One Hundred Years Of Blood Is Not Something We’ll Forget Overnight!
— Babylon 5
I don’t have any fond memories of the cult TV series, “Babylon 5,” because I never watched it. And I don’t think I ever will. Doing a quick search, I got a sense that this show was loved by fans. And I got this quote from the show that I use here for a little tongue-in-cheek taste of what may lie ahead for the JMS runs of Superman and Wonder Woman. So,the writer, J. Michael Straczynski, also known simply as JMS, is best known for creating this show. Apparently, this show is a pretty big deal and has hardcore fans. That said, I imagine that JMS is considered to have something of a Midas touch. Okay, so maybe JMS can spin a good tale that should appeal to a certain demographic. And there is the problem: JMS should appeal to a certain demographic.
When does marketing trump quality storytelling? You know, I’m just saying. I don’t have anything against JMS. He’s probably a nice guy and I’m sure his writing is just fine for some light entertainment of a certain kind. But I’m getting the feeling here that the JMS runs of Superman and Wonder Woman are going to be more in the spirit of promotion than captivating fiction. That’s never really a good road to go down, is it? No, not really. Can anyone say that Gail Simone was positioning Wonder Woman for the sake of sales instead of genuinely exploring the character? When you have a writer invested in the character and the story you always win in the end. I’m just saying.
Okay, now I realize I can be digging my own grave with my little rant here. I am seeing JMS as a big name that will promote a title in a big way but not necessarily in a particularly creative way. That is my theme here. But I would not mind finding out that there is more than meets the eye. We shall see. There is a JMS work that I am curious about: Midnight Nation, published from 2000 to 2002 by Top Cow. So, I will get back to you on that.
The JMS runs of Superman and Wonder Woman are now under way with Wonder Woman #600 coming out today with a prologue to the arc entitled, “Couture Shock” and a prologue that appeared last week in Superman #700. For Superman, JMS has Superman on a soul searching walk across America entitled, “Grounded.” For Wonder Woman, JMS has Diana’s past altered by some sinister forces. The big deal here is that Wonder Woman’s look has been totally revamped.
