JMS Quits Superman & Wonder Woman

[Mr Light]

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/jms-...el-101110.html

Now I'm a huge JMS fan, B5 is my all time favorite series, but I definitely wasn't enjoying his interpretations of Supes and WW. So I'm happy that he's off both books.

I particularly took issue with his Superman run. He abandons his wife and Metropolis and the Justice League just to pull a Forrest Gump? This to me is against what Superman stands for, boundless optimism and leadership. Not to mention the fact that each issue was just a little standalone story usually lacking any kind of super villain. And that this was the only mag he was appearing in.

They said it's because he's taking a sabbatical and focusing on the Earth One sequel... but I recall reading back in the day that JMS writes every single day of his life no matter how sick or busy he is. Not to mention the fact that he just started on these damn books and before this was only doing, what, Brave & Bold?

I wonder if DC pulled him off these two books due to the critical reaction. I know they weren't popular here. Anybody have info on the sales for these two books?

[Admiral_Young]

"Superman: Earth One" has been a high sales topper and I assume that DC being impressed with that wanted JMS to focus his time on the sequel. I'm all for this news. I wasn't a big fan of either of his arcs on the previous two books. If this means that we get the second volume of Earth One out sooner because of it I'm all for it.

[Mr Light]

I haven't read Earth One yet, at least tell me he fights somebody in it Somebody in a costume!

[Admiral_Young]

Yes he does. Earth One was surprisingly good.

[the Dagman]

I think this is a face-saving move on DC's part due to the fact that, for what ever reasons, JMS cannot seem to keep a monthly schedule on his books. Several retailers were complaining publicly about the lateness of two of DC's "flagship" books. So, given the sales success of S:E1, they took the opportunity to oust him from the monthlies.

[Admiral_Young]

I think it was a mistake giving him two of the flagship books. He should have just stuck with "Superman" since he's so passionate about Supes, and he is.

[Snaploud]

the Dagman wrote:

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I think this is a face-saving move on DC's part due to the fact that, for what ever reasons, JMS cannot seem to keep a monthly schedule on his books.

I wonder if his health is deteriorating...JMS is the guy who wrote every episode of Babylon 5 seasons 2, 3, and 4. That was a much more brutal writing schedule than anything DC could be putting on him...

[the Dagman]

Snaploud wrote:

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I wonder if his health is deteriorating...JMS is the guy who wrote every episode of Babylon 5 seasons 2, 3, and 4. That was a much more brutal writing schedule than anything DC could be putting on him...

I don't believe you are correct about him writing that much of B5. I was friends with Larry DiTillio (from back in my Chaosium Games days) who was B5's executive story editor. And he told me of many writers working on B5 during those seasons. Among them was Peter David. Larry was a closer friend to my old pal Zoran who got to visit the set of B5 during season 4 and met the cast and crew. And even he told me of the many writers working on the show with Larry keeping everything in line.

These new writers coming in to do the actual story in Superman and Wonder Woman from the notes of JMS actually sounds a lot like the writing environment of B5. JMS just doesn't seem to have the patience to deal with the details of a long story, so he has others come in to flesh out his story ideas.

[Nerys Myk]

Sounds like good news to me. His take on WW and Superman left me cold. Wasn't impressed with Year One either. Probably the worst take on Superman's origin I've ever read.

[Candlelight]

He wrote all of 3 and 4, and all bar one of 5.

The ones of 2 he didn't write were:

204 A Distant Star by D. C. Fontana
205 The Long Dark by Scott Frost
206 Spider in the Web by Larry DiTillio
207 Soul Mates by Peter David
210 GROPOS by Larry DiTillio
214 There All the Honor Lies by Peter David
217 Knives by Larry DiTillio

[Admiral_Young]

Earth One actually...not Year One.

[Nerys Myk]

Sucked, no matter what its called.

[Admiral_Young]

Why did you think it sucked?

[Snaploud]

*does a google search*

Babylon 5 Writers

• J. Michael Straczynski (head writer - 92 episodes)
• Peter David (2 episodes)
• Lawrence G. DiTillio, (7 episodes)
• Kathryn M. Drennan (1 episode)
• Harlan Ellison (2 episodes)
• D. C. Fontana (3 episodes)
• Scott Frost (1 episode)
• Neil Gaiman (1 episode)
• David Gerrold (1 episode)
• Christy Marx (1 episode)
• Marc Scott Zicree (1 episode)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...with_Babylon_5

Those are the ones who got credit, anyway...

[the Dagman]

Candlelight wrote:

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He wrote all of 3 and 4, and all bar one of 5.

The ones of 2 he didn't write were:

204 A Distant Star by D. C. Fontana
205 The Long Dark by Scott Frost
206 Spider in the Web by Larry DiTillio
207 Soul Mates by Peter David
210 GROPOS by Larry DiTillio
214 There All the Honor Lies by Peter David
217 Knives by Larry DiTillio

He may have gotten the writing credit for most of the later seasons, but there were actually a room full of writers working on every episode. My pal Zoran spent some time in the writers' room when he went to the set in season 4, as well as me hearing about it from Larry DiTillio. So I got my info from first-hand witnesses.

Simple logic: Why have an executive story editor if the executive producer of the show is writing all of it? Answer: To insert the scenes written by other writers into the story broad strokes written by JMS and keep it all straight.