What really goes on at a local comics show without company minders to make sure things run smoothly? Josh Bell’s deadpan accounting of the Las Vegas Comic Expo’s New 52 panel has a few moments that make you question whether we need to simply nuke the Big Two from orbit.
First the news: Scott Lobdell will pen a spinoff of the Teen Titans with Raven leading the new team. Raven appears in this weeks Phantom Stranger, as shown by this preview page (above).
Now the odd stuff. It seems there any many things that people can’t write about at the New 52:
When asked whether there was a chance of seeing Static Shock in “Teen Titans,” Lobdell replied, “Nothing would make me happier.” However, he said “legal issues” prevent the characters from joining the title.
[snip] A Flash fan asked Buccellato about the possibility of Wally West appearing in the series. “This is comic books, so nobody stays away forever,” the writer said before noting there are no plans at the moment for the character. Characterizing the decision as “above my pay grade,” Buccellato said he and “The Flash” co-writer/artist Francis Manapul pitched a Wally West story but were turned down. However, fans should look for a character named Daniel West in the zero issue, which was released last week.
[snip] What characters that haven’t yet debuted in the New 52 would the panelists wish to write? Lobdell and Fialkov both requested to write the Creeper but were turned down. Krul wanted to write The Question, but DC had other plans for the character. Fialkov said he pitched a series featuring Brother Power the Geek as “a mannequin who comes to life in the swinging ’60s,” but was denied.
And finally there’s the just plan ugly:
Lobdell then paused to survey the audience again, asking how many people actually cared about Wally West and how many wouldn’t mind never seeing him again; a majority of fans wanted to see the character. He then posed the same questions about former Batgirl Stephanie Brown, with a slightly less enthusiastic response for her return. Lobdell concluded his informal poll by asking who in the audience had ever posted nasty comments about creators on Internet message boards; two people raised their hands, with one admitting he had wished cancer on certain creators.
One hopes that was simply a joke on the audience member’s behalf. If it does, this pool report doesn’t make it nearly clear enough for my taste.
C’mon, you KNOW a lot more people than that have posted nasty comments about creators online…
The incidents at cons demonstrate the advantages of marketing products to the general public instead of focusing on niches.
I’d guess that the fans who attend con panels and ask questions are more devoted fans, more likely to be completists, and more likely to follow characters, rather than creators. They’re also more likely, though, to feel they “own” the characters and to have strong opinions. They might be sources of higher profits, but they’re also pains.
If a fan responds to a question about an issue or storyline with “I loved Spider-Man! He was great!” as opposed to “That was a great story! Waid and _____ were really good!”, that’s an example of someone reading the issue for the character rather than reading it for the story. The character fan might be satisfied with one good page or a good character treatment, isolated from the rest of the story. The reader who wants a story won’t be.
SRS
That fan totally stole my idea for the Tumornator, a superhero with the power to wish cancer on his opponents. He pretty much loses all his fights, but eventually he wins them all.
knew comic fans can be nasty if they feel a certain creator is not treating their favorite write but to wish some one cancer talk about a little bad taste. and surprised dc would have some legal issues with static since thought he came with them getting the milestone universe
ment to say treat them right
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