JMS Quits Superman & Wonder Woman

[Nerys Myk]

My only concerns with Earth One had to do with wondering how Superman could possibly keep his identity secret in a universe in which Clark Kent has proven so superhumanly strong/smart in so many Metropolis professions. I also wonder about Clark's abiity to solve that scientific problem prior to his access to Kryptonian educational technologies (unless the ship has been shooting some info. into his subconscious).

Count me as one of the few who enjoyed Grounded, by the way.

I'm just wonder how Clark even got some of these job interviews. Having been on both sides of the interview table I cant see how Clark could even get a call back, much less an interview without a killer resume with the appropriate background, training and qualifications. Even for a minimum wage entry level postion you dont walk in off the street and score an interview with the Boss/President/Founder/whatever.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Here is JMS talking about his decision.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/J-Michael-Straczynski-leaving-montly-comics-101112.html

Wait a second here. He claims that he was brought on to "Superman" for the primary purpose of 'returning Superman to a high visibility profile' then goes on to say with non-comics readers!!! What? Didn't we just go through four years of high impact story arcs and a major, major Superman event during the summer time!!! How was his arc supposed to increase that otherwise??? I don't get that reasoning at all. I think he was brought on originally because he's a high profile writer and has a niche science fiction following because of "Babylon 5" and his other comic book work. They needed someone to fill the void of Geoff Johns profile and JMS cropped up.

 

[ToddKent]

I've written nearly 200 published comics in about 10 years, but nobody seems to notice when things come out on time, only when they're late...

Reminds me of the famous Chris Rock bit about people wanting credit for things they are supposed to do ("I take care of my kids!...Yeah, you're supposed to take care of your kids!")

A lot of my books have been on time!

Yeah, they're supposed to be on time.

 

[Mr Light]

I kinda got the impression in that interview that the name J. Michael Straczynski means a lot more for sales that the New Krypton / War of the Supermen epic, according to JMS anyway. Anyone know the sales figures on this?

 

[Snaploud]

Superman (JMS) Issue #702 Sales: 50,023
Superman (JMS) Issue #701 Sales: 54,506
Superman (JMS) Issue #700 Sales: 67,571
Superman War of the Supermen One-Shot Sales: 48,357
Superman Last Stand of New Krypton Issue #2 Sales: 34,553
Superman Last Stand of New Krypton Issue #1: 38,205
Superman Issue #699 Sales: 33,183
Superman Issue #698 Sales: 33,337

 

[Mr Light]

Interesting. Here I was thinking that War of the Supermen was doing really well.

 

[Admiral_Young]

War of the Supermen was meh so I'm not surprised the sales were down for it. I enjoyed it, but as we discussed during the discussion thread most others doesn't. I'll be getting the hardcover in Feb though along with the prologue which is the Last Stand of New Krypton.

 

[Mr Light]

While I wasn't crazy about the replacement Superman or reducing Supes to a single title, I enjoy the epic scope of the long form story and them changing things up in an interesting way. I just wish they had some decent artists because everyone for that entire story was decidedly B/C list.

 

[MNM]

He's of already? Hmm. I didnt care in the slightest for his Superman stuff, but was really enjoying the Wonder Woman.

 

[JarodRussell]

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/jms-earth-one-sequel-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.

JMS interpretation of Star Trek already sucked donkey balls, so why did you think it would get any better with Superman?

 

[Admiral_Young]

Actually I kind of liked his and Bruce Zybel's pitch, at least he got the character's symbolic significance to the series. As for his plot...it was meh at best, dredge at worst.

 

[the G-man]

I'm not a fan of much of his comics work. Midnight Nation was great. Most of the other stuff is, to me, meh at best. That being said, I think he's right that the future of the medium is TPBs and not continuing series. Hell, most of the books out there are written to be collected as trades at this point anyway.

 

[Myasishchev]

As for those not liking his new storylines; you did read the part where those stories will be finished as he intended? The only thing he's not going to be doing is writing the actual scripts. The stories will still be his.

Personally, I kinda hope the first issue of Chris Roberson's Superman begins with Superman saying, "Fuck this walking shit. I could be home in Metropolis having some nookie with my wife." Whereupon he flies back to Metropolis and this "Grounded" nonsense comes to an end.

Now I haven't been reading this, but couldn't he just do that at the end of each day? Superman? Superspeed? You know, go on his America walk in shifts. Maybe while Lois is in the office anyway.

I did read a blog review of Superman: Earth One that just excoriated it. The basic premise was that almost no single panel in the entire work was original or even worthwile. Made me laugh, 'cause this guy's usually pretty nice. Even did a praising write-up of Blackest Night, the deluded goof.

http://toobusythinkingboutcomics.blogspot.com/2010/11/making-sense-of-straczynski-daviss.html

 

[Admiral_Young]

Superman is apparently meeting the 'new' Wonder Woman in Chris Robinson's first issue of "Superman" in Feb. Superman feels like he knows her...uhhh so is Diana indeed trapped in some kind of personal time bubble or something? I really haven't read that book since the first issue.

 

[Jan]

^Once again for those too slow to grasp what I am saying here. Larry WAS on the payroll, which is how he got my friend onto the set. The source of wherever the info said he wasn't is in error.

Pardon me for coming in late but let me contribute Larry DiTillio's own words from the introduction to his script as published in the B5 script books:

2 days before the wrap party for Season Two Joe called me into his office and told me my contract was not going to be picked up in Season Three.

That was written on June 23, 2008.

He may well have been on-set since he had many friends in the production but he wasn't on payroll.

Jan