Well, that was quick.
Buried in the announcement about the Superman: Earth One sequel was the news that writer J. Michael Straczynski would be stepping down as writer of Superman and Wonder Woman, two books he took over to much fanfare mere months ago, in order to focus all of his energy on the Superman: Earth One sequel.
This is a personal blow to me on two fronts. One, I was really and truly enjoying the story that Straczynski was telling in Wonder Woman. It has been a lot of fun and Wonder Woman hasn't seen this much heat on it in years. As for Superman, well… I think the Pick of the Week Podcast will be a little less fun now.
Chris Roberson will be taking over writing duties with Superman #707, and Phil Hester with Wonder Woman #605.
UPDATE – I wanted to pull out and highlight Straczynski's statement on the recent developments:
“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 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.
“Meanwhile, I’m taking full advantage of the situation to take a one- to five-year sabbatical from writing monthlies in order to go exclusively into writing graphic novels like Superman Earth One and Samaritan X, along with the occasional high-visibility minseries. I think that’s where the business is going, and creatively, limited series and graphic novels have always been my strong suit in that they let me tell cohesive stories with a beginning, middle and end. They can also be written and drawn before anything is ever announced or solicited, as was the case with Earth One, which has been one of the greatest and most creatively rewarding experience of my career. At some point I’m sure I’ll come back to monthlies — it’s just too darn much fun — but for the next one to five years, it’s strictly GNs and miniseries, with Superman Earth One being the first priority, followed by Samaritan X.”
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Really excited for Roberson on Superman. I’ve loved everything else he’s done.
I’ll definitely give Hester on Wonder Woman a shot too.
That JMS is a class act.
Shocker!
I usually stick up for JMS (I was sad to see him leave Thor and LOVED his Spider-Man) but this is complete bullshit.
A couple things on this one: Do they indicate why he is quitting? Is it the usual editorial clash that seems the common proclamation behind the scenes? Are they unhappy with him? Leaving the books could happen for a lot of reasons. Second, I lot both of the new creators better than JMS, though I do actually enjoy some of JMS’ work, I have a great deal of respect for both Hester and Roberson.
Maybe "The Twelve" is a high-level meta-piece collecting the number of titles he’s left unfinished. Genius.
Hester is good news, maybe I’ll give him a shot on WW.
Wonder Woman was okay, Superman definitely was not. Not surprised that JMS had yet another short run on a project. Par for the course.
@zombox: From the article: "…in order to focus all of his energy on the Superman: Earth One sequel."
he is clearly talented we all know that.
And I can’t speak about Wondee Woman
I only read one issue and was non plussed.
But let’s all agree this Superman run was going no where fast.
for the character this might be a blessing.
Even though i loved Earth One Superman i would trade it all for him to finish The Twelve
Maybe after the butt load of Earth ones sold he realized the other books weren’t worth his (limited) time? I still think the best thing he has done at DC is Brave and Bold, but I am not afraid to admit I liked Earth One.
Guess I can start reading Superman again soon!
@RoiVampire, I think it’s more likely that JMS would start twelve new projects before actually finishing The Twelve which I too would love to see. Is JMS a DC exclusive now? Could he work on The Twelve since it’s a Marvel book if he even wanted to?
Hmm… so let me get this straight, I just wasted all that money on these Superman stories simply because the guy doesn’t want to do it anymore? Wasn’t this the BIG Superman story he always had planned? The story he always wanted to tell? And now he wants to focus his energy on the Earth One sequel.
Does anyone get the feeling this is merely due to his lackluster schedule and mostly negative reaction to his "Grounded" storyline?
I didn’t want to judge the Grounded storyline until it was over. And, it wasn’t totally terrible. It had some nice moments. But now I feel like I wasted money on something that won’t even matter in the slightest.
While I’m glad the Earth One line is doing well, it’s a shame we’ll never truly see if his Superman and Wonder Woman stories would have gone the distance and given us memorable stories.
Too funny, just can’t stop laughing
Can Johns please decide to save Wonder Woman with a nice 5 year run?
I haven’t been digging Superman that much (was happy to see an antagonist in the last issue he came out with though) and I’ve really enjoyed Wonder Woman. I wonder why JMS bails on so many projects?? You’d think that he would plan out what he could and couldn’t do…
I do hope he finished The Twelve before he dies.
What a fucking joke.
Wait a minute, thinking on a grand scale, if Earth One was a big success that leads a "superstar" creater to quit the monthlies he’s on to focus on the next Earth One book…could we maybe see an increase in "superstar" talent hop on the OGN train? I’d be all for it. I’m not a fan of monthly issues.
I’m mostly just excited for Tom Katers tweets about this.
@conor I read that. Is that them politely saying that he can’t handle the work? They don’t like his work? He doesn’t like them? Press releases annoy me because, out of poltic, they are intentionally vague.
@JoseRivera83: To actually defend JMS here for a moment, according to everything I read "Grounded" WASN’T the big Superman story he wanted to tell. It was a story that was going to lead to that big story.
So… I guess this effectively cancels BRAVE AND THE BOLD too?
@zombox: I would imagine that he can’t handle two monthlies plus an OGN plus whatever else he writes that we aren’t privy to plus whatever his health issues are.
I think that in the end, it makes more sense for DC to put him on Earth One, which was a success, rather than the two monthlies which have not really done all that well.
Heh…JMS, we wouldn’t expect anything less. Always an excuse.
But yeah, I enjoy some of JMS’ work, and if this decision ensures that his complete stories come out in a manner that makes him comfortable and makes sure that they actually see the light of day, then I’m all for this.
Typical JMS. Bailing on yet another project. I like his stuff but I can’t trust him to finish anything he starts. Its been like this since Rising Stars and I won’t be supporting anything he writes in single issue anymore. He’s becoming an unreliable flake unfortunately.
@wingsfan757 Well, actually most people think that Geoff Johns isn’t very good at Wonder Woman. I wouldn’t know though, ’cause I’ve never read any of his WW stories.
@TheGoose: I would not say that "most people" is accurate.
Big news. I wonder if they’re going to restart stories or if the writers coming on are going to be working on what JMS had planned.
What I do wonder, however, is if Hester and Roberson will take JMS’ ideas and essentially script the issues that he has plotted.
@conor Really? I’ve heard a lot of people don’t like how Johns writes Wonder Woman. From what I’ve heard, fans say Johns writes Wonder Woman as if she is depressed about not being "human."
@TheGoose I have a feeling a lot of those people aren’t fans of Johns in general. I’m a ridiculous Johns apologist though. HE CAN DO NO WRONG!
Except the Avengers. That wasn’t so good.
@TheGoose: I’ve never heard that complaint before. I’m sure that there are people out there who don’t like how he writes WW, but as someone who has done this seven days a week for the last three years I think I would have heard about it if it was "most people".
@conor I haven’t heard any complaints from anyone at IFanboy. Just mostly at comic book resources. I wouldn’t doubt your word, conor. *winks*
@redlibertyx: Johns Avengers was great! Especially loved the Red Zone arc. He mixed modern and classic styles very well I thought.
DC is saying that they are "Scripting" the story and that they are using his notes.
Considering his Superman run had what I found to be one of the most offensive comics I ever read, I’m not too sad to see him go.
Although I would have liked to know what his long term plans for WW were. I think the only problem that book had going is that it felt rushed at times. Also the who LOST strategy with answering one question and then bringing up 5 more was starting to get a little old to me.
Good. I hope Paul Cornell will be writing Superman now.
Interesting news. I guess JMS doesn’t write too far ahead for his issues? I’m not reading it, but I guess fans would be more accepting if they were at least going to see "Grounded" finished. Cool news for him that DC is giving him the freedom to work on Earth One stuff.
@DavidTobin100, I thought his Avengers stuff was great too, never understood the hate on that.
Wow, that WAS fast. I’m surprised. Wonder Woman has not been consistently good since Rucka wrote it. Some of the Simone stuff was OK, but overall I didn’t like it. Her writing was very disjointed – I felt like a page of plot was missing here and there. I never have that problem with her stuff on Secret Six though.
@Conor,
Fair enough. I’m just speaking out of frustration. I tried to stick by JMS’ run because I wanted to give it a try. They didn’t start off strong, but hey, they could have grown into some memorable stories. Now, we’ll never know. I think it’s also disappointing due to all the hype we sat through about these great runs by a great creator and now he’s off both books.
However, I’m really glad he’s found success with the Earth One line. I have a lot of high hopes for this line, and so far the first book has gotten a lot of good press and sold well. If JMS is taking some time to focus his energies on the sequel, then more power to him! I’d rather have him working on something he’s putting his heart and soul in. And, maybe it’ll help get Batman: Earth One with Johns and Frank up sooner.
This news can’t be good for DC to report, seeing as how they touted JMS coming to DC and taking on their big characters, but looking at the bright side he’s still working on Superman, just in a different capacity.
Does this mean that Superman will stop being a mope, and go back to being Super?
Awww, I was really enjoying Wonder Woman…for once…
Oh well, hopefully Hester can keep me interested.
I’m glad he’s off Superman. The joke is just starting to get old. That said, while Roberson may or may not be a good fit for the character, I would like him to just be able to tell his own story rather than working off what JMS has already done.
I just want a good Superman book. Is that really too much to ask?
You know, they canned follow up to the war of the supermen and world of new krypton stories because of that ass-clown
James Robinson. Come back please!
I guess I am dropping WonderWoman from my monthly issues, too bad. I like Hester, but I don’t know what his plans for WW. This sounds like a don’t miss for Phil on Ifanboy.
In JMS’s defense, as an amateur writer myself I have trouble finishing stories, too.
i said it in the other page he couldn’t keep up with the monthly so they pick now to be like.
he is going to focus on earth one
it not that he couldn’t keep up with a monthly or anything!!!
JMS isn’t a amateur, he’s a professional. he should finish the shit he starts which we fucking paid money for
Wasn’t Grounded supposed to be like 10 or 12 issues? I guess they are gonna make it shorter?
Could careless about WW. I never read a WW comic in my entire life.
and I was enjoying the wonder woman story too. Well, hester is an established writer, should be interesting.
Updated with JMS’ statement from the DC Blog.
so what’s his excuse for The Twelve?
Is JMS becoming the new Alan Moore? He’s fallen out and shafted Marvel, and now DC. He doesnt offer any reasonable explanation to his readers. How soon til only Top Shelf publishes him? 😉
Suerman Earth One sold so well I figured he would get a sequel and focus on this only.
I dropped Wonder Woman from my pull file and will now try off the shelf.
Bummer. I dropped Superman but I’ve been digging Wonder Woman. It’s nice that Hester will have JMS’ outline to work from though. That leaves me optimistic. I’ll stay on WW. Haven’t read Earth One but heard good things. Maybe it’ll be on my Xmas list.
Re: Wonder Woman – That’s a shame. I’ve enjoyed every issue more than the last.
Re: Superman – That’s awesome. Maybe I’ll start buying it again.
So glad I dropped Wonder Woman the moment my interest began to fade…
Well, this sucks for us JMS fans, but it’s great news for the haters (most people on this site), because their hate is "validated" … boo.
feels good, wade, it feels good
I love how anyone who doesn’t like something is automatically a hater. Can’t I be an indifferenter?
@gobo A’Meh’er’? I hope Josh doesn’t beat me.
Well god damn, ain’t that a bummer? JMS is not one of my favorite authors and I already felt like I was giving him a chance. I don’t know, since I was already on the edge, if I’m going to continue with these books into the new authors. On the other hand, I was already giving JMS a chance, so whats it gonna change if I give them the same opportunity? Roberson and Hester… you win for now!
Quitter!!!! Fool me once, shame on JMS…Fool me twice, shame on………………..Everyone?
Anyone who seriously buys the excuse that JMS is off those titles in order to "focus all his energy" on the next Earth One book, y’all are just gullible.
Apparently the Superman Earth One book was a success, but the Superman and Wonder Woman revamps have been borderline failures. So DC decided to reboot them. The "in order to focus all his efforts" excuse is just damage control and rationalization.
Everyone knows that writers are able to write multiple books at once whereas it takes an artist longer to produce the same amount of pages. In other words, unless the next Superman Earth One book is being drawn by speedy Jack Kirby reincarnated, there’s no sense in committing JMS to one project only, because he’ll be way ahead of the artist anyway.
I enjoyed his Superman stuff in a way and am sad to see it go.
It’s cool to see that they’ll still be following his plan then. At least fans can get the rest of the overall story, even though he won’t be completely finishing it. As he mentioned, the graphic novel will play to his stronger suit, which can only mean goodness in the long run.
Well of coarse graphic novels are the future.
The suprising thing is why he thought he could do all of those titles at the same time
The scripts for #11-12 of "The Twelve" have not been completed according to the artist, who claims he’s drawn every page up til then and is waiting on the next script.
"Superman Earth One" was actually really good, and that’s coming from a non-DC fan. I think I may like it better than "Birthright" and "Secret Origins." The action plot was immense and story very focused. Lois Lane wasn’t focused on, which I’m glad about. It was just his origin, told in an original way. And I’m actually surprised the review by Paul wasn’t even more enthusiastic. I wonder what Conor thinks, being the DC pro of the group?
My only complaint of Earth One would be that I think it needed about 20+ more pages of art, like Secret Origins had. Gary Frank really let his scenes expand, and it really helped the pacing breath. Whereas Earth One had ALOT going on in very few pages. I would have liked to have seen the actions expanded. Maybe more full page spreads of key scenes, like Gary Frank had.
I also wonder if an Earth One prequel would work well, like a Krypton and Clark origin. A whole graphic novel expanding on that seems needed. I don’t think this first 120 pages is enough today to capture the massive origin of the character. There’s more to be explored.
Also raises the question of which origin is the best origin? This one, or the animated series by Bruce Timm and co? That series had 60 minutes that explored alot or story points. Either one of those has to be the best origin, followed by the Chris Reeves movie.
so much vitriol always accompanies this guys name. I’m amazed he still wants to work in comics. With fans like these who needs enemies kinda thing.
I think what a lot of people are forgetting is that JMS does not work exclusively on comics and Hollywood does take a good chunck of his time as well. I for one am sad to see him leave WW amd possibly TB&TB and so-so on him leaving Superman, but I’m glad he is still doing Earth One stuff.
i really could care less, where is brave and the bold???
dude, seriously? He changes the Superman status quo and decides to leave after 3 issues? LAME! I have to admit I have actually enjoyed grounded so far, the first issue was okay, the second was a lot better and the last one was awesome. I’m bummed hes not sticking around since I was really intrigued where the story was heading and was hoping we could see the really big stories he had planned after Grounded.
I hope this means we can get Paul Cornell writing Superman sooner
Wow and hurt because I was enjoying Grounded! I appreciate his honesty towards his craft. He’s doing what makes him and I’m happy for him.
is it normal to feel this angry and upset by something like this?
Normal for whom?
@Jimski: The people of Rushmark, Indiana.
i just hope this doesnt meen that chris roberson doesnt leave what he is writing now.i mean i know ya dont pass on superman but i hope he can write a few books a month
Well, that’s too bad. Let’s see what Hester has in store for WW. I’m glad that JMS’s plot will be finished out.
I understand JMS’s reasoning for leaving, but WW since the relaunch has had a lot of writers leave before they finished. (excluding Gail who hung around for awhile.)
I just love WW so much and I want her comic to be good.
It’s strange, though. This was supposed to be a "brave new era for Superman" after the New Krypton saga, which I was one of the few who enjoyed. And three issues in, the head writer leaves, passes the notes to another writer to finish and somehow it was New Krypton that was the failure?
It’s a damned shame that when they try to reinvent the regular Superman books, it’s another out of continuity book that sells better and gets the most attention.
I don’t necessarily blame JMS for what could be another unreadable age of Superman. I just hope I’ll be able to enjoy Superman stories whether they’re in continuity or not. Either way, DC, give me a reason to keep coming back for more Superman stories. Don’t Spider-Man this!
I’d like to 3rd a comment that’s been raised twice. Brave and the Bold wasn’t mentioned in the statement. Does this mean he’s finished with it as would seem to be alluded by the 1-5 year hiatus on monthlies or is it the exception to the rule? Seriously does anyone know? I was really looking forward to the Lois Lane/Adam Strange team-up…
@kmon181: He says he’s not doing monthlies and a new issue hasn’t come out in forever, so…
I would call that some pretty heavy duty writing on the wall.
@conor: thanks – that’s what i suspected but given how much ive enjoyed the series and how i feel his talents are uniquely suited to one and done kind of stories i guess i was clinging to some form of naive hope.
Well….that wasn’t expec….hahaha! Oh man, even as a fan I can’t finish that statement.
I’m a but pissed off but then again a small part of me expected it. Superman was really getting strong with the story and the reveal of the villian. I’m definitely not going to continue with the new creators though….it won’t be the same without JMS.
Still glad that he’s doing the Samaritain X OGN though. That sounded like a great idea. But that weighs in with Brave and the Bold most likely being cancelled….boo!
@TheNextChampion: I think I will stick with the next creator on Superman just because I’m a fan of his work. Roberson is a good writer and maybe he can take the notes of JMS and take them to where the original creator would be happy, but so would those of us buying the title.
I gave Grounded a try, and since it hasn’t really kicked off totally, let me give it a chance. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up liking it.
Wow, this was quite the twist. Big surprise ending to the run….
I’m so glad i decide not to read either of his runs.
i haven’t felt this betrayed since dad left with his new, pretty family
People are REALLY worked up over this! It’s just comics, people! Relax, take a deep breathe, put it in perspective.
I’ve been indifferent to JMS on both these titles, but I love Chris Roberson’s work. I’ll definitely be picking up Superman 707.
sorry to see his wonder woman end, first time in my life that i was enjoying the book. does anybody know any good Hester books to look into?
JMS’ Superman will be remebered… "You’ll believe a man can Walk"
I wish Superman would get whatever it is it needs to become a "Must Read" title. I think it would be cool for Superman to be at the forefront of the industry. Not just as a corporate icon but as a fantastic character. Whats Morrison doing after he’s done playing in the Batcave? What would Bendis do? I must say though, that I liked "Grounded" way more then the Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee thing a few years back.
You’ll believe a man can walk … away from his professional responsibilities …. again
@edward I agree about hating JMS leaving yet another series before he finishes his arc. Truth be told he is a writer whom gets offers for which pay way more than Big two comics will pay, a la Robert kirkman. In the end it’s a job.
I went to his panel at Comic-con during the summer, and his plate did sound pretty busy
All the bitching at JMS seems a bit one sided. This is really DC’s doing. They had a massive success with SEO and realised that getting volume 2 out and keeping the same team and the same feel was the priority.
JMS can’t write 2/3 monthlies and a graphic novel so the monthlies take the hit.
This is just another kick in the nuts for monthly comics, it shows how far the bread and butter of monthly comics have fallen when they are now the lowest priority for a comic company.
Thank You, JMS, for providing a small but solid future repository for Superdickery.com
I actually looked forward to Superman every month. I loved Superman acting like a sanctimonius prick to racial stereotypes.
@edward
‘JMS isn’t a amateur, he’s a professional. he should finish the shit he starts which we fucking paid money for ‘
Amusing stuff. Which of the future issues that he was writing have you already paid for? If the answer is anything other than ‘none of them’ then it’s really your own fault you’re getting screwed.
People paid for the issues they bought, you know they ones he’s already written. They didn’t buy the rights to a complete story. On a side point, some of the sanctimonious bitching on this page is funny as hell.
I thought his Wonder Woman stuff was actually fairly entertaining. I would’ve liked to see how that played out.
@stuclach – The impression I get is that Hester is still going to tell the story as laid out by JMS. So the actual resolution to story will still be there, just with a different writer at the helm.
That’s too bad. Like many of you, I was really enjoying the WW arc. I actually dropped Superman, so I’ll give that a shot again.
@mattstev2000 – Yeah. I saw that, but I can’t imagine it will be exactly like JMS would’ve done it. (Not that that necessarily makes it better or worse.)
As much as his work on the main properties was hilariously bad, I find that his work on The Brave and the Bold was solid. That book finally turned into the book it was meant to be. And no its going to die.
If I am not mistaken, there was a Brave and The Bold issue that was solicited with Lois Lane and Adam Strange. I wonder if that will ever see the light of day.
@ctroseir: Maybe in a few years DC will suddenly find the ‘lost’ issue of it and charge $7.99 (with extras) to the fans. 🙂
Bite my shiny metal ass.
@mattstev2000: Fans did buy into this expecting a full story because he said he was giving them one. Fans bought the issue and he let them down. I do feel that people are justified to bitch. They kept up their end of the bargain, JMS didn’t.
@davidtobin-Bargain?? What are you talking about. There was no bargain. Each and every comic that you purchase is an offer made to your retail outlet that they then accept. JMS has nothing to do with it. All that fans had a right to expect was that each individual comic that they purchased had content in it. I do not feel that people are justified to bitch, it is their right, but it is not justified.
The way people are talking here, it would seem like JMS ran over a box of puppies. For God sakes folks it’s just a comic book.
@Mattstev2000: "Amusing stuff. Which of the future issues that he was writing have you already paid for"
don’t give me that shit, mate
I started buying JMS’ superman run with the understanding that he would finish the run. I didn’t start buying the arc hoping DC would hire a different writer 4 issues in. Can you see the totally obvious difference? It’s obvious
not only did he run over a box of puppies AND kittens, then douse them with gasoline and ignite… i was lured back to the WW franchise with a promise of a 12 issue story arc…yes, caveat emptor and all but that does not deny me the right to be pissed about being burned-again. I guess JMS will be put in the same place as Kevin Smith and i will not buy any singles, and in most likelihood no collections unless they are pure gold…so try to chase these sales…
I find it a bit funny that two of Comics’ most notorious flakes had so much to do with the Wonder Woman redux, JMS, and Jim (I’m still working on All-Star Batman and a new WildCats is just about done” Lee. When is DC going to learn to not solicit anything from those two knuckleheads until it’s actually completed? Not surprised by this at all, it’s always something with this guy…the more he abandons projects mid-stream, the more heat he will get….
I’ve heard of him obviously, but what has he done that’s really good?
This is the first time i’ve read anything by him (WonderWoman) and i have to say i thought it was pretty standard, and a bit boring; nice idea i suppose but poorly executed. i’ve dropped it, which is a shame because i like WW and really wanted her to have an A grade series. they seriously need to work on WW character, and get at least one book like year one or long halloween, that you can give to people new to comics and say this is wonder woman. I think Darwyne Cook is the man for the job personally.
@edward
Yes it is obvious. You paid for the issues you bought. There’s no obligation on DC’s part to provide you with future issues by the same creative team. If there was then they’d be up shit creek everytime there was a creative change on one of their books.
You’ve obviously got an axe to grind with JMS (which is fine, we all have the creators that we aren’t keen on) and are looking for something to bitch about but to suggest that somehow DC owe you because you bought the first few issues of Superman is frankly ridiculous.
@GloriousGodfrey
Midnight Nation was really good, the first arc of Rising Stars was exceptional, Silver Surfer : Requiem, the few issues of Brave and the Bold that he did, all his Spider-Man run up until editorial started interfering was top notch (better than the current stuff by a country mile) and Superman : Earth One all spring to mind.
Also, Darwyn Cooke on WW would be exceptional (albeit unlikely I think).
@mattstev2000: I don’t usual put things as bluntly as this but that’s a ridiculous argument. well done
Meh. Fell out of flavor with this guy after he ruined Rising Stars with that crappy ass ending of his. Haven’t had a JMS story since and I turned out just fine.
Wait- didn’t i? DIDN’T I!??!