DC, Why Not Ask Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway Back for All-Star Squadron?

[Kaijudo]

I enjoyed Thomas's writing at the time, but I don't know if new stories of his would work in the current storytelling era. Comics are written very differently, with focuses on different elements of a story, and I'd worry that Thomas's work would either come across as being old fashioned/out of touch or, on the other side, accused of trying way too hard to fit into the modern storytelling conventions. I'd honestly rather have a writer with a fresher approach try and tackle a property like All-Star Squadron.

All that said, I don't know if I need another All-Star Squadron comic (or any team fighting in WWII). I'd rather see some of the Squadron character starring in a post-war book, after the JSA have disappeared from the HUAC hearing. That's an era that's barely been explored in comics.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I'd love to see something done with the Golden Age characters during the 1940s because I think there's a lot of untapped potential there. However, DC needs to reach a wider audience than readers in the 40s and 50s if they want it to be a success. Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway are simply not big enough draws, otherwise they'd be getting regular work or doing indie stuff.

[Stingo]

I enjoy both writers, but I think the comic world has passed them by. They would not be a big selling point for the modern audience.

This news of Roy and Jerry being invited back to Marvel to work on an Invaders project should serve as a wake-up call to DC...There are still some pretty big movers and shakers in the comic industry willing to work with Thomas and Ordway on Golden Age characters and concepts.

https://www.monkeysfightingrobots.co...hZwS8VS-f4Hng8

[Holt]

I enjoy both writers, but I think the comic world has passed them by. They would not be a big selling point for the modern audience.

I've recently been rereading West Coast Avengers, and upon getting to Roy Thomas' run in the 90s, I was instantly struck by how...out of place and dated his writing style felt. Has he done anything recently?

[Stingo]

I've recently been rereading West Coast Avengers, and upon getting to Roy Thomas' run in the 90s, I was instantly struck by how...out of place and dated his writing style felt. Has he done anything recently?

I'm probably biased, Holt, but I actually enjoyed Roy's 90s run on West Coast Avengers. Can we chalk this up to a simple difference of opinion?

Roy has been extremely active with Alter-Ego, his magazine dedicated to studying and researching the history of the comic book medium.

[Frontier]

I've recently been rereading West Coast Avengers, and upon getting to Roy Thomas' run in the 90s, I was instantly struck by how...out of place and dated his writing style felt. Has he done anything recently?

I think he's basically writing the Spider-Man Newspaper Strips?

[CaptCleghorn]

I think he's basically writing the Spider-Man Newspaper Strips?

The strip ended recently.

[Lee Stone]

Nevermind... Just saw the link a few posts up.
It wasn't being acknowledged in the last few posts, so I thought it was something new to add.

Click Stingo's link.

[DrNewGod]

This news of Roy and Jerry being invited back to Marvel to work on an Invaders project should serve as a wake-up call to DC...There are still some pretty big movers and shakers in the comic industry willing to work with Thomas and Ordway on Golden Age characters and concepts.

https://www.monkeysfightingrobots.co...hZwS8VS-f4Hng8

I've recently been rereading West Coast Avengers, and upon getting to Roy Thomas' run in the 90s, I was instantly struck by how...out of place and dated his writing style felt. Has he done anything recently?

I'm willing to gamble on it. Holt's point is worth considering. Roy was good at writing for a different time, and a different audience. Still, for some of us, a nostalgic look at the Golden Age might be welcome.

[CaptCleghorn]

I'm willing to gamble on it. Holt's point is worth considering. Roy was good at writing for a different time, and a different audience. Still, for some of us, a nostalgic look at the Golden Age might be welcome.

I think even Thomas's most ardent fans would admit he has a retro style to his writing. Or they should, anyway. The flavor such a style would give to a series like we're talking about is good, though. I think an editor that could work to update some retro-style dialogue would help here, though.

[Jim Kelly]

I get the feeling that comic book work doesn't pay well, even for the best talents. Which is probably why most writers and artists try to find work elsewhere--either by getting jobs in the industry in executive positions; or outside the industry working for commercial interests, movies and television; or doing a daily comic strip.

If they really needed the work to feed their families, then I'm sure Roy and Jerry could turn themselves into modern day hacks. But they don't need to do that and if they get hired to do a job it's probably to bring a certain retro feel to the material. Jerry is from a younger generation than Roy and for me his style of art isn't out of style--it's the very thing I would like more of in comics. And it's not like other artists of the same age aren't getting regular work.

For the All-Star Squadron, the only writer's perspective I'm interest in seeing is that of Roy Thomas. This was his creation, so if another writer was parachuted onto the project, it wouldn't work. It would just be a sham version. However, I'd settle for Roy writing the plot with someone else doing the script.

[Lee Stone]

I would like to see Roy do a Post-War All-Star Squadron book where the team is no longer together, but he still covers the same characters in smaller groupings.
While the Seven Soldiers, the JSA and the Freedom Fighters would return to being their own teams, the core of the All-Star team (Liberty Belle, Robotman, Steel, Firebrand, Johnny Quick) would have no team to go to. And after being together for so long, they'd probably want to form their own team.

As for the setting, the Post-War period is rarely covered and would still have some war-related enemies lingering. And surely criminals didn't stop doing crime because the war ended.

[CaptCleghorn]

I would like to see Roy do a Post-War All-Star Squadron book where the team is no longer together, but he still covers the same characters in smaller groupings.
While the Seven Soldiers, the JSA and the Freedom Fighters would return to being their own teams, the core of the All-Star team (Liberty Belle, Robotman, Steel, Firebrand, Johnny Quick) would have no team to go to. And after being together for so long, they'd probably want to form their own team.

As for the setting, the Post-War period is rarely covered and would still have some war-related enemies lingering. And surely criminals didn't stop doing crime because the war ended.

Such a series needs a retelling of this tale to start things off. My take is that such a timeframe has a very different appeal than wartime America. Sure, villains exist, but the choice of which battles to fight is one that is first made at this time. I'd love to see this period, even if someone other than Roy wrote it. But it would have to be accurate to the attitudes and feelings of the times.

[DrNewGod]

I would like to see Roy do a Post-War All-Star Squadron book where the team is no longer together, but he still covers the same characters in smaller groupings.
While the Seven Soldiers, the JSA and the Freedom Fighters would return to being their own teams, the core of the All-Star team (Liberty Belle, Robotman, Steel, Firebrand, Johnny Quick) would have no team to go to. And after being together for so long, they'd probably want to form their own team.

As for the setting, the Post-War period is rarely covered and would still have some war-related enemies lingering. And surely criminals didn't stop doing crime because the war ended.

Wasn't that the point of The Golden Age?

Image.jpg

[Lee Stone]

Wasn't that the point of The Golden Age?

Image.jpg

Didn't read Golden Age.
It wasn't released in my area and it's flown under my radar since then.

I just assumed the Golden Age they referred to with it was the war years as always.