Unpublished July Editorial

Time for this month's editorial again. they are bi monthly once more I've noticed that they aren't as focused on topic as I'd like them to be. When I decided to do the may editorial I chose to do it about batman, and how things have changed. I never really got to do it.

It was summer of 98 when No Man's land became a fully realised project in the minds of the public. I liked the Idea. it was so differant from what had been done with Batman before i couldn't help but Like it. I'm a big proponent of change, I liked Parralax (he WAS right BTW) Aquaman was at his best when PAD kept you on your toes never knowing what's next. I also Liked the differant approach to creative teams and the idea of outside Talent. I thought this is going to be good. I held on to that belief, and was astounded by all the people who thought it wouldn't work.

I was dumbfounded really, couldn't they see the artistic possibilities opened up by the story, the creative challenges? I heap most of my derision upon Wizard. The fanboy's fanboys. It seems pretty obvious they wouldn't know a decent idea if it came up out of that cess pit tapped them on the shoulder beat them soundly then flogged and flayed them. Their bias towards marvel and image is obvious, but they couldn't ignore a project Like NML and they decided it wouldn't work. Idiots. They had to swallow humble pie and backtrack. It's not the only high class DC project Wizard overlooked Azrael has been systematically ignored even when it was a new book with kick ass writing, not once has it been in the picks section. They don't even hype Birds Of Prey, although it doesn't really need hyping.

Batman's been through many interpretations throughout the past 60 years, yet there has been reletively little change in the core concept of the character. Additions to Batman's cast and, expansion of the characters history are merely dressing over a single character with a basic appeal, and ingenious concept. Every different interpretation is an illusion, the charcater's the same the dressing changes. NML is an interesting study in the art of illusion. So were Knightfall, Contagion and Legacy. Compare Batman before and after all of these events and he's still the same character. Maybe that's what it takes to be a good editor/writer, the ability to keep things the same without making it stagnant.

Gordon Hope-Murray 17/07/1999 previous columns
15/07/1998
04/09/1998
15/11/1998
15/01/1999
Some time in March/1999
22/04/1999
30/05/1999

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