Robinson On JLA Part Deux

The more I think about this, the more I like his being on the book. Sure, Geoff Johns would have hyped me up a little more...and I'm sad at the revelation that Rucka was going to do a second JLA series but it seems dead.

But what was one of the worst things that happened to McDuffie? He had to keep changing his stories because of what other writers were planning for rather big events.

Robinson is in that inner circle. Changes won't be taking him by surprise as much. The product, therefore, will suffer less.

I will say, though, that what McDuffie went through seemed to be some old concerns coming home to roost. When the 52 writers were being given the reigns of DC with new status and titles, some said that anyone not up on the pedestal with them might find things unbearably restrictive. Look at a lot of the books out there and you can see where writers not in the clique are dropping off projects to some extent.

And look at Sean McKeever back at Marvel. McKeever had the misfortune of being tied to the anti-52, COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS. Certainly not a part of the in-crowd at DC, he's recently parted ways with the main TEEN TITANS book, gone off exclusive (which he claims was repeatedly offered to be extended) and is placed on a Marvel title that seems to be part of the constant event cycle over there. He, also, seems well suited to write it, given both his success with SPIDERMAN LOVES MARY JANE and GRAVITY.

I think one of the biggest mistakes DC has made in recent years is hiring talented writers and then pressing them into writing stuff that doesn't play to their strengths. McKeever on Teen Titans? Seemed like a no-brainer...until it turned out it had to take a darker turn for what management had planned. McDuffie on JLA, after his great work on JLU? Self-contained single episode stories from JLU meet only telling partial bits related to someone else's story and not being able to set a tone to stick to consistently.

One way or another, I think their recent moves will lead to better books. I can't tell you whether it is that the writers are being matched to their strengths or if DC is giving them more of a say in where the stories go, but the end result will be the same: general improvement. Shame they had to piss away and make miserable a handful of other writers before coming to this point, though.

Not Like This

So, Dwayne McDuffie got fired from the writing gig on the JLA. Seeing as how I questioned why he was still on the book, you'd think I'm happy with this move.

I'm not.

You see, I don't like seeing anyone get fired. McDuffie's expressing sorrow that he won't be able to wrap up certain plots make me wonder whether he had one of those "maybe it wasn't quite THAT BAD" moments of clarity you sometimes get once you're rid of something.

The job I referred to being miserable at in the previous blog? Got fired from there. Spent the initial few weeks grumbling about it being a wrongful termination. Then, with distance, I realized it was the best thing that could have happened for me.

Here's hoping that moment comes to Dwayne very soon.

But in the meantime, I can see where DC Comics would feel justified in terminating McDuffie...just as I can see where McDuffie could argue that he didn't say anything worthy of termination. Personally, I'd side Dwayne on this. Living in a "right to hire/right to fire" state, though, I know there are certain things you shouldn't do because your employment is completely at the will of the client. NY is not such a state, but freelancing gigs are pretty much the same territory.

One of the most infuriating things about this news would be the comments from fans ignorant of the whole story. There are some fans railing against him for elements of his run that were handed down from editorial and saying it justifies his termination. From using characters that weren't "JLA" enough (which is always a ridiculous argument) to the inclusion of Milestone characters (which, again, is a stupid argument), the decisions weren't up to McDuffie. He didn't write the Big Three out because he'd prefer not to have them. While I'm sure he enjoyed getting a crack at the Milestone characters being rolled into the DC Universe, their placement in JLA wasn't entirely his call.

So, we have McDuffie fired off the book for questionable reasons, rather than leaving on his own or finally being given more room to tell his stories, with a bunch ill-informed, entitled fanboys dogpiling on him (not that everyone giving him a light kick on the way out the door is such a person). Of all the ways this could have shaken out, it wound up the way I'd be the least pleased with. Ugh.

Why Is Dwayne McDuffie Still Writing JLA?

Don't get me wrong. I like McDuffie and appreciate a great deal of his work. I'd quite possibly really dig the JLA he WANTS to write, rather than what he's been allowed or required to write.

But why is he still on the book?

Sales have been going down. He's publicly indicated he is not enjoying his time on the book.

Yet many of his public statements still indicate that he is constantly staying plotted ahead on the book by as much as 2 years.

Now, I've stayed at a place of employment that made me miserable for 2 years. It happens. But if you asked me at the start of those two years what I planned to be doing there over the next 2 years, you'd have probably witnessed me laughing loudly in your face.

Here you have a talented writer who has been successful on other comic book projects and in other forms of entertainment. You, also, have a company with no shortage of known or unknown writers that they could make miserable until they get to the next relaunch or major creative team announcement (like the rumored Geoff Johns/Jim Lee run coming up in the next year or two).


I ask, again, at the risk of major redundancey: WHY IS DWAYNE MCDUFFIE STILL WRITING JLA?

Dwayne McDuffie: "No, I Don't (Enjoy Writing JLA)."

David Brothers, of the kickass 4th Letter, caught and blogged about an exchange on The V Hive where Dwayne McDuffie expressed that he doesn't enjoy writing the JLA.

While I still don't know how much my dissatisfaction with the JLA title is caused by the constant changes editorial forces upon him or McDuffie's own work, I'd have to say I'm leaning more towards the former after seeing that McDuffie is even now still having to deal with rewrites caused by an apparent lack of a consistent plan for the DC Universe. Who knows how many times McDuffie has to go back to the drawing board because it's Tuesday and that means the Hawk couple isn't dead, but just waiting to step back on the scene in Blackest Night?

JLA #25: I GIVE UP!!!!

I've been with the crowd defending McDuffie.

"Oh, he's been stuck with marching orders from above. He's had to take part in crossover stuff. Had to handle leftovers from Meltzer."

This Anansi story, though, is not very interesting AND he can't even keep his own continuity straight.

Mari and the others went to CALIFORNIA. But Hawkgirl is lamenting not going with them to AFRICA.

I know, I know...people get a continent and a state mixed up all the time. I think half of the viewers were expecting Palin to make that very same gaffe last night.

But I find it hard to defend a lackluster comic book or a writer's lackluster work when they can't be bothered to get their own stuff right.

Especially not when he's paired with an artist that uses any excuse for a chest shot...


...or a crotch shot...


I give up. Really.

Worst Kept Secret: James Robinson on JLA

Really. I imagine they will announce it this weekend, but all the evidence points to that. Unless they only plan on having him do a Green Arrow/Green Lantern book.

But let's remember a few things:

1. Geoff brought Robinson back in.
2. Geoff wanted to have a writer he loved working with partnered with him on the Superman titles.
3. Geoff, I believe, expressed wanting to make the JLA/JSA crossover stories a semi-regular thing.

Mind you, the two working out some sort of Green Arrow/Green Lantern Hard Traveling Heroes thing could work, but it would seem to be more than the properties can support. Has to be Robinson on JLA after McDuffie's run ends.

I'm sure it will be great, but McDuffie has certainly gotten screwed over (albeit with a regular check) in the last year, becoming just a place holder for JLA and Fantastic Four.

Edit: D'Oh...while it wouldn't render my guess completely incorrect, THE SILVER AGE has been floated as something he might do. That would make a helluva lot of sense.