Hello, hope you’re well! I am curious about how decisions are made about a character having an ongoing vs. multiple mini-series (I’m thinking of Silver Surfer as an example). Is it about the pitch? Past sales? Or anything else? Insightful column as always.
I’ve got a question about the current FF run, which I’m absolutely loving. Unless I’m wrong, the characters have only appeared in their uniforms in flashback. This seems like a pretty deliberate decision. Can you share some of your/the creative team’s thinking behind it?
The FF has swanky new costumes designed by Alex Ross. They should wear them! ;)
The bottom line is: if you want to work in this industry, at times you're going to have to work on something that doesn't thrill you as much as other projects would, but if you want to keep working in this industry you'll find a way to connect to that project, look forward to working on it, and give it your all.
Quite honestly, I was never a big SUPERMAN fan. The core question of any SUPERMAN story, to me, is "How is he NOT going to win in 2 panels?" whereas the question for many other characters (Daredevil, Spider-man, Batman, the FF, etc.) is "How can they possibly win?" Which is a much more interesting question, if you ask me.
Still, when Mike Carlin offered me a chance to write ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, I knew it has a HUGE career opportunity, and I'd be a fool to walk away from it. I was extremely fortunate, because when I came on board SUPERMAN was dead and not even in the book for a number of issues, which gave me time to get a feel for things and figure out what I wanted to do. Two things became very clear, very quickly:
1) Superman had a great supporting cast— probably the best at DC. I loved the Superman/Lois interactions— the chance to show a loving, ADULT relationship— and Jimmy was always such a wonderful, fun foil. Even Perry had great grit and heart. But the best supporting character was (and still is, IMO) Lex Luthor. Which led to my big epiphany…
2) Superman deeply loves and respects humanity— stemming from the values and perspectives taught him by his parents and friends— so much so that, in his heart of hearts, he wishes he was human. A thing he will NEVER be. Lex, on the other hand, desperately wishes he was super-human, a thing HE will never be. Each has, on some level, what the other wants. Which is why they are such perfect counterpoints/adversaries for each other.
It was this realization that made SUPERMAN "click" for me. This is when I found the "hook" that made writing SUPERMAN something I could do.
I had to figure out a similar hook when Steve Wacker offered me MARVEL APES. It sounded like a joke assignment— one that NO ONE would take seriously, even/especially the fans— but at the time I needed the work, and wanted this to be something that might make people say "He made MARVEL APES good— MARVEL APES!!— think what he could do with better characters!" And while MARVEL APES didn't really lead to more assignments— there are no sure things in this business— I didn't accept the gig until I knew I could make it work FOR ME. Meaning: I could make it more than just a joke project— that it could/should have jokes and bad puns, but it also needed heart and something at stake that would keep the readers on the edge of their seat and coming back for the next issue.
(My answer to that, BTW, was to say that under the bad puns and flingin' feces jokes these characters are brutally animalistic, and a definite danger to anyone who crosses them. What I didn't know at the time was that Joe Quesada had already decided the Apes would also be vampires— which I didn't really feel the story needed, but I did see it was there for the same reason: to make these silly characters actually, frighteningly dangerous. So I could work with it.)
Of course, some times despite your best efforts, things DON'T come together or work out. A prime example of that in my career is the HUMAN TORCH series. When Tom Brevoort offered me that book, I had visions of classic Johnny and Wyatt roaming the world— or many worlds— having grand adventures, discovering hidden corners and unknown treasures. (I knew Wyatt wouldn't necessarily be involved, but that was the FEEL I was going for.) Bill Jemas, however, had other, strong, and pretty much diametrically opposed ideas about what the book should and shouldn't be. Most dumbfounding, he didn't want any other fantasy elements in the book except for the TORCH himself— a 1970's TORCH TV series, in other words— which pretty much torpedoed the book I *really* wanted to write. Still, loving the character I tried to come up with something that worked for all of us. I have never struggled more on a pitch/direction of a character in my entire career. At least once I told Tom that maybe I wasn't the guy for this book— and there have been times I wish I had walked away from it, because the end result was an unreadable mess that did nothing good for my career, and possibly hurt it.
But that was a clear example of me NOT finding a way to connect with the character— at least in the way that the company wanted— and how it hamstrung the project from the start.
Great and insightful comment, Karl -- thanks for sharing this. I suspect that any time a writer feels they can't connect with a character or franchise, they're invariably speaking for at least a healthy subsection of readers who feel the same way. So if you, as writer, can find a way to find something on the character to grab on and relate to, you'll be opening a door to make the book accessible to a readership that may have dropped off for the same reason you did.
Just read the conclusion to the 12 part Punisher series by Aaron and Saiz - brilliant ! What a great story that kept me guessing. Seems final for the Punisher in the main Marvel U (as final as comics can be I guess - this is also coloured by real life events/news as to why Marvel may want to de-emphasize the logo/character for a while).
Will we still see the Punisher Max mini that was teased by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov (a second MAX mini set in Vietnam - Get fury I believe was the working title)? or any other iteration of the Punisher (would love to see a sequel to the western Punisher story Chuck Dixon wrote in the 90s)?
Great newsletter this week - the 'comics are dying crowd' need to realize comics survived the 50s Witch hunts and congressional hearings, the 70s Dc implosion, the 90s speculator bust, Marvel's near bankruptcy, distributor wars, the pandemic printing shutdown..and more...comics are almost immortal ;)
Fantastic write up as always, sir! I’d love to hear your honest thoughts on “Across the Spiderverse” no matter your impression of it. Personally, I absolutely loved it and believe it deserves the praise it’s receiving. The fact that it’s currently the highest rated film of all
What’s your take on a comic with, say, a surprise Sabretooth appearance on the last page…and Sabretooth also on the cover?
It’s akin to movie trailers that “spoil the plot.” (Those trailers also do a more thorough job of communicating a plot and thus selling the movie.)
One reader may feel their reading experience was lessened for expecting Sabretooth from the very first page. While another would never have bought the comic save for the Sabretooth cover.
The whole plotline with Keeley's investor and later girlfriend Jack Danvers didn't really work for me. Reminded me in the final season of The Office when they introduced the documentary boom operator to try to split up Jim/Pam but ended up going nowhere.
Hi Tom. Flash #800 is out this week, with a fine selection of former Flash writers coming back for stories, although restricted to those currently working for DC. Do you think getting Cary Bates to write a story was considered, given he wrote a massive number of the prior 799? Or even Mike Baron or Bill Messner-Loebs to really make it seem like a celebration of 800 issues? To expand the question to something you might have more insight into, what is your approach to anniversary issues? I notice that in Thor #750 Walt Simonson and Tom DeFalco/Ron Frenz were back, who are of a similar vintage to the Flash creators I mentioned. Thanks!
So I'm still knee-deep in the great 2024 Fantastic Four Re-Read, where I reread all of the FF from issue 1. (I actually read issues the post Kirby issues first up until the beginning of the Englehart run, went back and re-read the Lee/Kirby issues, then proceeded from there.) I'm now nearly done the Waid/Wieringo run.
I know your run as editor started just before their run. I believe you've edited more FF books than anyone. So I have two questions:
1. Why haven't we seen a longer run from Karl Kesel at some point? Karl seems like the great utility player of the FF- whenever he gets to do a one-shot or an annual, he always hits it out of the park. Whether it's the Annual with the alternate FF, or the issue where we find out Ben is Jewish, or any of a number of issues, he doesn't just have the FF fight a random villain, but instead he adds to the mythology. His issues are as important as anyone else's. Has he ever pitched to be the main writer?
2. As someone who gets the FF as much as anyone, what do you think is important advice for any FF writer? What do you look for in an FF proposal? Sixty-plus years after that first Lee/Kirby comic, what makes the FF vital in today's world?
Hi Tom. With the announcement this week of a new "Ultimate" Universe, I have a question about the old one (although the question is equally valid to this new one if you're able to answer).
How did editor duties split in the Ultimate Universe? As the editor of 616 Daredevil, Fantastic Four and Avengers, would you also be responsible for Ultimate DD, F4 and Avengers? Or was there/will there be a specific Ultimate Editor?
Hello, hope you’re well! I am curious about how decisions are made about a character having an ongoing vs. multiple mini-series (I’m thinking of Silver Surfer as an example). Is it about the pitch? Past sales? Or anything else? Insightful column as always.
Hi Tom,
I’ve got a question about the current FF run, which I’m absolutely loving. Unless I’m wrong, the characters have only appeared in their uniforms in flashback. This seems like a pretty deliberate decision. Can you share some of your/the creative team’s thinking behind it?
The FF has swanky new costumes designed by Alex Ross. They should wear them! ;)
EDITING/WORKING ON A CHARACTER YOU DON'T "GET"
The bottom line is: if you want to work in this industry, at times you're going to have to work on something that doesn't thrill you as much as other projects would, but if you want to keep working in this industry you'll find a way to connect to that project, look forward to working on it, and give it your all.
Quite honestly, I was never a big SUPERMAN fan. The core question of any SUPERMAN story, to me, is "How is he NOT going to win in 2 panels?" whereas the question for many other characters (Daredevil, Spider-man, Batman, the FF, etc.) is "How can they possibly win?" Which is a much more interesting question, if you ask me.
Still, when Mike Carlin offered me a chance to write ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, I knew it has a HUGE career opportunity, and I'd be a fool to walk away from it. I was extremely fortunate, because when I came on board SUPERMAN was dead and not even in the book for a number of issues, which gave me time to get a feel for things and figure out what I wanted to do. Two things became very clear, very quickly:
1) Superman had a great supporting cast— probably the best at DC. I loved the Superman/Lois interactions— the chance to show a loving, ADULT relationship— and Jimmy was always such a wonderful, fun foil. Even Perry had great grit and heart. But the best supporting character was (and still is, IMO) Lex Luthor. Which led to my big epiphany…
2) Superman deeply loves and respects humanity— stemming from the values and perspectives taught him by his parents and friends— so much so that, in his heart of hearts, he wishes he was human. A thing he will NEVER be. Lex, on the other hand, desperately wishes he was super-human, a thing HE will never be. Each has, on some level, what the other wants. Which is why they are such perfect counterpoints/adversaries for each other.
It was this realization that made SUPERMAN "click" for me. This is when I found the "hook" that made writing SUPERMAN something I could do.
I had to figure out a similar hook when Steve Wacker offered me MARVEL APES. It sounded like a joke assignment— one that NO ONE would take seriously, even/especially the fans— but at the time I needed the work, and wanted this to be something that might make people say "He made MARVEL APES good— MARVEL APES!!— think what he could do with better characters!" And while MARVEL APES didn't really lead to more assignments— there are no sure things in this business— I didn't accept the gig until I knew I could make it work FOR ME. Meaning: I could make it more than just a joke project— that it could/should have jokes and bad puns, but it also needed heart and something at stake that would keep the readers on the edge of their seat and coming back for the next issue.
(My answer to that, BTW, was to say that under the bad puns and flingin' feces jokes these characters are brutally animalistic, and a definite danger to anyone who crosses them. What I didn't know at the time was that Joe Quesada had already decided the Apes would also be vampires— which I didn't really feel the story needed, but I did see it was there for the same reason: to make these silly characters actually, frighteningly dangerous. So I could work with it.)
Of course, some times despite your best efforts, things DON'T come together or work out. A prime example of that in my career is the HUMAN TORCH series. When Tom Brevoort offered me that book, I had visions of classic Johnny and Wyatt roaming the world— or many worlds— having grand adventures, discovering hidden corners and unknown treasures. (I knew Wyatt wouldn't necessarily be involved, but that was the FEEL I was going for.) Bill Jemas, however, had other, strong, and pretty much diametrically opposed ideas about what the book should and shouldn't be. Most dumbfounding, he didn't want any other fantasy elements in the book except for the TORCH himself— a 1970's TORCH TV series, in other words— which pretty much torpedoed the book I *really* wanted to write. Still, loving the character I tried to come up with something that worked for all of us. I have never struggled more on a pitch/direction of a character in my entire career. At least once I told Tom that maybe I wasn't the guy for this book— and there have been times I wish I had walked away from it, because the end result was an unreadable mess that did nothing good for my career, and possibly hurt it.
But that was a clear example of me NOT finding a way to connect with the character— at least in the way that the company wanted— and how it hamstrung the project from the start.
Thanks for sharing this. FWIW, I really enjoyed your Harley Quinn series from the early aughts.
Great and insightful comment, Karl -- thanks for sharing this. I suspect that any time a writer feels they can't connect with a character or franchise, they're invariably speaking for at least a healthy subsection of readers who feel the same way. So if you, as writer, can find a way to find something on the character to grab on and relate to, you'll be opening a door to make the book accessible to a readership that may have dropped off for the same reason you did.
I must have missed this 1980's sales number controversy thing. Where is at/who originated it?
Reposting from last week in case it was missed:
Just read the conclusion to the 12 part Punisher series by Aaron and Saiz - brilliant ! What a great story that kept me guessing. Seems final for the Punisher in the main Marvel U (as final as comics can be I guess - this is also coloured by real life events/news as to why Marvel may want to de-emphasize the logo/character for a while).
Will we still see the Punisher Max mini that was teased by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov (a second MAX mini set in Vietnam - Get fury I believe was the working title)? or any other iteration of the Punisher (would love to see a sequel to the western Punisher story Chuck Dixon wrote in the 90s)?
Great newsletter this week - the 'comics are dying crowd' need to realize comics survived the 50s Witch hunts and congressional hearings, the 70s Dc implosion, the 90s speculator bust, Marvel's near bankruptcy, distributor wars, the pandemic printing shutdown..and more...comics are almost immortal ;)
Who are a few of the great "team players" among contemporary comics creators--people who are particularly good at making their collaborators shine?
Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips imo are the best duo in comics working today.
Fantastic write up as always, sir! I’d love to hear your honest thoughts on “Across the Spiderverse” no matter your impression of it. Personally, I absolutely loved it and believe it deserves the praise it’s receiving. The fact that it’s currently the highest rated film of all
time on Letterboxd is crazy!
Great context on sales figures from different periods. Thanks for putting this newsletter together for us each week, Tom.
What’s your take on a comic with, say, a surprise Sabretooth appearance on the last page…and Sabretooth also on the cover?
It’s akin to movie trailers that “spoil the plot.” (Those trailers also do a more thorough job of communicating a plot and thus selling the movie.)
One reader may feel their reading experience was lessened for expecting Sabretooth from the very first page. While another would never have bought the comic save for the Sabretooth cover.
The whole plotline with Keeley's investor and later girlfriend Jack Danvers didn't really work for me. Reminded me in the final season of The Office when they introduced the documentary boom operator to try to split up Jim/Pam but ended up going nowhere.
Hi Tom. Flash #800 is out this week, with a fine selection of former Flash writers coming back for stories, although restricted to those currently working for DC. Do you think getting Cary Bates to write a story was considered, given he wrote a massive number of the prior 799? Or even Mike Baron or Bill Messner-Loebs to really make it seem like a celebration of 800 issues? To expand the question to something you might have more insight into, what is your approach to anniversary issues? I notice that in Thor #750 Walt Simonson and Tom DeFalco/Ron Frenz were back, who are of a similar vintage to the Flash creators I mentioned. Thanks!
So I'm still knee-deep in the great 2024 Fantastic Four Re-Read, where I reread all of the FF from issue 1. (I actually read issues the post Kirby issues first up until the beginning of the Englehart run, went back and re-read the Lee/Kirby issues, then proceeded from there.) I'm now nearly done the Waid/Wieringo run.
I know your run as editor started just before their run. I believe you've edited more FF books than anyone. So I have two questions:
1. Why haven't we seen a longer run from Karl Kesel at some point? Karl seems like the great utility player of the FF- whenever he gets to do a one-shot or an annual, he always hits it out of the park. Whether it's the Annual with the alternate FF, or the issue where we find out Ben is Jewish, or any of a number of issues, he doesn't just have the FF fight a random villain, but instead he adds to the mythology. His issues are as important as anyone else's. Has he ever pitched to be the main writer?
2. As someone who gets the FF as much as anyone, what do you think is important advice for any FF writer? What do you look for in an FF proposal? Sixty-plus years after that first Lee/Kirby comic, what makes the FF vital in today's world?
Hi Tom. With the announcement this week of a new "Ultimate" Universe, I have a question about the old one (although the question is equally valid to this new one if you're able to answer).
How did editor duties split in the Ultimate Universe? As the editor of 616 Daredevil, Fantastic Four and Avengers, would you also be responsible for Ultimate DD, F4 and Avengers? Or was there/will there be a specific Ultimate Editor?
Thank, as always, for your openness.