Is Brian Michael Bendis tired with Superhero Comics?

[Colossus1980]

Bendis got me back to reading comics with his Powers and Avengers Disassembled. However I think he's writing too many titles which is causing him burnout. Too much on his plate and a lot of his dialogue seems repetitive. He really needs to cut back on his workload or he might suffer a breakdown. He needs a vacation because I can't recollect any writer/artist that has this much output in the amount of time he's started.

[gurkle]

Bendis is probably not tired of superhero comics, or he'd have done what other Marvel writers did when they got tired of superhero comics - concentrate on their creator-owned work. He can afford to do that if anyone can, but he has a good relationship with Marvel and enjoys working for them. Marvel management likes him because he's fast and reliable and doesn't mind doing some of the things that other writers don't like (like writing line-wide events and incorporating editorial mandates). Some readers may be tired of his superhero comics but I doubt he's personally tired of writing them.

He's not as popular as he used to be, or maybe Marvel just has unreasonable expectations about what he can do: the editor-in-chief announced that by putting Bendis on Iron Man they were going to make Tony Stark as popular in the comics as he is in the movies, and that's just too much pressure, because Tony Stark has never been A-list popular in the comics and probably never will be. So now they're retooling the books using ideas based on things that worked for Marvel before (Miles Morales and Superior Spider-Man). But again, Bendis is willing to do all this, while other writers have burned out on trying to write comics around editorial demands. I think it has to be assumed he enjoys the challenge of it.

[Darthfury78]

Bendis is probably not tired of superhero comics, or he'd have done what other Marvel writers did when they got tired of superhero comics - concentrate on their creator-owned work. He can afford to do that if anyone can, but he has a good relationship with Marvel and enjoys working for them. Marvel management likes him because he's fast and reliable and doesn't mind doing some of the things that other writers don't like (like writing line-wide events and incorporating editorial mandates). Some readers may be tired of his superhero comics but I doubt he's personally tired of writing them.

He's not as popular as he used to be, or maybe Marvel just has unreasonable expectations about what he can do: the editor-in-chief announced that by putting Bendis on Iron Man they were going to make Tony Stark as popular in the comics as he is in the movies, and that's just too much pressure, because Tony Stark has never been A-list popular in the comics and probably never will be. So now they're retooling the books using ideas based on things that worked for Marvel before (Miles Morales and Superior Spider-Man). But again, Bendis is willing to do all this, while other writers have burned out on trying to write comics around editorial demands. I think it has to be assumed he enjoys the challenge of it.

Not if the quality of his writing suffers. Especially if he writes too many books at once. I personally feel that Miles Morales should have stayed in his own universe. But Bendis still wanted to do his Spider-Men II storyline. There was nothing wrong with closing the Ultimate Universe. But to carry over Miles over to the main MU was just plain dumb. The biggest Mistake that Marvel make was allowing Bendis to kill off Ultimate Universe Peter Parker (for Miles Morales) instead of assigning another writer to the book to further evolve the character. Maybe Miles should have been the first Ultimate Universe Spider-Man as a way of making that universe different, whereby Peter Parker never existed...

[Matternativ]

Look at my pull list, it's on my signature. Do you see any Bendis books? Hell, do you see ANY Marvel Comics books other than Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man? Bendis is indeed the writer with more power within Marvel Comics. His comics don't sell well enough to justify that kind of power and that's why you see so many threads like this one. And they are indeed fair points. His writing could use one hell of a time off from Marvel Comics. Fans could certainly use that too. Hell, who knows, maybe he has something fresh and interesting to say with DC Comics characters. Problem is that he has way too much power within Marvel Comics and with all due respect to his fans, it's unjustified. It's unjustified because it shows a lack of creativity and trying ACTUALLY different things that sell. The concepts that Bendis is playing with are all tropes that Dan Slott and Matt Fraction played recently with success and praise. Problem is when you keep repeating a plot point to the ground again and again it becomes boring and not novel. Superior Spider-Man was novel and groundbreaking. Having two Hawkeyes was novel and groundbreaking. Bendis rehashing Superior Spider-Man with Iron Man (for the second time, the first being Superior Iron Man) is 101 of running a story to the ground. Two Spider-Men running around isn't as cool as having two Hawkeyes. Neither two Thors, two Captains America, three Iron Men. Marvel Comics is rehashing literally ideas from more capable and creative creators like Dan Slott. I just think that Marvel needs to rethink their editorial line and if Bendis NEEDS to keep writing Marvel Comics, stick to one book like Jessica Jones and that's it. Hell, with all due respect to him, but the comic counterpart of Jessica Jones still sucks next to how amazing and brilliant Jessica is in the Netflix show. If anything, I'd get the people involved on THAT show to write Jessica, not him.

He doesn't have the kind of power you think he has. It's true his word probably has a lot more weight than that of most other writers at Marvel but he can't just do what he want when he wants it. Especially when it comes to big event books the overall storyline is mostly a team effort orchestrated by the Editors. It does seem that he is good at selling his ideas to his higher ups but when you read some of his Interviews it's clear that a lot of stuff he wanted to write was never greenlit or more or less changed before it was accepted and he seems to be okay with that as that is how the whole deal works.

[CrimsonEchidna]

He doesn't have the kind of power you think he has. It's true his word probably has a lot more weight than that of most other writers at Marvel but he can't just do what he want when he wants it. Especially when it comes to big event books the overall storyline is mostly a team effort orchestrated by the Editors. It does seem that he is good at selling his ideas to his higher ups but when you read some of his Interviews it's clear that a lot of stuff he wanted to write was never greenlit or more or less changed before it was accepted and he seems to be okay with that as that is how the whole deal works.

It's funny when people rant how the truth of their paranoia starts to come out. That somehow Bendis is Emperor Palpatine and is masterminding every direction that Marvel has taken from the shadows lol.

[Huntsman Spider]

Look at my pull list, it's on my signature. Do you see any Bendis books? Hell, do you see ANY Marvel Comics books other than Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man? Bendis is indeed the writer with more power within Marvel Comics. His comics don't sell well enough to justify that kind of power and that's why you see so many threads like this one. And they are indeed fair points. His writing could use one hell of a time off from Marvel Comics. Fans could certainly use that too. Hell, who knows, maybe he has something fresh and interesting to say with DC Comics characters. Problem is that he has way too much power within Marvel Comics and with all due respect to his fans, it's unjustified. It's unjustified because it shows a lack of creativity and trying ACTUALLY different things that sell. The concepts that Bendis is playing with are all tropes that Dan Slott and Matt Fraction played recently with success and praise. Problem is when you keep repeating a plot point to the ground again and again it becomes boring and not novel. Superior Spider-Man was novel and groundbreaking. Having two Hawkeyes was novel and groundbreaking. Bendis rehashing Superior Spider-Man with Iron Man (for the second time, the first being Superior Iron Man) is 101 of running a story to the ground. Two Spider-Men running around isn't as cool as having two Hawkeyes. Neither two Thors, two Captains America, three Iron Men. Marvel Comics is rehashing literally ideas from more capable and creative creators like Dan Slott. I just think that Marvel needs to rethink their editorial line and if Bendis NEEDS to keep writing Marvel Comics, stick to one book like Jessica Jones and that's it. Hell, with all due respect to him, but the comic counterpart of Jessica Jones still sucks next to how amazing and brilliant Jessica is in the Netflix show. If anything, I'd get the people involved on THAT show to write Jessica, not him.

Actually, Superior Iron Man was Tom Taylor, not Brian Bendis, and that spun out of the AXIS event by Rick Remender that "inverted" certain characters' moral alignments. I'd give you Infamous Iron Man, except unlike that one What If? issue, Victor Von Doom didn't take over Tony Stark's body and life; he just built himself a new armor and set out to become the new Iron Man. Oh, and everybody knows who he is, unlike with Superior Spider-Man where almost nobody figured out or knew that "Spider-Man" was actually Doctor Octopus in Peter Parker's body and just assumed he was having some kind of weird psychological breakdown or just went bad for whatever reason. Also, there are actually three Spider-Men running around now --- Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Miguel O'Hara from 2099.

[Matternativ]

It's funny when people rant how the truth of their paranoia starts to come out. That somehow Bendis is Emperor Palpatine and is masterminding every direction that Marvel has taken from the shadows lol.

Well I'd not even mind living in that Empire as long as Doom becomes it's Vader or something.

[Darthfury78]

Actually, Superior Iron Man was Tom Taylor, not Brian Bendis, and that spun out of the AXIS event by Rick Remender that "inverted" certain characters' moral alignments. I'd give you Infamous Iron Man, except unlike that one What If? issue, Victor Von Doom didn't take over Tony Stark's body and life; he just built himself a new armor and set out to become the new Iron Man. Oh, and everybody knows who he is, unlike with Superior Spider-Man where almost nobody figured out or knew that "Spider-Man" was actually Doctor Octopus in Peter Parker's body and just assumed he was having some kind of weird psychological breakdown or just went bad for whatever reason. Also, there are actually three Spider-Men running around now --- Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Miguel O'Hara from 2099.

Superior Spider-Man was BAD writing from start to finish based on the fact that everyone was out of character to allow Slott to do his work. Second, I think that it's a travesty to have Spider-Man 2099 and Ultimate Spider-Man in the same universe as Peter Parker. Lastly, I feel that Slott should have ended his run on ASM with The Superior Spider-Man..

[Ravin' Ray]

But to carry over Miles over to the main MU was just plain dumb.

The idea in and of itself isn't inherently dumb. It was in the execution where we can make that call, or the opposite.

[Darthfury78]

The idea in and of itself isn't inherently dumb. It was in the execution where we can make that call, or the opposite.

One can blame the Editor for not creating an outline for the writer to follow, which is do the ending to the story first. Followed by a beginning. Then the writer can do whatever he wants for the middle part of the story. The one unresolved issue that I had with the story was why didn't the Black Widow figured out what was wrong with Spider-Man as well as the drawing that Peter's ghost left behind as a message. Even Natasha could have figured it out along with Jessica Drew. Another wasted opportunity to bring Otto down.

[TakoM]

Superior Spider-Man was BAD writing from start to finish based on the fact that everyone was out of character to allow Slott to do his work. Second, I think that it's a travesty to have Spider-Man 2099 and Ultimate Spider-Man in the same universe as Peter Parker. Lastly, I feel that Slott should have ended his run on ASM with The Superior Spider-Man..

I know how you feel but how can I say ? Marvel keep follow this direction a lot of years since Joe Quesada became editor in-chief

How this relate you can find on wikipedia:

Quesada was involved in the creation of three successful Marvel imprints:

Marvel Knights, aimed at older readers, with Jimmy Palmiotti (before his tenure as editor-in-chief)
MAX, aimed at adult readers, with Brian Michael Bendis
Ultimate, aimed at teen readers, with Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar

The you only need to know that Bendis and Hickman are friends/co-workers which know each other for many years.(at least I'm told so)
How Slott and SSM fill in I don't know but I know that SIM was also a result of a dialog with Bendis ( I read it in some interview)

I can say I kinda understand the last few days what Hickman was trying to say as an artist with his work on TRO but Marvel is monorailing on the destructive site for characters. The problem is people liked it a lot or at least bought a lot of it. (It has some similarities to the monster which is feeding on Eternity in Ultimates)

I personally have the impression Bendis works are either super light or super heavy and negative and people start to see the repeating musters inside his stories and so people ask is he tired ? What I mean he hasn't changed only the perception of the readers of his work.

I personally like Al Ewing work at the moment which is entirely in another direction then this.

[Darthfury78]

I know how you feel but how can I say ? Marvel keep follow this direction a lot of years since Joe Quesada became editor in-chief

How this relate you can find on wikipedia:

The you only need to know that Bendis and Hickman are friends/co-workers which know each other for many years.(at least I'm told so)
How Slott and SSM fill in I don't know but I know that SIM was also a result of a dialog with Bendis ( I read it in some interview)

I can say I kinda understand the last few days what Hickman was trying to say as an artist with his work on TRO but Marvel is monorailing on the destructive site for characters. The problem is people liked it a lot or at least bought a lot of it. (It has some similarities to the monster which is feeding on Eternity in Ultimates)

I personally have the impression Bendis works are either super light or super heavy and negative and people start to see the repeating musters inside his stories and so people ask is he tired ? What I mean he hasn't changed only the perception of the readers of his work.

I personally like Al Ewing work at the moment which is entirely in another direction then this.

What sucks at the moment is that Marvel has killed off its successful imprints and put everything under Marvel Now 2.0.

Marvel Knights, aimed at older readers, with Jimmy Palmiotti (before his tenure as editor-in-chief)
MAX, aimed at adult readers, with Brian Michael Bendis
Ultimate, aimed at teen readers, with Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar

For Marvel Knights, MAX, and Ultimate Comics, Marvel should have moved their top talents and up incoming writers into those divisions after Bendis had left instead of allowing him to kill off Ultimate Peter Parker for Miles Morales. For MK, it would had been cool to see a Spider-Man & Black Widow team-up adventure with characters who were not Spider-Man created characters. I've yet to see anyone do a story where Spider-Man deals with the Morlocks, for example.

[LOSTie-chan]

The old guard (Hickman, Fraction, Remender) those guys were tired of writing superhero stuff and wanted to focus on their creator owned material.
This is not the case with Bendis. He loves superheroes. Sucks at writing them but you can't deny that he likes writing for them.

[Darthfury78]

The old guard (Hickman, Fraction, Remender) those guys were tired of writing superhero stuff and wanted to focus on their creator owned material.
This is not the case with Bendis. He loves superheroes. Sucks at writing them but you can't deny that he likes writing for them.

As long as the stories are good. Not replacing the characters with one the same code name. IMO. Bendis signed a 10 year deal with Marvel because they offered him a lot of creative freedom without Editorial interference. I do believe that Bendis wants to focus on his own creator stuff than superhero comics. It's all on the writing.

[Darthfury78]

Marvel stuff always comes first for Bendis. http://www.mailmarke.com

That's because he and Joe Quesada are close. Besides, Joe Q gave Bendis his big break into the mainstream.