Dan Slott To Remain Writer of Amazing Spider-Man Post-Empire And Through Legacy

[Aruran.]

Right now, writers do want to stick around on the Spider-Man books.

Slott being on-board since 2008 is one thing. Bendis has been on a Spider-Man book of some kind since 2000.

Meanwhile, we have monthly titles by Gerry Conway and Peter David.

Well it's one thing for writers to stay on a book, it's another if Marvel lets them. From a lot of different standpoints Dan Slott's run has been a major success for Marvel. Example: His idea for Spider-Verse got incorporated into a tv show in under 3 years of it being published.

But we should acknowledge that it's an outlier to have a writer stay on Marvel/DC book beyond 7 years. For Spider-Man alone JMS and Michelinie both lasted 7 years as the main guys on ASM. That's the longest run for anyone in the last 30 years on ASM. Bendis is a different case too cause he didn't write the same amount of Spider-Man comics that Slott has written in a 7 year span.

It's just kinda mind-blowing that Marvel would continue to let one writer stay on yet constantly change other books for different writers.

[Mister Mets]

Well it's one thing for writers to stay on a book, it's another if Marvel lets them. From a lot of different standpoints Dan Slott's run has been a major success for Marvel. Example: His idea for Spider-Verse got incorporated into a tv show in under 3 years of it being published.

But we should acknowledge that it's an outlier to have a writer stay on Marvel/DC book beyond 7 years. For Spider-Man alone JMS and Michelinie both lasted 7 years as the main guys on ASM. That's the longest run for anyone in the last 30 years on ASM. Bendis is a different case too cause he didn't write the same amount of Spider-Man comics that Slott has written in a 7 year span.

It's just kinda mind-blowing that Marvel would continue to let one writer stay on yet constantly change other books for different writers.

The unusual thing is that a writer wants to stay on one book so long, not that Marvel lets them.

When Marvel boots writers from a title, it tends to be because the writers weren't successful.

On the successful runs, what tends to happen is that writers leave of their own accord because they're tired of one title and/ or something better came up.

Bendis wasn't kicked off the Avengers. He chose to write the X-Men.

Brubaker wanted to write independent comics after his run on Captain America.

Hickman's Fantastic Four had a beginning, middle and end, as was always the plan.

After Daredevil, Waid was offered the Avengers.

If any of those writers wanted to stick on for another year, Marvel would've been happy to help make it happen.

A quick point on the Michelinie comparison. He came on ASM on an issue cover-dated July 1987 and stayed on for about seven years (until an issue cover-dated April 1994.) I can see comparing the early parts of his run to Slott's role in BND, but that was when Slott shared billing with many other writers (and included periods when his contributions to the book were rare.) I think Slott's role in BND was closer to Michelinie's Web of Spider-Man run as some well-regarded issues that preceded him truly taking over.

[Timmyb52]

That is simply not true. It outsells a whole bunch of DC titles. Your bias is showing again.

Everyone is biased to one degree or another.I just happen to believe Slott should give someone else the same chance he had and pass the torch already.End your never ending Superior Ock story and pass the torch!

[Timmyb52]

Oh come on. Is it that hard for you to understand that a lot of people actually like Slotts work? The sales numbers does simply not support these claims. I know you have demonstrated that you have a hard time accepting that but please dont insult the rest of us who do enjoy the work by telling us that even though we like it and numbers support us the title is really in some sort of terrible shape.

Yes people like his work and buy his book...but the fact is a lot more people could be buying the book then are currently.Amazing could be doing 85.000 -90.000 month after month if Marvel would just bring in a fresh talent and undo some of the errors of the past by reunifying the fanbase. I never said Amazing was in serious trouble...my point is it could be doing way better.

[Timmyb52]

Issue 32 will be issue 750. That all hinges on whether they include Superior. But I hope they don't. Just leave that as its own thing.

They should spin off Superior Ock into its own title and give that to Slott while bringing someone new unto Amazing.We'll see what happens though with Legacy.

[Timmyb52]

That was Morrison’s plan. He always intended to "put the toys back into the box" after he was done.

With Dan, he still has Parker Industries to address. After that? I can't say. I don't know what his plans are. Amazing is still selling well and I assume Marvel wants him to stay on to handle the transition. In the end, it all depends on how good his stuff is he has coming up. If its good, Great. If it isn't, then perhaps a new voice will be needed.

This brings up an interesting point about how long a writer should be on a title. If Dan genuinely feels he has more stories to tell with Peter, then I am all for it. But if he is staying on because he doesn't want to give it up, that's another issue altogether.

A writer only has so much story to tell with a particular character before they begin a steady slide into mediocrity or begin repeating themselves. To use an example look at Tite Kubo on Bleach. That should have ended after the defeat of Aizen. But he dragged it out with another unnecessary saga for years afterwards. By that point, the title was a shadow of its former self.

Claremont has numerous X-men stories he didn't tell. But would anyone still be reading if he was still writing it now?

Dan will know when he is ready to go. I just hope he goes out while he is still on top, and not a shadow of his former self due to a reluctance to walk away. That would be a damn shame.

There comes a point when a writer has been on a title for so long that it becomes a sort of "security blanket" for them and that they get so used to writing that one title that they get insecure about writing anything else.Feeling and thinking that maybe they won't be able to reach those same heights with another character. I agree...Slott should leave while he still commands a respectable following before he finds himself in that kind of situation. Personally, I felt he should have left after Superior.

[Dan Slott]

I never said Amazing was in serious trouble...my point is it could be doing way better.

I'd like to sincerely apologize for a consistent five year stretch on writing the highest selling super hero title for one of the biggest comic book companies in the world. I can't begin to tell you how ashamed I'm feeling right now.

[Dan Slott]

Everyone is biased to one degree or another.I just happen to believe Slott should give someone else the same chance he had and pass the torch already.End your never ending Superior Ock story and pass the torch!

I think you should move out of your house and let someone else live there. You're being very unfair to the people who'd like to live there.

The same goes for your job. I think you should quit. Someone else might enjoy doing what you do for a living. It really doesn't matter if it's your dream job and you love it. Inconsequential. Sure, your company may be quite satisfied-- even overly happy-- with your performance, but what do they know? The important thing, Timmyb52, is that YOU should quit your job.

[boots]

Yes people like his work and buy his book...but the fact is a lot more people could be buying the book then are currently.Amazing could be doing 85.000 -90.000 month after month if Marvel would just bring in a fresh talent and undo some of the errors of the past by reunifying the fanbase. I never said Amazing was in serious trouble...my point is it could be doing way better.

lets unpack this. giving your theory the benefit of the doubt; that the RYV audience is a distinct and separate audience from the current ASM audience (though we shouldn't forget that there is no data to back this up) and that, were ASM to restore the marriage that each and every RYV reader would migrate across to ASM combining both readerships and making its monthly reach approx 90,000 readers...

lets say that is true. what possible reason could there be for marvel not realising this and implementing it? as business savvy as the average message board punter is, i'd say there is not one possibility that has occurred to someone on this board that couldn't occur to an actual professional employee of marvel.

so, if this money and reach is just sitting there for the taking, what is stopping them? if the answer is so clear and the numbers add up... is it just their dark, bitter hearts that refuse to increase their own profit and the happiness of fandom?

[boots]

There comes a point when a writer has been on a title for so long that it becomes a sort of "security blanket" for them

these moments where posters dr phil another person who they have never met, in an industry they've never worked in, in a job they've never experienced are the reasons i can't leave this board.

how do you pinpoint the "security blanket" tipping point in someone's career? are these things ever apparent to any artist or audience? or is it really just a hindsight 20/20 thing.

[Bor]

Everyone is biased to one degree or another.I just happen to believe Slott should give someone else the same chance he had and pass the torch already.End your never ending Superior Ock story and pass the torch!

My bias is I enjoy his work so I want him to stay on the title.

Yours is that you made a false statement about the book in comparison to DC books. Not remotely the same thing.

[Timmyb52]

I think you should move out of your house and let someone else live there. You're being very unfair to the people who'd like to live there.

The same goes for your job. I think you should quit. Someone else might enjoy doing what you do for a living. It really doesn't matter if it's your dream job and you love it. Inconsequential. Sure, your company may be quite satisfied-- even overly happy-- with your performance, but what do they know? The important thing, Timmyb52, is that YOU should quit your job.

Aren't you being unfair in not giving someone else the same chance that Marvel gave yourself? You are a writer for a comic book...you can write other comics than Amazing Spiderman. And...no one is telling you to quit your job.In fact, I think Silver Surfer could really deserve your full attention about now.

[boots]

Aren't you being unfair in not giving someone else the same chance that Marvel gave yourself?

that is a completely new approach to jobs and careers. it's kind of a nice and unrealistic one though.

And...no one is telling you to quit your job.In fact, I think Silver Surfer could really deserve your full attention about now.

well, if by "not telling" you mean passive aggressive inference, then yeah...

i think it's perfectly fine to want new voices or fresh blood on a book but i think it's a little odd to actually say it to a creator's "face" with the expectation that they will agree.

[Bor]

Aren't you being unfair in not giving someone else the same chance that Marvel gave yourself? You are a writer for a comic book...you can write other comics than Amazing Spiderman. And...no one is telling you to quit your job.In fact, I think Silver Surfer could really deserve your full attention about now.

So even though he describes it as his dream job, sales have been good, and apparantly those in charge like what he is doing you think he should quit because other people might like to have his job to?

That is not how a job works....anywhere..

[Timmyb52]

So even though he describes it as his dream job, sales have been good, and apparantly those in charge like what he is doing you think he should quit because other people might like to have his job to?

That is not how a job works....anywhere..

His job is writing comic books...since when is a comic book writer entitled to forever write on one title for their entire career? Stan Lee himself didn't even get that privilege.