Why is Marv Wolfman fawning over a divisive figure like Brad Meltzer?
3 Comments Published by Avi Green on Monday, January 28, 2019 at 7:38 AM.
It's always very sad when a guy whose past work is admired as Wolfman's is goes along and sugarcoats the record of a writer as downright divisive as Meltzer's happens to be. Case in point:
I know Wolfman's not the first writer to take an ill-advised, sugarcoated stand on somebody who penned as miniseries as loathsome as Identity Crisis was. Nor will he be the last. But it's still very regrettable he's going along doing this, because it risks alienating audience, and obscures the hard issues and questions involved. Is he acting so naive because Meltzer and Morales made use of Deathstroke in their grimy little story, the overwrought, otherwise out-of-character depiction notwithstanding? He didn't think Slade Wilson punching Zatanna in the tummy hard enough to make her vomit and slipping a leather bag over Black Canary's head and handcuffing her was repugnant and a prime example of sensationalized violence finding its way into mainstream corporate-owned comics today? Well that's a real shame Wolfman's overlooking what plenty of alienated DC fans found offensive, and forcing them to take his past work with a grain of salt.
Wolfman's got plenty of great stories in his resume, and I myself own a bundle. But promoting the work of somebody like Meltzer, who, in contrast to Devin Grayson, hasn't even apologized for being so gross in his vision, does nothing to ensure he'll retain full admiration of the audience. And that's a very sad shame. At the least, Wolfman could make his last mention of Meltzer the very last. I certainly won't buy Meltzer's products, and never have.
Over the decades, writer extraordinaire Brad Meltzer has written about many fictional conspiracies, but in his latest book, on sale now, he tackles a true story about George Washington that most of us... https://t.co/8n5IIJEDBw— Marv Wolfman (@marvwolfman) January 9, 2019
I know Wolfman's not the first writer to take an ill-advised, sugarcoated stand on somebody who penned as miniseries as loathsome as Identity Crisis was. Nor will he be the last. But it's still very regrettable he's going along doing this, because it risks alienating audience, and obscures the hard issues and questions involved. Is he acting so naive because Meltzer and Morales made use of Deathstroke in their grimy little story, the overwrought, otherwise out-of-character depiction notwithstanding? He didn't think Slade Wilson punching Zatanna in the tummy hard enough to make her vomit and slipping a leather bag over Black Canary's head and handcuffing her was repugnant and a prime example of sensationalized violence finding its way into mainstream corporate-owned comics today? Well that's a real shame Wolfman's overlooking what plenty of alienated DC fans found offensive, and forcing them to take his past work with a grain of salt.
Wolfman's got plenty of great stories in his resume, and I myself own a bundle. But promoting the work of somebody like Meltzer, who, in contrast to Devin Grayson, hasn't even apologized for being so gross in his vision, does nothing to ensure he'll retain full admiration of the audience. And that's a very sad shame. At the least, Wolfman could make his last mention of Meltzer the very last. I certainly won't buy Meltzer's products, and never have.
Labels: dc comics, misogyny and racism, violence, women of dc
CBR recently interviewed Meltzer on Identity Crisis hitting just about 15 years:
https://www.cbr.com/interview-brad-meltzer-identity-crisis/
He also found a way to take a swipe at Trump, while he was at it. Anyway, it's a pity Wolfman feels this way, but then I forget on what he's said about Identity Crisis, if anything. I'll also go with 'maybe DC mandated him to plug Meltzer's book,' who knows? It's no less disappointing, I agree.
I'll try to write about the CBR interview too in the next few days. Thanks for the note.
Despite what your nostalgia might think, Wolfman hasn't exactly batted a thousand in many of your favorite "pamphlets" in the past, like for instance the Terra, Deathstroke, or Danny Chase debacles, to name a few.