Previously, I said that there were reasons why stories from 20+ years ago resonate today. It’s the same reason why a lot of today’s creators and editors are raiding the past in order to create today’s comics: these are the people who grew up reading these comics. These are fans turned creators.

It happens. A fan reads something that sparks the desire in them, the sense of “I can do this, too!”, and they set out to do just that. I believe it is generally either as a writer or as an artist. I don’t think any child says “I want to be a comic book editor/inker/colorist/letterer.” I believe it generally starts as either a writer or artist, and branches out from there.

However, there is precious little training available to become a creator. As these creators grow and as some of them get into the business of creating comics, there are few people who can tell them that some things are just bad ideas, possibly because their bosses are of the same age and weren’t given good pass-down from their boss before they retired, or “secrets” were withheld, or they want to do things their own way instead of the “old” way.

When no one’s around to tell you that you can’t do something, bad things can happen.

Personally, I believe this is what happened at DC. With the removal of Paul Levitz, there was no one there anymore with true authority who could say “No, that’s a bad idea.” This is why DC seems to be rudderless (to me) now, lurching from one thing to the next without a real plan in place.

Marvel doesn’t have the same problem, exactly. There’s still a sense that they’re glancing to the past in order to create something new, but there’s a sense of a plan in place.

I just wonder what the “new” Marvel will look like when Tom Brevoort retires. I hope good pass-down is given, and that the new editors have an idea as to what they want to see, what they will allow, and most importantly, what they won’t allow.

What won’t be allowed, funny enough, is what leads to true inspiration.