Random Thoughts 6

-Kirby heirs aren't giving up. Trying to get a big paycheck from Disney they sued over the copyright termination notices they issued in Jan. Disney/Marvel's response was all the work was "for hire", meaning Kirby's work was and is owned by Marvel. An attitude that has been around since the start, case in point....the long reported unreturned artwork. Putting aside the fact that no one thought that it would one day be WORTH something, that is separate issue.





I think it's apparent that Kirby knew he was making up characters for someone else when working for Marvel. His deal with Marvel may have been shortsighted, but regardless of how much you or I, or anyone feels that he (or his heirs) deserves a deal is a deal. It's ugly and unfair, but that's the way it is. It does work the other way too. Look at Bob Kane who until the late nineties took credit for many writers and artists contributions to the Batman mythos (Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson go unknown by general public still).





Now, I'm all for a "mealticket" for a creator's family, but this just seems to be some greedy people. And as badly as Marvel management has treated Kirby through the years, and they have, they are legally in the right.



-Judd Winick returns to explore why and how Jason Todd became the Red Hood. Winick is hit or miss for me, but his Batman was great. The art is by Pablo Raimondi. The six issue mini series starts in June. Hmmm,......just in time for the direct to video animated version of his Under the Red Hood story.



-Also in June, Batman Beyond returns to comics. Written by Adam Beechen and drawn by Ryan Benjamin. Beechen has done some okay work. Nothing stellar or awful, just there. I'm not familiar with the artist. These things lead me to not have too much invested in this title as much as I want to.



-In the most unsurprising suprise announcement, Tony Daniel is staying on as writer/artist of Batman for "forseeable future". So I will continue to not buy the title for the forseeable future.



-Diamond has "annointed" another publisher their Premier status. This is the first time since 1996 that has happened (Image). And the winner......IDW. They join DC, Image and Dark Horse in the front of Previews (Marvel gets their own phamplet because they're special)and all sorts of perks (advertising, etc.)



-The twelth series set of DC Universe Classics action figures are on their way as of 10:30 PM the seventeenth. I won't get them til Tuesday the twenty-third.