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[Jubilee]

I feel the same way about a lot of Marvel writers. There's a few standouts and a lot of so-so writers.

The difference is that Marvel is exceptionally well coordinated and they know what they want to accomplish.

DC just seems to meander for the last several years.

But when you read a Marvel book, because things are coordinated, you suffer through the occasional Rick Remender or Jeff Parker book because at least you know it's pushing things forward in the story.

DC doesn't have that. You end up reading a good book by somebody like Peter Tomasi, but you know by the end of the day it's not really going to have any impact on the DCU other than in its own book. So it gets sort of shuffled to the side.

Hmm I know what you mean, i do feel both companies don't give enough importance to lesser properties.

I guess what I'm getting at is that if you read Brubaker comic, you know he could handle crime, espionage, superheroics etc etc, Aaron can do scary, he can do brutal, Hickman can do some kick ass, or he can do some grand over your head idea book. It just seems to me that Johns, Tomasi and Simone are stuck in superhero mode.

[habitual]

Geoff Johns - Really really average
Peter Tomasi - Don't really know much about him, I've never read a comic by him which has blown me away
Paul Dini - Really average
Grant Morrison - Great writer
James Robinson - Never read anything
J. Michael Straczynski - Great writer
Gail Simone - Very average
Dan Jurgens - Didn't like Booster Gold
Keith Giffen - Bit too old school for me
David Hine - Good writer, but not popular enough to ever let his vision stick

That's my opinion on them.
Sterling Gates

You don't give Giffen enough credit. I'd still take him over a great deal of Morrison's stuff.

Hab

[Jubilee]

In all fairness, I dno't think I've read much by Giffen recently. I read Reign in Hell (it sucked) the recent Defenders (very average) was it him who did Anhilation (pretty damned awesome), but other books like Magog and Doom Patrol don't seem great from fan reaction.

[MoneyMelon]

Hmm I know what you mean, i do feel both companies don't give enough importance to lesser properties.

I guess what I'm getting at is that if you read Brubaker comic, you know he could handle crime, espionage, superheroics etc etc, Aaron can do scary, he can do brutal, Hickman can do some kick ass, or he can do some grand over your head idea book. It just seems to me that Johns, Tomasi and Simone are stuck in superhero mode.

See, I'm ok with that. I mean, they are doing superhero books. At least they're within their genre.

I like Brubaker a lot, but it's not like knowing Brubaker can also do crime books makes me like Captain America more. I just like Captain America based on the strengths of the book.

If Geoff Johns can only write superhero books, that's fine. Just stick to superhero books. And I think he largely does just that.

[Jubilee]

See, I'm ok with that. I mean, they are doing superhero books. At least they're within their genre.

I like Brubaker a lot, but it's not like knowing Brubaker can also do crime books makes me like Captain America more. I just like Captain America based on the strengths of the book.

If Geoff Johns can only write superhero books, that's fine. Just stick to superhero books. And I think he largely does just that.

Yeah fair enough, but I think throughout a long comic run, sometimes just hero v villain and amping it up like Johns does isn't enough for me. In reading Captain America I feel it mixes genres well, especially with some of the stand alone issues. Same with New Avengers, I feel sometimes the pace can vary, and in stead of getting straight up heroics we get espionage, mostly talking issues etc etc.

I can see where you're coming from though.

[MoneyMelon]

Yeah fair enough, but I think throughout a long comic run, sometimes just hero v villain and amping it up like Johns does isn't enough for me. In reading Captain America I feel it mixes genres well, especially with some of the stand alone issues. Same with New Avengers, I feel sometimes the pace can vary, and in stead of getting straight up heroics we get espionage, mostly talking issues etc etc.

I can see where you're coming from though.

Yeah, I get your point. And I do like when Marvel brings in other elements to a comic. For example, I love how Thunderbolts became like a spy/espionage thing when Andy Diggle (one of my current favorites) was writing it.

I agree DC could do more of that too. But I'm not even talking about getting up to Marvel's level at the moment. DC needs to right the ship first. And I think having some kind of long-term plan for the DCU would go a long way toward fixing that.

A lot of the problem, I think, stems from piss poor editorial trying to make too much happen all at once. I think if DC had a little more faith in their creators, they could accomplish some cool shit.

I'm hoping with Jim Lee taking some of the responsibility in the DCU, it'll lead to better things. Lee showed that kind of management with Wildstorm and that line ended up doing some really impressive stuff for such a small publisher.

So, if nothing else, I'm optimistic about things improving

[Jubilee]

Yeah, I get your point. And I do like when Marvel brings in other elements to a comic. For example, I love how Thunderbolts became like a spy/espionage thing when Andy Diggle (one of my current favorites) was writing it.

I agree DC could do more of that too. But I'm not even talking about getting up to Marvel's level at the moment. DC needs to right the ship first. And I think having some kind of long-term plan for the DCU would go a long way toward fixing that.

A lot of the problem, I think, stems from piss poor editorial trying to make too much happen all at once. I think if DC had a little more faith in their creators, they could accomplish some cool shit.

I'm hoping with Jim Lee taking some of the responsibility in the DCU, it'll lead to better things. Lee showed that kind of management with Wildstorm and that line ended up doing some really impressive stuff for such a small publisher.

So, if nothing else, I'm optimistic about things improving

Wow. That's the best debate I've ever had on the Outhouse!

[MoneyMelon]

Wow. That's the best debate I've ever had on the Outhouse!

Thanks!

[Justin M. Campbell]

Jason Aaron seems like such a natural choice for a Batman book.

So do David Hine & Marc Andreyko.

[Justin M. Campbell]

In all fairness, I dno't think I've read much by Giffen recently. I read Reign in Hell (it sucked) the recent Defenders (very average) was it him who did Anhilation (pretty damned awesome), but other books like Magog and Doom Patrol don't seem great from fan reaction.

Annihilation was Giffen, yes. But there were a lot of guys who set the table for that, most especially Abnett & Lanning.

[Justin M. Campbell]

Geoff Johns - Really really average
Peter Tomasi - Don't really know much about him, I've never read a comic by him which has blown me away
Paul Dini - Really average
Grant Morrison - Great writer
James Robinson - Never read anything
J. Michael Straczynski - Great writer
Gail Simone - Very average
Dan Jurgens - Didn't like Booster Gold
Keith Giffen - Bit too old school for me
David Hine - Good writer, but not popular enough to ever let his vision stick

That's my opinion on them.
Sterling Gates

Gates I don't know about. He seems very similar to the creators pushed by Marvel in their "Young Guns" initiative a few years back, and the "Write Stuff" creators pushed last year.

James Robinson? There is a conundrum. His Starman is excellent, on of the best books of the '90's. On the other hand, he also wrote the script for the "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" movie, and most recently killed a toddler in "Justice League: Cry for Justice." So, yeah, mixed bag.

But if you want to try him out, start with "The Golden Age." a self-contained Elseworlds book, that has since had some story elements incorporated in to the DCU proper.

[Jubilee]

So do David Hine & Marc Andreyko.

What happened to Adreyko?

[Justin M. Campbell]

What happened to Adreyko?

Search me. All I know is heresay. I know he was doing Manhunter as a backup strip for, I think, Gotham City Sirens, but that's either wrapped or is due to wrap soon. After that, I don't know.

[Victorian Squid]

I didn't read it because I hate Gail Simone.

I've not been made a fan yet either. I did give Secret Six a couple tries based solely on people saying it was DC's book at the time, but...

[Punchy]

I've not been made a fan yet either. I did give Secret Six a couple tries based solely on people saying it was DC's book at the time, but...

She's mediocre at best, the only good thing she's written is Guz Beezer.