Aquaman and the Others

Go back about 20 years, read Peter David's Time and Tide and tell me that Aquaman isn't a legit power house in any 4 color Universe!

Now I will admit that in his mid-80's Justice League appearances he does come off as a bit of an asshole and can at times be whinny but we've all had bad days (decades) every now and then, so let's cut the Ruler of the 7 Seas some slack. I mean water covers about 70% of the Earth and he had marital issues that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger cringe, the guy had a lot on his plate. But much to my delight, in spite of his checkered past, post-Flashpoint Aquaman has been a runaway train of awesome, in not only in the 2 titles which he's featured (Aquaman and Justice League) but on the Diamond Sales charts as well.

So where does the blond bad ass of the Ocean go from here?

Here's my pitch. Aquaman is the King of Atlantis, by definition he is a leader! He was also, in his younger days, a part of a group called The Others (see Aquaman #8-#12). The Others and their relationship with AC are also fleshed out a bit more in Aquaman #0 and #20. DC has an opportunity here to add another "-verse" to their line-up. The Bat-verse has always had a book like Batman and the Outsiders or Batman Inc. to add a richer history and more depth to the Batfamily. DC could do the same Aquaman and add another cash cow franchise to their already burgeoning stable.The time is now to strike while the iron is hot with King Arthur and add a title that creates an "Aqua-verse". I want a new monthly book from DC, I want Aquaman and The Others!

Here Comes the BOOM! (Studios)

Talk about a get! The Fandroid Apocalypse proudly presents to you, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BOOM! Studios, Ross Richie. BOOM! Studios is my absolute favorite Independent Comic Book company, which is why it was such an honor for me to interview it's founding father. For those new to BOOM! I highly recommend you check out Keith Giffen's Hero Squared, Mark Waid's Irredeemable, current sci-fi epic The Hypernaturals and one of my personal faves, The Savage Brothers. Mr. Richie was gracious enough with his time to sit and answer 13 hard(ly) hitting questions from me and he absolutely nailed it!

Enjoy!

Q. This is a comic book blog so, what book hooked you?

A. Fantastic Four 178 by Roy Thomas and George Perez. One guy was made of fire, the other from rock. I never looked back!

When?

1977. The comic was in my Easter basket.

And Why? (and yes I am counting all this as 1 question!)

One guy was made of fire, the other from rock! I was a Star Wars kid and loved the sci-fi elements. I was too young to read sf novels, so comics hooked me!

Q. It’s the comic book draft and BOOM! has the#1 pick who’s your hero/villain/team? (in the interest of being interesting no BOOM! books allowed)

A. Magneto. He can do anything with his power. C'mon, magnetism is one of the unifying forces of reality itself...

Q. You’re a Texas guy, what Lone Star State son would make for the best comic book adventures?

A. This is where I get to plug a BOOM! book -- we did a series called Galveston that starred Jean LaFitte teaming up with David Bowie. You gotta love the cowboy/pirate comic! The fact that it was based on an historical BFF relationship is just gravy...

Q. I’m still not over the cancellation of Eureka (Damn you SyFy…), will BOOM! ever publish more mini’s based on the show?

A. No, sorry.

Q. The Hypernaturals is a clinic on how to do a sci-fi comic book. Why are all the best writers British?

A. They didn't grow up on US superheroes. Many of the British writers grew up on a steady diet of comics of different genres published in the UK so when they do superheroes they have a more fresh approach.

 Q. The 1990’s really seemed to be the Golden Age of Indie comic books. Did your time at Malibu serve more as a what to or what NOT to do when you started BOOM! Studios?

 A. Definitely was a huge advantage. It was a different market back then in every way -- sales were massive, the material wasn't as sophisticated as it is now. Many things changed in the ten years between me leaving Malibu and starting BOOM! but there's no question I couldn't have done it without my time at The 'Bu!

 Q. You’ve published a Die Hard book by Chaykin and are about to release Robocop by Frank Miller. Any chance of a Rambo series by Alan Moore to round out a 1980’s action movie tri-fecta?

 A. I am a huge Alan Moore fan since I bought Saga of the Swamp Thing #21 off the rack. If he's in, I'm all about it.

 Q. Seriously though, I know that Frank Miller has a long history with Robocop, but how did a series of all new material for the character with BOOM! come about?

 A. It's not all new. It's Frank's screenplay for Robocop 3 taken from screenplay form by Steven Grant and turned into a comic.

 Q. I read that you are a producer on The Mage feature film adaptation. Is that still in production?

 A. No, that project fell out of development.

 Q. What’s your thoughts on real life “Vigilantes” i.e. Phoenix Jones?

 A. Seems dangerous to me.

 Q. If DC is so dead set against bringing back Ted Kord, can BOOM!? Please? I mean no one ever stays dead in comics…EXCEPT Ted Kord! I think Dan Didio has a personal vendetta against me.

A.  If DC is willing to grant BOOM! the rights to Ted Kord I'm all about it...

 Q. Who is YOUR Batman? West, Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney, Bale or Conroy?

 A. Adam West, but I not because of the 1960s show. I loved The New Adventures of Batman cartoon from 1977, which took itself far more seriously than the classic 60s show.

 Q. Are you sure it's not George Clooney?

 A. George Clooney is always Danny Ocean to me and one of our greatest directors and actors.

Marvel On Marvel Crime

The Internet was set ablaze this week with what I have deemed Marvel on Marvel crime. Just a week or so after Joss Whedon announced the addition of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch to the Avengers 2 line-up, Bryan Singer and Fox confirmed that Quicksilver would be making his big screen debut 1st in the already in production sequel to 2011's X-Men First Class, X-Men First Class: Days of Future Past.

Because the Interwebs have turned us all into raving lunatics that act like religious extremists when it comes to pop culture likes and dislikes, sides were immediately chosen. To the right we had the X-Men faithful that will forever pledge allegiance to Mr. Singer for restoring the franchise to it's once prominent glory with First Class and removing the bitter taste that "The Last Stand" still left in their mouths. To the left you have equal parts Singer haters (some people can't move on from Superman Returns), Whedonites and Avengers apologists. Both groups spent the better part of this week laying down an anonymous verbal Jihad on the other, claiming proper rights to Pietro.

I just don't get it! In this time of great comic book movies why must we hate one to like another? I liked both First Class and Avengers, A LOT! Each film brought something different to the table and for that I have an equal appreciation for both. I loved the story telling and character study that First Class dove into. It was a period film that absolutely nailed the turmoil and strife that these Mutants would have went through in 1960's America. The parallel to the Civil Rights movement was done beautifully. I saw the Avengers as the film version of a company wide crossover. The previous films were the tie in issues that helped craft the main event. It wasn't a political statement, it was action and adventure. They were each exactly what they should have been.

So, here is my solution. Both films should use Quicksilver. There doesn't have to be any overlap in story or explanation of his dual appearances. More than likely he won't even be used in anywhere close to the same way in either movie respectively. Just tell great stories with both, that treat the character right and everybody wins!

The Best of 2006

2006 was a memorable year in comics.

DC's Infinite Crisis ended in '06 (as ironic as that may sound) and Marvel was torn apart by Civil War. These 2 events signaled the return of the company wide crossover that had been absent since the economic downturn the industry suffered a decade earlier. It's hard to believe now, but Marvel actually declared bankruptcy less than 20 years ago!

We also saw a new Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) and a new Robin (Damian Wayne) emerge in '06. Both would amass a faithful following but the new Boy Wonder would meet his demise earlier this year to the dismay of his legion of fans. Think of him as the anti-Jason Todd.

Another huge story that crossed over into the mainstream was the unmasking of Spider-Man. Talk about a story that shook the foundation of comics! That single arc warped Spidey stories for the rest of the decade, even calling on the Devil himself to set things straight again!

When I look back on it, I did a ton of good reading 7 years ago, but what do I remember most about 2006?

The birth of my 1st child Savannah. Nothing changed my world they way she has and I suppose nothing ever will. As each year passes she still helps make me into the best father, teacher and mentor I can be for her and her baby sister. I love you Savanny, Happy Birthday!

We Want More, We Want More!

From the Golden Age of radio to modern day big screen blockbuster, comic strip and book characters have always found a way off of the 4 color page and into other forms of media. I think this fact above all is the reason for the survival of the comic book industry amid various scandals, witch hunts and periods of financial struggle it has seen over the last 80 or so years. The characters hold value even if some of the books they are featured in do not.

Hollywood and comics have always shared a symbiotic relationship. Some characters can seamlessly transition from the page to the radio to the big screen without pause, like Dick Tracy. Other times a character is created for the sole purpose of adding a story telling element to the TV show or movie that is not offered in the source material. The Batman family has most benefited from Tinsel-Towns contribution of characters.

If not for the Adam West Batman show (love it or hate it that show launched The Caped Crusader into the pop culture immortality!) we never would have received the “Girl Wonder”, Batgirl herself, Barbara Gordon. As the story goes, network execs were terrified that Bruce and Dick were being perceived as more than “chums”, so to quell the comments on their relationship status they brought in the Auburn haired angle Barbara Gordon. 50 years later Babs is still a pivotal part of the Bat-family and has been a part of some of Gotham City’s most important tales (see, Killing Joke).

You can add characters like Harley Quinn to the list of TV’s great contributions to comic book canon as well. Now while not all the media “crossovers” have ended well, I think we can all agree that every medium that touches comics and its characters benefit greatly. I love the fact that shows that may not have a big enough fan base to sustain a large budget TV show have been saved from the scrap heap and carried on in comics. Buffy, Angel, (just about every iteration of) Star Trek and Smallville are just a few of the shows given life after cancellation in print. More recently DC has been publishing a weekly digital release that acts as a companion to the freshman breakout hit Arrow.

But there is more that can be done! And this is what I see as the next step in the Print/Film relationship.

Network shows routinely run from September to May and then take a 2-3 month break in the summer. I would love to see more shows take to comics to act as a bridge in between seasons. Let’s get a miniseries of OGN (original graphic novel) that fleshes out the characters and back story in a way that TV just doesn’t have the time to do. You can beef up subplots and even lead in to next season! Obviously certain genre shows would get better results than others but this can work. I know that Once Upon a Time is doing an OGN to be released this fall that deals with backstory of a fallen character (The Huntsman), but I want a something that will bridge the gaps season to season! Give me a little inside info on what really went down in season 1 and a hit to what is to come in 2! It seems like a no brainer to me, but I’m only the guy who would gladly fork over my cash to have a more time with my favorite fictional people, my opinion doesn’t count.

Save Us Lex, You're Our Only Hope

 

With all the titles that are crashing and burning in the new52, the time has never been better for DC to think outside the box, take a chance and trust Lex Luthor. Yes you read that right. I want Dan, Jim and Geoff to walk across that invisible bridge Indiana Jones style and know that what lay on the other side, while potentially dangerous may also hold riches untold! Basically, I want a Lex Luthor ongoing series.

Just think of the buzz that would surround a monthly book that takes readers inside the mind of DC's Gold Standard of Truth, Justice and The American Way's greatest foe. Marvel has sort of done this with Superior Spider-Man but it is Otto in the guise of Spidey, so it is still technically a "Spider-Man" comic. DC also sort of did this with Lex Luthor in Action Comics a few years back, making Mr. Luthor the focus of the title briefly. Those two books are great, but I want more...I want a commitment DAMN IT! I want a book that is all Lex, all the time.

I truly believe that Lex Luthor is the only villain in comics that can carry his own title without ever compromising who the character is at the core. Everybody in the entire Universe thinks that Lex Luthor is a bad guy...except LEX LUTHOR! To Luthor he is humanity's, NO!, the Universes only hope at salvation. Lex is the smartest man on the planet and the only person who sees these vigilantes for what they really are. Criminals.

He's also the only person who sees past the facade that is Superman. When it comes to Big Blue, Luthor Corps. Head Honcho knows the truth. The Man of Steel is an alien invader, who is here to rule Earth and all the powerless humans that inhabit it. Supes may preach truth, justice and the American Way, but Luthor knows all to well what lies behind such false promises. He knows the greed and power that festers deep down in Superman's Exta-Terrestrial soul and when it all comes to a head (and it will!) Alexander Luthor will be our only hope.

Seeing the world from Lex's point of view would be a fascinating thrill ride through the DCU the likes of which we have never seen before and I want to go along for the ride while he schemes to mold Metropolis and then the World in his perfect image. Don't you?

Vintage Review

I had an hour to kill before work so I decided to dig in a long box and read the first book I pulled out. Luckily I pulled out a one-shot! I grabbed Amazing Spider-Man 362 from Oct 93 written by David Micheline and illustrated by Mark Bagley. The issue is titled "Emerald Rage" and guest stars Hulk and Doc Samson.

Right up front I will tell you that early 90's Spidey, X-Men and Image books captured my imagination like nothing else could as a kid, so there may be some nostalgic bias in my review.

First some background on Marvel circa fall of 93. Mary Jane became a chain smoker which inexplicably immediately sent her life in a downward spiral. (Marvel was a little preachy with this one) Richard and Mary Parker came back from the dead! (Or did they?) And Hulk was infected with a NEW Gamma virus that turned him, as Doc Samson put it, into Ultra Hulk. (How cool would an Ultra Hulk book be?)
The issue starts with off balls to the wall action and in true 90's fashion never really let's up. Spidey and Samsom are no match for this "Ultra Hulk" physically, he even ripped through 2 full containers of webbing in a matter of moments! So they decide to switch gears and out smart him. Now if I remember correctly Banner is a freakin' genius, even in Hulk form in the 90's he brilliant!

Plot holes be damned we carry on.
.
Next up, subplot # 1. I like to call it, "Hey, I thought you 2 were dead?"

Aunt May is talking to Richard and Mary Parker...wait, what? Yes good old Dick and Mary P are back but May ain't buying it so which leads us directly to the introduction of...Bernard Scudder, Private Eye! Will May get to the bottom of their reappearance? Not in this issue, sorry.

Meanwhile, Doc Samson searches for a cure while Spidey lures Hulk away from the masses to an already damaged ESU (Empire State University) site (courtesy of the Human Torch) to limit civilian and property loses. Spider-Man continues to take a beating at the hands of the Green Goliath until Docs Samson rejoins the fray with a NEW plan in hand.

Duh-Duh-Duh-Dah! Subplot # 2, "Smoking is evil and will ruin your promising soap opera career"

I mean I kinda just gave it away but, MJ becomes a soap star, starts smoking and is now suddenly getting her scenes cut and is super depressed. I wonder if smoking cigarettes is to blame? The director even yells at her for smoking on set. Like I said before, it gets a little preachy.

Back to our HEROES!

Doc and Web head are still in a brutal battle with "Ultra Hulk" but have decided the best course of action is to try and appeal to the Banner trapped inside and not bait the animal that Hulk has become because of the NEW Gamma virus he's be infected with! Now that the a fore mentioned plot hole has been filled, will our champions cure Hulk and save New York City?

I gotta say this book was fun pure and simple. It called back to my childhood with beautiful artwork and lots of action. Both sub plots were woven in and out of the action packed frames evenly and helped lay the groundwork for upcoming arcs. While this issue never won an Eisner and has probably been forgotten by many as a throw away transitional floppy it has good solid storytelling that is worth a second or first look depending on your history with 1990's ASM. So if you want to know how it ends go back bin diving, drop a quarter to the clerk and get ready for a true blast from the past!

You Don't Know Dick

No this blog hasn't taken a turn for the salacious, I am of course referring to Dick Grayson.

Dick Grayson, the original "Boy Wonder" and the guy who has single handedly made male gymnasts manly! I'm not claiming to be an expert on all things Nightwing but I do have a fondness for the character and am in someways familiar with all his iterations. From Robin to Nightwing to Batman to Nightwing back to Batman and now (Finally?) Nightwing again.

Some of these eras I've only read the glancing single issue  or 2. Others I have read whole arcs and even complete runs! So I have enough background on the subject to tell the WB, they don't know Dick.

 For the most part I believe Master Richard has been handled wonderfully. Wolfman and Dixon immediately come to mind as 2 of his Seminole writers. With great pacing and respect Dick has gone from sidekick to Titans team leader and was elevated to full time Top-Tier hero. I am especially impressed with current writer, Kyle Higgins run. Higgins is a Rock-Star-Writer in the making and he has not just helped Nightwing come into his own in DC's new52, he has helped him step completely out of the shadow of his one time mentor and adoptive father Batman. Nightwing is a cash cow on the verge thanks to the fine minds at DC comics.

So who is it then that doesn't know Dick?

Everyone at Warner who doesn't work on the 4 color side of things it seems! In their minds Dick Grayson's destiny as a non-comic book exclusive property is still intertwined with Batman's. The problem with this is the TV and movie going audience doesn't like Robin and the Dubya-B can't separate Dick from the red, green and yellow even 30 years after he ditched those threads for a black and blue leisure suited costume.
Dick Grayson/Nightwing should from here on out stand on his own. I'm not suggesting you ignore his history or even rewrite his origin but there must be a way to bring him to the masses not as a former Robin, but as a superhero that just so happened to be Robin a LOOOOONG time ago.

This is what I propose...

Nightwing is ripe for the small screen. He has teeny bopper appeal with his youth and good looks and also is bad ass enough for the 18-40 crowd to rally around and adopt as they have Ollie Queen in CW's Arrow.

(Which brings me to my next point)

My suggestion to distance the boy wonder from the main event hero Dick Grayson has become, is for a guest-spot on Arrow to see gage the reception and monitor Nightwing's prime time presence. We know that fanboys would mark out for it, but how will the other half of the shows audience react? This would be my litmus test. From there on out respond accordingly. Does he recur? Get a spin-off? or does he forever get tied to Batman in which this experiment would fail miserably. The hints have been dropped, Bludhaven has been mentioned during season 1 and his style (no powers) fits the tone of Arrow perfectly.

But what do I know?

Snyder the Great and Powerful

I bet DC Comics thought they were done working with Magicians when Alan Moore unceremoniously took his ball and ran home sometime early last decade.

DC was wrong!

They now have a mystic in their midst with even greater power than the Merlin of 1980's comic book creations. Where Moore had to tip toe around characters true identities to produce his magnum opus, Watchmen, our new wizardly wordsmith reached far beyond time and television for his latest trick.

Scott Snyder, in Whovian fashion reached 20 years into the future, grabbed a character created for television 14 years in the past and slammed him smack dab into current Batman canon!

Now that's magic!

Words do not do it justice, so if you haven't read Batman #20 STOP RIGHT HERE!

But if you've already enjoyed the spell that Snyder the Great and Powerful cast upon this week, gaze upon it 1 more time.

Can You Give Someone an A & an F at the Same Time?

I'm not picking on Marvel here, quite the opposite actually. When I first saw that they were doing info-crawls on the bottom of the screen during episodes of Spider-Man, Avengers, etc. I was thrilled! Another example of how Marvel can push the creative envelope while educating their target demo, future members of the Merry Marvel Marching Society (M.M.M.S. for short). That is until I read my very first Marvel Universe info-crawl.

They botched it!

If you haven't yet, look at the clip above. It says that Spider-Man's 1st appeared in Amazing Fantasy #16.

So that means all these years I have been searching for the wrong comics Holy Grail (not that I can afford it, but that's neither here, nor there)? Because my answer to the, "If you could have any comic book in the world" question had always been Amazing Fantasy #15.

This error becomes even more egregious when you consider the source. The actual Marvel Entertainment Co.! Marvel is owned by Disney and this programming is on a Disney channel (Disney XD) that aims solely at a key Marvel audience and you still screw this up?  Apparently they are in need of a fact checker or 2, well I officially volunteer.

While I give The House of Ideas an A for attempting to flex some creative muscle here and slip in a Marvel Comics history lesson during their TV programming, I have to give them a resounding Fin their  execution of that task. Spider-Man's 1st appearance issue is basic, common comic book knowledge, unless of course, you happen to work for the company he was created by.

I Would Wait In Line For This

THE UNCANNY X-MUPPETS

How To Judge A Book By It's Cover

Take a look at the picture above. That my friends, is the image that hooked me on comics. In November of 1989 I took my birthday money the the local smoke shop to buy a deck of baseball cards. Little did I know that I'd be leaving there with an addiction and 1 less dollar in my piggy bank.

Like any 6 year old I loved cartoons, but I had not yet discovered my four color destiny. My brother was 6 years older than me and like any younger brother, what he liked I liked and he loved baseball. So on that fateful Saturday morning after my favorite 'toons were over of course, my mother drove me to Sandy's Smoke and News (Sadly no longer in business), where my cousin Mike worked, birthday money in hand to hunt for the baseball card that was going to put me through college (remember when baseball cards actually held some value?)!

As I strolled past the cigars and magazines toward my future trust fund in the guise of an Upper Deck trading card, it hit me. Smack in the face like a runaway train. At first I noticed the Spider-Man mask on the white background that looked awkwardly out of place in comparison to the rest of the image. From there my eyes had a hard time figuring out how a picture with such lively shades of purple, blue and green could be so dark. Then I see it, boy did I see it. It was a man (Wolverine I would come to find out) crucified on an X! Being the son of a choir directory I knew what the Crucifixion was and if this summoned that image it must be BIG! And as I finally held this copy of Uncanny X-Men 251 in my very own hands I can make out the skulls laid at the feet of this man who was obviously in a tremendous amount of peril.

WOW! I mean WOW!

My mind was officially blown.

I abandoned all notions of trying to score my riches in cards and I had to have this book! I even left the shop with the rest of my money in hand because I had to have it and the sooner I purchased it the sooner I could get home and Marvel (no pun intend) at my birthday plunder. My mom being the supportive mother she was, looked upon it in horror (at the blasphemy before her I imagine) but let me buy it because it was my money and it's what I wanted. I should probably thank her for that next time I see her.

To this day I still have that book. And to this day I still couldn't tell you what it's about, I just can't get past that goddamn cover!

Set It, And Forget It

It was the 1980's and women had hit the workforce full steam ahead! Once and future Batman Michael Keaton swapped places with his stay-at-home wife in Mr. Mom and Dustin Hoffman dragged through the streets of NYC as Tootsie just to get a job! But with mom and dad both at work, WHO WAS GOING TO COOK DINNER?

Through the power of the early 80's infomercial, a hero would rise!

Inventor Ron Popeil came up with the often imitated, never duplicated Showtime Rotisserie. It would revolutionize meal time, as well as the modern TV infomercial. The slogan "Set it, and forget it" became a household phrase and the overwhelming acclaim for the Showtime Rotisserie became a part of the fabric if American pop culture.

"But isn't this blog about comic books?" You may be asking yourselves right about now. Fret not loyal reader! It's all about to some full circle...

As great as "set it, and forget" was in the 80's, when applied to comics it's quite the opposite. Every week I am going to bring you a column titled, you guessed it, 'Set It And Forget It'. I'll focus on books that were promised, and promoted but never delivered, while also taking a look at incomplete mini-series and story arcs.

First up we'll take a look at the infamous Daredevil/Bullseye: Target.

In the fairness of full disclosure, this entry pains me a little bit because the writer, Kevin Smith holds a spot on my very own Mt. Rushmore of coolness. But as an unbiased blogger I cannot fall into the trap of protecting Sacred Cows (no that is not a fat joke).

 Issue number 1 was released in November of 2002 to coincide with the Ben Affleck Daredevil flick (which I enjoyed even if no one else did). Solid marketing plan, Smith had a small role in the movie, and had also previously written and revived Matt Murdoch to a top tier hero in DD: Reborn. So far, so good.

And that's where the good stops...completely.

Smith started filming Jersey Girl and writing Spider-Man: The Evil That Men Do (which had a multi-year delay of it's own) and left DD in the dust. In 2005 Smith revealed panels for 'Target' number 2 and claimed that it would hit the shelves in mid-2006. Was this the ray of hope 'Target' fans had been waiting for since the fall of '02? I'll save you the suspense, the answer is NO!

Things had gotten so bad that earlier this year the Jersey boy himself revealed that the 'Target' that had been alluded to in issue number 1 was Captain America, putting the proverbial nail in Daredevil/Bullseye: Target's coffin.

Next week we look at Batman: The Widening...I KID, I KID. This one hurt to much!

If you have any ideas for my next "Set It, And Forget It" let me know.

Speed Dating Superman

Tell any basketball coach, that they can start a new team with any player they want and most will pic Michael Jordan. Ask a football coach what clutch Quarterback they'd want leading their team down the field on a Super Bowl winning drive and 9 times out of 10 you'll hear the name Tom Brady. So which Superhero would most of today's four color wordsmiths resoundingly choose to steer themselves toward the fame and notoriety of comic book royalty?

Easy, it's gotta be Superman. I mean, he's the cream of the crop, the gold standard of modern American mythology...he's...HE'S FREAKING SUPERMAN!

Right?

Well, not exactly...

Since the dawn of the New52 it seems that comics most talented penmen have been merely speed dating Cleveland's greatest export since, well, EVER. How can this be? It's Superman! The entire genre, not just DC Comics has at one time or another owed a debt of gratitude to one Clark Kent. If Superman never hits new stands 75 years ago, Marvel never becomes big enough to the point where the largest entertainment company this world has ever seen, Disney, purchases it for over 4 BILLIONS dollars. That's billion with a B! Supes simply broke all barriers and misconceptions so that everyone else's figments of their imaginations could suddenly be realized in the form of billion dollar properties. Superman was first.

Take a look at this list:

George Perez
Grant Morrison
Keith Giffen
Dan Jurgens
Andy Diggle
Tony Daniel

No, that's not a list of who would make the Comic Book writers all-star team, that is a list of people who have walked out on the Man of Tomorrow in under 2 years time.

Some of these writers have just finished up long standing arcs. Some have left because of editorial differences of which I have no inside information or knowledge about so I will not half-assedly expound upon them. The others I would assume were called to fill in due to the untimely departures of certain talent and have done a fine job, but shouldn't your Universe's center piece have consistency?

Look at Batman (whom some would argue has overtaken DC's mantle as top dog, but maybe that will be another entry some time down the road). Scott Snyder has been a rock for the lead title of Bat books, Batman. He just finished up two long standing arcs and is about to release another year long title reign that has us all waiting with baited breath! Why do we yearn for Snyder's next 12 month epic crusade? Consistency in his previous work. We know what he brings to the table and we will gladly shill out our bucks for more.

It seems that DC editorial has given Snyder the keys to the Porsche and trusts that he won't leave it a twisted heap of metal and steel. Like I said earlier I don't know the reasons for some of Superman's recent breakups, but the creative direction behind both Action Comics and Superman needs to become more of a marathon and much less of a sprint.

Maybe Scott Lobdell, who will shortly be writing both Action and Superman is just what Dr. Mensa (a Lois & Clark reference) ordered. Perhaps DC has thrown Mr. Lobdell the keys to the Bentley and have simply told him to, "bring it back in one piece". Only time will tell, but I for one am rooting for him.