Brubaker Discusses his Love for Creator-Owned Comics and Why He Doesn't Miss Superheroes

[CBR News]

Ed Brubaker talks to CBR about his satisfaction with his current creator-owned deal, his new TV gig and why he doesn't miss superhero comics.


Full article here.

[Frodo-X]

I really wish he'd do another Incognito. The second one ended with a great setup for a third, and I swear he said that he was working on a third, and then nothing. Nobody ever asks him in these interviews, and he keeps rolling out new stuff (which is all great, don't get me wrong) and never going back to that property, which was one of my favorites from him.

[shamus]

Ed Brubaker's experience echoes my own when he says "I stopped reading Marvel Comics as a kid after "Secret Wars," because I was like, "I hate that crossover." I was its target audience, but I was like, "No, don't like this, it's just bullshit to trick everybody into buying every book." I had that exact same reaction and was done with superhero comics until decades later. Funny enough his run on Captain America was what brought me back into the fold. I have since dropped Marvel and DC but I read lot's of other things still.

[Mix_Masta_Micah]

I really wish he'd do another Incognito. The second one ended with a great setup for a third, and I swear he said that he was working on a third, and then nothing. Nobody ever asks him in these interviews, and he keeps rolling out new stuff (which is all great, don't get me wrong) and never going back to that property, which was one of my favorites from him.

I was about to mention that EXACT thing! It's one of the best, of not the best thing him and Sean Phillips have collaborated on but it ALWAYS gets the shaft in interviews. I don't understand it. It's not like it wasn't very good either...they made two volumes of it with a cliffhanger to tell more stories. Wish I knew what was going on with it.

[Joker]

Criminal is still the best thing they've done together. I wish they'd do more of that. I loved the one shot, but I also want more full arcs.

[Lady Warp Spasm]

So glad he's doing well, I'd definitely read the fantasy (after that Criminal one shot sign me up) or SF ideas he has. Velvet is pretty cool, I can see that being greenlit easily.

[Kaled]

Originally Posted by Frodo-X

"I really wish he'd do another Incognito. The second one ended with a great setup for a third, and I swear he said that he was working on a third, and then nothing. Nobody ever asks him in these interviews, and he keeps rolling out new stuff (which is all great, don't get me wrong) and never going back to that property, which was one of my favorites from him."

Originally posted by Mix _Masta_Micah

"I was about to mention that EXACT thing! It's one of the best, of not the best thing him and Sean Phillips have collaborated on but it ALWAYS gets the shaft in interviews. I don't understand it. It's not like it wasn't very good either...they made two volumes of it with a cliffhanger to tell more stories. Wish I knew what was going on with it."

I apologize for forgetting where I read this recently but he did say he wanted to return to Incognito. He said the problem is that he has not figured out a good idea to bring it back with yet.

[Mix_Masta_Micah]

Originally Posted by Frodo-X

"I really wish he'd do another Incognito. The second one ended with a great setup for a third, and I swear he said that he was working on a third, and then nothing. Nobody ever asks him in these interviews, and he keeps rolling out new stuff (which is all great, don't get me wrong) and never going back to that property, which was one of my favorites from him."

Originally posted by Mix _Masta_Micah

"I was about to mention that EXACT thing! It's one of the best, of not the best thing him and Sean Phillips have collaborated on but it ALWAYS gets the shaft in interviews. I don't understand it. It's not like it wasn't very good either...they made two volumes of it with a cliffhanger to tell more stories. Wish I knew what was going on with it."

I apologize for forgetting where I read this recently but he did say he wanted to return to Incognito. He said the problem is that he has not figured out a good idea to bring it back with yet.

Damn...if you could find/remember that article/audio/video that would be great. I just don't want it to be forgotten.

[gantz_alien_killer]

Brubaker has definitely spoiled me when it comes to superhero comics. Waid writing DD is the closest it comes to real quality. Glad he is making money and hitting a highpoint in his career.

[Ragdoll]

Brubaker has definitely spoiled me when it comes to superhero comics. Waid writing DD is the closest it comes to real quality. Glad he is making money and hitting a highpoint in his career. This genre can be brutal, especially when junk writers like bendis are given books hand over fist to write and poop out junk.

I might be the one person alive who thought his Captain America run was boring as ****.
But I did appreciate him trying something different, which others should do. I just don't enjoy spy/espionage thrillers in the first place, which was his CA style.

Fatale was crazy stuff. Been meaning to read Criminal.

[Weekend Warrior]

Great interview and very happy to see that Brubaker is doing well. He was doing Cpt America and X-Men when I got back into comics and one of the first writers I started to follow. Great times we are living in, where a unique voice like Brubaker gets rewarded with an amazing contract and almost unlimited freedom to do his own projects.

[MrStatham]

Obviously it's slightly disappointing to hear that he's basically done with superhero books, but after a certain point you could tell he was basically done; Captain America started to struggle the second he brought Steve back for Reborn - the exact same time that (IMO) Bendis really started to struggle on the Avengers books. Both should have quit and moved on right around Siege.

But his current work is pretty stunning. I was a little disappointed to see Fatale end after only twenty-something issues, but Velvet in particular has made up for that. Initially I couldn't really get behind it and found it a difficult read, but I got through the trade in one sitting the other weekend and it was awesome. But.. Yeah. Catwoman, then around the Death of Captain America were highpoints for me, but he's hit a new one with his creator owned stuff. I'd argue Matt Fraction is the same - he did some strong Marvel stuff, but it's clear he's more at home and in his element with creator owned work.

[banky]

I agree with his point about crossovers being inferior to the creators' other work. I'd rather have more spin-off books like Black Widow and Moon Knight by creators I like rather than another big crossover event. I wish the big 2 would listen and take heed but the almighty dollar and bottom line still drives those decisions I guess.

Glad to hear every new book from team Brubaker is selling more than the previous one. I got back into reading comics because of Fatale, Lazarus and the Wake back in 2012-2013. Considering how well Image is doing now, I hope they get around to releasing the nice deluxe editions of Fatale (vol.2) and Velvet soon. The OHC deluxe editions of Scene of the Crime, Fatrale v.1 and Lazarus are excellent.

[cray_ws]

I didn't know he gave up the superhero genre. I'm relieved he did because I think he has a lot more to offer doing independent works. I think he's only scratched the surface of what he's really capable of doing. I hope this HBO job showcases that. I loved his Point Blank/Sleeper series for Wildstorm. In totally biased opinion I think it was some of his best superhero work. I'm loving Velvet and Fade Out.

[earl]

I'd think there are at least 3 different stories that could be followed up in Incognito, as you got the whole background on the original pulp/science heroes and villains, a conclusion story to what ends up happening with Zach Overkill and then a story about the two brothers.

I really like Criminal and the Fade Out are really great comics, but I think the genre hybrids like Fatale, Sleeper and Incognito were to me more interesting takes. The Fade Out is beautiful, but after reading James Ellroy's LA trilogy of the same period, it seems similar to me. (L.A. Confidential being the one many know by Ellroy as it was made into the movie.) Criminal seems very much in the Donald Westlake or Elmore Leonard or Jim Thompson style crime story. Not that it is bad, they are pretty good and as crime comics as good as ever made, but it's hard to top what they have already done. Of course, you can say the same about Quintin Tarentino as his early movies really tapped into the same vein.