AUSTEN OFF ACTION, SHAZAM COMING

[MattBrady]

DC Comics has officially confirmed for Newsarama what February and March solicits have suggested, that is Chuck Austen is no longer the writer on Action Comics as of January’s issue #823.

Both February and March’s issues are written by J.D. Finn, and April’s issue, #826 is part one of the three-part storyline, “Lightning Strikes,” by Judd Winick, Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund. The villain in the three-part storyline, well…a quick look at the covers for the storyline should give a very strong clue as to his identity.

Click here for the full story and preview art.

[jedifish]

FINALLY!!!!!

[jedifish]

But also let me add that those covers to the Shazam story look awesome. Holy Moley.

[MattBrady]

Keep it civil, or your post will get deleted.

That includes the first damn "ding, dong..." posting.

MattB

[BRease]

Even though Austen was terrible once again, I'm sure someone is going to give him another big title...

WorldWatch please...just stick to WorldWatch.

[Marcello S. Nicola]

To me the sad news is that Ivan Reis seems to be leaving the title too.

[TheMightyGeek]

: D: D: D

[FIG]

Originally posted by BRease
Even though Austen was terrible once again, I'm sure someone is going to give him another big title...

WorldWatch please...just stick to WorldWatch.

I liked Worldwatch or at least one issue of it because it was funny.

[DrTzinTzin]

Everytime a fat man prays...a hack gets his marching orders.

So if I wait until May (Bandido) then we get someone good...Grant Morrison good.

[kilroy]

Words....................escape me. THIS BLOWS. Out of the three action was my fav in the revamp. It was fun. Ivan's work was beautiful. Chuck was writing the story with enough action but also great characterization. The stuff between Clark/Lana and the recent issue which had that great stuff with Lana and Lois at the kent farm for the holidays. Im....I blame that dolt berganza he ...how the hell did he get bumped up to editor from assistant, who the hell is he doing at DC. The reason I dont like him is because all he cares about is making money not quality. I understand that in order for these books to be published they need to sell. But does that mean the only choice I have is to buy god awful books or give up comics as a whole. Everytime I read newsarama postings it scares me how ignorant some of the people seem to be like if they are all from the midwest bible belt countries. Hate Hate Hate. Not constructive criticism. Knocking Devin Grayson ( How can anyone say that its bad writing. You might not like the direction she is taking the book but Its a well written story that is moving the character forward, making Dick come into his own and out of Bruce's shadow) Judd Winick (Outsiders is great the fearsome five issues the Dialoque, that confrontation between Luthor and Joker) and Austen. Oh forget it some of the people on this site are just plain ignorant and will never open there minds. I want to start a position to get rid of Eddie Berganza he is Neron, Lucifer, the anti monitor. He is the worst thing to happen to DC NOT Grayson Austen or Winick.

[Darren J. Gendron]

Focusing purely on the new stuff here (because it deserves some geeking out):
ECLIPSO!
Freaking Eclipso is loose and in Supes.
Nice.

Yeah, I'm a geek. What do you want from me?

[drdash]

Originally posted by kilroy
Words....................escape me. THIS BLOWS. Out of the three action was my fav in the revamp. It was fun. Ivan's work was beautiful. Chuck was writing the story with enough action but also great characterization. The stuff between Clark/Lana and the recent issue which had that great stuff with Lana and Lois at the kent farm for the holidays. Im....I blame that dolt berganza he ...how the hell did he get bumped up to editor from assistant, who the hell is he doing at DC. The reason I dont like him is because all he cares about is making money not quality. I understand that in order for these books to be published they need to sell. But does that mean the only choice I have is to buy god awful books or give up comics as a whole. Everytime I read newsarama postings it scares me how ignorant some of the people seem to be like if they are all from the midwest bible belt countries. Hate Hate Hate. Not constructive criticism. Knocking Devin Grayson ( How can anyone say that its bad writing. You might not like the direction she is taking the book but Its a well written story that is moving the character forward, making Dick come into his own and out of Bruce's shadow) Judd Winick (Outsiders is great the fearsome five issues the Dialoque, that confrontation between Luthor and Joker) and Austen. Oh forget it some of the people on this site are just plain ignorant and will never open there minds. I want to start a position to get rid of Eddie Berganza he is Neron, Lucifer, the anti monitor. He is the worst thing to happen to DC NOT Grayson Austen or Winick.

i agree on all your points. austens' supes was the best i've read in awhile. it reminded me of stern and byrne's runs on the character. and nightwing is my favorite of the side batbooks. and outsiders just keeps getting better. you also should have mentioned winick's green arrow. his ollie is the best i've ever seen him since grell.

ciao
drdash

[KET]

Originally posted by Darren J. Gendron
Focusing purely on the new stuff here (because it deserves some geeking out):
ECLIPSO!
Freaking Eclipso is loose and in Supes.
Nice.

Yeah, I'm a geek. What do you want from me?

From you, nothing. From DC, however, something MORE ORIGINAL than this. An Eclipso'd Superman has been done already, and it wasn't even that good the first time around. ZZZZZ....

So what can readers do to be rid of the Berganza Virus?

[HowAreWeToLive]

churchill's art is so pretty. the physiques on superheroes are pretty realistic, too.

[Zadillo]

I actually liked the first couple of issues of Austen's run. I sort of lost interest though after that, just didn't feel right to me. But I'll give him credit for a strong start though.

Good luck to Austen though in whatever he does in the future. With those first couple of issues he at least convinced me of his capabilities.

I guess Wizard already leaked the new Superman team, so the big mystery now will be who will be the new Action writer (guess this means Rucka is safe for now, which is a good thing, as his title has picked up a lot I think).

-Zadillo

[tralfaz]

im doing my dance.. my happy dance

thank you, i can now buy Action again... hopefully it will be a good writer on Action... but is ivan staying? please stay

[Reliant]

Originally posted by BRease
Even though Austen was terrible once again, I'm sure someone is going to give him another big title...

WorldWatch please...just stick to WorldWatch.

Issue #3 of WorldWatch actually begins with a full-length page explaining that Chuck Austen has been fired from that book as well--I kid you not. Go check the inside cover of WorldWatch#3, if you don't believe me:


ANNOUNCEMENT. It is with deep regret that we announce the firing of Chuck Austen. While the priase has been nearly unanimous, and amazing for the first two issues of WorldWatch, and with the first printing of the black and white first issue selling at or around fifteen dollars, people can't seem to get past Chuck's writing this book--or any other.

So while Chuck has been a true professional, taking all notes, working closely with Dena and his editors at Wild and Wooly, bending over backwards to make deadlines and give the artist what he wanted to draw, and is one of the nicest people we've ever worked with (at until we fired him. He got a little testy, then)--the fans have spoken.

They hate his writing, and they hate him--even though, ironically, they love this book and many others he has written.

But they would have liked them BETTER if he hadn't written them. And maybe we could have sold more copies.

And so, as of this issue [issue #3], Chuck has been replaced with an extremely talented newcomer to comics, SAM CLEMENS...



Sam Clemens--that's funny...


Good luck, Chuck!

[grantg]

Hrm...

[xpositive]

So I really disliked Austen's X-Men run, but I felt more sorry for you Superman fans. Man, what the hell was that? A beloved Kingdom Come character shows up, stabs Supes a few times as he stands over him to gloat (Superman, not Magog) and wow, just horrible. It's always interesting to see what he is writing next. It's just horrible horrible stuff.

[DavidQ!]

I think austen would do good in books like bob the wonder dog. (if there existed such a book. Even then I still wouldnt put him in it.) the man is horrible. I'd rather read claremont honestly. Twas a mistake for DC to get him. truthfully. I am being nice.

[Aaron]

So has DC finally caved and are now officially calling Captain Marvel "Shazam"? I noticed he was called Shazam even in the article.

Aaron

[SpaceDog]

I'm excited to have Winick on for a 3 issue stint with Shazam. I'd love to see him come aboard as the writer for Action.

Is this a PREQUEL to First Thunder, coming this summer? Or did I miss a mini series from last summer?

[Mike Cruz]

I really thought Action Comics had just that: a lot of action. Austen's stories were pretty good and he always kept me interested. Reis is a great artisit and I suspect he'll go on to bigger and better things.

I know that there are a lot of people out there who opine that Chuck Austen is a hack writer, but in his defense I'll say that I'm sorry to see him leave the title. Good luck, Chuck!

-Mike

[chrispy21]

I don't read any of Superman's titles so thus, I cannot make an invested opinion, but I did read his X-Men and Uncanny runs and to tell you the truth, I LOVED THEM. People all over, including one of my best friends, just seem to not understand that Chuck Austen isn't writing X-Men and Superman to make sense, he's writing these books so that he can create a forum for whatever strange and wild fantasies he and we all dreamed of when we were kids. I mean, he definitely wants to make knock down, drag out battles between heroes and villians and most of the time (if people actually read the issue and didn't just see AUSTEN on the front cover and automatically decide that it was going to be horrible) he does come up with a reasonable explanation for why the villian appears. Also, when he wrote Uncanny, it was one of the greatest X-Teams I've ever read. Havok, Juggernaut, Jubilee, Archangel, Husk, Northstar, just to name a few, I mean, it was an X-Fan's dream to have so many different and diverse characters on one team. Like I said, I haven't read any of his Action Comics run, except the Preus issue, but I'm sure it was just good old good guy kicking bad guy's butt. Anyways, that's my two cents. Also, I hope that Austen being fired from Worldwatch is only a joke, which i assume it is because I thought he was the creator of the series and company... anyways, thanx for letting me ramble. I just wish people would go back to reading comics for the fun that they involve and not always about whether or not something fits in continuity or whether or not it makes sense, b/c guess what? Comis aren't supposed to make sense! Not when a guy is bitten by a spider and given spider-powers or a woman has a lasso that makes people tell the truth...

[Elfman]

How can Superman get eclipsoed? He's powered by solar energy.