if you don't know, now you know- Straczynski Calls It Quits on Monthly Comics

DC Source just announced that legendary creator J. Michael Straczynski will no longer write for their flagship monthly titles-- Superman and Wonder Woman--starting issues #707 and #605 respectively.

It is stated that JMS originally came to DC for the Superman: Earth One project that was just released, sold-out and according to Co-Publisher, Dan Didio was a "success...and couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out".  For the whole story in the writers words, JMS states:

“I’d originally come to DC to do the Superman Earth One book which, at the time, was top secret so nobody knew about it,” Straczynski said, “and filled out on Brave and the Bold for a while to have fun and get up to speed on the DCU. When I was done with SEO I took on the Superman and Wonder Woman monthlies on the theory that I’d have time to script the full 12 issues before bounding back onto Earth One. But when the huge numbers started coming in on Earth One, and the need to fastrack the next volumes became evident in order to keep the momentum going, I knew there was no way in god’s green earth that I could write that and the monthlies simultaneously. Since DC has had my notes and outlines from day one on both titles, so they’re still my stories, it makes sense to let Chris and Phil keep going from the story beats I’ve set up. I’ll dive in on occasion as needed for important story points. It’s still my story, I’m involved in both books, and they’re going to continue in the direction we set up. I’m looking forward to seeing what Chris and Phil have in store.

First off, I am a core JMS fan but have been meh on stories and directions that he has taken major characters to-- like that of Spiderman in "The Other" and more recently with Superman in the "Grounded" arc.  On the other hand I have been the biggest fan of his Brave & the Bold run with Jesus Saiz and Trish Mulvihill, along with his controversial revamp of Wonder Woman.      


Other popular sites are reporting that JMS is leading the move from monthly or pamphlet style books being that the ROI and popularity is dying out, but I argue that good stories will always be supported and I am too looking forward to Phil Hester (Green Arrow, Brave New World)) picking up where things were left with Wonder Woman and as for Superman, that is a book I may take a 1 to 5 year break on. 

Looking forward to the sequel for Superman: Earth One and long live the monthly!!!



This post was written by:
big O