This past week Michael Doran and his weekly online comics
newsletter Newsarama had some comments from Captain America scribe Mark
Waid concerning the fiasco surrounding the most recent issue of Captain
America. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about,
infamous Marvel editor Bob Harras, for all intents and purposes, wrote the
latest issue of Captain America. The issue was significant because it
marked the return of the Red Skull to the pages of Captain America and to
the Marvel Universe in general. According to Waid, Harras had approved his
finalized script for the issue and then abruptly, at the last minute,
gutted his script to the point that the final product wasn't what Waid had
written. As Waid himself pointed out, Marvel is paying for his services
and as such Harass can do with his script what he sees fit. However,
beyond the fact that Harras can do what he did, is what he did right? Is
it, or would it be, right for any editor to alter a writer's script to such
an extent that what ends up seeing print isn't in keeping with the writer's
vision? I happen to think it isn't, and I believe that for several
reasons.
Some people tend to cite legality as an irrefutable defense for
their actions, and in the case of the latest issue of Captain America, Bob
Harras could do just that. He's Marvel's Editor-in-Chief and he is the one
who ultimately determines what ends up on the shelves of comic shops and
newsstands everywhere. However, it would seem to me that Harras isn't
merely an Editor-in-Chief, but rather and overbearing individual who's
vision for the characters he oversees has ended up alienating many of
Marvel's top talent. Joe Kelly and Steven Seagle were driven away from the
core X-titles as a result of Harras' inability to give them any creative
control over the books that they wrote. I can't simply lay the blame on
Harras alone as I believe X-title editor Mark Powers also plays a
significant role in repressing whoever writes the X-titles. The question
all of this ultimately begs is, "Can editorial control, exacted to a severe
enough extent, defeat the purpose of a writer?" I believe the answer to be
a resounding yes. If Harras and Powers are so sure that they know what the
"right" direction is for the characters they oversee, why not just dispense
with their roles as editors and write the books themselves? I can't
imagine any talented writer who would be willing to be what amounts to
nothing more than a puppet. Sure, money is definitely a factor, but a good
writer who can't truly write a title due to editorial control probably
won't continue scripting said title for very long.
Harras' creative stranglehold on the X-titles has been well known
among the X-title readership and most comics readers for a long time now.
I had thought that perhaps his hands-on involvement would essentially
remain limited to the X-titles, but the aforementioned issue of Captain
America seems to indicate the contrary. If Harras is now going to be
exerting his control over Captain America, how long can it be before he
starts to do the same with Avengers, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Daredevil,
Black Panther, and any of Marvel's other successful titles? Waid was
quoted in the previously mentioned Newsarama article as saying that he
won't let this clash with Harras drive him away from Captain America. If
the same situation happens to reoccur, how could he possibly stay? Waid
quit writing X-Men after only six months, so if Captain America is now
subject to Harras' direct involvement and intense scrutiny how long can it
be before Waid is driven away? I'm sure if Harras so chose he could find
plenty of individuals who would be more than happy to simply get a paycheck
and languish in the role of subservient puppet writers. As a reader of
Captain America and several other Marvel titles, I can say without a doubt
that I don't want Harras to do what he's doing. He's stifling creativity,
limiting the potential of Marvel's many characters, and in doing so leading
Marvel in the wrong direction.
I see all of the aforementioned things culminating in what amounts
to a slow death for Marvel. I don't think I'm alone in my distaste for
Harras, and I definitely think that Marvel would be better off with an
Editor-in-Chief who would trust and respect the ability of the writers
under him or her to guide the character or characters in their respective
books in the right direction. Waid and many of Marvel's other writers are
very talented individuals who have proven that they can write and write
well. The majority of the X-title readership seems to be dissatisfied with
the quality of the X-titles, and I think that can be directly attributed to
Harras and Powers. I think the same will be true should Harras take a
great interest in Captain America and many other top Marvel titles, and
that can only mean lower sales and a general lack of prosperity for Marvel.
