Mark Millar on Superman

[NotSuper]

I can't say I agree with all of what he says, either.  But at least he understands more than the Byrne-Jurgens-Carlin crowd.

It's safe to say that they're not exactly thrilled by what Millar had to say about the character. I voiced my support for Millar's idea on one board and a poster responded by saying that Maggin was overrated. It struck me as odd that someone would call Maggin "overrated," seeing as he inspired MANY comic writers (including Mark Waid). You can see Maggin's influence all over Kingdom Come for example.

[nightwing]

Frankly, I didn't know Maggin was "rated" at all.  Working as he did in the period before super-star "creators" and their ridiculous salaries, I think he's not even on many modern fans' radars.

These days there are writers who are so popular they take readers with them from book to book the way artists used to.  And if you ask me, most of them couldn't hold a candle to their predecessors, not only the likes of Maggin and Bates but also Hamilton, Woolfolk, Finger, Binder and dozens of others who didn't even get a by-line!

If you're going to peg a writer as overrated, start with some of these young dopes who are raking in rock star salaries with derivative plot-lines in modern comics.  The old-timers did much better work and got no fanfare at all.

Anyway, I'm sure you're right that DC isn't too happy with having Millar call their product crap.  It doesn't strike me as the best strategy to get himself assigned the books.  I predict we'll see him take over about the time Jim Caviezel stars in a Superman movie.  :lol:

[Super Monkey]

Anyway, I'm sure you're right that DC isn't too happy with having Millar call their product crap.  It doesn't strike me as the best strategy to get himself assigned the books.  I predict we'll see him take over about the time Jim Caviezel stars in a Superman movie.  :lol:

Well, that's why I posted what I did


Anyway, we all know that DC is going to reboot Superman yet again if the new movie is a hit to match the movie.

 :shock:

[NotSuper]

There's a new Mark Millar interview up at PopCultureShock. In it, he mentions Superman quite a bit. However, he also discusses a few "controversial" topics such as religion and politics. If you're not bothered by those topics, I'd recommend checking it out, click here.

[The Starchild]

Thanks for the link.  I think he's right with his theory that the people who've been writing Superman for the last 15 years don't like the character.  That's really the only explanation for the upside-down nature of the books.

But the big news for me in that interview was a one line, tossed off comment that Mike Allred is doing a 12 volume comic book adaptation of the Book of Mormon, and the artwork looks like the best Kirby he's done yet.   Pretty wild idea.

[NotSuper]

I think he's right with his theory that the people who've been writing Superman for the last 15 years don't like the character.  That's really the only explanation for the upside-down nature of the books.

I agree with that as well. However, there are some exceptions; guys like Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Jeph Loeb really "get" the character.

[TELLE]

But the big news for me in that interview was a one line, tossed off comment that Mike Allred is doing a 12 volume comic book adaptation of the Book of Mormon, and the artwork looks like the best Kirby he's done yet.   Pretty wild idea.

Those other writers should maybe write their own characters instead of rectifying "problems" with already existing icons like Supes.

That Allred book looks neat --it's a shame that the conditions didn't exist for Kirby himself to do his own multi-part version of the Old Testament.  I guess we have to be satisfied with Jimmy Olsen and the New Gods.

[The Starchild]

That Allred book looks neat --it's a shame that the conditions didn't exist for Kirby himself to do his own multi-part version of the Old Testament.  I guess we have to be satisfied with Jimmy Olsen and the New Gods.

Yeah, and Mister Miracle, and Thor, and Silver Surfer, and the Eternals and Captain Victory and...   :wink:

(about the Millar interview) I think he's right with his theory that the people who've been writing Superman for the last 15 years don't like the character. That's really the only explanation for the upside-down nature of the books.

I agree with that as well. However, there are some exceptions; guys like Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Jeph Loeb really "get" the character.

Well, Millar also said that Superman/Batman and Superman: Birthright are two examples of comics that "get it," so I think he'd agree with you there too.