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Yeah, a bit more enigmatic title than I usually do, but if
you’ve been following the x-news, you know what I’m talking
about. I’ll get to it in just a moment.
First, I’d like to thank all of you who wrote me back and
commented on my review of the X-Movie. I love getting mail
from you folks. It puts a lil smile on my face. Especially when
we’re all pretty much on the same wavelength about something.
It makes me feel like less of a crackpot. Not much less, but a
little bit. Keep the mail coming! Suggest ideas for columns!
Gods know I’m running out.
Or not. The way Marvel is going at it, they’ll be pissing me
off for years to come. What am I blabbering on about? Why,
the recent state of affairs regarding Gambit and Bishop’s comics.
"What about them?" you may be asking. Yeah, if you’ve
been under a rock for the past few weeks, maybe.
Marvel fired Fabian Nicieza off of Gambit, and Joe Harris is
leaving Bishop, apparently of his own accord. Fabian was
rather unceremoniously removed from his title, and not even
informed it had been done until long after the fact. They did not
try and discuss the new directions they wished to take the book
in with him or anything.
Now, this isn’t entirely a new business practice, but it has
never struck me as right. Least of all in this case, where Fabian
was doing an excellent job on the title, writing the character so a
lot of folks would enjoy it. Even those who could not stand the
character.
And who is his replacement? Why, none other than Scott
Lobdell, the bane of the X-Books. He will be taking over both
books. And I shall be dropping them at that time.
"But Jason," you may wonder, "You should give him a
chance!" I’ve given him plenty of chances. I can count the
number of stories Lobdell has written that I liked on one hand.
And his portrayals of these two characters I have NEVER liked,
no matter where I have read them. In fact, his writing of
Gambit, and the characterisation thereof, is the reason why many
people dislike that character.
I gave Scott a fair chance when he took over Gen13. I
figured maybe he would be better without the evil editors at
Marvel. Instead, he turned the book back into everything I
hated about it. I dropped the title like a stone. I will incidentally
be starting to read it again in a few months with the new writer
coming on board.
So, that’s two less x-titles I have to worry about for a long
time. Oh wait, no, just one, for a few months! Bishop’s current
series is ending, and in December, there will be a
Gambit/Bishop: Alpha, followed by Gambit going on hiatus, and
for the next three months, there will be a six issue, biweekly
miniseries with the two characters. After which, Gambit
resumes his book, and Bishop gets a new series, complete with
#1! Bishop will soon have enough #1 issues to rival the Legion
of Superheroes, and Ka-Zar. This is not a good thing.
I hate events like this. Plain and simple. So do a lot of fans.
Marvel, smarten up, and treat the writer’s with some respect.
Fabian was doing a good job, the sales were pretty steady, and
the book was intriguing with tons of mysteries. Which will now
be botched by Lobdell’s interpretations. Wheee, saving 4.50 a
month!
I’m disgusted.
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