Comments on: A Month of Writing Stars – Louise Simonson

By: jimmy conde

jimmy conde — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:15:52 +0000

but yeah, apparently she was a total babe

By: jimmy conde

jimmy conde — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:14:22 +0000

I agree with DubipR’s assessment of Simonson’s contribution to the Superman titles. I recently re-read my ‘World Without Superman’ (a foolish buy as a child) and her issues were definitely the stand-outs.

And she definitely saved the day on X-Factor – which was such a horrible mess from the outset I fail to understand how it was even greenlit – and once husband Walt took over the art the book really became outstanding. BTW, #26 was my first my first superhero comic ever – before that it was issues of ‘Tale Spin’.

But I don’t think I can ever forgive Weezy for what she did to the New Mutants. The book quickly went from awesome (under Claremont) to bad to straight horrible. I sill cannot reconcile the fact that she was writing decent issues of X-Factor and the latest New Mutant atrocity in the same month. And she totally fucked over Magneto. The book only becomes readable – you may laugh – once Rob Liefeld comes onboard.

When Claremont gave up that book, IMO, was the beginning of the end for the X-Men.

By: Reno

Reno — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:57:31 +0000

That Star Wars cover is AWESOME. No wonder she married Walt. hehe.

I remember reading that back during then Weezie was the crush of most of the male artists then. Could this be the subject of another Comic Book Legend?

Power Pack was (and still is) a great read. I just didn’t like it when they shoehorned the whole Mutant Massacre bit.

And count me as one of the fellows who likes Jon Bogdanove’s work. His anatomy was exaggerated, but it worked. Also, among the Superman titles during those times, his pages were the most dynamic and action-packed. Just my opinion, though.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:46:17 +0000

I’ve usually liked Louise Simonson’s writing. her work on X-factor & New Mutants was solid stuff, and she knows how to write a scene.

I am shocked to hear the praise for Jon Bogdanove, though. He turned in some of the worst art on the mutant books I’ve ever seen during his run (total bait & switch when they ran a Jim Lee cover and his interiors!) and I was never impressed with his Superman work, either. It was sloppy and the anatomy was brutally bad. Maybe it was just deadline pressure, but I thought he was an anvil around the ankle of a good writer…

By: kirbydotter

kirbydotter — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:29:55 +0000

I love the first couple of years on POWER PACK with June Brigman’s art (whatever happened to June? She just disappeared after PP). I admired Louise Simonson realistic way of writing children characters. As an educator, I can recognize that Weezie was very good at expressing how children behave and react. Kids really were kids, with kids emotions and preoccupations in POWER PACK.

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:22:41 +0000

Great choice. Always loved her X-Factor issues and have only very recently read the first 26 issues of her Power Pack run for the first time and I have to say they are brillant. Very under-rated.

(Have to say as well I echo the call for Ann Nocenti on the list her Daredevil run is actually my favourite of all the great Daredevil runs)

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:49:03 +0000

I was referring to him following her on Power Pack, Mike. Looking back, I can definitely see how you would think I was referring to Man of Steel, though!

By: omike015

omike015 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:29:39 +0000

Slight correction: Bogdanove didn’t follow Simonson as the writer of MAN OF STEEL. He did two fill-ins (#75 and #85) and co-wrote five issues (#78-82), but was never the regular writer. Mark Schultz was the regular writer after Simonson wrote her final issue of the title with #86.

By: S. Adler

S. Adler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:01:09 +0000

That Thor comic was really cool. I actually got most of her X-Factor and New Mutants work last and some of her Superman stuff last year. She’s kinda forgotten when people talk about 80s Marvel, and that’s a shame. That and what Shaq did to her Steel character.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:58:48 +0000

I can’t speak for her other work, but she pretty much killed New Mutants. With a few exceptions, her writing there spiraled the book downwards.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:27:58 +0000

If she’s all about characterization, Chuck Dixon must hate her work!

I’ll admit, as I was writing characterization so many times, I did think about that piece!

By: Random Stranger

Random Stranger — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:20:45 +0000

Power Pack might be the most underrated gem in Marvel history. Simonson did a spectacular job at presenting children as superheroes. It’s also one of the few times that I found having a book in a constant state of crossover worked because she played her very different characters off the rest of the Marvel universe very well.

They really need to make an Essential Power Pack just so that some people can finally see what they’ve been missing.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:03:11 +0000

If she’s all about characterization, Chuck Dixon must hate her work!

By: DubipR

DubipR — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:26:13 +0000

Weezie’s DC work, especially her Superman writing, is severely underrated. Along with John Bogdonove, the Man of Steel was one of the underrated Superman triangle noted books. Also she wrote the definitive Steel before Chris Priest and Denys Cown ruined the look of Steel.

Another fine selection.

By: stealthwise

stealthwise — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:21:34 +0000

Ugh. The scenes with Keith always felt tacked on, and I disliked SMOS the most out of the four, as it felt the most incongruent with the rest of the titles DC was putting out at the time.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:59:12 +0000

D’oh!

I totally knew that, too, Greg (it came up in an old comic book legends) – my bad! What a brain fart. I’ll correct that right now.

By: Greg McElhatton

Greg McElhatton — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:53:24 +0000

Louise Simonson’s a great writer who definitely needs to be offered more work.

(One tiny factual correction; Louise Jones isn’t her “maiden name.” Jones was her first married name from when she was married to artist Jeff Jones.)

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:36:45 +0000

Isn’t she kind of very well known?

She hasn’t had a regular series from Marvel or DC in about a decade and then she JUST did a Marvel comic last week! Seemed topical!

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:04:43 +0000

Man of Steel was always the Superman book I’d look for first in the 90′s. Louise and Bogdanove were my favorite of the creative teams, although Jurgens’ work was a close second. Good to see some love here.

By: Tom Fitzpatrick

Tom Fitzpatrick — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:58:59 +0000

Used to read the Mew Nutants. The scene where Doug Ramsay died was one of my favorites.

Wasn’t there another popular female writer by the name of Ann Nocenti? Who did a terrific run with John Romita, Jr. on Daredevil.

Whatever happened to her?