It's no secret that Alan Moore doesn't like DC Comics and hasn't for many years. Their earliest conflict revolved around royalty and ownership disputes over WATCHMEN (you know, the CITIZEN KANE of comic books?). After WATCHMEN came out, DC produced some merchandise that it claimed to be only promotional in nature and not meant to generate profit. As such, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were paid lower royalties. That didn't go over well, nor did the disagreement over who actually owned the rights to the series. DC said it was work-for-hire, and Moore claimed it was his and Gibbons's. The royalty issue was ultimately resolved, although it's unclear to me how. The ownership issue ended with the understanding that the rights to WATCHMEN would revert to its two creators if the trade paperback went out of print for a year. Nineteen years later, WATCHMEN is still in print and sells well, while neither of its creators receive royalties for it. You can imagine how that's gone over with Moore.
"Suggested for Mature Readers" is a common enough thing to see on American comic books these days. Hell, even Marvel's kicked the old Comics Code Authority label to the curb and releases adults-only books through its underused MAX imprint. However, in 1986, growing concern over the adult content of its comic books made DC pause to consider a rating/labeling system. Moore was not pleased. In the past, he has expressed distaste for the very idea of ratings, citing his perceived failure of the film rating system and the complete lack thereof for regular books. Though DC eventually withdrew its plans for such a label (at that time), the damage was done. After fulfilling his contractual obligations on V FOR VENDETTA and BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, Alan Moore left DC Comics.
When Moore joined Jim Lee's Wildstorm and under it, created the America's Best Comics line, Image owned it. Unbeknownst to Moore, the company was sold to DC Comics in September of 1998. Wildstorm assured Moore that he and his ABC line would be largely uninvolved with the parent company. Wildstorm and DC conceded a series of points to retain Moore. His paychecks wouldn't even be issued through DC's accounting department, but rather through a separate company called Firewall. As a further concession, all ABC comics and their solicitations were devoid of any reference to DC.
It didn't take long for Moore's new barely-there relationship with DC Comics to sour like an arranged marriage. The fifth issue of THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN was recalled, destroyed, and reprinted after DC discovered a faux-Victorian advertisement for a 'Whirling Spray' Syringe" from the "Marvel Co." (think Summer's Eve). For the eighth issue of the now-cancelled TOMORROW STORIES, Moore intended to adapt a true story for his character Cobweb that DC felt was too controversial to print. Moore responded by pulling his support from DC's WATCHMEN fifteenth anniversary launch that was to include a new hardcover edition and action figures. DC shelved the launch in the absence of Moore's support, and cancelled all forthcoming products. The disputed Cobweb story came out later (in a slightly-altered form) in a Top Shelf collection entitled TOP SHELF: ASKS THE BIG QUESTIONS.
Ultimately, the controversy between DC and Moore came to a head over that oft-debated and now intensely-important aspect of mainstream American comics film adaptations. Moore was not pleased with the Hughes Brothers' adaptation of FROM HELL (though by his own admission, he hasn't seen it; I mention this only to emphasize his distaste for film adaptations of his work, as FROM HELL was not a DC comic), but it was the ensuing controversy over the much-maligned LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (LEG) film of 2003 that ultimately led to Moore to forever write off film adaptations. Before the first issue of LEG was released, Moore sold the film rights to 20th Century Fox. Moore, and not DC, owns the property, so he was entitled to do so. Unbeknownst to him, several of the changes made from comic to script to screen caused the finished product to bear an uncanny resemblance to an un-produced screenplay entitled CAST OF CHARACTERS. The screenplay's writers sued Fox. Moore had to give a ten-hour deposition in court to fight the ridiculous claim that he'd been charged by Fox to (get this) plagiarize CAST OF CHARACTERS in comic form so that he could sell them the rights to later make the film. Fox finally settled, and Moore decided to wash his hands of film adaptations. He stated that he wouldn't sell the rights to any works that he owns. Were he to receive royalties from films based on works created for hire (such as CONSTANTINE, V FOR VENDETTA, and WATCHMEN), he would redistribute any monies among the other artists and creators originally involved. Thus far, he's been true to his word.
After the earlier conflicts with his ABC titles, Moore had already made it clear to DC that he would leave if they imposed upon him again. When production began on the film adaptation of V FOR VENDETTA, co-writer-and-producer Larry Wachowski contacted Alan Moore about involving him in the film. Moore told him he wasn't interested. Regardless, co-producer Joel Silver announced Moore's approval of and involvement with the film during a recent press conference. Moore gave Time Warner, DC, and Wildstorm an ultimatum: they had two weeks to retract the story and announce his dissociation with the film. Reportedly, DC editor Paul Levitz and Wildstorm editor Scott Dunbier both worked to have Warner Brothers and Silver retract the statement, but to no avail. Silver's words were removed from the V FOR VENDETTA web site, but no formal apology, retraction, or clarification has been forthcoming.
Moore has completed his obligatory work and announced that THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL. 3 will be published by Chris Staros's Top Shelf Productions. Sources close to Moore have asked me to emphasize that THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: DARK DOSSIER will still be released by Wildstorm. This is not the aforementioned third volume in the series that Top Shelf will release. Rather, DARK DOSSIER takes place between the second and forthcoming third volume. Just think of it as the same fuzzy comic book math that allows for issues numbered 0 and ½. Though Moore does own the rights to LEG, he was contractually obligated to deliver this final volume to his former employer. As far as I can tell, any ABC properties Moore to which does not own the rights can continue without him, but it is uncertain as to which ones will. Wildstorm and DC control the future of TOM STRONG and the like. From what little I was able to learn, ALBION will still most likely be released by Wildstorm as well.
Right now, no one's talking about this. Representatives of Wildstorm, DC, and Top Shelf gave me a resounding "No comment, and no, you can't talk to Alan." Moore guards his privacy fiercely, and all of my efforts to speak to him were rebuked. I certainly understand and bear no one ill will for it, but I felt you, the COMICSCAPE readers, should know that I tried to get a quote from the man himself. Chris Staros of Top Shelf was kind enough to tell me, "We're really excited about picking up THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL. 3. We will be co-publishing it with Knockabout in the United Kingdom. We'll give more details in a couple of months."
The latter quote should be obvious enough, as this is great news for Top Shelf. Publishing THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN is certainly a feather in Top Shelf's cap one that already includes Craig Thompson's critically acclaimed BLANKETS, the trade paperback of Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's FROM HELL, and the forthcoming collected edition of Moore's LOST GIRLS. Given DC and Wildstorm's silence on the matter, I'm quite sure they're not pleased with Moore's decision. I don't think that's too much of a leap.
Were I Alan Moore, I'd be furious at Joel Silvers's comments. Silver had no right whatsoever to falsely suggest that Moore somehow approved of the coming V FOR VENDETTA film. Moore has made it known that he preemptively disapproves of any and all film adaptations of his work. Whether anyone considers that shortsighted or narrow-minded is irrelevant, as he can do whatever he wants with his properties. The lack of a retraction, apology, or clarification is inexcusable. This is not meant as a personal attack on Silver and I assure everyone that I will see V FOR VENDETTA the day it comes out, but this is not right. Showing such flagrant disrespect for a man that has done so much for comics is inexcusable, and can only hurt the film.
Moore is within his rights to take THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN wherever he wants. He owns the series and it was not a work-for-hire. He can do the third volume with stick figures on napkins and pin them to pub walls in Northampton if he likes. He's also clearly tired of what he perceives as DC's creative interference. While I can certainly sympathize, DC is a corporate entity that's going to pay sharp attention to its bottom line. Pulping a comic with a parody advertisement that makes an obscene jab at another comic company is to be expected, though I personally would've just let it go (but I'm reckless like that). Similarly, the other instances of perceived interference were likely all in the name of money, and you can expect nothing less from a business. It's not an issue of whether that should be the case or not, because crying about creative interference isn't going to make DC break away from Time Warner. DC and its imprints often push the envelope, but they can only push so far before someone from above says otherwise. The short answer is that Moore and DC obviously can't play nice together and should probably be separated. That's fine. Some relationships don't work out.
At the same time, I can't help but feel that Moore is overreacting a bit. The film adaptation of THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN was from Fox, not Time Warner. Moore sold the movie rights himself and his reaction to the V FOR VENDETTA fiasco sounds like he's determined guilt by association after having such a miserable experience with the LEG film. Silver's remarks were entirely out of line, but leaving DC and Wildstorm over the actions of a single producer seems unnecessary. Considering that the latter two companies' editors tried for the apology Moore wanted, he's punishing the wrong party. Most of Moore's past grievances with DC are par for the course when working with a large publisher. Hell, I used to have to negotiate with the editor of my college newspaper over content issues. You negotiate, you come to a compromise, and you go to press. I agree with Moore about the WATCHMEN thing, though, as he's not even receiving royalties on one of comics' most seminal works. But, as I stated earlier, whether Moore should leave or not is irrelevant. He is entitled to leave, and it's his decision not ours, and not DC's.
For next week, tell me what you think about all this. If anyone wants to chime in on the less specific area of creator-publisher relations, I'll run those letters as well.
New This Week
By Al Brown and Kurt Amacker
DARK HORSE
CONCRETE HUMAN DILEMMA #6 (OF 6) (MR) $3.50
Okay, honestly? I find this book overrated. Bit too touchy-feely for me. Reminds me of Waking Life, the overrated animated Linklater movie. I know, it's all serious and moving-the-medium-forward and all that, but...talky. Kinda boring. Sorry.
SHI JU NEN #4 (Of 4) $2.99
Ichi! Ni! San! Shi! Go! Roku! Shichi! Hachi! Ku! Ju!
DC COMICS
100 BULLETS VOL 5 THE COUNTERFIFTH DETECTIVE TP $12.95
AQUAMAN #31 $2.50
BATMAN VILLIANS SECRET FILES 2005 $4.99
Al: Ha! Diamond spelled Villains wrong. Hosers!
Kurt: They also often print THE INCEDIBLE HULK. Someone failed out of elementary school.
BATMAN WAR GAMES ACT TWO TP $14.99
Al: It's really, really pretentious to name things "Act One" and "Act Two". Plays have acts. Comic books do not.
Kurt: Holy sh*t. Al and I actually agree on something. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH AL BROWN!?
BLOOD OF THE DEMON #4 $2.50
I think it stinks that they stopped making Etrigan rhyme all the time. Pfeifer can't handle the rhyming! Pfeifer is a sucker MC.
DAY OF VENGEANCE #1 SECOND PTG $2.50
DETECTIVE COMICS #807 $2.99
FIRESTORM #14 $2.50
HUMAN RACE #3 (OF 7) $2.99
INTIMATES #8 $2.99
Hey! I just realized: the title of this book doesn't make any sense.
JLA VOL 10 THE GOLDEN PERFECT TP $12.95
JSA #74 $2.50
JSA VOL 4 FAIR PLAY TP $14.95
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #10 $2.25
LOONEY TUNES #127 $2.25
Kurt: I've heard the kids love this one, Al.
MATADOR #2 (OF 6) $2.99
NEW TEEN TITANS WHO IS DONNA TROY TP $19.99
SANDMAN VOL 2 THE DOLLS HOUSE TP $19.95
SEVEN SOLDIERS ZATANNA #2 (OF 4) $2.99
Guaranteed to be even more confusing than the last issue!
SON OF VULCAN #1 (OF 6) $2.99
This is interesting. The idea - I don't think it's a spoiler if DC says it in their solicitations - is that this guy (Vulcan) recruits a sidekick but then gets killed before he gets to train him. Warning, though: Drawn by Keron Grant, who kinda sucks.
SUPERMAN BATMAN #20 $2.99
This week, we have an issue NOT about Supergirl. What a concept.
SWAMP THING #16 (MR) $2.99
SWAMP THING VOL 1 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING TP $19.95
TRIGGER #6 (MR) $2.99
TWILIGHT EXPERIMENT #5 (OF 6) $2.99
WE 3 TP (MR) $12.99
I made my non-comics-loving girlfriend read this because it's so brilliant, and she got all pissed off at me. She thought it was sad. Dude, this book isn't sad. Nipple-less SHANNA THE SHE DEVIL is sad. This book is one of the greatest comics of the decade.
Y THE LAST MAN #34 (MR) $2.99
I think this book is ample proof that there's a sustainable market for lesbian pirate titles. Are you listening, DC? Marvel? Image? Dark Horse? I'm telling you, lesbian pirates are pure gold.
IMAGE
AGE OF BRONZE VOL 2 SACRIFICE TP $19.95
BURGLAR BILL #3 (OF 6) $2.95
MORA #3 $2.95
NOBLE CAUSES #10 $3.50
PACT #2 (OF 4) $2.99
This series is such a bummer. Image finally does a team book, and with some of my favorite characters, too...and it totally blows. Missed opportunity.
SHADOWHAWK #2 $2.99
SMALL GODS #9 $2.95
My god is smaller than your god.
MARVEL
AMAZING FANTASY #9 $2.99
EXILES #65 $2.99
FANTASTIC FOUR CLOBBERIN TIME DIGEST TP $7.99
By now we've all seen the FF trailer, right? Because it ran before Star Wars, which we've all seen by now. (And, getting off-topic here, here's a confidential note to all of you who have seen Star Wars by now: "NOOOOOOOOOO!" That was hilarious. Unfortunately.) Anyway: the "It's clobbering time" line really ought to be a great moment, like the first time Wolverine pops his claws, or "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry", but...it comes off totally flat for me. Maybe it'll be better in context, but I have a pretty bad feeling about this movie.
FANTASTIC FOUR FOES #5 (OF 6) $2.99
Again, avoid alliteration always.
GAMBIT #11 $2.99
Gambit speaks, I cringe.
HOUSE OF M #1 (OF 8) $2.99
Al: Here it comes! THE COMICS EVENT OF THE DECADE! Man, I can't remember the last time I was so not excited about something. Oh wait, yes I can: IDENTITY CRISIS.
Kurt: Does that mean that Aunt May will be the killer or something?
HOUSE OF M QUESADA VARIANT COVER #1 (OF 8) $2.99
Does that mean Joe Quesada's on the cover?
HULK GRAY TP $16.99
INCREDIBLE HULK #82 $2.99
LAST HERO STANDING #1 (OF 5) $2.99
And what is this? Why would you release two big crossover limited series in the same week? Okay, here's my prediction: this series will quietly be a lot of fun. Co-written by the underrated Pat Oliffe.
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #4 $2.50
MARVEL MUST HAVES NYX 4 & 5 $3.99
Al: I guess the good news is that reprinting these books probably means they actually intend to finish the series. The bad news is, without uber-kickass artist Josh Middleton and his panty fetish, it doesn't really matter.
Kurt: Al, find women your own age.
MARVEL TEAM-UP #9 $2.99
ORORO BEFORE THE STORM #1 (OF 4) $2.99
Get it? Because her superhero name is Storm, see, and this is...ah, forget it.
SHANNA THE SHE DEVIL #5 (OF 7) (MR) $3.50
Wait? MR? Does that mean I get to see breasts?
SPIDER-GIRL #87 $2.99
STRANGE #6 (OF 6) $3.50
UNCANNY X-MEN #460 $2.50
Hey! Mojo! Mojo rules. Maybe we'll see Longshot and Dazzler too. This is gonna sound weird, but I kinda miss those two.
X-FORCE SHATTERSTAR #4 (OF 4) $2.99
Al: Man, I hope they make a variant cover for this.
Kurt: I'm sending mine to CGC! E-Bay here I come!
X-MEN UNLIMITED #9 $2.99
So, does that mean it's an all you can eat deal?
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