I really like Wednesday Comics. Actually, check that. “Like” might not be strong enough a word. I love Wednesday Comics. No, I lust—wait, wait, that’s too strong a word. Let’s stick with love. I love Wednesday Comics.
Part of it is the simple fact that it’s there every week, which is the same thing I liked about 52 and Trinity—the comforting knowledge that no matter what the vagaries of comic book scheduling, I could count on at least one comic featuring my favorite DC heroes every Wednesday.
The other, greater part of that is that Wednesday Comics is chockfull of some of my all-time favorite comics artists, many of them doing great work.
That it’s also a project that offers a unique reading experience, that it prioritizes art and tone over plot and script (but not to the detriment of the story), that it prioritizes comics as a reading experience over comics as collectibles, that it emphasizes serial comics over trade collections to the extent that it’s difficult to even imagine a latter version of the former and that it’s a damn good value doesn’t hurt any either.
You’ll understand then that part of me doesn’t want the series to ever actually end, and, since I know it must, another part of me would like to see another volume of Wednesday Comics, perhaps next summer.
Of course, while a second volume of Wednesday Comics is something I’d like, I’m not sure it’s something that actually should happen.
The project was and is an experiment, and I don’t know if it’s going to prove successful for DC or not (financially; creatively, it seems to work just fine). In comics publishing, an experiment isn’t quite the same as it is science, where one does them over and over to replicate the same results, until certainty sets in.
In comics, an experiment often means a big, huge, maybe even crazy risk, and that even if it works once, there’s no reason to believe it will work again (It’s worth noting that Wednesday Comics is DC’s fourth weekly comic, and all three have been created using entirely different formulas).
Is part of the reason Wednesday Comics works so well for me that it is such a limited, unique experience? Will a second volume work? Will I like it? Will it be like a Hollywood sequel, where the original is better?
I don’t know. But if it is hugely profitable, if editor Mark Chiarello and others at DC decide they want to do a second volume, I’ve got some suggestions.
Not suggestions of a “Silver Age Batgirl by Jill Thompson on page 4, James Kochalka’s Legion of Super-Pets on page 5” sort of nature, but rather just some thoughts to keep in mind.
And if you have some unsolicited, unnecessary and probably unwanted advice for Chiarello, feel free to leave it in the comments section.
Ready?
Characters to keep in mind
A theoretical second volume of Wednesday Comics would definitely want to keep Batman and Superman around for sales purposes, and Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash would probably also be features worth returning (I guess the exact calculus would depend on who’s doing what; for example, “Neil Gaiman” is probably at least as big a seller as “The Flash” in some markets).
Looking at DC’s sales charts, a Justice League or JSA strip probably wouldn’t hurt sales any, either. But as for new adds, to replace some of the features starring lower-tier characters?
Aquaman: It looks like he might be appearing in the Hawkman feature, which this week panned out a bit to show Hawkgirl in the old yellow, arrow-shaped Hawk-ship, the original JLA satellite, and Batman on monitor duty. That would explain why the Atlantean Ace didn’t get a feature of his own, but the format would certainly be kind to Aquaman, wouldn’t it? That giant page would be perfect for underwater vistas, fantasy Atlantean architecture, and the weird and beautiful sea life.
Plastic Man: With the Metal Men and Metamorpho already in, maybe the project had already filled its Characters Who Stretch And Otherwise Change shape quotient. But Plas is seemingly an ideal candidate for a project like Wednesday Comics, being one of those characters that pretty much everyone knows, even though there aren’t really all that many comics featuring him any more.
Captain Marvel: That second sentence above? Just reread that, only change the word “Plas” to “Captain Marvel.”
Enemy Ace: Joe Kubert drawing Sgt. Rock is such a no-brainer, that if you were going to do a Kubert-drawn war comic, that’s the one you’d want to do, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather see drawing an Enemy Ace strip than Kubert, so I’m not exactly surprised or confused that Enemy Ace wasn’t in the series. But maybe next time around? Imagine air battles drawn by someone like Kubert with all that space to work with…! I get excited just imagining the possibility.
Doom Patrol: They fit quite comfortably into that weird, likeable and not-household-name category occupied by The Metal Men and Metamorpho, and thus seem like a good fit for a second volume.
Jonah Hex: If a second volume wanted to try out a different genre, here’s a pretty obvious Western hero (I like Bat Lash too, but Hex has a better visual hook by far).
Artists to keep in mind
Just as a second volume would by necessity want to keep around some of the characters/features, I think it would be a crime not to keep a couple of the contributors around, particularly Kyle Baker, Paul Pope, Mike Allred and Joe Kubert, albeit on different features.
New blood? Or ink, as the case may be?
Tim Sale
Darwyn Cooke
Bruce Timm
Jill Thompson
Stephen DeStefano
Jay Stephens
J. Bone
Grant Morrison (He’s the only writer on my list, although he’s also one of the only writers who successfully experiments with medium in a way that makes him an interesting candidate to script something for such a unique sort of project).
J.H. Williams III
Cameron Stewart
Walt Simonson (on art this time!) with John Workman (Imagine—the biggest sound effects ever put to paper!)
George Perez (While his work is pretty much definitive of superhero comic books, at least for a generation of readers, which means his style doesn’t led itself to old-fashioned comic strip like art, having seen how much detail he can cram into a little comic page, the mind reels trying to imagine what he could do with 14-by-20-inch pages!)
Something else to keep in mind
I just noticed the other day that even though the current line-up is pretty much a perfect cross-section of DC superheroes, compromising between the biggest, best-sellers and quirkier ones with enormous potential, there aren’t any black folks in it.
Of course, there weren’t really any black folks in DC comics for at least the first twenty-some years of their existence. And as is the case with many superhero creations beyond the Golden and Silver Ages, few of those that have since joined the pantheon of DC heroes feel as classic those that come from the first few waves of heroes. (For example, I like Skyrocket from Power Company just fine, but I don’t think a Skyrocket strip in Wednesday Comics would really fit in with the other strips).
At the risk of getting way off-topic, who might be among the more Wednesday Comics-able black superheroes in DC’s stable?
I guess Black Lightning came first, but as nice a job as some creators have done with recent stories, he still seems to be really rooted in his original era of the late-70’s to me, and thus ill-suited to carry a time-less sort of feature.
Steel would work much better, and even if he is derivative of Superman, there’s no shame in being derivative of Superman (Supergirl, for example, works just fine in Wednesday Comics, and, like Batgirl, is more iconic and well-known than a lot of superheroes who aren’t derivative of other characters). Vixen could likewise work well in a strip, and her association with animals would certainly open up the possibilities for some nice illustration subjects in a Wednesday Comics feature.
Oh, and yeah, I know Cyborg has appeared in a few panels of the Teen Titans feature so far, but I’m not sure he’s really in that strip—in fact, it’s hard to say that there are any characters in it, given the jumbled, abstract nature of that particular strip.
July 31st, 2009 at 9:29 am
Steve Ellis should be on this book drawing Jonah Hex! If nothing else, he has proven he can make a tight deadline – and adds something remarkable to comics!
July 31st, 2009 at 10:09 am
Artwise, what can top:
Kamandi with art by Ryan Sook
Wonder Woman with art by Ben Caldwell
Teen Titans with art by Sean Galloway
The Flash with art by Karl Kerschl
These are some of the best doing projects it feels like they were born to draw! I am loving Wednesday Comics!
Egg Embry
http://www.ComicsByEgg.com
July 31st, 2009 at 10:17 am
If they did another one, I’d love to see Jordi Bernet provide art for something, since he’s got such a classic Milton Caniff newspaper-strip thing going on as it is, and he’s one of the two artists I’ve ever had a total stranger peer over my shoulder while on the subway and interrupt me to ask what I was reading since they were so impressed by the art (for an issue of Jonah Hex; interestingly, the other artist was Phil Noto, also for an issue of Jonah Hex.) I think a retro-flavored Challengers Of The Unknown strip would be a blast, too.
Plastic Man’s a great idea; reading the original Jack Cole comics, it’s really notable how he uses Plas’s stretching to draw the readers eye around the page and from panel to panel, and the right artists doing that on a 14″ x 20″ page? The mind boggles. That could be incredible.
As for “James Kolchaka’s Legion of Super-Pets”, definitely leave that out of the next volume.
Make it an ongoing, with the Second Feature “Space Canine Patrol Agents” by Jason.
July 31st, 2009 at 10:28 am
Thank You for the analysis J. Caleb…I think your opinion trumps mine. My idea for if they do a part 2 was focus on a different member of each family (Supes, Bats, WW, Flash/Green Lantern, JLA, JSA), focus on a team (Secret Six, Legion of SH, Shadowpact) who otherwise wouldn’t have the spotlight and a newish character (take your pick).
That along with the mandatory Superman, Batman, WW and Flash/Green Lantern stories and voila! you got 2.0. (I know waaaaay too simple but you flushed it out better Caleb).
July 31st, 2009 at 11:06 am
only captain marvel has a hope of bringing what Supergirl brings to the book and if they did go in that direction I think a lot of people would be very diappointed it wasn’t more serious.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:14 am
old school JSA… in old school art.
each week, a member tells a tale of their crime-fighting adventures… just like they used to
July 31st, 2009 at 11:17 am
I’ve been thinking the same thiung re: the characters they’re using in this. The “big five” should not be in here unless they’re being handled very differently, as they are with Wonder Woman. No Teen Titans. This format was made for:
Plastic Man
The Creeper
The Demon (solo)
The Doom Patrol
Captain Carrot & the Amazing Zoo Crew (perhaps; just a thought)
Bizarro
Captain Marvel
Where DC is really dropping the ball is in the ADVERTISING department. Sure, this an upscale project and we don’t want to see advertisements on the same page. Lose the Robot Chicken ads, at least as they’re currently being presented. DO take advantage of the format and fill it with as many ads, printed on cheap paper that is 1/2-1/4 the size as the rest of the pages, as you can. We fans shouldn’t mind as this is unbound material. No reason you shouldn’t be able to drive the price down to $3.50, maybe even $3.00, by doing this.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:21 am
I’ve been saying from the start, Cameron Stewart, drawing the Doom Patrol.
That said, I can think of several other things that would make sense.
Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson doing an Astro City story, Gaiman doing a Sandman story next time, and a Bill Willingham Fables story next time. (I’d love a Tom Strong as well, as Sprouse’s art and the character would suit the format so very well.)
But Aquaman is needed, agreed. And Cooke should be doing The Spirit.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:31 am
How about black and white dailies?
They should also use the book as a springboard for new characters or to generate interest in new series before actually committing to a new ongoing title.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:32 am
Chiarello mentioned in an interview that he’s got a 1-page story for Plastic Man (and another for the Creeper) sitting on his desk in case one of the other creators misses a deadline. That being said, I agree that both Plas and Captain Marvel would be great in this format. I’d also like to see a Green Lantern/ Green Arrow strip.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:38 am
OMAC (Byrne), Green Arrow (Mike Grell), classic Kal-El Superboy (out of continuity of course), Legion of Superheroes (Perez), Sandman (Wagner), Aquaman (Johns, VanSciver), Shazam (Ordway), House of Mystery, Earth 2 stories…
July 31st, 2009 at 11:39 am
I’d like to see a Green Arrow strip.Written and drawn by Matt Wagner.Because his covers for GA were pretty damned amazing.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:41 am
I’d take the ads comment one step further. Solicit adds, but have them created by the writing/art teams in the old cramped comic book ads style (one for each group) and maybe change them up once per month (so they repeat 4 times then change).
Imagine a legitimate Petsmart or Petco ad, but done in the style of the old “order a monkey” ads.
A JSA one where each member tells a golden age story about a villian that all add up to tell a single meta-plot would rock.
I also like the idea of adding some mature material like Sandman or Fables if they could – while Sgt. Rock, Jonnah Hex, etc.. are a little different, it would be interesting to see some vertigo-like variety included.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:43 am
Jill Thompson!
July 31st, 2009 at 11:44 am
Instead of Jonah Hex, I’d prefer Bat Lash.
Any Legion of Super-Heroes character should draw in that rabid fanbase.
Dingbats of Danger Street would be fun
I’ll agree the format should compliment an Aquaman feature
The same goes for Congo Bill.
Also Tomahawk.
They don’t all have to be super-heroes, Stanley and his Monster could evoke a real Little Nemo feel.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:59 am
I love the format. I just wish MARVEL was producing it, so it would feature some characters I actually care about.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I LOVE Wednesday Comics! Love it. Of course I have my favorites (Super-Girl, Metal Men, Hawkman, Batman), but I savor each and every page and panel. There MUST be a volume 2 & 3 & 4 etc. If there is anyone in this business who does not need our advice it is Mark Chiarello. He is the one talent who is a MUST for all future volumes. Not only has Mark given me characters I love by creators I love, but also charters and creators I’ve never paid attention to (and would likely not follow in a regular comic). And, like I said, I’m loving each and every page and panel. I hope Marvel copies Wednesday Comics, and when they do, I hope they do it just as well. Congrats to DC and all involved. Oh… I do have one request. I wish all the pages had fully detailed credits. Some of the credits only list the creators by last name, or they list the creators without listing what each creator is responsible for. I would like to see Story by, Art by, Color by, Letters by etc., with first and last names for each credit.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
You know…that’s a valid point. In experimenting with this format, it might be a good idea for DC to push more of their diverse ethnicity characters. Some examples could include Static, Blue Beetle, Vixen (a Sheena variation) and the new Question.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
For a second volume, I hope one of the creative teams takes on the challenge of telling complete stories in one page. I like the cliffhangers every week, but it would be interesting to see a complete, one-page story (beginning, middle, and end) done with these characters. Maybe it doesn’t work, but again, it’s about experimenting with different types of storytelling, right?
Also, I’m finding the Wonder Woman story to be a real chore to read.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
How about Swamp Thing?
July 31st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I think the only story that really works now is Catwoman/Demon. The Supergirl strip by Amanada Conner is also fun. But she draws her face almost exactly like Power Girl.
July 31st, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I think Static would make an excellent addition to Wednesday Comics 2.0. People would be familiar with him due to the old “Static Shock” series. It could be used as an intro for people not familiar with the Milestone characters. I’d gladly see it replace “Teen Titans” since it feels like the weakest of the strips; my complaint isn’t with the art but with the apathetic tone of Eddie Berganza’s writing. If “Teen Titans” does return, I hope it’s written by J. Torres (writer of the excellent and underappreciated “Teen Titans Go!” series)
July 31st, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I love Wednesday Comics and would certainly support future installments. With DC’s rich history they could do these indefinitely and it would be a great way to showcase (pardon the expression) characters that don’t currently have their own monthlies. I’ve seen a lot of complaints that it’s ‘only’ 15 pages for $3.99, but the quality is there and I don’t mind paying for quality. That said, I agree with all of Caleb’s character choices and offer these:
-World’s Finest (Superman/Batman)
-Green Arrow & Black Canary
-Batgirl (classic Barbara Gordan)
-Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew (only if Scott Shaw! Does it)
-Mr. Miracle
-Blue Devil
-The Creeper and the Joker
-Krypto & the Legion of Super-Pets
-Static
-The Atom (Ryan Choi)
-Zatanna, Mistress of Magic
-Creature Commandos
-Martian Manhunter
-Blackhawk
-The Question (Vic Sage)
-Phantom Stranger
-Challengers of the Unknown
July 31st, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I’d love to see Alan Davis Aquaman, either by himself or with John Ostrander writing. Also, Matt Wagner should be on something, maybe make him stretch (no pun intended) with Plastic Man or give him a Martian Manhunter strip. Captain Marvel would look great with him as well, I think. I think if we learn anything from the Titans strip, though, is that its very hard to do any team book in this format, so a JLA/JSA strip should probably be avoided.
July 31st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Very nice suggestions, a few of them I”ve even said to some friends my own self (keeping DC’s Big Five characters, and adding a JLA or JSA strip in particular, as well as Captain Marvel and Plastic Man and getting Walt Simonson to do full art).
Lots of good suggestions for strips here, the only addition I’ll add would be to see The Warlord completely by Mike Grell.
And as far as particular artists, I’ll add Michael Golden to the list…
July 31st, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I agree with “r” in that future editions of Wednesday Comics should strive to have at least 1/4 of the strips “done in one” with a complete tale each week. To my mind, this would be most easily accomplished with humor strips.
Some suggestions
Legion of Super-Pets (featuring a different pet each week)
Legion of Substitute-Heroes (ibid)
Space Cabby (a different strange rider each week)
Stanley and his Monster
Angel and the Ape
Inferior Five
Detective Chimp
Bat-Mite
Doiby Dickles
Ace, the Bat-Hound
Tales of Bizarro World
Captain Carrott
Hoppy, the Marvel Bunny
Dingbats of Danger Street
Other possibilities
Space Museum
Creature Commandoes
Losers
Gunner & Sarge
Night Force
July 31st, 2009 at 2:47 pm
One suggestion that I’d make would be to have one page per issue dedicated to a bunch of short 3-panel joke strips, all focused on DC characters. Include creators like Fred Hembeck, Scott Shaw!, Sergio Aragones, Judd Winick (who got his start in comic strips), etc. Maybe four or five stips per page.
July 31st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
i’d like to see a golden age JSA drawn by guy davis.
July 31st, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Maybe what they could do is get writers that know how to write a weekly comic strip instead of a page of comic book a week? ecause that’s one of the things that don’t work with Wednesday Comics (and that made me drop the book already).
July 31st, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I’d suggest running an ICON (Milestone) strip, if we’re going for the inclusion of black characters in the next go ’round. With or without Rocket. I’d see if I could lure Priest back to writing something just for this project (and let him pick his own character if he didn’t feel like writing Icon).
I’d, also, be partial to seeing a Blue Devil strip, preferably with Paris Cullins being brought back to the world of comic book art, if possible.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:10 pm
“Maybe what they could do is get writers that know how to write a weekly comic strip instead of a page of comic book a week? ecause that’s one of the things that don’t work with Wednesday Comics (and that made me drop the book already).”
Are you sure you’re comparing this to other pre-existing weekly and daily strips? Because all of your strips with an ongoing story (Mary Worth, Spider-Man, etc) are pretty much presented just like this. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read an individual strip of Spider-Man (when only sporadically getting my hands on a NY paper that carried it) and found nothing of value that stood on its own. You very much had to have read what came before and what was to come after to really get anything. Heck, I own a few of the Peanuts collections from Fantagraphics and Schultz often had arcs where the individual parts were nearly meaningless without the whole.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Whatever characters or creators make it into the next round, I hope that they turn the center pages into one gigantic 28 by 20 strip. In the best of all possible worlds, they would convince Chris Ware to write and draw, since he’s more than proven his chops experimenting in the newsprint format with nostalgic creations like Tales of Tomorrow and Branford the Bee. Just imagine what he could do with Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen.
Other than that, I wouldn’t mind seeing some of Morrison’s Seven Soldiers put in an appearance, particularly Klarion or Zatanna.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Maybe what they could do is get writers that know how to write a weekly comic strip instead of a page of comic book a week?
Granted, I don’t read every Sunday newspaper in the world, but I’m stumped–what modern weekly newspaper adventure comic strips are you reading?
July 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
“I like Bat Last too, but Hex has a better visual hook by far.”
Except that Bat Lash is funnier and probably a bit more entertaining if they should decide to go with a short-form humor piece. Hex is brilliant for gritty western drama but Bat Lash is probably the better hook for a purely entertaining mainstream audience.
Get John Severin on the phone!
July 31st, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I would like to see some different things, like a page of single panel jokes (multiple characters, like “Far Side” or such), a combination cartoon / activity page (something with Sugar and Spike, perhaps?), or perhaps a “Family Circus” inspired “where has Flash been running today’? Some more humor would definitely be a plus.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
I LOVE Wednesday comics. That said, I would want to see a mix of some returning, some new creators.
Kamandi, Hawkman, Strange Adventures and Metal Men should NOT change teams. They are perfect the way they are.
I would like to see Doom Patrol, Aquaman, Batgirl (Babs), Shazam! and the Joker get their own strips.
I would really love to see a page of “strips” – ala Peanuts, Calvin n’ Hobbes, etc. of quickie “done in one” gag comics featuring “comedy characters” like – Tiny Titans (Franco/Balthazar), Blue & Gold (Maguire art) Plastic Man (Baker art ‘natch) Blue Devil (suggestions?) or Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew. (Shaw art)
But what most needs to happen is that editorial really needs to do is enforce the “cliffhanger” style of storytelling that makes this format so great. Strange Adventures and Kamandi have gotten it so right. Sadly others, like Batman, Superman and Metamorpho – suffer from the lack of it.
As for creators (artists) I’d love to see:
Matt Wagner
JH Williams III
Evan Dorkin
Mike Mignola
Alan Davis
Jerry Ordway
July 31st, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Given the nature of Wednesday comics you can use any character and make them timeless somehow.
My first thought is that I’d love to see a return of Grant Morrisson, Howard Porter and John Dell working together to do a Tomorrow Woman story as they did when they first introduced her in JLA#5.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:55 pm
What about the New Gods in some sort of space-opera a la raymond’s Flash Gordon?
With Butch Guice’s art, maybe?
July 31st, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I like alot of the artists in Wednesday Comics and like the page size but find the folds un-flat-ering. How could Wednesday Comics be collected? Large same oversize format book with week chapters? All the features sorted out? A separate oversize hardcover with bonus material for each feature?
If there were to be future runs of Wednesday Comics, I think Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman would be the consistent regular mainstays, and then other superDCU “strips” and various other genre characters could be thrown into the mix…Jonah Hex, Angel and the Ape, Young Love, Sugar ‘n’ Spike, Blackhawk, etc.
What would I specifically like to see and by who? I’m not going to mix and match dream teams but would like to see artists like Bruce Timm, Frank Cho, Art Adams, Steve Rude, Dave Johnson, Steve Lightle, Mike Golden, Brian Bolland, Travis Charest, Adam Hughes and so on.
July 31st, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Aquaman should absolutely be included in the next version of Wednesday Comics; I’ve been thinking since the first issue that he’d be perfect for this format, and was surprised he hadn’t been included. Jonah Hex, Captain Marvel and Challengers of the Unknown are also good calls.
How about a Dini-written Zatanna feature, with an obligatory Batman cameo? Or, alternately, Matt Wagner on Dr Fate? A JSA or All-Star Squadron strip set in the 40′s? If African-American representation is important, maybe a Vixen/Animal Man team-up, like the current Demon/Catwoman?
Perhaps this would be the perfect format for James Robinson to (briefly) revisit Starman?
July 31st, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I LOVED the concept of Wednesday Comics… but I quit buying after the third issue. Why? Well, I thought part of the concept was to “recapture anew some of the fun of the old Sunday comic sections.” Yet for me the only features that came close were Flash / Iris West and Metal Men. Honorable mention goes to Kamandi. The remaining pages seemed to be created by modern comic book artists who simply had a larger space in which to create a modern comic book page. What came from that was overly dark panels, bad coloring, slow moving stories, too little dialog, pages that seemed tp squander space by including extra large drawings (I was ticked by two Metamorpho poster pages in a row), and plots, stories, and characters that seemed inaccessible to the mass audience that enjoyed the Sunday comics of old. Writers/artists who would create any future editions of Wednesday comics should be required to read old comic sections or at least sequential tearsheets in order to get a feeling for what the the Sunday comics of yesteryear were all about. So if there’s to be a Wednesday Comics volume 2, please try to get this one right. Put some real fun into it. Give us the JLA of the ’60s, a Caniff-style version of Blackhawk, a western such as Bat Lash. Give us a Superman and Batman we can recognize, not just the stuff that plays to the fanboys. Through in some humor with Plastic Man and Angel and the Ape. Give us Green Lanterns in Space and a Rip Kirby style detective feature starring Batman or Martian Manhunter. Give us better, fast movie stories — look at how the old masters did it. Then throw us old comics lovers a bone and take a page to reprint Superman Sundays from where Kitchen Sink left off, and Batman Sundays from the ’60s. Now that would be FUN!
July 31st, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Some major newspapers would do well to pick these up and make it part of their publication.
August 1st, 2009 at 4:34 am
Aquaman should absolutely be included in the next version of Wednesday Comics; I’ve been thinking since the first issue that he’d be perfect for this format, and was surprised he hadn’t been included. Jonah Hex, Captain Marvel and Challengers of the Unknown are also good calls.
How about a Dini-written Zatanna feature, with an obligatory Batman cameo? Or, alternately, Matt Wagner on Dr Fate? A JSA or All-Star Squadron strip set in the 40′s? If African-American representation is important, maybe a Vixen/Animal Man team-up, like the current Demon/Catwoman?
Perhaps this would be the perfect format for James Robinson to (briefly) revisit Starman?
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
August 1st, 2009 at 6:55 am
I’m much, much more into writing than art in my comics so this really isn’t the project for me. People dig it, so if they do another one, I’d be for it, but I just can’t get into this at all, except for maybe the Paul Pope Adam Strange which fills a creative niche I don’t see being filled anywhere else.
52, being the all-star collection of writers telling one massive story, was much, much more down my alley.
August 1st, 2009 at 7:09 am
AQUAMAN is coming in the Supergirl strip…i think it is week 6.
August 1st, 2009 at 11:20 am
While I love the superhero genre, how about some offbeat stuff? Swamp Thing for Suspense, Jonah Hex for Westerns, (retro)Captain Comet for Outer Space, Madame Xanadu (by Wagner no less doing story AND art!) for Mystey and my favorite idea – The Viking Prince for that “Prince Valiant” flavor.
Thats only 5. Plenty of room for Supes, Bats and the like.
Love the idea of Plastic Man too. For the “comic” in comics!
August 1st, 2009 at 11:32 am
Matthew Farley…Supergirl and Powergirl are basically the same person. What do you expect?
August 1st, 2009 at 5:22 pm
STATIC! He’s had his own animated series and is DC now.
His own book back in the day started out really well.
I’d say have Dwayne McDuffie and Jean Paul Leon do a few stories to get him out there again.
August 1st, 2009 at 10:45 pm
I have an idea…
First week would be one character’s completely solo story.
The second week would be another character’s completely solo story.
The rest of following weeks would be 10 different characters’ completely solo stories.
Sounds plausible?
August 1st, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Dream strips:
- Any strip with art by Steve Ditko
- Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Waterson
- Sergio Aragones on anything. I’d love Groo, but with DH publishing that, it’s probably not possible. Perhaps Inferior Five?
- I do like the idea of one of the old sci fi space series. Star Hawkins with his robot secretary Ilda was always a favorite.
August 2nd, 2009 at 5:59 am
Kamandi…..Ive waited so long for something, anything Kamandi!! The art is fantastic and its so nice to see new life brought to this young man and his kitty.
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:41 am
I tend to avoid suggesting strips and artists as DC editorial will choose what they choose. And when I get stuck on an idea like that it’s hard not to be a touch disappointed when it doesn’t happen.
My advice would be to try and get weekly comics out there somewhere other than comic shops. Maybe a a deal with Wal-Mart, a grocery chain and/or a book store with their own summer spinner rack. (perhaps along with a number of regular series that people could jump to if Wednesday comics catches their fancy?). It would have to be somewhere people go regularly enough to pick up or they would have to stock an overage of copies for people t pick up several issues a ta time.
That takes a lot of work, and to make it happen next year they should already be on it! But USA Today was a good little coup (It’s a shame the Superman strip they chose is not the best representative of DC and unlikely to create excitement). But outreach to new markets like this might help them reach new audiences more effectively.
The other challenge is make sure a number of the strips actually point to a current series that is at least close in tone. For example, people may like the Batman strip enough to pick up a Bats comic and discover Bruce Wayne is dead, Robin’s a creep and nothing seems remotely like that cool strip they saw in Wednesday Comics.
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:52 am
I suppose I will give a nod to the great content suggestions up here. I do think giving over each week to one character would doom sales. It would be a repeat of the Solo series. Having a number of characters allows people to latch onto their favourites and leaves them wanting more.
Anticipation is a powerful thing. My wife only likes three comics in our Sunday section but they’re the first thing she checks for!
I do think we are seeing a great deal of top writing in this project. The great art has distracted people from that but it’s there.
I gravitate to the suggestions that somewhat harken back to the days when newspaper comics were more popular is a solid one. I love the idea of a page of strips!
A 50′s-ish sci-fi like Star Hawkins or Space Cabbie (silly enough to intrigue) does sound good, a Caniff-style Challengers, a Calvin and Hobbes-ish romp by Aragones (perhaps Watterson could be persuaded to play with DC’s toys?), perhaps a political satire?.
Think of the grandeur that Kamandi has taken on with a Hal Foster take on it. And the Flash Gordon-esque style of Adam Strange is most fitting as well. And the division of the Flash into his own strip and the “Heart of Juliet Jones” -style Iris West-Allen strip is truly inspired.
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:41 am
I’ve got no suggestions but a plea to DC — please continue Wednesday Comics! It’s the best superhero “book” you’ve put out in years, and the only thing I’m picking up regularly now (non-trade). Keep it coming at this quality level and I’ll keep buying.
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:46 am
…”a Caniff-style Challengers” is a splendid idea, should be something that each writer/artist pay homage to yesteryear creators for making Sunday Funnies the best.
August 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 am
here’s a thought for DC increase page count of the book to 5 pages from 4 and use the 5th page for ads.
also use the middle of the magazine or centerfold for a different strip each week giving that strip more story telling space and a visual treat for the reader seeing a strip in a 20″ x 28″ vista.
August 2nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
I wonder…are we limited to DC DCU characters? What about Sandman or some of the characters from the Dreaming?
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
i think the giant middle page would be an AWESOME idea! think of all the TINY panels you cou– never mind.
i’d second steve ellis for jonah hex, if you’ve seen his zuda “high moon” series it’s a pretty obvious leap. and i’d like to see a combination that could only be done justice at huge size, like gary gianni doing “warlord”, or “aquaman” with a vast undersea battle…
also, there should be a slam bradley/martian manhunter story.
August 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I’d love to see a Cheeseyfied, Silver Age-style Icon and Rocket strip.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I’d suggest that perhaps the main thing to do is not to push for a sequel in 2010 if the right lineup of talent can’t commit. There wouldn’t be anything wrong with doing something different in 2010 and returning in 2011.
August 12th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Caleb,
Thanks so much for throwing my name in there with such super talents. I’m loving the Wednesday comics and, like everyone else, speculating and hoping for future editions. What I enjoy most is the mix of talent with character. Some are familiar – we’ve seen the pairing before but not for several years, while others are new and un-expected!
And whoever suggested Alan Davis on Aquaman – I second that! Wow! What a great combo!
best.
June 9th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
How about black and white dailies?
jvc bn-vf823 charger
They should also use the book as a springboard for new characters or to generate interest in new series before actually committing to a new ongoing title.
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