Matt Idelson Editor Question

[SuperSince92]

In DC Nation #64 which was featured in the DC books shipping this week (6/13) Supes editor Matt Idelson takes the time to discuss the options an editor has when a book is going to ship late. Then, even better, HE ASKS US FOR FEEDBACK to see if he is wrong in his assumption that people would favor each option equally.

Option 1: Fill-in stories, book ships on time

Option 2: Fill-in writer/artist to continue/finish the current story, book ships on time

Option 3: Wait until the creative team finishes, book ships ala Ultimates/All-Star Batman & Robin

Now here I'm hoping to garner some support for the option I back, number 2. I personally feel #1 has it's merits as you still get your book on time AND eventually you will get the story from the creative team you really want HOWEVER I think it's a bad example to set for the business that the writers and/or artists can always just feel if they are swamped, they can fall back on the editor bailing them out with a fill-in story. I don't want to spend my money on "fill-ins". I want the good shit. Not filler.

Option 3 is out. Look at Ultimates & All-Star Batman & Robin. Hell, look at Action Comics! Late stories just ruin the momentum and spoils the fun. Again, also sets a bad precedent as the creative teams will feel they can just get away with being lazy or irresponsible with their time allocation. They still get paid the same, yet I get hosed by having to wait.

Option 2 is peachy to me. Yes, the art will not be as satisfying, but I'll get the story. The writer part could be a smoother transition than the artist b/c a fill-in writer can just take the overall plot the original writer laid out and work from that. So, in essence, you will still be getting something from the mind of the original writer. As for the art, right now I'd rather have had parts 4-6 of 'Last Son' in my hands drawn by Jesus Saiz or something just so long as I got the last parts of the story. The momentum is dead and it's killing the rise up the charts that I think would result from good word of mouth for this book.

Anyone else's thoughts? Hope I was able to persuade some of you! :D

[J. Robb]

I think option 3 is fine for creator-driven books, separate from the main books. Regular titles (like Superman and Action Comics) should be out monthly, I don't think that's too much to ask.

I'm fine with option 2. Yeah, it's a shame if the new artist doesn't live up to the original's, but breaking up the story like they did with "Last Son" just destroys the momentum and any excitment the story had built up.

"Last Son" especially should have been finished with a fill-in team because it marks a major change to the Superman story- it adds an adopted super-son. That's not the kind of story you can just put off and say, "Yeah, Superman and Lois have a kid now. We'll tell you about it eventually..."

That's like having Doomsday appear, then suddenly skip to stories where Superman is dead. "Yeah, Doomsday killed Superman, we'll get around to putting that story out once the artist finishes..."

[Jack Zodiac]

Yeah, of the three (since there is no option four: beat the ever-lovin' !@#$ out of the current creative team until they learn how to do their !@#$ing jobs), I'd much rather see a fill-in artist or writer (working off the previous writer's outline) finish the current storyline.

I can wait for an indie book forever if the creative team behind it wants to take their time, like Desolation Jones or The Boys. When it's a monthly comic, though, I expect it to be just that.

[Harding Prime]

I think in regards to Superman titles, the option they appear to be going with now, option 1, seems to be working fine. But honestly I wouldn't mind option two for the "Last Son" arc though, in the manner of Artist and not the writers, since they have already finshed those duties and have moved on to the next arc basically.

If your not the best artist in your family, yeah, im talking to you Adam, then you can be replaced.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

How about getting five to six issues in the can before releasing anything?

[Mia]

How about getting five to six issues in the can before releasing anything?



I was going to go with number 2. But this is a much better solution. I think it forces accountability not to mention responsibility on the creative team.