Monthly archives: December, 2010

Dear Mark Bagley…

Dear Mark Bagley,

My name is Aaron and I am one of your biggest fans. You were drawing Amazing Spider-Man back when I first started reading comics, and I rank you alongside John Romita as one of the two best depictions of the character in it’s nearly 50 years of existence. There’s something about your style that makes me want to buy everything with your name attached.

But for the love of god, please do something worth reading again.

Seriously man, what have you been doing for the last decade? Your post-Amazing work started out with so much promise. Thunderbolts was instantly one of my favorite titles, and the only reason I bought it was because you were drawing it. But what happened then?

I’m sure I’ve ranted on here before about how much I dislike Ultimate Spider-Man (and I challenge Doom Deluise to find it, because I’m too lazy to do so), but it wasn’t because of your art. Bendis just doesn’t write superheroes the right way. So that was, what, seven years I couldn’t read anything you drew?

Then you made the big move to DC and immediately jumped onto a weekly comic series. I have to give you major respect, because no other comic book artist working today could have pulled off that schedule without letting the quality of their art deteriorate. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the writing. After a strong Act 1, the book just sorta lost its magic. For some reason Kurt Busiek just couldn’t sustain the quality that the two of you had on your Thunderbolts run. Your art was the only reason I bought all 52 issues of that.

I really could have gotten behind your work with Judd Winick on Batman, but then DC pulled the rug out from underneath you and you got shuffled off to Justice League. And as much as I tried to love the Justice League, I just couldn’t do it. I mean seriously, Congorilla? And Jade was by FAR the least interesting character to come back from the dead in Blackest Night, a list that includes Hawkman, Aquaman and Firestorm. Yikes.

Now you’re making your big triumphant return to Marvel. Unfortunately, your right back to Ultimate Spider-Man and the dreaded Brian Michael Bendis.

I’m begging you Mark, please make your return to the Ultimate Universe a short one. Find someone else to work with. Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Dan Slott, Peter David, Jeff Parker, Johnathan Hickman, David McCann…so many great writers that you could be working with. Anyone whose initials are not BMB, really.

I want to love the comics you draw, because I love the way you draw comics. Please do something, ANYTHING, that reminds me of the way I loved reading your comics when I was a kid. Don’t make me bring Santa into this.

Sincerely,

Fin Fang Doom



Worst Job in the World

MARVEL EDITOR: Come in, Mr. Yu. Have a seat. How was your drive in today? We have a lot of…sorry, excuse me, would you like a cup of coffee?

LEINIL YU: Sure.

MARVEL EDITOR: Ok, great. Like I was saying, we have a lot of important things, exciting things, to discuss with you today. I have had an eye on your work for awhile now. You’ve been doing some amazing things with those things that you’ve been doing.

LEINIL YU: Thank you, sir. I try to–

MARVEL EDITOR: Look, I don’t want to jerk you around. You’re hot stuff right now. We want to give you your choice of whatever project you want. Whatever you want, Mr. Yu, it’s all yours. So tell me, answer me that: What do you want?

LEINIL YU: Well, to be frank–thank you, wow, that’s hot–to be frank, sir, I’ve always admired Wolverine. I loved drawing him in New Avengers. Just something about him has always–

MARVEL EDITOR: Yeah.

LEINIL YU: Resonated. I mean, with the claws and the non-stop action and all the places around the world that he’s traveled to. Really, any place, any time, Wolverine is endlessly fascinating, both as a character and as a person to draw.

MARVEL EDITOR: So, I’m hearing a lot of interest in a Wolverine project. Well, I’ll tell you what. Your wish is my something something, however that goes. I’m sure you’re familiar with the expression. It’s yours. Wolverine is yours.

LEINIL YU: Oh, wow. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you! I won’t let you down. This is easily the most exciting moment of my professional career so far. Finally, I’ll get a chance to really capture everything about that character that has appealed to so many fans over the years. His brute strength and masculinity, his, well, I don’t want to forget the claws, his ability to just tear his enemies to bits. Wow, I’m just… I’m floored. This is going to be so exciting, I promise.

MARVEL EDITOR: Well… about that. Here’s what we have in mind. I had my assistant write it up this morning. Here, take a look. (more…)