by: Stacey Levin

Hey, fellow Melties, don’t you hate it when you invest in a new title, shell out a hundred bucks, tell other people to read it (like, say in a published column) and then it limps to the finish line like the Dodgers did this season?   Yeah, I hate when that happens, too, and sadly, several recent books have let a lot of readers down.  Let me warn you now, this is gonna get a little ugly, peeps.

Let’s take a look at “Air,” shall we? “Air” was touted by many very respectable reviewers and publications for its originality and strong lead character.  Hell, Neil Gamian even compared it to the works of Salmon Rushdie.  I was in – actually from the very first columns I posted here, I told people to read “Air.”   And for the first half of the issues, it lived up to the hype.  I thought the story moved, the plot unfolded in good arcs and cliff hangers and the characters evolved weekly.  But some where around issue 14, “Air” started to lose its way.  There were several issues where the story literally just stopped like Wilson had run of out ideas or pulled a thread in her own story.  But I was invested and kept reading hoping “Air” would find its way back to its innovative beginnings where it utilized historical characters and events and simultaneously tapped into a universal fear of terrorism that we all felt deep inside.  But no such luck.  It became clear by issue 17 that the “Air” we had come to love was no more.  The story limped along almost painfully till the inevitable announcement that “Air” would end its run in issue 24.  I wish I had some other word for the ending of “Air” other than lame, but that’s honestly how I felt about it.  24 issues of wasted investment.

Now let’s take a drive down “Greek Street” – yet another title I personally touted early on.  ”Greek Street” was well received by the comic community and rightfully so – it was a modern, violent take on Greek mythology.  Utilizing classical literature and characters in comics is one of my favorite lines of storytelling, so “Greek Street” was right up my alley.  With each issue, the story became more intricate – even becoming a little hard to follow at times.  But I’m all about using my noggin, so I welcomed the depth and complications.  I even forgave the side story focusing on the British soldier who returned from the war – a deviation I never really liked.  However, by the time the story got back to Eddie’s self-loathing crisis, it seemed like there weren’t many places left to go with it… maybe “Greek Street” became too smart or clever for its own good because it clearly had taken a wrong turn and the inevitable ending was announced.  Well, when I finished the last issue, I was completely annoyed that I had bothered to read the series at all.  In case you’re still reading, I won’t blow it for you, but trust me, it’s an abrupt, unsatisfying non-ending to what started out as an above average foray into modern genre fair.

So what’s really the problem here?  Is it writers who pitch a title, but don’t really have an ending to their own story?  Or does the fault lie with the publishers who flake on their writers early not allowing them to finish what they actually did have planned?  Having come from television, I saw examples of both sides of the question – i.e. those of you who got pissed when “Firefly” was cancelled in the middle of its first season know what I’m talking about.  Well, comics are no different.  As a fan and reader, nothing gets me more than investing in a title and then having it yanked so the writers are forced to abruptly end the story without much thought.  And as a writer, I get equally irritated when a writer gets a shot at publishing something new and exciting, but never really had an end in mind.  Trust me, comic book fans remember both of these scenarios when it comes time to decide if they should give a new series or a new writer a try.

Now, I don’t want to give the impression the publishers get it wrong.  A recent example of doing it right is “Daytrippers” – a complete story that was well executed in the number of allotted issues.  At the end, I didn’t feel cheated or hoodwinked – I felt respected because the writers obviously knew the story they wanted to tell and accomplished it in ten issues.  The same could be said for the genius story of “N” which was told in completion in only four issues.  See, it can be done without a huge commitment from either the writer or the publisher.  Or, it can be done on the opposite end of the scale as in “Y: The Last Man” – an amazing, in depth story that took 60 issues to be told in its entirety.

So, what I’m asking is pretty simple.  Publishers, since we’re the ones shelling out the 2.99 or 3.99 per book, show us a little regard when you abruptly decide to cancel a title in the middle of its run before the writer has a chance to honor the end of the story for the people who have been reading it.  And writers, getting the opportunity to publish a book is a rare and privileged one – please honor the chance you’re given by having a worked out story to tell when you embark on the first issue so those of us who go along with for the ride get a satisfying experience.

Whew, that was like a purging!  You know how when you get really drunk and the next day you’re so totally hung over that you spend hours praying you’ll be able to just “get up?”  And once you do, you feel SO much better?  Yep, that’s how I feel right now.  And btw, Vertigo guys, I didn’t intentionally target you.  Just so happens I was invested in these titles which both ended recently.  But then again, if you threw us a bone with a review copy once in a while, it wouldn’t be as financially painful when one of our favorite titles goes down.  No disrespect, but I’m just sayin’.

Peace, love and all that jazz.

Follow me on twitter: @TVStaceyLevin