ph@wucec2.UUCP (Paul Hahn) (10/23/85)
The following is a copy of a letter I am sending to MARVEL AGE today. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Marvel Agers: I am writing this letter to make a request which will almost certainly never be fulfilled. Despite this, I hope you will at the least publish it, that other readers of Marvel may consider the points I raise, and perhaps even give a little consideration to it yourselves. It concerns Jim Shooter. This letter actually began life as a counter to the reply to a letter published a while ago somewhere in the Marvel Universe (I had thought it was MARVEL AGE, but I cannot seem to find it anywhere) which asked, basically, "Why does everybody at Marvel talk about SECRET WARS as if it were the greatest thing since sliced bread, when it so obviously isn't?" The reply was that everyone had his own opinion, and was entitled to it. While I agree that people's standards vary widely, there are certain objective standards by which works can be judged. (Is CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON a better dramatic work than MACBETH? There are many good, easily explainable reasons why most would consider anyone with that opinion pretty silly.) It saddened me to see many people at Marvel whose work as writers I respected laud Shooter's work, which I found filled with heavy-handed plotting, caricaturish characterization, and wooden dialogue. I feld doubly sorry because (as readers of the X-MEN SECRET WARS II crossovers, for example, know) the Beyonder can be quite successful as a character, when in the hands of a good writer. As an editor, Jim should have turned the project over to someone whose talents were equal to the job. Nevertheless, I was able to hold my tongue throgh the end of SECRET WARS and into the new SECRET WARS II (though I quit reading in disgust a few issues into the latter). But finally the proverbial straw fell. Five years ago Jean Grey died a tragic and moving death. Chris Claremont had not intended to have her die, but originally simply had her powers taken away. Jim Shooter, however, felt that she should not be allowed to "get away" with that, considering that she had destroyed the inhabited star system of D'Bari. Thus, she died. (See PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY.) That Claremont and Byrne managed to make the new version even more moving than the old should not distract us from the fact that this was a bad reason to make that change. If Shooter had said, "Hey, Chris, why don't you kill her instad of just de-powering her? I think it would make a more powerful story that way," I would have no objection. But to say that Jean Grey did a Bad Thing and must be Punished indicates to me a rather childish faith in cosmic justice. However, it was a good story, and we were assured that Jean Grey would not be resurrected, because that would destroy the significance of her ultimate sacrifice. So finally we arrive at the present, and what do we find? Why, in FANTASTIC FOUR #286, the return of Jean Grey, "Like A Phoenix!" I must hand it to John Byrne; if it had to be done, he did it well, even to some extent addressing my point in the last sentence of the previous paragraph. Nevertheless I still believe this to be a bad editorial decision. Jean died a good death; why can't we let her rest in peace? [Obvious answer: to sell more comics . . .] Obviously it's too late to do anything about that. I hope, though, that such Shooterisms do not continue in the future; that he will leave the writing to the writers and stick to things like his search for new talent and so on (see, I don't disapprove of EVERYTHING he does!). [Who knows, maybe he'll find somebody to replace him :-] If the Tall One continues to inflict such things as Jean's resurrection and SECRET WARS on us, I am thinking seriously about stopping all my Marvel purchases. I would hate to have to do that, but it is the only way I have to back up the statements I have made here. Besides, I hear some pretty good stuff is being put out these days at DC, especially after the revamping of the multiverse in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS--now THERE'S a good maxi-series . . . Sincerely, Paul Hahn ---------------------------------------------------------------- Anybody suppose they'll listen to me? :-) --pH /* * "I don't think there is too much death in comics. I think there * is too much resurrection in comics. That's my problem." */