How about Neil Gaiman for a Superman run?

[NotSuper]

He's a great writer, a big fan of the character, and would encourage those who have never read a Superman book to pick it up. I'd like to see what he would do for the character on a one or two year run.

[ArnoldoAAD]

I dont Know
how about Alan Moore for a Superman run?

[NotSuper]

I dont Know
how about Alan Moore for a Superman run?
I realize you're being facetious, but why wouldn't Gaiman want to work on Superman? He's on good terms with DC and he recently wrote a Batman issue.

I'm not understanding the comparison.

[carabas]

I realize you're being facetious, but why wouldn't Gaiman want to work on Superman?Because it's a mainstream superhero? He might do a oneshot or mini, but not a run.

[Jimmy Bond]

I can't see him committing to a superhero book long term. He could do a mini or a special like WHTTCC. I think Paul Cornell is good enough to do whatever we may have wanted from a Gaiman Superman.

[NotSuper]

Because it's a mainstream superhero? He might do a oneshot or mini, but not a run.
Why? Does he have some rule against year-long runs on a super-hero? Just because he's never really done it before doesn't mean he can't or wouldn't.

[Ilash]

Why? Does he have some rule against year-long runs on a super-hero? Just because he's never really done it before doesn't mean he can't or wouldn't.

Gaiman would indeed rule but he hasn't done an ongoing at all since Sandman. He clearly likes to do a bunch of different stuff in a bunch of different media so it's unlikely that he would commit to something so time consuming.

[NotSuper]

Gaiman would indeed rule but he hasn't done an ongoing at all since Sandman. He clearly likes to do a bunch of different stuff in a bunch of different media so it's unlikely that he would commit to something so time consuming.
True, but there's no harm in DC asking him, right? They could sweeten the pot, so to speak, and give him the power to do what he wants.

At the very least, he could do an in-continuity mini-series about Superman (around four issues).

[Ilash]

True, but there's no harm in DC asking him, right? They could sweeten the pot, so to speak, and give him the power to do what he wants.

At the very least, he could do an in-continuity mini-series about Superman (around four issues).

Oh absolutely. Like I said, I would love a Neil Gaiman Superman story. In fact, Supes seems to be a better fit for him than Batman and if he could do such a great job with the Dark Knight, I would love to see what he could do with the other half of the World's Finest. It would most probably have toi be limited though, is all I'm saying.

[DonC]

It would have to be something Gaiman really wants to do, like "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader." Otherwise DC probably wouldn't be able to afford him. When they (DC) approached him about doing a Sandman anniversary miniseries Gaiman wanted to be paid the same as if he was writing a novel.

[Awesome!]

True, but there's no harm in DC asking him, right? They could sweeten the pot, so to speak, and give him the power to do what he wants.

I'm pretty sure any time Gaiman wants to write anything at DC he has a green light. The better question would be asking him why he doesn't want to do it but I think that's pretty obvious itself.

[Beacon]

Didn't he do a GL/Superman one-shot?

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

It would have to be something Gaiman really wants to do, like "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader." Otherwise DC probably wouldn't be able to afford him. When they (DC) approached him about doing a Sandman anniversary miniseries Gaiman wanted to be paid the same as if he was writing a novel.

I think that's quite a reasonable request - it would have sold through the roof.
Was it more he wanted his novel advance fee, or did he just want more than their standard rate?
Either way, I think he proved his point by taking the pitch and turning into a novel, Graveyard Book, and getting his usual advance from it (plus his take of the profits).

[Duy]

I would pay money to see Neil Gaiman describe Kandor.

That is all.

[carabas]

Didn't he do a GL/Superman one-shot?Originally intended as one or two filler issues for Action Comics or whatever, lingered in some editor's drawer for years, and eventually reworked into a one-shot.


True, but there's no harm in DC asking him, right? They could sweeten the pot, so to speak, and give him the power to do what he wants.And while they're at it, they can ask Steven King if he'd like to do a run on The Flash. You just never know, right?

There is just no way that Neil Gaiman will do a few years of in-continuity Superman, with all the editorial constraint inherent in such a thing, especially since he has never expressed any in the character.

The Green Lantern/Supemrman thing was ancient, dating from before Sandman, and just a job from when he was a no-name rookie, not some personal project.

[dumbstruck]

True, but there's no harm in DC asking him, right? They could sweeten the pot, so to speak, and give him the power to do what he wants.

At the very least, he could do an in-continuity mini-series about Superman (around four issues).


Considering Gaiman turned DC down to write an anniversary Sandman project because they wouldn't pay him the same rate he earns writing a novel, him writing a run of any title will never happen.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Considering Gaiman turned DC down to write an anniversary Sandman project because they wouldn't pay him the same rate he earns writing a novel, him writing a run of any title will never happen.

As I say, he proved his point by doing the novel though.
Pretty good negotiating tactic for next time - they know he's not bluffing about how much his work can make!

[DonC]

I think that's quite a reasonable request - it would have sold through the roof.
Was it more he wanted his novel advance fee, or did he just want more than their standard rate?
Either way, I think he proved his point by taking the pitch and turning into a novel, Graveyard Book, and getting his usual advance from it (plus his take of the profits).

My understanding was he wanted the same amount of money he gets writing a novel. That would probably put him a zero away from what DC wanted to pay him.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

He's a great writer, a big fan of the character, and would encourage those who have never read a Superman book to pick it up. I'd like to see what he would do for the character on a one or two year run.

Seconded. Perhaps not a long run, but a mini. His essay on Superman is freakin' brilliant.

[NotSuper]

And while they're at it, they can ask Steven King if he'd like to do a run on The Flash. You just never know, right?
Well, considering he was involved in the Dark Tower stuff with Marvel--not as a writer but involved--that doesn't sound that crazy.

And it's "Stephen."

[Mat001]

King is doing some DC work in October.

[Gabe De Los Muertos]

They can't afford him.

[T Hedge Coke]

I realize you're being facetious, but why wouldn't Gaiman want to work on Superman? He's on good terms with DC and he recently wrote a Batman issue.

He wrote two issues of one Batman story.

The thing is, DC's not going to pay him what he can make doing to the same amount of work, elsewhere, most likely in prose. So, a lengthy run is pretty unlikely.

[carabas]

Well, considering he was involved in the Dark Tower stuff with Marvel--not as a writer but involved--that doesn't sound that crazy.You're not up to date. King has done actual comics scripts since then. For DC, no less. But not superheroes, and not an ongoing run.

Which won't happen in a million years because Stephen King does not care about superheroes and wouldn't write 30 issues of The Flash matter how much money DC threw at him.
Same goes for Gaiman and Superman. It's just not a character he has ever shown much affection for. And writers in that tier write what they like to write, not what brings in megabucks.

[Sean Walsh]

I can't see him committing to a superhero book long term. He could do a mini or a special like WHTTCC. I think Paul Cornell is good enough to do whatever we may have wanted from a Gaiman Superman.

Isn't Gaiman a big fan of Paul Cornell? Perhaps that Cornell's on ACTION could lure Neil toward Superman somehow....

[Darrell D.]

Yeah, DC couldn't afford Gaiman.
And good on him, he should get paid what he's worth. Doing a run of 12 or 24 issues is time he could be using to write prose, and he certainly should be compensated accordingly.

[carabas]

Yeah, DC couldn't afford Gaiman.Oh, I bet they can afford him, they just won't. They're too cheap to pay what they writers are worth. I don't reckon Marvel is any better in this.

[Talisman]

I'd rather see a graphic novel by him.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

They can't afford him.

They can, they just don't want to pay him that much - his stuff sells through the roof.
It's just he'd want a much bigger chunk of that than they would be prepared to give him.

Also, he probably wouldn't want to - he's only ever done one monthly, and the monthliness of it was his least favourite part.