I think Geoff Johns is about the only big writer in US superhero comics that has not really developed at least one creator owned title of his own in this era. There is a European album he did I assume was his creation, but the rest is just licensed characters.

That seems kinda odd to me in a way.

Have you read anything he's tried to write outside the big 2? It's terrible derivative schlock. Which, stripped of the pleasure of the ruby nostalgia glasses pretty much describes his big 2 stuff as well. He wouldn't cut it doing creator-owned stuff, so he needs the comfort of DC's nostalgia brand to be able to work in the industry as much as DC needs the nostalgia fanboy sales to keep producing product, because outside of their evergreen trades, their print products aren't selling to anyone else (neither is Marvel's for that matter and they lack the evergreen trades to keep a foot in the larger print market).

This is the kind of print product the big 2 is selling to the mass market, not comics...



-M

He respects continuity and works that, along with moving new concepts, and blends and balances them IMO.

DC & Marvel, the Big Two, don't want to shake things up too badly from a business standpoint as these characters being around for decades are more of a cash cow.

Marvel & DC aren't the cutting edge. If that's what you want, and I love a lot of it, go to the NON-Big Two, like Image, Dark Horse, Valiant, Oni, Fantagraphics, IDW, First Second, etc.

I'm 99 % done with Marvel, but I love DC continuity and all the crazy concepts and characters they have from the Trinity, Sgt Rock, Doom Patrol, I Vampire, Dr 13, Sandman, the House of Mystery, Jonah Hex, the Legion, etc.

I guess you could say it's the same old thing. It kind of is and it kind of isn't. It's not high brow, but I like it.

He only respects the continuity he likes, he pisses all over the continuity he doesn't like or the stuff that doesn't fit with his retro-angsty take on characters. If you like the same things he likes, you're golden, if not, your S.O.L.

-M

If I have one point against Johns it's his view that heroes need a tragic origin to make them interesting. (particularly in regards to Flash.
Johns Invented the Reverse Flash killing Nora angle for Rebirth and now, even when discussing the Silver Age history of flash in behind the scenes featurettes*
Johns recounts the incident as always having happened. (depite the fact that Barry's parents were alive and well right up until after he disappeared in the Crisis)




*(watch the Chasing the Flash feature about the Kevin Smith directed episode)

Well that's the other thing. Johns wrote most of Wally's latter issues and in the Blitz storyline he had Wally's friend Hunter Zolomon become ZOOM II (A successor to the Reverse Flash. Zolomon's twisted logic* was that he would use tragedy to make flash a better hero (such as causing Linda to miscarry and lose the ability to ever have children again.)
When Flash Rebirth came about after Final Crisis, Johns more or less became hunter Zolomon and started on his own campaign to make heroes "better" by giving them tragedies. (except Green Lantern. His Father's death was invented for Emerald Dawn way back in 1990)

* Now for a villain to have that kind of twisted logic is great. In fact Former Wrestler Michael P.S. Hayes of the Fabulous Freebirds first came up with the idea that "a Bad guy has to believe he's right (in motive and action) no matter how screwed up his logic may be."
Personally, though I feel that each hero should have an origin that sets them apart from others.
Superman was rocketed to earth as a baby and grew up with Incredible Powers and Became the Greatest Hero of them all
Batman saw his parents murdered in front of him as a child and trained himself mentally and physically to become the world's greatest detective and Fighter to prevent such a thing from happening to anyone else.
Wonder Woman was molded out of clay by her mother and given life and power by the Gods to be an ambassador of Peace to the world.
Aquaman was the son of a Lighthouse Keeper and the Queen of Atlantis who grew up learning to use his powers to control sealife and protect the seven seas.
.Martian manhunter was the Last of his race when an Earth scientist attempting to contact life on mars instead brought J'Onn J'onzz to his lab. now trapped on Earthj the Martian chose to help mankind prevent the destruction of their world that Mars had suffered and took the form of a Police Detective John jones
Green Arrow was a rich playboy who had fallen off his yacht and washed ashore on a deserted island. he used archery to hunt and stay alive. when he was able to get back to civilization he stopped a robber at a costume party and chose to fight crime following the thrill he got from the experience
Black Canary was a young woman who wanted to be a Police officer but was refused admission to the academy. seeking adventure despite this she wore a black outfit with a Blonde wig to become the Hero of the golden age. Her daughter craving the same kind of adventures likewise trained herself in martial arts and with a sonic scream become the second Black Canary
Green lantern was a test Pilot renowned for his fearlessness. he was recruited for this and for his utmost Honestly by a dying alien to take his place as a Cosmic Crusader
Flash was a Forensic Scientist who was reading about the exploits of his favorite Comic Book Hero (the Golden age Flash) when Lightning struck the rack of chemicals he was working by. the resulting explosion doused him with the electrified chemicals and gave him the same abilities as his hero inspiring him to fight crime with the power of super speed

That's more or less true of just about every writer in comics though; if your sensibilities are similar to theirs then you'll enjoy their work and if they are not then you won't. Heck that's true of all pop culture as well, not just comics.