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I'm guessing that your first desire after reading my title this month may be to run and hide, especially if you're from the US. This is a presidential election year in the US. I only mention this because I have been told that some of the people that come to this site are from outside the US, which is great. Of course, while I do have a slight fear that those outside the US may not understand all the comparisons I will make this month my readings actually lead me to believe you will understand these things MORE than the average US citizen. Oh, did I mention that this column is OPINION? With that said, on we go.
In the past couple of weeks I've watched the State of the Union Address, followed various impacts of legislation at various levels, I've been reading my comics, and reading various commentary on the world of comics. Needless to say I've become increasingly frustrated by the similarities I'm starting to see between the world of politics in the US and decisions (and comments) made in the comic industry.
Just as people in the US will blindly follow political groups/organizations because they identify themselves as Republican, Democrat, Liberal, or Conservative there seems to be a trend of people identifying themselves with "camps' that follow specific writers and artists (especially writers) as if they are THE person that makes all things they touch turn to gold. Now, this is not to say that certain writers don't have an ability to make titles interesting, but for me the way they do it is what is important.
Unfortunately people will follow a specific political group at times because that group does nothing more than serve, or support, their own personal agenda. They have no desire to think of the long-term outcomes of what those groups may be pushing as long as they get their particular "fix." I have really been noticing this in comments and on boards dealing with Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men. Now, don't get me wrong. I do like Morrison's writing at times (I did enjoy his JLA run), but this current following for New X-Men seems close to blind obedience for some.
If you watched the State of the Union Address you could see the mentality I'm talking about. At times half of the audience would obviously sit, or stand and cheer based on party lines. Right now Morrison is getting that response from many regarding his writing of New X-Men. There are those that dislike him for what he has done to the series/characters, and there are those that love him for what he has done to them. There is a division that I can see in the readers of New X-Men.
Myself, I thought Morrison's twists on the Shadow King (Cassandra Nova) and the Reavers (U-Men) were pretty sad, especially coming from someone who has whined (yeah, I said it) about clichés and stolen ideas/concepts as he has. Now, these concepts and his take on the characters weren't enjoyable to me, so I chose not to read the rest of his run. However, I don't have the investment in these characters that others do. I am not an X-Fan. I have not been one for a long time. If I was an X-Fan to the degree I am an American I would care about the path Morrison has taken New X-Men on as much as I care about the path Bush has taken the US on. Of course, as I said I can see the ideas of those who "follow" Morrison bleeding out into the rest of the comic community, and that worries me.
I recently read a column on a site where the writer said Morrison had produced more X-Fans during his run on New X-Men than any other recent writer (obviously I'm paraphrasing). In my opinion this comment is pretentious and full of poor logic. From my readings on message boards there are a number of individuals who will leave New X-Men when Morrison leaves. These people are NOT X-Fans, they are Morrison fans. They follow Morrison as some people follow political party lines, for no other reason than to get what they want.
I have read nothing that shows Morrison's care for the X-Men or their "true" fans. Morrison's run on New X-Men to me is like the life of a professional politician in the US. It's about getting paid; it's about showing how much power he has and to hell with the people that don't like what he does, even if they actually have investment in the things his choices affect. Morrison can leave the New X-Men without a guilty conscience because he did what he was paid to do, which was increase sales. Damn the true X-Fans . . . right? Why should he care?
Now I don't rest this entire situation on Morrison (contrary to what you may be thinking). Much like a politician Morrison's power resides in the people. It's not Morrison's fault others have chosen to create a cult of personality regarding him. It's not Morrison's fault all "true" X-Fans who didn't like his writing didn't bail on the New X-Men title (if Jason can do it anyone can). As with politics here in the US the power is within the people. Of course, if you don't use that power don't complain. If you don't like the state of the US and don't vote, don't complain because you chose not to affect change. If you hated Morrison's run on New X-Men and kept buying it, don't complain because your dollars told Marvel "It's all good."
Getting back to the idea that Morrison produced any X-Fans, only time will tell, as will the boards. If people who came on during Morrison's run stay on after that, and say so, we can see he did make an impact for the title, and not just his pocketbook. Another big question is will he care? If there is a mass exodus that isn't balanced when he leaves will he be willing to answer the question, "What did you do to improve New X-Men besides bring in money for a bit? What did you do for the people that were reading the book before, through, and after your run?"
Ok, now let me remind you that I do not hate, or dislike Morrison. I know you may think otherwise right now, but I don't. He just happens to be a writer who seems to be on the forefront of a new trend in the comic community. That trend is a lack of accountability to those who care about the state of titles. You can see this trend reflected in US politics in the low voter turnout. Why should someone vote if we're going to use an outdated system like the Electoral College, which actually negates "one man one vote?" Why should comic readers expect quality when writers put their own agenda above decent treatment of characters/concepts? Why should you vote if you believe those with the most money determine the choice of candidate selection for the rest of us? Why should comic readers expect quality from writers when they're hired on their ability to bring in dollars more than anything else? Yes, I know I think too much.
I would hate to see the comic community's state reflect that of the US political world. Quantity over quality, zealots who move along with favorites, personal agendas above respect for those who support the system, etc. I encourage you to be responsible with your choices in titles, and how you support them. If you truly care, show it, or at least don't complain when you support what you don't like. Hold your favorite writers, artists, and companies accountable. They will always do things you may not like, but there is a difference between doing it to gauge reaction and doing it with no regards for fans. Learn to tell the difference and act appropriately.
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