A Case for Comic Book Creators Putting Their Work in the Hands of Others

Full Disclaimer: I wholly believe comic book creators deserve some kind of credit, ownership, and control over the characters they create. With big companies like Marvel and DC, characters created in those universes get a little dicey. Writers usually come into those worlds with the understanding that their ideas are basically sacrificed to the big two. Over the years, you can see that the way things work often leaves a few writers resentful with how their work is handled after they leave. Just look at Alan Moore and Watchmen – a story he wanted to begin and end with his original graphic novel. I can understand Moore’s feelings. However, I feel like creators should be more open to passing on their work to other writers and letting it live on beyond them. The Risk Alan Moore is somewhat justified in his feelings about his work, especially with the way DC has treated Watchmen in recent years. While Before Watchmen and Doomsday Clock might have its moments, they don’t exactly live up to heights of Moore’s original graphic novel. That’s the big risk when someone else gives you the resources to create – you don’t completely own your work. What the company does with your characters or the worlds you create can be hit or miss. Often what happens is that the character moves beyond the writer’s original vision for them, for better or worse. 

It’s not just Alan Moore who feels that way. Frank Miller has mentioned several times that he doesn’t consider any version of Elecktra a…