Scott Snyder Stepping Away From DC’s Central Line

[Restingvoice]

Snyder wasn't a "big name" when he took over Batman. Johns wasn't a big name at first either. You don't have to be a big name to be the person DC backs as their main creative force. DC just has to have faith that you can steer the company in the direction they want it steered. Literally anyone at DC can be that "name" right now.

He wasn't a big name but his one work he did right before Batman, Detective Comics Black Mirror is critically acclaimed. Not sure about the sales. King was the same with Omega Men and Grayson. The sale was middling, in the case of Omega Men even low.

So they don't necessarily need to move numbers, but they need to have good fan or critical response to their stories.

There should be no single writer whom in practice helms the entire DCU direction in the first place. For a while they could get away with this with Johns because, despite my not necessarily being a fan of his work with every single character, he had genuine interest and knowledge in so many properties. He could work on big things and give importance to a lot of different things at the same time. No one else helming big events with DC has shown they have this capability. I mean, outside of Grant Morrison but he doesn't work with DC to the exclusive nature that this type of role requires. So don't even give anyone that type of power to begin with. If you have to do the big events and do them often--and we know DC does, wishing they'd ease back is just moot at this point--then they need to be collaborative ventures in the future.

Yes. I based my question on how it's been directed in the Didio era, but ideally, it should be a round table

[Sam]

He wasn't a big name but his one work he did right before Batman, Detective Comics Black Mirror is critically acclaimed. Not sure about the sales. King was the same with Omega Men and Grayson. The sale was middling, in the case of Omega Men even low.

So they don't necessarily need to move numbers, but they need to have good fan or critical response to their stories.

Maybe Tom Taylor would be the guy to give the push to then. DCeased and Injustice have both been pretty successful both commercially and critically despite them have premises that could easily have resulted in phoned-in, lazy work. And I've only been hearing good things about Suicide Squad. Maybe it's time to give him one of the core titles.

[batnbreakfast]

Maybe Tom Taylor would be the guy to give the push to then. DCeased and Injustice have both been pretty successful both commercially and critically despite them have premises that could easily have resulted in phoned-in, lazy work. And I've only been hearing good things about Suicide Squad. Maybe it's time to give him one of the core titles.

It will never happen but someone like Gail Simone or Christopher Priest instead of playing it safe with a Tom Taylor is what I'd like to happen. Amazing-Man teaser was great, though.

[Vordan]

It will never happen but someone like Gail Simone or Christopher Priest instead of playing it safe with a Tom Taylor is what I'd like to happen. Amazing-Man teaser was great, though.

I want Priest to write a Batman or Superman book. Dunno if it will ever happen though.

[batnbreakfast]

I want Priest to write a Batman or Superman book. Dunno if it will ever happen though.

His Deathstroke was ok and I prefer Black Panther by Priest. He's really good when it comes to theese I have planned everything in advance type of characters. Often letting them take the backseat while the supporting cast shines. Could be what Batman or Superman need at the moment.

[king81992]

I want Priest to write a Batman or Superman book. Dunno if it will ever happen though.

I could see Priest on Batman but I couldn't imagine him writing Superman.

[Restingvoice]

Maybe Tom Taylor would be the guy to give the push to then. DCeased and Injustice have both been pretty successful both commercially and critically despite them have premises that could easily have resulted in phoned-in, lazy work. And I've only been hearing good things about Suicide Squad. Maybe it's time to give him one of the core titles.

He does seem to meet the requirement

[Ying Ko]

I haven't read anything by Snyder in ages, because frankly what little I did read wasn't very good (early issues of All Star Batman and Justice League).

Hopefully the Nightwing stuff he pitched a while back comes to be. The premise sounds interesting and I would like to see more of Dick's time as Robin as well as Batman.

[Vordan]

I could see Priest on Batman but I couldn't imagine him writing Superman.

He actually already wrote some Superman stuff back in the 90s. He wrote the character ok back in Deathstroke too. He wouldn’t write a “happy” Superman ongoing, but I’m not interested in feel good stuff right now. I want something with weight and Priest has done that with Deathstroke.

Funnily enough I think more people would dislike his Batman. He’s not a fan of the flashy gadgets or the insane feats the character has accumulated Post Morrison.

[Ra-El]

His Deathstroke was ok and I prefer Black Panther by Priest. He's really good when it comes to theese I have planned everything in advance type of characters. Often letting them take the backseat while the supporting cast shines. Could be what Batman or Superman need at the moment.

Priest tend to write his main characters as competent, and Superman need to get away from the "farm boy with powers" that most writers do.

[skyvolt2000]

He actually already wrote some Superman stuff back in the 90s. He wrote the character ok back in Deathstroke too. He wouldn’t write a “happy” Superman ongoing, but I’m not interested in feel good stuff right now. I want something with weight and Priest has done that with Deathstroke.

Funnily enough I think more people would dislike his Batman. He’s not a fan of the flashy gadgets or the insane feats the character has accumulated Post Morrison.

Priest was hired to do Batman. A 5 part Batman mini. It got reduced to ONE issue. Batman The Hill.
Shawn Martinbrough was the artist. Joseph Illidge was on of the editors.
To sum it up Batman runs into folks who don't fear him. While Gordon gets ripped for not controlling a black neighborhood. Sound familiar anybody??

He also did some Batman in 1989. Issues 431-432.
He also did an issue of Detective Comics. I want to say he did something in Detective 627 or one of the annuals-I have.

I think what you want-EDITORIAL won't allow for the Bat. Now Green Arrow, Hal, Nightwing, Jason or Midnighter-you would get it.

[Frontier]

He actually already wrote some Superman stuff back in the 90s. He wrote the character ok back in Deathstroke too. He wouldn’t write a “happy” Superman ongoing, but I’m not interested in feel good stuff right now. I want something with weight and Priest has done that with Deathstroke.

Funnily enough I think more people would dislike his Batman. He’s not a fan of the flashy gadgets or the insane feats the character has accumulated Post Morrison.

I really didn't love Priest on Justice League. I mean, the story was serious and executed well but it felt clinical and a lot of characters just felt "off" or overly-aggressive to me.

So as talented as Priest is that's why I'm always hesitant to see him write titles like Superman. But that's just me.

[Vordan]

I really didn't love Priest on Justice League. I mean, the story was serious and executed well but it felt clinical and a lot of characters just felt "off" or overly-aggressive to me.

So as talented as Priest is that's why I'm always hesitant to see him write titles like Superman. But that's just me.

Part of the appeal for me is that I don’t think we’d get a traditional take on either Batman or Superman from him, and I want to see what that looks like. I’d put Priest on Detective or Action, and basically let the “main” books offer a more traditional take. I mean what’s the point of having two books if they’re both going for the same tone? Obviously he could totally botch it, but Batman fans have plenty of other options to get their fix, and we Superman fans are used to eating up punishment

But you don’t really get a legendary run unless you’re willing to break away from what people think a character “must” be. Batman in particular is an example of this, his reinvention in the 70s after the Adam West show, Frank Miller’s DKR arguing that no Batman COULD grow old and still kick ass, Morrison’s Bat-Epic which was a firm rejection of the popular belief that Batman is insane, and on and on. Ewing’s Immortal Hulk is another great example, casting Hulk as a horror character, playing around with the Devil Hulk incarnation which wa a originally a straight up evil Hulk but is now more nebulous, etc. Or Hickman transforming the X-Men from gluttons for punishment who keep getting genocide into their current incarnation that addresses topics like the singularity.

I want stuff like that for Supes (and DC as a whole), and I’m not going to get it from the typical good ol’ farmboy Clark take. Priest I think would push the envelope, and I’d like to encourage that in comics. Sometimes it crashes and burns like (imo) Zack Snyder’s take on the characters, but sometimes it succeeds and helps a character find new fans.

Plus I’ll be honest: I’m curious what a black writer would bring to the table with two of the biggest heroes in comics. I wanna see if he s got an angle I have not seen before.

[Frontier]

Part of the appeal for me is that I don’t think we’d get a traditional take on either Batman or Superman from him, and I want to see what that looks like. I’d put Priest on Detective or Action, and basically let the “main” books offer a more traditional take. I mean what’s the point of having two books if they’re both going for the same tone? Obviously he could totally botch it, but Batman fans have plenty of other options to get their fix, and we Superman fans are used to eating up punishment

But you don’t really get a legendary run unless you’re willing to break away from what people think a character “must” be. Batman in particular is an example of this, his reinvention in the 70s after the Adam West show, Frank Miller’s DKR arguing that no Batman COULD grow old and still kick ass, Morrison’s Bat-Epic which was a firm rejection of the popular belief that Batman is insane, and on and on. Ewing’s Immortal Hulk is another great example, casting Hulk as a horror character, playing around with the Devil Hulk incarnation which wa a originally a straight up evil Hulk but is now more nebulous, etc. Or Hickman transforming the X-Men from gluttons for punishment who keep getting genocide into their current incarnation that addresses topics like the singularity.

I want stuff like that for Supes (and DC as a whole), and I’m not going to get it from the typical good ol’ farmboy Clark take. Priest I think would push the envelope, and I’d like to encourage that in comics. Sometimes it crashes and burns like (imo) Zack Snyder’s take on the characters, but sometimes it succeeds and helps a character find new fans.

Plus I’ll be honest: I’m curious what a black writer would bring to the table with two of the biggest heroes in comics. I wanna see if he s got an angle I have not seen before.

Some of those tkaes I don't think really broke the mold for how a character must be so much as emphasized more the aspects the author found interesting or relevant about them while building on the history of the characters.

[Vordan]

Some of those tkaes I don't think really broke the mold for how a character must be so much as emphasized more the aspects the author found interesting or relevant about them while building on the history of the characters.

Right but often it conflicted with how the pop culture at large or even the fanbase viewed the character.