anybody noticing.

[scratchie]

it would be realistic for an advisor like Karl Rove to get away with raping Dubya's daughters for the last decade without anybody noticing.Call me jaded, but I don't think that's too much of a stretch. Not in real life, but hypothetically, if he wanted to, he could.

[dancj]

Call me jaded, but I don't think that's too much of a stretch. Not in real life, but hypothetically, if he wanted to, he could.

It wouldn't surprise me all that much if I found out that something like that had actually happened.

[hondobrode]

I think JMS is THE best writer, maybe second only to Brubaker, right now at Marvel.

I have been highly entertained by every single thing I have read by him and would love to see him cross the street to DC. I read previously that they are throwing money at him and dying for his contract to come up with Marvel.

There are a few writers I will read no matter what when who how or why and JMS is one of them.

[kane]

Today in Superman: Learn about how Lex and Lana had pity sex together; how lana gave birth to superfast aging children (because of some experiments of luthor), who think Clark Kent is their father and try to kill him.

[The Shadow]

Today in Superman: Learn about how Lex and Lana had pity sex together; how lana gave birth to superfast aging children (because of some experiments of luthor), who think Clark Kent is their father and try to kill him.
... Lex has super speed?

And you forget that JMS was forced to change the story... they were suppose to be Peter's kids (which would have made alot of sense) but editorial forced his hand... hence Norman.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Johns to me is the ultimate proof that Hollywood guys can become great comic book writers. He's reshaped the entire DCU and did more to solidfy himself as the " Man " at DC.

In the end DC hires who they want. Its just that as I read somewhere they don't take submissions from unknowns anymore. They want " proven " talents. No harm in that approach. Its just that they can raid Marvel or Image with the money they toss and lure away a lot of talents.