Good morning, my friend,
I had the pleasure, once again, to appear on the Comics Aficionados Livestream to talk about all the comics-related topics from the past week. During the stream, we talked about a recent Batman comic where the Caped Crusader was depicted wildly out of character from his known persona. I commented on the comic and the precarious role of the editor in the Big 2.
You can watch the stream below to get all the hot takes you can handle for a Monday.
My comment surrounding Batman and title editor, Ben Abernathy, is a sincere word of caution. Increasingly, the line between what the writer/artist wants to do and what the editor will allow has become fractured almost to uselessness. In this case, the line was crossed, resulting in a negative reception.
Regardless of the internal machinations of hiring, firing, and skillset mandates, the role of an editor “should” be to act as the ultimate caretaker of the finished work. An editor’s responsibility is two-fold in that area - 1) protect the consistency and integrity of the character(s) as a valuable product belonging to the publisher, and 2) enable an environment that allows maximum creative output from the creators without violating point 1.
The editor’s job is a tricky balancing act between staying fresh and creative to keep a perpetual reading audience happy while safeguarding an Intellectual Property (IP) that might be decades old. It’s not an easy task for even the most talented and seasoned editors, but it’s a necessary one. Looking at the quality of output from the Big 2 over the last few years, the line editors walk to maintain both priorities has crumbled to dangerous levels.
We see, especially in the example of this Batman title, a creator writing a story for an established character that’s wildly inconsistent with that character (because expectations are not established or enforced by editorial), and an editor who accepts, approves, and prints the work without the authority, will, or knowledge to push back. In short, neither the writer nor the editor did their job.
What does this mean going forward?
For the Big 2, it’s impossible to tell for sure. I’m almost certain this broken model between editors and writers will lead to eroding sales if there isn’t a course correction in the near future.
For indie creators, let this be a cautionary tale about the importance of editors. A good editor protects your creation and makes your book better. A bad editor (or no editor) can lead to downfall.
For small- and mid-sized publishers, hire editors that protect your IP regardless of the ego of a “visionary” creator. Creators come and go, so your longevity is founded on your IP and the steadfastness of the editors you hire to protect it.
If you’re an editor, let me know what you think about the state of editorial in the Big 2, or share any words of wisdom you have on the topic. If you’re a creator, share your experiences, good and bad, working with editors that you think would be useful. If you fall somewhere in between, let’s hear your opinion on the topic. Remember, sharing is caring.
Now, let’s take a look at the week in comics.
This Week’s Deals of the Day [DotD]
You may have noticed we didn’t send out any deals this week. There are reasons for that.
First, we’re short on time and hands this week due to the Memorial Day holiday, so we thought it best to give the hard workers a break.
Second, we’re assessing more collectible providers to give you the best deals possible.
However, our opinions (*heh*) are not always the best opinions. Let us know in the comments section below your preferences for the types of collectibles you’d like to see. We can’t promise deals on everything, but that won’t stop us from trying to give you what you want most.
LEAD CITY #3 – Review
THE HARBINGER #8 – Review
COVER OF DARKNESS #5 – Review
ULTRAMAX #1 – Review
GOOD BOY (VOL. 2) #1 – Review
DOCTOR WILDER #3 – Review
ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND #1 – Review
RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #9 – Review
SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE (VOL. 2) #6 – Review
MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY: JASMINE – Review
GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #60 – Review
VAN HELSING: BLOODBORNE – Review
SACRIFICE #1 – Indie Review
FEAR THE FAMILY FIRST (VOL. 1) – Indie Review
The Breaker Omnibus (Vol. 3) (Ablaze Publishing)
78 MPH #3 (Red 5 Comics)
Wolvenheart #13 (Mad Cave Studios)
Grimm Spotlight: Zodiac (Zenescope Entertainment)
DIE!namite Never Dies! #4 (Dynamite Comics)
Red Sitha #2 (Dynamite Comics)
Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy #6 (Dynamite Comics)
Doctor Wilder #4 (Blackbox Comics)
Pizza Boyz #10 (Indie Submission)
Plainer Jane #2 (Indie Submission)
That’s the shortlist. We’ll add more as time and resources allow.
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Have a great day!