Batman & the Outsiders Special

[Seraku]

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=25948

so this is basically Alfred with a bunch of superpeople around him.

I'm liking it already

[robbieglenn]

heh, I like the dialogue. Alfred grieving as a parent, coupled with the rumours that Alfred was Bruces real father haha

[celticguy]

I only had time to skim it did they indicate who the owl was?

[Sean Walsh]

I only had time to skim it did they indicate who the owl was?

Not in the first few pages (which are pretty much ALL Alfred and no one else)...

[celticguy]

Not in the first few pages (which are pretty much ALL Alfred and no one else)...

I meant the book itself I did not want to start another thread. Sorry I was not clear.

[F1uke]

Pretty bummed that the last 9 pages were all ads

[celticguy]

guess that is why it was special.

I hoe to reread it tongiht maybe they give more detail on why people were chosen.

[Cayman]

It wasn't a bad read but I'm not hooked yet. I'll give the title a few issues.

[protege]

I don't know- is this guy going to be the regular artist on this book or something? Not sure I like it. Also, i couldn't figure out the Creeper's deal- and when did alfred get so much hair?

[Cayman]

I don't know- is this guy going to be the regular artist on this book or something? Not sure I like it. Also, i couldn't figure out the Creeper's deal- and when did alfred get so much hair?

Lee Garbett is listed as the regular artist for the series.

[Will.S]

http://www.dccomics.com/media/product/1/0/10880_400x600.jpg

Writer: Peter Tomasi
Artists: Adam Kubert (penciler), John Dell/Sandu Florea (inks), Chris Chuckry (colors)

This was a pretty good read.

It works in conjunction with this week's Batman "Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader" 2 parter by Neil Gaiman since it follows up on Batman's "death". Now I personally have no attachments to the Outsiders although I did buy the book when it crossed over with Checkmate and during the Infinite Crisis stuff.

However I do know Geo Force and Black Lightining from their JLA stints as well as the Creeper (who I usually dig). The main character here is Alfred who goes with Bruce's emergency team building plan in case of his death which has a touching moment during Bruce's message to Alfred. So anyway, Alfred basically recruits all the outsiders who are going to join this new group which comprise of Geo Force, Black Lightning, Halo, Katana, Owlman, Metamorpho, and Creeper all with their own dedicated sets of pages and panels.

As I said before I either knew of or knew most of them save for Owlman who I had to look up on Wikipedia later on since I thought that he was that Earth-3 character but seems to be some new Owlman that I never heard of. But it acts as a really nice introduction to the team before launching back into the Outsiders book.

The art by Adam Kubert is fantastic and it's helped by the fact that each splash page is uninterrupted by ads which they put all in the back. There is also a running theme of bats flying through nearly every panel, I really wished that Adam did more at DC given how great his stuff looks like in books such as these and in DC UNIVERSE: Last Will and Testament. I would also have to imagine that the $3.99 price tag is due to there being fewer ads in the book but it also made me not buy the book so I will admit to having read this in the shop, however I do plan on buying the trade if the quality of the book is consistent with what was shown here.

The regular art team is going to be comprised of Lee Garbet and Trevor Scott from The Outsiders #15 onwards and here's the cover to that:

http://dccomics.com/media/product/1/1/11116_400x600.jpg

What did you guys think of it?

[Sean Walsh]

Lee Garbett is listed as the regular artist for the series.

Ooh, very nice.

Lee did the Final Crisis issues of BATMAN (with Mokkari & Simyan trying to rewrite Bruce's mind), and I kinda got a Adam Kubert vibe from him in his art.

[Cayman]

Ooh, very nice.

Lee did the Final Crisis issues of BATMAN (with Mokkari & Simyan trying to rewrite Bruce's mind), and I kinda got a Adam Kubert vibe from him in his art.

Yeah, he's pretty good. That's one reason I'm going to give the book a few issues to hook me even though I wasn't blown away by the the special.

[KYLeo71]

What?! The original Outsiders are back together? Damn. I may just have to start reading this since I *loved* the original Outsiders.

[HaroldAllnut]

I'm still confused.

How is this "Manstalker" character at all related to Batman? I figured it would be someone slightly obscure, like Jason Bard... but I think this guy was expressly created for this new rendition of the series, just to be Owlman.

Will someone please give me some context here, if at all possible? Thanks in advance.

[Will.S]

I figured it would be someone slightly obscure, like Jason Bard... but I think this guy was expressly created for this new rendition of the series, just to be Owlman.That's the impression that I get.

[Sean Walsh]

I was hoping for something more in this issue. It read fairly quick and was ultimately......*grrr* unsatisfying.

Instead, it was a recruitment drive (for a team that's....already.....together?) with a few too many of the same kind of scene ("Hi ____!" "Alfred?!" "Can we talk?" "Ok.") with a sudden creepy/gory conclusion that sets up the next storyarc. I think.

The opening scenes with Alfred though were absolutely wonderful. "Goodbye, dad" almost made me cry, dammit.

And while I normally complain about the slowness of Adam Kubert's art, at least he makes the wait worth it - this issue looks BLEEPing beautiful.

[Sean Walsh]

I'm still confused.

How is this "Manstalker" character at all related to Batman? I figured it would be someone slightly obscure, like Jason Bard... but I think this guy was expressly created for this new rendition of the series, just to be Owlman.

Will someone please give me some context here, if at all possible? Thanks in advance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Raymond_(comics)#Career_rebounds

Roy Raymond Jr, and the Manstalker gimmick, is not new at all. It was introduced (in ROBIN) back in '97. Roy Raymond was a Silver Age character, well respected in the DCU apparently, who had a TV show that exposed hoaxs and such.

That said, Junior is viewed with much more respect (and competency) here than his past appearances in the last several years. Heck, he was just in FLASH last year and was a considerably different (read: worse) character there.

(And yeah, as I glanced the pages before seeing and remembering the guy's name, I immediately said "Oh, that's the dude who becomes Owlman." too...)

[Sean Walsh]

Yeah, he's pretty good. That's one reason I'm going to give the book a few issues to hook me even though I wasn't blown away by the the special.

.....I think I'm in the same boat.

Kubert => Garbett isn't a bad drop-off (he proved himself with those FC/Last Rites issues), plus I find I'm more tolerant of Tomasi's writing; so despite disappointment with the Special (although those first few pages with Alfred were EXCELLENT) I might give it another couple issues too...

[celticguy]

so is roy raymond jr. owlman?

[Seraku]

I liked it, the 2nd half felt a bit rushed, but I'll forgive it since the next issue is next week.

also this week for the Kuberts:
Andy >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Adam

so is roy raymond jr. owlman?that would make sense...

[Cayman]

I was completely unfamiliar with Raymond Jr. but I am glad it's not Alfred in the Owl Man suit. I love Alfred but I think that would be cheesy.

[celticguy]

I notice halo is not on the cover, I wonder if she turns Alfred down.

Hope this does not mean lightning is leaving the JLA.

[jdwrocks]

I notice halo is not on the cover, I wonder if she turns Alfred down.

Hope this does not mean lightning is leaving the JLA.
Isn't Halo the blonde woman next to Black Lightning?

On a different note, will Ollie end up back w/ JLA? I always thought Outsiders was a good fit for him.


Edit: Oh I see you must be talking about Outsiders 15 cover & not the Special.

[celticguy]

Isn't Halo the blonde woman next to Black Lightning?

On a different note, will Ollie end up back w/ JLA? I always thought Outsiders was a good fit for him.


Edit: Oh I see you must be talking about Outsiders 15 cover & not the Special.

yeah it was 15 I was referring to you had me thinking my eyes were getting worse.

I liked Ollie in the Outsider too. He is supposed to be in the other JL whenever that happens.

[Mundungus]

I've never really experienced the Outsiders before, but with Tomasi onboard this issue gave me an accessible opening.

I wanted to follow Geo-Force's story from Last Will and Testament and I've felt a fleeting interest in Black Lightning.

The opening scenes with Alfred were truly touching. Tomasi shines in these moments.

I'll definitely be picking up Outsiders #15.

[titanfan]

I notice halo is not on the cover, I wonder if she turns Alfred down.

I think she was supposed to be one of the "surprise" members, so she was not on the first couple of covers with the new team.

[jdwrocks]

Although I'm not a fan of Halo, it's cool to see original members being a part of this ne "Outsiders" group. Geo Force, Halo, Black Lightning = old scool & old school can be cool, if it's done right. But I like combining Originals w/ newbies like The Creeper. I'm committed for at least the next 6 issues.

[Cayman]

I notice halo is not on the cover, I wonder if she turns Alfred down.

Hope this does not mean lightning is leaving the JLA.

No woman turns Alfred down.

[jdwrocks]

No woman turns Alfred down.
LOL. He is a smooth operator. I always figured he was the real James Bond, if Bond was DC property.:wink:

[cdemink]

Continuity stickler alert -
Even though this week's Nightwing clearly happened after Final Crisis, is it safe to say that the Outsiders Special happens prior to the Crisis?

The reason I ask is that Jefferson Pierce makes a reference to his daughter still being in a coma when she's clearly alive and well in Final Crisis: Submit.

[Seraku]

is it safe to say that the Outsiders Special happens prior to the Crisis? but he mentions the Justifiers and Darkseid

[Retro315]

I finally got a chance to read this, and I thought it was great. It really does what a special should do, intrigues you enough to want to get into the main series.

Hopefully, and it's a big, all-capitals HOPEFULLY, other than Alfred, who'll no doubt be seen in the various Bat-Books ... all of these characters will be Outsiders exclusives.

If you want to read about Black Lightning, you read him here. Not in JLA. Etc ... if you want to find out about his current motivations, what's up with his daughter, and his friendship with Geo-Force, it's all here. Let Tomasi own these characters (with the exception of cameos. Cameos are okay).

Anyway, Alfred is the coolest. I hope we get a nice, fat Silver Age reference and they actually begin referring to him as The Outsider.

Jack Ryder is his usual craziness and there's definitely a story there for what he's been up to. I mean, he's been hiding out being a crackpot in the nation of Black Adam. Tomasi wrote the Black Adam: The Dark Age miniseries, so the thought of an Adam related story arc in Outsiders appeals to me.

Owlman seems interesting. He's a little older, he's kind of doing the "vigilante meets neighborhood watch" angle. Well ... vigilante meets neighborhood watch meets "Dateline: To Catch a Predator". Does he have any sort of previous background or is he brand new? (I imagine Alfred will be the one to help him fashion the "Owlman" costume and persona, just like how Alfred helped Bruce design the Batman identity).

Katana is her usual grim self. Metamorpho's way of cheating death is both disgusting and hilarious. Geo-Force is his usual odd self. Halo is good natured.

I can't wait to see this crew actually interact with each other.

[celticguy]

Although I'm not a fan of Halo, it's cool to see original members being a part of this ne "Outsiders" group. Geo Force, Halo, Black Lightning = old scool & old school can be cool, if it's done right. But I like combining Originals w/ newbies like The Creeper. I'm committed for at least the next 6 issues.

Only real upside to halo is it gives them another flyer which every team needs. There is always a time when characters are falling and you need flyers to help.

At least she does not have her braces anymore.

[letter18]

I liked. I thought it layed some good foundation and gave us some quick little updates as to what the characters have been up to.

One question...

what happened at the end, can anyone give me some context on that? Or is that just sorta not explained yet?

[celticguy]

I assume that is the ground work of misson number 1

[Captain Jim]

Owlman seems interesting. He's a little older, he's kind of doing the "vigilante meets neighborhood watch" angle. Well ... vigilante meets neighborhood watch meets "Dateline: To Catch a Predator". Does he have any sort of previous background or is he brand new?

See post #18.

[letter18]

celtic, yea I assumed as much.

Being fairly new to comics(heavy reading) i'm never sure if an earlier refrence flies over my head

[SpaceBooger]

The part I am trying to figure out is whether this issue is indicating that Alfred was Bruce's father, or just a father figure?
What do you think?

[Karl O'Neill]

The part I am trying to figure out is whether this issue is indicating that Alfred was Bruce's father, or just a father figure?
What do you think?

No, father, as in, he brought him up after chill killed his parents,

he has always been there, so practically his daddy.

Cool issue, i totally dug it.

[Sean Walsh]

The part I am trying to figure out is whether this issue is indicating that Alfred was Bruce's father, or just a father figure?

Bruce flat out says he's had 2 dads.

Thomas - his real dad who first raised him
and Alfred - the man who brought him up and stuck by him as an adult.

"Goodbye, dad" was just an amazing line. I kinda want Bruce to be dead now, because that was the perfect ending to their relationship.

[Spiffy]

So this is Outsiders reboot number what? Five? Six? Seven? EIGHT?

At the very least its about the fourth one in a two year span.

[Will.S]

So this is Outsiders reboot number what? Five? Six? Seven? EIGHT?

At the very least its about the fourth one in a two year span.
I think it proves how bad DC's current regime is with some characters when it takes them this many times to get it right.

[pariah-1972]

Wow i was hoping Andy Kubert was going to be the regular penciler on this:frown:
Anyways this issue was really good although the guy who is going to be the new Owl man looks kinda old i was afraid he was gonna have a heart attack.

I also think it's weird how much his costume looks like Night Owls from Watchmen.

It's nice to see Alfred being proactive tho i'm curious what the mission statement is going to be this time.


Also i thought Batgirl was gonna be leading this team? what happened to that?
And when did Remack die? i must have missed that.

[Retro315]

I also think it's weird how much his costume looks like Night Owls from Watchmen.

You mean how much Nite-Owl's costume looks like Owlman's! This Owlman might be all new ... but Owlman has been around since ... August 1964. DC's been doing a lot of full circle references lately with the whole "Silver Age DC Owlman > Nite-Owl in Watchmen > New Owlman in Outsiders" notion.

For instance, Captain Allen Adam, the Quantum-Superman in FC: Superman Beyond was inspired by Doctor Manhattan, who was in turn inspired by Captain Atom of the old days ... Not to mention the rest of Earth-4 ... which is all the old Charlton characters that Watchmen was based on ... only now, in a world based on Watchmen ...

With Watchmen coming soon to a theater near us, I fully expect at least ten more "funny little similarities" in the DC titles during the course of the year.

Just wait until Renee Montoya shows up in Detective Comics and her fountain pen accidentally explodes in her no-face, giving her that classic "ink blot" look ...

[Cayman]

Also i thought Batgirl was gonna be leading this team? what happened to that?
And when did Remack die? i must have missed that.

Outsiders #12, I believe.

[Kasper Cole]

It was a good issue, but by far the best part of it was the message left by bruce to alfred. I could have done without the "new" team being put together. I was enjoying the last group a lot, and as someone else pointed out Batgirl seemed to be poised to take command. If she doesn't I hope they allow Black Lightning to lead this group.

[Spiffy]

It was a good issue, but by far the best part of it was the message left by bruce to alfred. I could have done without the "new" team being put together. I was enjoying the last group a lot, and as someone else pointed out Batgirl seemed to be poised to take command. If she doesn't I hope they allow Black Lightning to lead this group.
Nah. That was reboot #7 (or around that). And remember, Nightwing was supposed to take command.

But of course that's already forgotten about and we're instantly tossed into reboot #8.

[Captain Jim]

There was never any indication in the solicitations or interviews that Batgirl was supposed to take command. They've said from the start that Alfred was going to call the shots and that either GeoForce or Black Lightning would be field commanders.

[pariah-1972]

There was never any indication in the solicitations or interviews that Batgirl was supposed to take command. They've said from the start that Alfred was going to call the shots and that either GeoForce or Black Lightning would be field commanders.But the last issue Bat-girl was in the Batcave looking to recruit members wasn't she?

[pariah-1972]

You mean how much Nite-Owl's costume looks like Owlman's! This Owlman might be all new ... but Owlman has been around since ... August 1964. DC's been doing a lot of full circle references lately with the whole "Silver Age DC Owlman > Nite-Owl in Watchmen > New Owlman in Outsiders" notion.

For instance, Captain Allen Adam, the Quantum-Superman in FC: Superman Beyond was inspired by Doctor Manhattan, who was in turn inspired by Captain Atom of the old days ... Not to mention the rest of Earth-4 ... which is all the old Charlton characters that Watchmen was based on ... only now, in a world based on Watchmen ...

With Watchmen coming soon to a theater near us, I fully expect at least ten more "funny little similarities" in the DC titles during the course of the year.

Just wait until Renee Montoya shows up in Detective Comics and her fountain pen accidentally explodes in her no-face, giving her that classic "ink blot" look ...Wouldn't be easier just to bring back the old Watchmen? or does Alan Moore have any say on that?

[Captain Jim]

But the last issue Bat-girl was in the Batcave looking to recruit members wasn't she?

She was trying to recruit a "network" but ultimately decided that task was best left to Dick Grayson. And I actually think this storyline leads into BFTC (at least they're using the same "network" language there).

[pariah-1972]

She was trying to recruit a "network" but ultimately decided that task was best left to Dick Grayson. And I actually think this storyline leads into BFTC (at least they're using the same "network" language there).I'm confused now i'm gonna have to go back and re-read the last issue:mad:

[Cayman]

I liked the team she put together. Riddler and Man-Bat.

I don't know if I care for the new Vigilante. He just seems like another cookie-cutter Punisher-type, um, vigilante.

[Captain Jim]

She was trying to recruit a "network" but ultimately decided that task was best left to Dick Grayson. And I actually think this storyline leads into BFTC (at least they're using the same "network" language there).

Now I see that there is a BFTC: The Network title in the May solicitations (which, it appears, may lead into the Streets of Gotham series the following month).

[Henker]

I like Katana's new outfit in this; much better than the last couple of incarnations. Hopefully this one sticks this time.

[Spiffy]

She was trying to recruit a "network" but ultimately decided that task was best left to Dick Grayson. And I actually think this storyline leads into BFTC (at least they're using the same "network" language there).
The disjointed way it was written, I saw it as a writer originally scripting things in earlier issues to have Batgirl take control, then maybe getting an editorial mandate and changing things in later issues to have Dick take over at the end of the story. So that's almost like a reboot and a half right there.

Then Dick DOESN'T take over, and poof! Now Alfred, acting as Bruce's proxy, is the man doing it--with a completely different crew than Batgirl and Nightwing agreed on. Because yet another editorial mandate came down the pike.

[pariah-1972]

The disjointed way it was written, I saw it as a writer originally scripting things in earlier issues to have Batgirl take control, then maybe getting an editorial mandate and changing things in later issues to have Dick take over at the end of the story. So that's almost like a reboot and a half right there.

Then Dick DOESN'T take over, and poof! Now Alfred, acting as Bruce's proxy, is the man doing it--with a completely different crew than Batgirl and Nightwing agreed on. Because yet another editorial mandate came down the pike.
It certainly does seem that way especially since DC seems to be a choatic mess nowadays.

[Spiffy]

Well, not to mention that this volume of the Outsiders STARTED with several major creative changes within the scope of a small number of issues.

Really, its made the franchise into something of a joke. Four or five major direction changes within a couple years? Lovely.

[Rev. Calibos]

Meh, I've always considered the Outsiders to be DC's Defenders.....random assortment of heroes brought together in a moment of crisis to defend the Earth blah blah blah....


So we have the Outsiders go to Batman and the Outstsiders for less than a year and then WHAM.....right back to Outsiders? Urgh....:rolleyes:

The constant re-toolings of this group are annoying but I've stuck around for a year, hopefully this incarnation sticks.

The start of this issue was phenomenal as we see the message that Bruce left for Alfred, very emotional and one of the best 'heart tug' scenes that we've seen this year.

It was also touching to see how quickly Alfred accepted the mission. Bruce's recording started to offer the option, something to the affect of 'now this mission is incredibly dangerous, I don't expect you to accept this and you certainly don't have to. If you choose to not accept it don't touch anything and this is going to be automatically sent to another recipient that.....'

and that's all we get because Alfred IMMEDIATELY pressed the button to 'ok' the mission. Little touches like that made this issue a lot of fun.

Thanks to the recording we also learn that we're going to find out the REAL reason Bruce brought the Outsiders together all those years ago.

Should be a fun ride finding out the particulars of that one.

The team selection is great, the only misstep is the Creeper. I was never fond of the Joker rip off and I'm hoping he creeps his way in for a handful of issues before creeping his way out again. Owlman is an unknown quantity but the rest of the team is solid and it's nice to see everyone back again.

[pariah-1972]

I don't blame them for getting Dixon off the book since his story was going absolutely nowhere but all these reboots are getting confusing and i'm sure is gonna make people wary to pick up the book .

[Captain Jim]

I don't blame them for getting Dixon off the book since his story was going absolutely nowhere

Even if that were true, it has absolutely nothing to do with his departure.

[HaroldAllnut]

On a different note, will Ollie end up back w/ JLA? I always thought Outsiders was a good fit for him.

He will be appearing in James Robinson's upcoming Justice League book. The one that features Hal Jordan, Ray Palmer (with a new name), Freddie Freeman, Congorilla, Starman (Mikaal Tomas), and Hawkman.

Continuity stickler alert -
Even though this week's Nightwing clearly happened after Final Crisis, is it safe to say that the Outsiders Special happens prior to the Crisis?

The reason I ask is that Jefferson Pierce makes a reference to his daughter still being in a coma when she's clearly alive and well in Final Crisis: Submit.but he mentions the Justifiers and Darkseid

I don't see a problem here. Maybe she was returned to her pre-Crisis coma state after the Miracle Machine repaired reality.

It was more than likely an editorial gaff, though.

With Watchmen coming soon to a theater near us, I fully expect at least ten more "funny little similarities" in the DC titles during the course of the year.

Just wait until Renee Montoya shows up in Detective Comics and her fountain pen accidentally explodes in her no-face, giving her that classic "ink blot" look ...

That would be hilarious.

They've said from the start that Alfred was going to call the shots and that either GeoForce or Black Lightning would be field commanders.

Lemme guess... GeoForce and Black Lightning are going to butt heads, right?

The constant re-toolings of this group are annoying but I've stuck around for a year, hopefully this incarnation sticks.

The team selection is great, the only misstep is the Creeper. I was never fond of the Joker rip off and I'm hoping he creeps his way in for a handful of issues before creeping his way out again.

These constant retoolings have become the deciding factor in my choice not to pick up this book.

The Creeper and Metamorpho are the only characters I'm actually interested in, and I get the feeling that neither of them ends up with a lot of facetime. Hence, I have another reason not to pick up this book.

I really like Lee Garbett, though. Ah well...

[pariah-1972]

Even if that were true, it has absolutely nothing to do with his departure.Then what was the reason?

[Captain Jim]

Then what was the reason?

He wasn't just taken off Outsiders, he was immediately relieved of all his writing jobs at DC. Chuck hasn't gone into details, for professional reasons, but presumably there was a big argument with Dan Didio.

Since Fabian N. (Dixon's replacement on Robin) says he was told from the start he would have a very limited run, after which the title would be cancelled, I suspect it may have had something to do with this.

[Desaad]

Then what was the reason?

He had roughly plotted out the next year or so on his books, if not more, when "Batman RIP/Battle for the Cowl" came down the pipeline and basically shot all of his plans to shit.

Infuriated, he left both "Robin" and "Batman and the Outsiders", and I can certainly see why he did it. Nicieza and Tieri were brought on basically to get the characters where they needed to be by the end.

Tomasi, being an editor, was probably used to this and so he didn't leave/had no problem with it (though he did say one thing he was excited about with "The Outsiders" was to have a title on which he had almost total creative freedom). Dini basically didn't pay it any attention.

All told, I'd say Tomasi and Nicieza both did amazingly solid jobs given the circumstances under which they were working (to be clear, I'm not saying that anyone was being treated badly, but there was certainly minimal creative freedom during this changeover period).

[Captain Jim]

He had roughly plotted out the next year or so on his books, if not more, when "Batman RIP/Battle for the Cowl" came down the pipeline and basically shot all of his plans to shit.

Infuriated, he left both "Robin" and "Batman and the Outsiders", and I can certainly see why he did it. Nicieza and Tieri were brought on basically to get the characters where they needed to be by the end.

Tomasi, being an editor, was probably used to this and so he didn't leave/had no problem with it (though he did say one thing he was excited about with "The Outsiders" was to have a title on which he had almost total creative freedom). Dini basically didn't pay it any attention.

All told, I'd say Tomasi and Nicieza both did amazingly solid jobs given the circumstances under which they were working (to be clear, I'm not saying that anyone was being treated badly, but there was certainly minimal creative freedom during this changeover period).


What you say about Chuck's working ahead is true; he always is months ahead on his titles. I'm sure there were a whole bunch of completed scripts he'd submitted which DC has shelved. However, I think he may have been just as upset about the direction they were taking the characters and the cancellation of the books.

In any case, I do know for a fact that he didn't resign; he was let go.

[jdwrocks]

What you say about Chuck's working ahead is true; he always is months ahead on his titles. I'm sure there were a whole bunch of completed scripts he'd submitted which DC has shelved. However, I think he may have been just as upset about the direction they were taking the characters and the cancellation of the books.

In any case, I do know for a fact that he didn't resign; he was let go.
Which was a shame IMO. Don't give a crap about the politics behind it. Chuck is one hell of an "action" comic writer. He can write action filled battle scenes like no other. I have confidence Tomasi can make this book a success. But at least I can get my Dixon fill over at IDW with GI-Joe.

[Desaad]

Dixon does a solid job on whatever he's on these days, but he never really 'wows' me. I can't say I was devastated to see him leave, but I was certainly picking up and enjoying the books he was working on while he was on them.

Still, I think Tomasi has a greater knack for real character work and development. I always feel that under guys like Jurgens and Dixon you get solid issues month after month, but mostly interchangable.

Basically that "Amazing Spiderman" feel (when it ships 3X), which just doesn't cut it for me in the long term.

[Desaad]

And, if I'm being honest, I actually ended up enjoying Nicieza's Robin run a whole lot more than I did Dixon's latest.

[pariah-1972]

Dixon is a solid old school writer but ambition doesn't seem to suit him well, at least from what i've seen.

His G.I. Joe has been pretty solid so far but nothing groundbreaking which i'm ok with.

[jdwrocks]

Dixon is a solid old school writer but ambition doesn't seem to suit him well, at least from what i've seen.

His G.I. Joe has been pretty solid so far but nothing groundbreaking which i'm ok with.
And Dixon hasn't been "groundbreaking" too much. I just love how he can write a popcorn action filled comic. GI Joe has been slow the first 2 issues, but I expect some restrain rebooting a franchise. Hopefully Chuck can kick this thing in overdrive.