JMS to Dive Headfirst into DC Universe

[andy khouri]

While not yet naming names, J. Michael Straczynsk told CBR News he will be writing not one, but two ongoing titles for DC Comics with one expected this fall and a second, highly visible book, coming early next year.


http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=13445

[Will.S]

I think the more JMS delves into DC and gets more assignments, the more the probability goes up of him signing an exclusive with them.

Even though he's writing Thor he might just try to stick it out for as long as he can or have some sort of clause in the DC exclusive contract that just lets him write that one Marvel title. I would be surprised if he stays freelance though where I think both companies would benefit from his output.

[Sean Whitmore]

Well, this'll be interesting.

His early work on Amazing Spider-Man featured some of the best Spidey stories in years. But he's hardly immune from writing crap.


SEAN

[Magneto Rocks]

If it's Flash or JLA, I'll be very, ery happy. I may pick up whatever it is though, just to see.

Seriously though, if it's Supes- Johns and JMS on Superman, Morrison on Batman, Simone on Wonder Woman? That's a force to be reckoned with.

EDIT: Here's a wildcard suggestion though- what about the New Gods? If it's a high profile launch starting next year, it could well be out of Final Crisis, which could imply NG, since they're the centrepieces? And with Thor, JMS already has experience at relaunching a Kirby mythology!

[titanfan]

New Gods would be my #1 pick for him.

To me, he's one of those "I can write really good, but sometimes I can swing and miss really really big," type of writers--I'm not sure I'd put him on JLA right away. I'd give him a solid mid-level title at first. (I do think Aquaman would have been a good choice if that character did speak to him)

[SUPERECWFAN1]

It could be Hawkman. I heard that DC was gonna relaunch that series again. What if JMS is doing HAWKMAN ?

[Rattlehead]

If any writer could breathe some life into Aquaman, it would be him. Let him go with a high concept fantasy vibe and let him cut loose. Like I said in another thread, he's great at writing stuff like that, he's pretty average when it comes to standard superhero stuff. Putting him on a title like JLA would be a waste, as the book already has a good writer, and he's reduced to doing back-ups so DC can tie the book into everything under the sun.

[Sean Whitmore]

It could be Hawkman. I heard that DC was gonna relaunch that series again. What if JMS is doing HAWKMAN ?

Hey, maybe 10th time will be the charm.


SEAN

[Rattlehead]

Hey, maybe 10th time will be the charm.


SEAN

It worked for Thor.

[Sean Whitmore]

It worked for Thor.

Thor's never had a problem keeping a series.

New Hawkman comics spring up like weeds.


SEAN

[Sean Walsh]

Wow, this is big.

A few weeks ago JMS was heading over to DC to dabble some.

Now he's doing 2 ongoing series??

Nice. :)

[Rattlehead]

Thor's never had a problem keeping a series.

New Hawkman comics spring up like weeds.


SEAN

Isn't this like the 4th volume though? I know I've seen it relaunched a few times in my life. I am aware of Marvel's hard on for relaunches though.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Hey, maybe 10th time will be the charm.


SEAN


Its worked for Legion of Superheroes.....

[Sean Whitmore]

Its worked for Legion of Superheroes.....

Again, though, despite being rebooted several times, Legion has been pretty consistently published for the last twenty years or more.


SEAN

[Sean Whitmore]

Isn't this like the 4th volume though? I know I've seen it relaunched a few times in my life. I am aware of Marvel's hard on for relaunches though.

They do, but that's just cause they like new #1's. There hasn't been a point in recent years where sales on Thor just dropped so low that the book was canceled, until someone came along with a pitch for a new series.


SEAN

[DonC]

My picks:

New title will be The New Gods spinning out of Final Crisis. I freely admit I never thought of that until Magneto Rocks posted it and that I stole the idea from him.

The existing title will be The Legion of Superheroes. I could be wrong, but I think Jim Shooter is only signed for 12 issues. In the interview, JMS said he wasn't going to start writing until July (unless he meant the new title). That would give them a couple months lead time on their deadlines.

[Baron Banter]

I bet its Spectre because I don't like his writing and won't buy it but I like Spectre and thus DC can torment me by publishing a Spectre series that I won't buy...

How's that for logic? ;)

[Paul Newell]

Again, though, despite being rebooted several times, Legion has been pretty consistently published for the last twenty years or more.


SEAN
Longer really, the longest time was six months without a Legion story and that was back in 1970...And even then they had a 4 issue mini of reprints. Apart from a few times where 1 or two months was missed, they've been published regularly since then.

[colleen]

DC exclusive?

Bummer.

[Sean Whitmore]

Longer really, the longest time was six months without a Legion story and that was back in 1970...And even then they had a 4 issue mini of reprints. Apart from a few times where 1 or two months was missed, they've been published regularly since then.

I figured that was the case, but I didn't wanna put it forth as fact lest some Legion fan pop up and tell me, "Wrong! There weren't published for three years between 69 and 71!" :)


SEAN

[mattx110]

Batman's already been retconned to having a kid... what's the point?

[Sean Walsh]

New title will be The New Gods spinning out of Final Crisis. I freely admit I never thought of that until Magneto Rocks posted it and that I stole the idea from him.

Aren't they "giving" the New Gods to Grant Morrison?

[carabas]

Aren't they "giving" the New Gods to Grant Morrison?he redesigned the concept. Doesn't mean he'll be writing their book. I reckon it'll be like thg All-New Atom or the Great Ten. Morrison-conceived concepts handled by lesser writrs.

[Spidey_82]

DC exclusive?

Bummer.

He's not exclusive. He said he won't renew his Marvel exclusive contract because he wanted to venture into other companies and non-comics works and is not interested in exclusive contract for the time being. After that statement, it would be a hypocritical of him to sign exclusive with another company. Not unexpected, but hypocrotical. I think he enjoys the freedom of being a freelance and being sought-after by more than one publisher.

[rZi]

Well, this'll be interesting.

His early work on Amazing Spider-Man featured some of the best Spidey stories in years. But he's hardly immune from writing crap.


SEAN

Sean you typed what i wanted to say before me, hitting the nail on the head.

He can definatley write witty and clever dialouge and has a generaly good pace of story telling. My only problem is JMS seems to like to "shake" things up which is part of comics, keeping them new and on your toes so to speak.

I can understand what he was trying to do with "The Other" storyline but giving spider-man new powers after so long to make him more spider-like is too much.

I hope he writes supes!

[Rattlehead]

Batman's already been retconned to having a kid... what's the point?

That's not really a retcon. At the time it was written, Son of the Demon was considered canon. Denny O'Neil retroactively declared it wasn't canon a few years later, along with Year Two.

[berk]

I'd be surprised if there was any kind of New Gods series planned for after Final Crisis. I haven't seen any indication DC would be interested in doing anything like that at all. Or have they expressed or hinted at something along those lines and I missed it?

[Jerry Smith]

Nothing personal, but the guy who turned Gwen Stacy into a sleeze and wrote "Another Day" or whatever it was should not be writing comics. Especially since DC still has heroes (Marvel does not) and this guy has proven that he does not understand heroes or heroic behavior.

I hope he is not writing any DC characters or titles I like or am interested in. I will not buy his comics again. JMS, go make a mint in movies, but please leave comics alone!

[Hawkman]

Not sure how I feel about this. JMS is capable to be sure, but he also has a tendency to write characters the way he wants to write them, often times disregarding a lot of important backstory in the process. I think it'd be neat if he took on a character or group of characters that is basically unexplored, but if he were to write a character like Batman or Green Lantern, who knows what he might do? It could be great, but it could also be a retcon in the making.

I share these feelings in terms of Hawkman as well. With his history so seemingly convoluted, I'd fear JMS would unwittingly bring back all sorts of aspects to the character that have since been straightened out or retconned from existence. On the other hand, it could be another Thor, so I wouldn't write the concept off altogether, either.

[Batsmorrison]

I hope JMS writes Superman. He is so good at portraying the cosmic stuff on a common level that I would just love to see what he could do with Supes and really cut loose. As for Hawkman, that ship has come and gone. With the success of JLU cartoon I think DC would capitalize from a Hawkgirl relaunch better if at all. In the case that JMS doesn't write Supes, I'd like him on Aquaman. Just keep him the Hell away from Batman, b/c we don't need any retcons about Alfred sleeping w/ Martha Wayne, then meeting up w/ Joe Chill in an alley paying him off to murder Thomas Wayne out of jealousy only to have Chill screw up and kill them both... I have no idea where that came from. Still reeling from One More Day and Sins Past I guess.

[Baron Banter]

I hope JMS writes Superman. He is so good at portraying the cosmic stuff on a common level that I would just love to see what he could do with Supes and really cut loose. As for Hawkman, that ship has come and gone. With the success of JLU cartoon I think DC would capitalize from a Hawkgirl relaunch better if at all. In the case that JMS doesn't write Supes, I'd like him on Aquaman. Just keep him the Hell away from Batman, b/c we don't need any retcons about Alfred sleeping w/ Martha Wayne, then meeting up w/ Joe Chill in an alley paying him off to murder Thomas Wayne out of jealousy only to have Chill screw up and kill them both... I have no idea where that came from. Still reeling from One More Day and Sins Past I guess.
So you'd rather have Lara El coming to Earth, sleeping with Jonathan Kent and returning to Krypton, giving birth to Kal El and then sending him off to her lover?

[Sean Walsh]

So you'd rather have Lara El coming to Earth, sleeping with Jonathan Kent and returning to Krypton, giving birth to Kal El and then sending him off to her lover?

JMS has already admitted Sins Past was a very bad idea, and that he wanted to undo it before he left ASM (probably as part of the Mephisto deal); Quesada and Marvel wouldn't let him.

[Baron Banter]

JMS has already admitted Sins Past was a very bad idea, and that he wanted to undo it before he left ASM (probably as part of the Mephisto deal); Quesada and Marvel wouldn't let him.

I was not going off of Sins Past since I didn't read it. I created my joke from batmorrison's description of Alfred and Martha.

And to take it further, perhaps Lara El actually caused the planet to explode to hide her fling... :P

[OptimusPrime114]

Will everyone forget about "Sins Past"? Has anyone ever thought that maybe he'll try to do in Lois & Clark just as he did Peter & MJ?

[Sean Whitmore]

Has anyone ever thought that maybe he'll try to do in Lois & Clark just as he did Peter & MJ?

He'd hardly be the first writer to have that idea.


SEAN

[mattx110]

That's not really a retcon. At the time it was written, Son of the Demon was considered canon. Denny O'Neil retroactively declared it wasn't canon a few years later, along with Year Two.
Taking something not in continuity and saying it is now in continuity is the definition of retcon.

Next time you deconstruct a joke, get your facts right, or tell a joke on top of it that's funnier.

[carabas]

JMS has already admitted Sins Past was a very bad idea, and that he wanted to undo it before he left ASM (probably as part of the Mephisto deal); Quesada and Marvel wouldn't let him.Not just that, but that originally he wanted the kids to be Gwen and Peter's. Gwen bonking Norman Osborn is an editorial interference from Quesada.

[Magneto Rocks]

Aren't they "giving" the New Gods to Grant Morrison?

As Carabas says, he's redesigning them and relaunching them in Final Crisis, but I doubt he'll write the ongoing. (That's assuming they launch an ongoing out of this, which they would be INSANE not to be considering you are literally never going to get a better chance to make a New Gods book that sells than by relaunching the entire concept out of what is certain to be a wildly popular crossover. And they launched freaking SHADOWPACT out of the last one!) He's already busy with All-Star Supes, his huge Batman stuff and being Grant Morrison, doubtless other mad plans. He'll create them, then someone else will play with them- and I wouldn't be surprised if JMS was a fan given his clear love of mythology etc. He's also one of the only names on a comparable level to Morrison, and it'll take a big name to make the New Gods a big book.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I hope JMS writes Superman. He is so good at portraying the cosmic stuff on a common level that I would just love to see what he could do with Supes and really cut loose. As for Hawkman, that ship has come and gone. With the success of JLU cartoon I think DC would capitalize from a Hawkgirl relaunch better if at all. In the case that JMS doesn't write Supes, I'd like him on Aquaman. Just keep him the Hell away from Batman, b/c we don't need any retcons about Alfred sleeping w/ Martha Wayne, then meeting up w/ Joe Chill in an alley paying him off to murder Thomas Wayne out of jealousy only to have Chill screw up and kill them both... I have no idea where that came from. Still reeling from One More Day and Sins Past I guess.

Well I hate to tell ya this but that ship done sailed on Hawkgirl. It fizzled fast.. (in 16 issues !)

In fact lets put it this way.... DC had a creative team like Gray and Palmotti who were making Hawkman a very decent selling series and watching sales actually go up without huge crossover events until the end. They even had the love affair of Carter and Kendra pay off. Then DC in a rush to do JLI and make Hawkgirl single junked all of it , pissed on their fanbase and watched as those readers who had came on say "SCREW THIS CRAP..."

So yes DC makes a mistake. They wanted to lure people from a cartoon and alienated the fanbase who were there for their last Hawkman series in short order. So if their gonna do a Hawkman and apologize to those fans JMS would be welcome. Plus repair the damage bad stories have done to Hawkgirl in JLA who became Roy's latest conquest and is busy playing mom now to Roy's daughter...

[carabas]

Then DC in a rush to do JLI and make Hawkgirl single junked all of it , pissed on their fanbase and watched as those readers who had came on say "SCREW THIS CRAP..."
So yes DC makes a mistake. They wanted to lure people from a cartoon and alienated the fanbase who were there for their last Hawkman series in short order...I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of those cases where WB flexed its muscles and tried to play editor. It really doesn't make any sort of sense otherwise.
On the other hand, there's the Batwoman and Batgirl debacles with make me think DC is run by a bunch or ten year olds.

[Mr Omnis]

I bet its Spectre because I don't like his writing and won't buy it but I like Spectre and thus DC can torment me by publishing a Spectre series that I won't buy...

How's that for logic? ;)

You could do like so many fans, and buy it just to complain. I don't think I've read anything JMS has written aside from One More Day (which I did, in fact, read just to complain about)--and I hardly think it would be fair to judge him on that piece.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of those cases where WB flexed its muscles and tried to play editor. It really doesn't make any sort of sense otherwise.
On the other hand, there's the Batwoman and Batgirl debacles with make me think DC is run by a bunch or ten year olds.

It was a chance to shake things up. DC felt I'm sure that with so many changes post OYL that a Hawkgirl title written by Simonson and Chaykin would do well. Its just that...well they guessed wrong by a mile.

[Deus ex Chris]

I'm not sure I'd put him on JLA right away.
Why? It's not like that book can get much worse.

Honestly, that's exactly where I'd like to see him. That book is in desperate need of a creative team that isn't a train wreck.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Well, this'll be interesting.

His early work on Amazing Spider-Man featured some of the best Spidey stories in years. But he's hardly immune from writing crap.

SEAN

Definitely, although it should be said that crap JMS stories and editorial dictates from Quesada seemed to have gone hand in hand most of the time.

Unless I'm mistaken, the most infamous JMS stories, Gwen Stacy banging Norman Osborn, The Other and Brand New Day, were Quesada-enforced dictates. correct?

[Sean Whitmore]

Definitely, although it should be said that crap JMS stories and editorial dictates from Quesada seemed to have gone hand in hand most of the time.

Unless I'm mistaken, the two most infamous JMS stories, Gwen Stacy banging Norman Osborn and Brand New Day, were Quesada-enforced dictates. correct?

That's true, and I try not to hold the biggies against him for just that reason. But, much as I like him, he's had a fair amount of stories that were just very mediocre. Not just with Spidey, but with the FF and Thor as well.


SEAN

[PastePotPete]

Why? It's not like that book can get much worse.

Honestly, that's exactly where I'd like to see him. That book is in desperate need of a creative team that isn't a train wreck.

I agree JLofA stinks now, but has JMS ever shown us he can handle a team book?

I think team books have challenges that writers used to handling a single character might struggle with.

I like JMS's stuff 80% of the time. Give him a B-list DC Comics character and let him run wild. That's my recommendation. Don't burden him with a Superman or a Batman.

Love to see him tackle: Hawkman, The Atom, The Metal Men, Aquaman, The Phantom Stranger, The Challengers of the Unknown...

[Sean Whitmore]

I agree JLofA stinks now, but has JMS ever shown us he can handle a team book?

Well, he's written Fantastic Four.

Whether or not he handled it well depends on who you ask, though.

I like your Phantom Stranger idea; JMS is pretty big on the magic.


SEAN

[666MasterOfPuppets]

So you'd rather have Lara El coming to Earth, sleeping with Jonathan Kent and returning to Krypton, giving birth to Kal El and then sending him off to her lover?

Oh Great Rao, please forgive this blasphemer...

;)

[Will.S]

Well, he's written Fantastic Four.
And Supreme Power/Squadron Supreme.

[TheBoTT]

..and rising stars. I'd say his team books have been some of my favorite work of his. I really enjoyed both Supreme Power and Rising Stars. For the most part at least.

[Deus ex Chris]

I agree JLofA stinks now, but has JMS ever shown us he can handle a team book?

As already mentioned, he wrote Supreme Power--which was basically the Justice League on crack--and Rising Stars, and he did them very well. I think they'd be crazy NOT to put him on Justice League.

[Sean Whitmore]

And Supreme Power/Squadron Supreme.

Holy crap, how'd I forget that? Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.


SEAN

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I think Legion of the Super-Heroes might be a good choice, given that there's about 3 different Legions to choose from now. Give Johns the originals, Shooter the current crop and let JMS try to salvage the previous version.

JMS has certainly shown a talent for future space epics with large casts.

Or, give him the Magic Users of the DCU to play with now that Willingham seems to be leaving due to his health problems.

[Rattlehead]

Taking something not in continuity and saying it is now in continuity is the definition of retcon.

Eh, I'm with Grant. Retconning the works of Mike W. Barr was a foolish, foolish idea. The damage Zero Hour did to Batman's origin wasn't worth it.

Next time you deconstruct a joke, get your facts right, or tell a joke on top of it that's funnier.

You should have made the joke funny in the first place.:)

[PastePotPete]

Well, he's written Fantastic Four.

Whether or not he handled it well depends on who you ask, though.

I like your Phantom Stranger idea; JMS is pretty big on the magic.


SEAN


Damn! Yeah, I forgot. He did write FF didn't he? I just have those issues where Thor's hammer fell out of the sky. They weren't half-bad.

Even his FF had a magic hammer in it.

[josh straightedge]

He's a pretty solid writer and could probably handle things just as well as anyone else is writing, with maybe the exception of Green Lantern. Honestly, DC doesn't have a lot of great books right now, although hopefully when the Crisis garbage is finally done, we can see some good stories again.

He'd do something good on a Superman book and I'm no fan of that but I think so. Or Justice League, he's a great team book writer.

And as far as what travesties he's written, it's time to let it go. The jokes weren't funny then and still aren't now. He doesn't rehash his own stuff as far as I've seen so I doubt we'd see Sins Past or any of that here.

[Karl O'Neill]

he should write brave and the bold or checkmate imho.

[smoothjokes]

I'm going with All-Star Superman and The Flash. That makes the most sense to me since The Flash is declining in sales pretty quickly again.

[the-wolf]

I'd like to see him write Hawkman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman and tie the Egyptian, Amazonian and Atlantean mythologies together into their own little epic, mythological corner of the DCU.

Honestly, though, marketing-wise, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he were given a Superman and a Batman title.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I'd like to see him write Hawkman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman and tie the Egyptian, Amazonian and Atlantean mythologies together into their own little epic, mythological corner of the DCU.

Honestly, though, marketing-wise, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he were given a Superman and a Batman title.

Yeah. I can see him writing a Superman/Batman arc at least.

[hondobrode]

If it's Flash or JLA, I'll be very, ery happy. I may pick up whatever it is though, just to see.

Seriously though, if it's Supes- Johns and JMS on Superman, Morrison on Batman, Simone on Wonder Woman? That's a force to be reckoned with.

EDIT: Here's a wildcard suggestion though- what about the New Gods? If it's a high profile launch starting next year, it could well be out of Final Crisis, which could imply NG, since they're the centrepieces? And with Thor, JMS already has experience at relaunching a Kirby mythology!

Brilliant ! I think you're money on.

[carabas]

Oddball suggestion: howabout some creator-owned work for Vetigo or WildStorm down the line?

[brundlefly]

Oddball suggestion: howabout some creator-owned work for Vetigo or WildStorm down the line?

Agreed. JMS' best work is in that arena, imo (ex: Midnight Nation, Rising Stars, the out-of-616 Marvel continuity Supreme Power/Squadron Supreme).