Friday, June 20, 2008

Kelley Puckett off Supergirl


My thanks to 'blok' on the DC Boards for pointing me to the Superman Home Page for this bit of news. This is taken directly from the 'Ask Matt' question session with Superman editor Matt Adelson.


Q: Thanks for taking the time to answer our Qs every month (or when you can)! I was wondering if Johns and/or Robinson will be named the writer(s) of SUPERGIRL, since her book is going to be integrated into the Superman books if I read it right, or if it's even too early to announce a change from Puckett to another writer?

Matt: There indeed will be a new writer coming aboard, Glen, though I'm not yet at liberty to reveal who it is. I can say that it isn't Geoff or James, but that this person will be working VERY closely with both of them as we make SUPERGIRL a partner with equal standing in the SUPERMAN line.


Well this is a little disheartening. Hopefully it will be offset by naming a great new writer.

But I think I have been pretty clear that I liked the Kelley Puckett run on Supergirl.

For one thing, there was immediate change in the feel of the book. Gone was the spoiled, angst-ridden, basically unlikeable petulant girl. Instead we had a strong-willed, inquisitive, stubborn young heroic girl. But she was heroic!

And all those traits were encapsulated in the 'Save Thomas' storyline. She was going to save Thomas no matter what it took, no matter what anyone said.


And Puckett erased the awful 'kill Kal-El' back story. For that alone, Kelley Puckett should be praised.

So counting forward to #33, written by James Peaty that means in 33 issues we have had 8 writers (Loeb, Rucka, Kelly, Palmiotti (with Gray), Bedard, Puckett, Pfeifer, and Peaty). Eight writers in 33 issues! Eight!? How can any title survive with that many writers? How can any title have any momentum with that many?

It really kills me to see this title languish like this and I can only hope that the Robinson/Johns promise of integrating Kara into the Superman titles and putting the title on par with them happens.

I think back to the 1996 Supergirl title. Do you know how many writers that title had in the first 33 issues? One - Peter David. Do you know how many writers it had for its entire 80 issue run? One -Peter David.



Now that was a Supergirl title!

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