Seriously. Gail Simone tweeted that she was informed in an email that she's no longer the writer of Batgirl. Disclaimer: I don't read that book. That's one bit of retconning I still can't wrap my brain around. I just miss Babs as Oracle too much and still think of Steph as Batgirl, but as I've come around and tried, and love, Red Hood and the Outlaws, I might one day have gotten curious enough to give the DCnU BG a try. But now? Nope, not gonna happen. The only reason for me to even think about reading it is because Gail Simone is such a good writer, especially of characters. Her plots are solid, but it's her characterization that truly kicks butt, and her dialogue bears that out.
So, why take her off the book? It can't be because she's not good enough. Barely a year and change after the reboot, DC wants to change direction for the character? They want to give someone else a chance? They could have discussed this with Gail. The book is supposedly a top seller. Why tamper with success? I just don't get it. I wonder if we'll see someone from DC attempt to explain their rationale here.
Every time DC starts to reel me back in with good books, it does something unfathomable, like this. In big events, they alienated me for a decade with Crisis on Infinite Earths and the original Supergirl's death, and then, with Flashpoint and the reboot. In smaller ways, they did it with the destruction of Roy Harper as a likeable character, by ripping off his arm, killing his daughter, fighting with Ollie, and descending back into drug abuse. Now they're treating their talent, it seems, the way they treat too many of their characters: without respect. Gail deserved a phone call, a discussion, the personal touch. But that's what the world has become, right? In today's world of Tweets and checkins and status updates, an email is as personal as it gets. Much as I enjoy social media, this is not a positive trend if it means losing the ability to communicate on a personal level.
I'm sure there's more to the story, and I hope Gail elaborates in a statement longer than a Tweet. She's a classy person, though, so we won't get anything juicy. Damn.
Edited to add: Here's a post from Gail Simone on her Tumblr.
I too, am completely flabberghasted by this move...which seems inexplicable at best, and just plain mean, at worst. Is DC just sitting around TRYING to think of ways to piss me off? Because mission accomplished!
ReplyDeleteBatgirl hasn't been my favorite book of Gail Simone's but it hasn't been bad, and it is certainly selling as well as any number of other books, so that can't be it.
But to go out of your way to alienate a LARGE number of people who are more than happy to give you money, seems to be...shortsighted.
Exactly. I've been reading your reviews of it, Sally, and it sounds like Gail was doing a good job and I know the book was selling well, so all I can think of is the new editor wants to put his own stamp on the book as soon as possible, maybe under a mandate from DC, character and story and fans be damned. The worst, though, was telling Gail via email. That just sucks.
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