Bundled Extra: Batwoman Creators JH Williams III, WH Blackman Declare Leaving Title Due To Editorial

Several people have directed me to this post on writer WH Blackman's site about he and the writer/artist JH Williams III leaving DC's Batwoman title, they say because of the nature of editorial input on the title. This includes but is apparently not limited to a block on any potential progression to marriage in the relationship between the title's lead character and her girlfriend -- a fact which should generate its own cycle of attention, although perhaps unfairly.

What's intriguing to me here is that it's hard to figure out -- barring subsequent revelation -- why these creators would be directed to any significant degree at all, beyond perhaps checking their spelling and making sure nothing totally aberrant and demented happens. Batwoman is as a character almost solely a factor in DC's overall creative landscape due to these creators, particularly Williams. Save for the strong and at time capricious-seeming editing, Williams and Blackman seem enthusiastic and willing to continue. Further, there doesn't seem a whole lot to the property without those creators' contributions, although in a sales sense I suppose there is always a chance someone else will catch fire. I just read the third collection of the latest iteration of Batwoman in hardcover form. While that kind of story isn't always my cup of tea, there's no denying how handsome it is, and how idiosyncratic and pulsing with a kind of vitality it is, particularly relative to a lot of what gets published in mainstream comics. It stands out for being different and accomplished.

The editors listed on the title are Mike Marts and Darren Shan, although I'm not sure how DC is set up editorially in terms of people above those two having input.

I also wonder if something that doesn't play a factor here is that it's really hard right now to sell an off-core title like this one to the level that might be necessary to insulate it a bit from a different creative spin being offered up in the first place. Although in this case, the character generates a certain level of cultural capital and is a much-admired, quality title that one might think would be additional factors in making for a hands-off police. It looks like any people thinking that would be wrong.
 
posted 7:45 pm PST | Permalink
 

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