Letting the Artists Write

[samurainoir]

DC's really pulling out the stops on keeping their artists from going across the street to Marvel by offering them the ability to write the comics they draw, and in some cases write/co-write for other artists.

Given how writer-driven Marvel has been the past decade, is this a smart movie on DC's part? In some cases, it's a no brainer given the track record of guys like Dan Jurgans, Kieth Giffen , George Perez and JH Williams, but others don't necessarily have that track record, so it would seem like a huge leap of Faith on the part of DC to have so many books headlined by writer/artists without a proven history.

It seemed like a great idea when Marvel did it in the 80's... with talents such as Frank Miller, John Byrne, Walt Simonson all becoming top tier talent that wrote the books that they drew.

[Random Axe]

It's a risk for sure. However, the last few years have been pretty lean, so let's see what they've got. I don't know how FInch will do , and that's probably the biggest risk putting him on writing/art duties on a Bat title. It's swim or drown time.

[The Toyroom]

DC's really pulling out the stops on keeping their artists from going across the street to Marvel by offering them the ability to write the comics they draw, and in some cases write/co-write for other artists.

Given how writer-driven Marvel has been the past decade, is this a smart movie on DC's part? In some cases, it's a no brainer given the track record of guys like Dan Jurgans, Kieth Giffen , George Perez and JH Williams, but others don't necessarily have that track record, so it would seem like a huge leap of Faith on the part of DC to have so many books headlined by writer/artists without a proven history.

It seemed like a great idea when Marvel did it in the 80's... with talents such as Frank Miller, John Byrne, Walt Simonson all becoming top tier talent that wrote the books that they drew.

The thing is guys like Miller, Byrne, Simonson were all very well-known established artists with great fan followings when they became writer/artists... I'm not sure guys like Tony Daniels, Scot Kolins or Francis Manapul can even be considered in the same category...

[madmarva]

Plus, working under the old Marvel plot first style, those artist/writers many times were doing the heavy lifting plotting and pacing the books with the writer co-plotting and filling in the word balloons. I don't mean to demean the scripter role, because great dialogue's hard to come across across the board.

I hope the editors at DC are being selective in who they offer artist/writer gig to, but let's see what these guys do. There may be a star in the making among the bunch.

The news of Perez writing and drawing Superman is really intriguing. His run on Wonder Woman is the best I've ever read on the title, and of course his art is just gorgeous. But even with a great amount of lead time (if he had it), I'm betting the book is off schedule by issue 5 if not before.

[The Bat]

Sometimes it's a good thing(Byrne FF), and sometimes it's a complete train-wreck(Miller on Allstar Batman & Robin....and letting Neal Adams write Batman:Odyssey).

[The Toyroom]

Sometimes it a complete train-wreck(Miller on Allstar Batman & Robin....letting Neal Adams write Batman:Odyssey).

Makes me wonder just WHAT an editor does these days...Does anyone reign these guys in when they get too far off the mark?

[Earth 2 Chris]

Makes me wonder just WHAT an editor does these days...Does anyone reign these guys in when they get too far off the mark?

No, it seems like a lot of editors are just talent scouts these days. Certainly that was always part of the job, but it seems like the idea is if they get a "hot" writer or artist then all will be okay. Doesn't matter if said creator has any vision for the character. The idea of an editor being the steward of that character are long gone. And if it's a novelist or Hollwood type forget it. They can have Superman fry Lois with heat vision if that's what they want. The DCU has never recovered from Meltzer's demoralizing Identity Crisis.

Chris

[The Toyroom]

The DCU has never recovered from Meltzer's demoralizing Identity Crisis.

That's where most the problems with the current DCU can be traced back to IMO...Meltzer could have handled the same type of whodunnit mystery story without trampling all over the Silver Age Satellite JLA...

But that's the problem with modern comics....you always have to up the ante and the angst...

[Earth 2 Chris]

If Identity Crisis had been an Elseworlds it would have been fine. But as it stood it just sullied DC's entire legacy. And the pay-off was pretty lame too (Jean Loring? Really?).

Rags Morales artwork was great though. That's about all I can say about it.

Chris