Least Favorite Gail Work?

[Gail Simone]

Aha!

So, even if you like my work, there is often a book that just doesn't work at all for you.

My question to you is, of the books of mine that you have read, what did you just plain not like at all?

I won't get my feelings hurt, I'm just curious. :)

[Karl O'Neill]

I hate them all equally!:biggrin:

Joke.

My favs: Number 5 on my list is probably the only work I had problems with or didn't like as much as your other stuff.

1) Secret Six/Villains united/One shot special.
2) Birds of Prey.
3) Wonder Woman.
4) Welcome to Tranquilty.
5) Action Comics.

Gail, I loved the Black Adam/Superman fight from your run but felt your run on the title wasn't great at all. It went from the Polaris storyline to the Psycho/Black Adam thing to the Queen of fables. I felt it was a bit random but with all the events that were happening at DC at the time maybe the run kept changing directions.

[Free-Man]

The two-parter in Teen Titans (sorry!, don't punch me!)

Most of Rise of the Olympian.

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Second on the Liefeld-Titans (even sans Liefeld, the story never amounted to much outside some decent dialogue).

Wonder Woman post-ROTO hasn't really been up to snuff for the most part, either.

[TCJohnson]

I think everybody is going to say that Teen Titan two parter...


...But other than that the only thing of yours that I wasn't thrilled about was the JLA story with the Hypothetical Woman. You had a lot of snazzy ideas in there, and I would LOVE for Ghost Lion to return (maybe he can return if somebody around a camp fire tells a story about him) but the story itself didn't quite gell for me.

[spark627]

hmm, I really love most of you work. Your entire BOP run is my favorite piece of writing (in any medium). I adore it so much. I have read the entire run so many freaking times.

My least favorite would have to Rise of the Olympian. I don't hate it but it confuses and frustrates me. I have had a hard time with every WW issue since then as well.

[Joe Acro]

I haven't read everything (such as the Deadpool run), but I say it'd be hard for any of those things to beat Wonder Woman.

[Lester C.]

Your year long run on Action Comics. There were all kind of plots and subplots that didn't get resolved, got resolved in other books or unsatisfactorily resolved out of nowhere. There was also no awesome overarching story and character arcs that you are legendary for. I don't hold you accountable for any of this but rather Superman's gigantic role in Infinite Crisis. I also didn't like Byne's puny version of Superman but otherwise I thought his art was georgus.

The only other thing I didn't like was your two issues on Teen Titans. It had a superstar creative team, but was a pointless fill-in story where nothing happened and what did happened I couldn't understand. The art was good though, I don't know why Liefeld gets so much hate, as I think his stuff is really fun.

[TomStillwell]

Yeah, I didn't like that Titans arc. The art made my eyes bleed and the story was just okay.

[Lester C.]

Yeah, I didn't like that Titans arc. The art made my eyes bleed and the story was just okay.

Ofcourse Gail's BEST story was her bonus feature in the Honor Brigade trade.:smile:

[Karl O'Neill]

I'm with Lester. Rob's art is fun and harmless.

[Tetsuo_man]

Probably your work on Gen 13. I mean I did like it but it was only OK. Definitely not on the same level as the Adam Warren or Brandon Choi tenures on the book. Still while I did like it, it just seemed ok especially when compared to the rest of your work and the previous runs on Gen 13.

[KevinTBrown]

In order:

Gen13 (I just could not get into the characters), your Teen Titans story with Liefeld (art stunk, story *yawn*), and "The Hypothetical Woman" in JLA: Classified (it just felt flat to me).

[the4thpip]

There is a whole bunch that I still have not read (the Marvel stuff, Gen 13), but from what I have read, Rose & Thorn disappointed me a little. The art was too '90s for me, and while I was a fan of the Silver Age character, the story just didn't do much for me and I had expected more.

[Personamanx]

Despite the fact that I've posted here I don't think I've read eough of your work to make a fair Judgement. But I'm gonna say that the first few issue of your GEN13 did not impress me, but by the end of your run I loved the characters, and the book.

[bert]

While not a fan of that Titans Arc w/ Liefeld, the only work of yours I really did not care for?

Gus Beezer.


bleh.

[suedenim]

Hmm, there are a few things I haven't read, like the (infamous?) Teen Titans with Liefeld or any of the Wildstorm stuff (though I think I need to correct that with, at least, Welcome to Tranquility.)

I guess I'd go with Killer Princesses actually. I did enjoy it, but not quite as much as other things.

[Typo Lad]

Yeah, chalk me up for Titans as well. I didn't read the League story, but I can't really muster up a lot of love for your LoSH run.

I loved your Action run though. Wish it had been longer

[TCJohnson]

(though I think I need to correct that with, at least, Welcome to Tranquility.)


Yes yes yes yes

[suedenim]

I loved your Action run though. Wish it had been longer

Me too, especially after reading Gail's responses in a Superman writers' roundtable in TwoMorrows' Krypton Compendium, which suggested to me that Gail's got a lot of great Superman stories to tell. (I particularly loved hearing how Superman's guest appearance on I Love Lucy was a big influence - and that she wanted to do an Action Comics story featuring a wacky redhead and her Cuban musician husband. That would've been neat.)

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

I loved your Action run though. Wish it had been longer

Yeah, me too. It wasn't an All-Star-level achievement, but so what? I liked having a Superman title that wasn't just mired in the usual weepy dreariness.

[Typo Lad]

To me, it was Lois & Clark's interaction. It wasn't overblown "love of my life" junk. It felt like a married couple who knew and loved each other. A normal couple, where she happens to be the world's greatest reporter and he the world's greatest hero.

In my head, Kal-El's always this country boy who can't believe he ended up with this amazing woman. Yet generally, we don't get any kind of reflection of that. Lois should be written as someone who Superman would fall in love with.

[Free-Man]

There is a whole bunch that I still have not read (the Marvel stuff, Gen 13), but from what I have read, Rose & Thorn disappointed me a little. The art was too '90s for me, and while I was a fan of the Silver Age character, the story just didn't do much for me and I had expected more.

It's funny, because while I liked the bulk of Mello's art, some of the fantasy scenes inside Thorn's head were REALLY hard to follow. There's a scene in the 2nd to last issue where I just have no idea what's going on.

[LtMarvel]

Killer Princesses just didn't work for me. I tried it, though.

[K-DoG7p7]

Teen Titans.. for multiple reasons.
The story was Bleh, the art was Bleh. Speedy was not in it .. Keep in mind she joind the team just 3 issues earlier, so that was just weird.

[scout1279]

To me, it was Lois & Clark's interaction. It wasn't overblown "love of my life" junk. It felt like a married couple who knew and loved each other. A normal couple, where she happens to be the world's greatest reporter and he the world's greatest hero.

In my head, Kal-El's always this country boy who can't believe he ended up with this amazing woman. Yet generally, we don't get any kind of reflection of that. Lois should be written as someone who Superman would fall in love with.

That's what I liked too. Also, just the fact that Lois was a part of the story, as opposed to something off to the side. Normally Modern Age Lois just bores me.


I haven't read enough of Gail's stuff to really say what my least favorite is. I would say Wonder Woman: Rise of the Olympian, not because it wasn't good, but because I am easily confused. However, there is a lot of stuff in that story I dearly love, and it all built up to a few issues that turned out to be some of my favorite that I've ever read from Gail.

Likewise, there was stuff in BoP that I didn't love, but it added up to a whole that was pretty freaking awesome.

If I had better recall of specific issues and what exactly happened therein, I could probably point to something, but I have a crap memory, so I have trouble playing this game.

[Free-Man]

Scout sorta reminded me, but I really didn't like the whole "Hero Hunt" storyline in Birds of Prey, particularly the portions with Harvest and Thorn.

I guess it's because I didn't read it until well after it was published, but I guess I'm not a fan of little expositions that are never followed up on, like the scene where Harvest alludes to her origin yet we never see her again after that. And the ending with Thorn getting away seemed kinda....dumb I guess.

[TCJohnson]

I am easily confused.

She is. I heard about this one time she got on a plane to go to New York and landed in Detroit.

[scout1279]

Scout sorta reminded me, but I really didn't like the whole "Hero Hunt" storyline in Birds of Prey, particularly the portions with Harvest and Thorn.

I guess it's because I didn't read it until well after it was published, but I guess I'm not a fan of little expositions that are never followed up on, like the scene where Harvest alludes to her origin yet we never see her again after that. And the ending with Thorn getting away seemed kinda....dumb I guess.
Yeah, that was probably my least favorite BoP arc, but it lead into some really awesome stuff, so it's hard to really complain about it when you look at the run as a whole.


She is. I heard about this one time she got on a plane to go to New York and landed in Detroit.
It's true, but in fairness to me, the pilot did the exact same thing.

[Gail Simone]

The two-parter in Teen Titans (sorry!, don't punch me!)

Most of Rise of the Olympian.

I won't, the Teen Titans thing is probably my least favorite work. Which sucks, because it should have been gooder!

[Gail Simone]

While not a fan of that Titans Arc w/ Liefeld, the only work of yours I really did not care for?

Gus Beezer.


bleh.

Really?

I love that little nerd.

:)

[Gail Simone]

Scout sorta reminded me, but I really didn't like the whole "Hero Hunt" storyline in Birds of Prey, particularly the portions with Harvest and Thorn.

I guess it's because I didn't read it until well after it was published, but I guess I'm not a fan of little expositions that are never followed up on, like the scene where Harvest alludes to her origin yet we never see her again after that. And the ending with Thorn getting away seemed kinda....dumb I guess.

Hero Hunt could have been a little tighter, but I love that Black Alice story.

[Dr Ray Palmer]

I really couldn't make myself get into Gen 13.

[phicks]

I dropped Wonder Woman after about 3 issues. just could not get into it.

[Weetomuncher]

Gail's 4 issue run on The Legion didn't quite work out as the story was a bit rushed but that was necessary as Gail was only brought in to finish off the book as it had only 4 issues left and needed to be wrapped up.

Teen Titans was a bit sucky too. Sorry.

[scandalsavage]

"The Ends of the Earth" arc in Wonder Woman.

[Gail Simone]

I just remembered why I like Hero Hunt--it's that ending, with Huntress and Canary and Oracle on the Aerie One, one of my favorite scenes ever!

But we were scrambling a bit after the dumbass War Games crossover kind of blindsided us, so it may be a bit scattered otherwise. Good Black Alice issue, though! :)

[Shurato2099]

I would have to say the Action comics run just from the scattershot feel and, I dunno, I may have like the Titans arc better if it weren't for Liefield's artwork. The dialogue throughout was great on both runs, mind you, and that's one of your strengths IMO and I seldom get tired of the Queen of Fables.

[Red Jack]

I'd say TITANS at the bottom because of the "art" and ROSE & THORN just above because I just don't like the characters that much, no matter who's writing them.

[Gaelforce]

I'm gonna have to go with WW's crossover into Secret Six. I could deal with her getting taken down by Jeanette, but because it wasn't her book, she was out of it for too long and couldn't get the payback she rightfully deserved. I also would have liked to have seen a better end to Grendel (something a bit more epic-ish ;) )

[DungeonmasterJim]

I've only read parts of 5 of your runs:

Gen 13
Rose & Thorn
BOP
The Atom
Wonder Woman


Your Wonder Woman didn't work for me. I just found her really boring. I never felt like she could lose. If she did lose it was about Gail wanted her to lose to set up this certain situation. It didn't feel natural to me. I hope that makes sense. And it was a bummer because I wanted to like your Wonder Woman. So that's why it tops my 'least favorite' of your work.

The Atom I didn't like because I really wasn't into the new Atom. But I did like the idea of a 40 foot naked woman running around. So I enjoyed parts of that and sort of skipped over most of the scenes involving the Atom.

Rose & Thorn was my favorite! I'm a sucker for crazy chicks! :evilsmile:

DM Jim

[MartinRedmond]

I didn't like Gen13.

[bert]

Really?

I love that little nerd.

:)

well.. keep in mind, I'm not a fan of Barry Ween or Mazing Man either. . .

[Azrael52]

First, let me address some of the other "favorites" for your least favorite work.

Hmm, I love BoP, and Superman has always been my go-to character. I got so psyched when you came on board, but it really did feel random. Well, not random, but more like several mini-serieses. I didn't hate it at all, but it wasn't my favorite.

The Teen Titans story: I don't remember it, but I don't remember not liking it.

Killer Princesses, I really enjoyed it. You should definitely do a sequel.

Gen13: I never read the other incarnations, but I told you the first time I met you that at the time, it was my favorite new comic in a long time.

Now, here are mine:

1. Atom. Sorry, I reaaaaally didn't care for it.

2. Welcome to Tranquility - i so wanted to like it, but I couldn't.

3. Wonder Woman: This one, I dropped and picked up 3 different times. I just couldn't let it go. I'm currently getting it. The only part I didn't care for was the RotO story. I've loved the gorillas, the WW movie issues, the Power Girl issue, the GL stuff. I looooovvvveeeed your take on her an Nemesis. Even the DMA folks. But I seriously have dropped it twice and picked it right back up.

You didn't ask for my favorites, but like everyone else, I'm going to tell you anyway.

Secret Six
BoP (my favorite being the crossover leading to your final issue) - And dammit! I'm glad you're back on this team.
Gen13
I feel like I'm leaving another one out that I really liked. Hmm....

- Ray

[spidervenom]

I thought the first all new atom trade was just meh.

[pariah-1972]

Didn't care for the Gen 13 (read one issue) and the super hero retirement home book.

They were both a little too extreme for my tastes.

[dupersuper]

well.. keep in mind, I'm not a fan of Barry Ween or Mazing Man either. . .

How can you not love 'Mazing Man??? :eek::confused:

[nigel33]

Your Wonder Woman frustrated me because it was all over the place, just really inconsistent. For every good element, there was one that didn't work, or was horrible. Your version of Diana is my personal favorite, but she was placed in situations that just didn't work.

The Circle was an excellent beginning, and one of the best WW stories ever. Ends of the Earth went nowhere and stalled your momentum. Rise of the Olympian was the final nail in the coffin.

And I can't believe the woman who created Junior from S6 also dreamt up Genocide.

[OBrianTallent]

The only work of yours that I've ever read has been DC and even that was only BoP, Secret Six/Villains United, WW, Action, Teen Titans, Rose & Thorn & JLA: The Hypothetical Woman. And looking at that list...that's probably how it stacks up too. The only discrepancy would be that the art from JLA:C with the amazing Jose-Luis Garcia Lopez propels that book above Teen Titans. Likewise, Adriana Melo's work pushes that book in front of TT also (I always wondered why Ms. Melo wasn't tapped to pencil Birds.) But story-wise, yeah that's the way it stacks up.
I think that's all I've read anyway.

[GrifterWC]

Not that I've read a lot of your titles but I gave Gen 13 twelve issues and was very disappointed.

[Linkara]

The Teen Titans issues, of course, though I admit I didn't care much for the arc in Birds of Prey where Spy Smasher took control of the Birds. Glad you had Babs and the heroes kick her ass. ^^

[pariah-1972]

Also didn't like anything with Genocide.

Never read Guz Beezer or your Simpsons stuff.

I haven't gotten around to the Rose and Thorn stuff either:redface:

[Lester C.]

I just remembered why I like Hero Hunt--it's that ending, with Huntress and Canary and Oracle on the Aerie One, one of my favorite scenes ever!

But we were scrambling a bit after the dumbass War Games crossover kind of blindsided us, so it may be a bit scattered otherwise. Good Black Alice issue, though! :)

For what it is worth I loved the arc. I though Rose and Thorn, Harvest were really good. At the time I didn't care for Black Alice, but that is only because her background is so far removed from my own and she was pretty unlikable. Now though I think she rocks and can't wait until I read her in the upcoming Secret Six trades.

[MacQuarrie]

Aha!

So, even if you like my work, there is often a book that just doesn't work at all for you.

My question to you is, of the books of mine that you have read, what did you just plain not like at all?

I won't get my feelings hurt, I'm just curious. :)
I can't say any of your work falls in those categories; I haven't read anything of yours that I "just plain did not like at all."

That said, I'll admit that "Killer Princesses" wasn't my favorite. Just not my thing. But then it wasn't written for me.

[Gail Simone]

I can't say any of your work falls in those categories; I haven't read anything of yours that I "just plain did not like at all."

That said, I'll admit that "Killer Princesses" wasn't my favorite. Just not my thing. But then it wasn't written for me.

It had cursing. And was evil.

You're not evil enough!

[Mercurialblonde]

Wonder Woman.

It wasn't bad. But it wasn't as good as I expected. It was very uneven and never seemed to get going.

[Mr. Holmes]

Rise of the Olympian and Warkiller.

I think that's it. I even liked the Teen Titans filler story.

[Cayman]

Rise Of The Olympian. Genocide was just awful. Felt like the worst of the 90s returning.

[shrike]

I'm going to go with your Legion of Super Heroes arc, followed by your Titans work. I will add, though, that I ALSO didn't care for the art in both of these.. and that plays a part in my dissatisfaction, I'm sure.

I see some didn't like the Gen13 stuff, I actually liked it.

[Ilash]

Probably that Teen Titans two-parter. I say "probably" because my eyes were too busy bleeding from the art to really notice the story.

And count me in as someone who thought your Gen 13 actually got better and better with every issue.

[Jenna]

I haven't read everything of Gail's, but from what I have read of hers, I'll have to go with JLA: The Hypothetical Woman. It wasn't bad by any means (in fact, I liked it), but I didn't think it was as unique or special as everything else I've read from her.

And since everyone seems to be listing favorites, I will too. I'm gonna go with the completely unexpected and not at all obvious answer, Birds of Prey. But seriously, there's a REASON why everyone loves BoP...it's awesome! All-New Atom was great too, but it was only 12 issues and as much as I've loved her run on Wonder Woman, I agree with everyone who's said it's been a bit inconsistent. It can fall flat at times, but when it's on, it's ON. For every Ends of Earth or Warkiller, there's something like The Circle, the Black Canary/WW team-up, or the recent mini-arc with Power Girl. And I didn't hate Rise of the Olympian as much as a lot of people here did, but that might be because I read the trade...I can see why it'd be tough to get through at an issue a month.

[Tad Sivana]

Funny to read that there are folks who didn't like what were some of my favorite arcs....I LOOOVED the Spy Smasher storyline and would like to see her and Barb knock heads again.
I though the 'Hypothetical Woman' story in JLA was contrived and weak....not bad, just weak.
Legion and Titans were not your best moments, either.
I'm surprised that people didn't like the New Atom...very creative and different storyline and approach.
Clearly (at least to me) Wonder Woman and BOP hold a special place in your heart, even beyond the Secret Six.
What I'm waiting for is the Blackhawks relaunch with Gail at the helm.
It's time.