We had wanted to wait on an announcement to have the final contracts signed (they’re not) and having sample artwork from the new artist (we don’t). But Bob Wayne just announced at the Wizard Philly Con that “Fallen Angel” is going to IDW, so the timing ship has just sailed from the harbor.
So yeah, “Fallen Angel” will be relaunching in December (we hope) from IDW. The first storyline will reveal the Angel’s true origin and, thus, will be an ideal jumping on point for anyone who hasn’t read it until now.
More details will be available shortly in a detailed interview on Newsarama.
PAD
• 
What does it say about my life that this is the best news ever?
Great news! FA will now clog a DIFFERENT area of my local shop’s rack. I fail to see how a failing book moving to a new publisher makes it or its writing any better.
Buffybia:
>Great news! FA will now clog a DIFFERENT area of my local shop’s rack. I fail to see how a failing book moving to a new publisher makes it or its writing any better.
A more important area to consider for your own enlightenment is if it is a form of entertainment that brings some people pleasure and you have no interest in it…… why would you care one way or the other?
That’s great news PAD.
Quick Question…are the fans going to see more Sach and Violens in this new run of Fallen Angel?
Can’t wait to see how the new series unfolds.
Regards:
Warren S. Jones III
Great news!
Paul
I’m still available to do this book. Ryall’s got my samples if you want to see them again.
Boy, isn’t this unprofessional of me 😉
-Stephen Molnar
Conrats PAD. I can’t wait until December. I also think it’s unprofessional of DC to announce this since it’s not their book anymore.
Yes, both Sachs & Violens will be recurring characters in “Fallen Angel.”
PAD
Yay!
Great, great news. Hoping it’s not $4, but if it is, I’ll manage. Also hoping for a good artist, but at the same time, PAD, I know you have good taste.
I’m guessing that IDW could well release the remainder of the series in TPBs because Peter has the rights to the stories, not DC.
Sachs & Violens = cool!
The idea some fans have about Supergirl = Lee, and that concept having to be “abandoned” because of the move to IDW? Bogus. Or, in the words of a certain green goliath penned by PAD, my thoughts: “Still! Not! Caring!” (No offense intended, settle down!)
I’m with “Fallen Angel” until the end. ‘Nuff said.
~G.
>Freddie wrote:
A more important area to consider for your own enlightenment is if it is a form of entertainment that brings some people pleasure and you have no interest in it…… why would you care one way or the other?
Aww shucks, you care about my enlightenment. That’s just so … ášš-ish of you. Why do I care? I don’t know. That’s a good question. Why do YOU care? I suppose it’s just irritating to see GOOD books die a lonely death while others get a new lease on name recognition alone. Or, maybe I’m just a prìçk. Who knows. But thanks for caring anyways….
>>Freddie wrote:
A more important area to consider for your own enlightenment is if it is a form of entertainment that brings some people pleasure and you have no interest in it…… why would you care one way or the other?
>Aww shucks, you care about my enlightenment. That’s just so … ášš-ish of you. Why do I care? I don’t know. That’s a good question. Why do YOU care? I suppose it’s just irritating to see GOOD books die a lonely death while others get a new lease on name recognition alone. Or, maybe I’m just a prìçk. Who knows. But thanks for caring anyways….
Oh, don’t misread my reply as one of concern. It was initiated more so out of a morbid curiosity at your behavior than of any actual concern for you. I figured that you were simply a troll, but thought I’d inquire about your motivation and offer you an opportinity to reexamine your thinking. A hazard of my profession, I suppose. Though your consideration of the possibility that you are a prìçk certainly shows potential signs for enlightenment. Thanks for playing.
Excellent news! Congratulations!
Fallen Angel Returns… at IDW
It’s official. Peter David’s Fallen Angel is moving to IDW and will return in December! The first story arc will apparently feature Lee’s own origin (we learned Bete Noir’s and Juris’ origins in “Hurlyburly”…
Say, it just hit me. Peter is writing both Spike and Fallen Angel for IDW. So….. Peter, when can we seen Angel meet Fallen Angel?
I know, I know, never. Still, it could be fun.
GREAT news.
Can’t WAIT to order it again ojn a monthly basis!
Marty
Freddie,
And don’t misread my reply as one of seriousness. Troll or not, my curiosity over the new lease on this book’s life still stands: what about moving the book makes it a better book, ie low sales are low sales by way of content, not company. Though snide, the question behind the comment is valid. As for your offer to “re-examine” my thinking, as a “hazard” of your profession … good lord could you possibly get any more pretentious? Seriously. And then capping it off with that smarmy sweater-wearing asshat “thanks for playing” comment … man … if that’s what you think passes for humor, then you must be a ghost writer for PAD.
buffybia:
>And don’t misread my reply as one of seriousness. Troll or not, my curiosity over the new lease on this book’s life still stands: what about moving the book makes it a better book, ie low sales are low sales by way of content, not company.
I am not a reader of the book and don’t know the sales numbers, though acceptable sales numbers at IDW are most certainly lower than at DC. IDW is more likely willing to promote the book due to its subject matter fitting in fairly well with the rest of the company’s product.
>Though snide, the question behind the comment is valid.
Then why not simply ask the question? The point you are making, though it may be valid, was lost in your lamenting of lost shelf space.
>As for your offer to “re-examine” my thinking, as a “hazard” of your profession … good lord could you possibly get any more pretentious? Seriously.
Possibly. Though, being a therapist, it is true. It’s also a bit unseemly to attempt to play the victim here since you are the one initially provoking here.
>And then capping it off with that smarmy sweater-wearing asshat “thanks for playing” comment … man … if that’s what you think passes for humor, then you must be a ghost writer for PAD.
Nawwww… I’m not even in the ballpark as far as writing skills. The last comment was a write-off, since it appeared that you had no interest in genuine dialogue, valid questioning or discussion and were simply attempting to poke the PAD Blog with a stick.
OUTstanding.
Freddie,
>>I am not a reader of the book and don’t know the sales numbers, though acceptable sales numbers at IDW are most certainly lower than at DC. IDW is more likely willing to promote the book due to its subject matter fitting in fairly well with the rest of the company’s product.
Well, contrary to pop culture belief, promotion does not a good book/movie/music group/or TV show make.
>>Though snide, the question behind the comment is valid.
>Then why not simply ask the question? The point you are making, though it may be valid, was lost in your lamenting of lost shelf space.
sar·casm [ särkzm ] n.
1. A cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound.
>>As for your offer to “re-examine” my thinking, as a “hazard” of your profession … good lord could you possibly get any more pretentious? Seriously.
>Possibly. Though, being a therapist, it is true. It’s also a bit unseemly to attempt to play the victim here since you are the one initially provoking here.
Victim? You’ve got to be kidding me. I call you pretentious and you see me playing a victim? I guess, for this, I have nothing to say but quote my old friend Sean Connery from an Jeopardy appearance he did a few years back:
SEAN CONNERY: Oh I’ll play your game you rogue. Let’s try the rapists for $20.
>>The last comment was a write-off, since it appeared that you had no interest in genuine dialogue, valid questioning or discussion and were simply attempting to poke the PAD Blog with a stick.
My voice, dissenting and sarcastic as it is, is every bit as genuine and valid as your rigid beliefs as to what is right and wrong for Blogs.
Regardless, my initial thought and point remains: crap is still crap no matter how you promote it.
PAD,
Congrats on the new publisher. Hope it does well. I may not be buying it since the book will MOST probably be $3.99 & that’s a lot for a 22 page book.
I think that books will be $5 in a few years, thus there goes my comic book collecting. Thank God for the quarter bins.
good luck & much success, Peter
Joe V.
Hey Peter:
I am getting ready to turn in my Diamond order booklet tomorrow and noticed that you are doing a story for Moonstone. KOLCHAK. Your name alone is getting me to buy this title. What is the lowdown on this project?
Thanks
Buffybia and Fred,
Enough already. Regardless of whether or not you dig Fallen Angel, PAD obviously does care a lot about the book, so I am happy for him on that score. Let’s return to that, shall we?
Buffybia- Your subsequent posts are unnecessarily rude to our host.
Fred – Offering someone the “chance to reexamine their thinking” simply because he initially pointed out an opinion different from most here is quite pretentious. If you were not so determined to “poke Buffybia with a stick” (a phrase you use quite frequently) and get the last word in, his subsequent harsher posts would likely not have been posted, and this thread would have kept it’s positive tone.
Joe V,
Most comics will not go anywhere near $5 anytime soon. Many DC books are still $2.50. They are not about to double.
Companies like IDW, maybe, but they have a smaller print run and likely less money from ads, so the extra price is necessary.
So don’t sweat it, man. There is a lot of good stuff to enjoy out there:)
“I am getting ready to turn in my Diamond order booklet tomorrow and noticed that you are doing a story for Moonstone. KOLCHAK. Your name alone is getting me to buy this title. What is the lowdown on this project?”
It’s not that involved. They asked me to do a short comic story for them–I think it’s a ten pager–and an actual prose short story, which is going to be in a collection. I’ve always had a fondness for the character, so I said I would, and I did. The comic story has Kolchak squaring off against a Medusa who’s working as a high-powered fashion model. And the short story is a Kolchak vs. Vampire story told from the POV of a young vampire.
PAD
Jerome,
Fair enough.
Congrats to PAD for getting to continue to tell his story. I hope he takes responsibility for why it didn’t do well under DC’s banner and uses the new lease on the book’s life to grow the story wisely.
I know this is getting dangerously off-topic, but will the ten-page story be included in the same collection as the prose story is?
Well I will order KOLCHAK as long as it contains any story prose or otherwise by you.
Hey with all the reprints that IDW is doing of First material, is there any chance that they may collect your DREADSTAR?
Wow, BuffyBia, I’ve seen some bad posts in my time, but yours takes the cake.
Congrats to PAD for getting to continue to tell his story. I hope he takes responsibility for why it didn’t do well under DC’s banner and uses the new lease on the book’s life to grow the story wisely.
Personal tastes aside, that’s just a wrongheaded statement to make. PAD shouldn’t have to pander to what anyone thinks of his work. What is “wisely”? In a manner that you would personally enjoy? Like it or don’t, a lot of things that are critically acclaimed (books, films) are sales failures. Doesn’t mean anything is inherently wrong with the material itself. (You could equally claim it as an indictment that readers don’t want anything “good” or “original” or whatever adjective you like to describe quality product.) Cuts both ways and nobody’s right or wrong. Have you considered the failure of DC to adequately promote the product? The still-declining market? Etc.
Plenty of blame to go around. Don’t let your personal biases get in the way. Sarcasm or otherwise, your attitude is shining through clear as crystal. Don’t have a well-constructed argument as to why you dislike the series? Just posting to rock the boat and be rude for rudeness’ sake (which I believe you are)? Post elsewhere.
~G.
Newsarama itnerview
Hey:
I am one of those who loved FALLEN ANGEL. This is not a NEWSRAMA thread BuffyBia, but the author’s website. While Peter is willing to take criticism, you do not have to be a jerk about it. You have voiced your displeasure, so why bother doing it again and again. There must be a better way for you to consume your time. Perhaps writing your own comic?
FWIW, I’d never heard of Fallen Angel until I stumbled across this board (I knew PAD’s name from his Trek novels; I never bothered checking who was writing the comics I was reading, so I never knew he war writing X-Factor). Since then, I’ve leafed through the first GN collection, and liked what I saw. I didn’t buy it because by the time I found a copy (at the San Diego Comic-Con), our budget had been blown on T-shirts and Emily the Strange gear (oh, and two collections of JMS’ Amazing Spider-Man – much better-promoted, much easier to find. Coincidence?).
I do plan on having a copy for the next Comic-Con – I just hope PAD’s there, so I can get it signed, too… 🙂
Point being, the promotion of this book was soo poor, if I hadn’t accidentally stumbled across this blog while researching something else, I still wouldn’t know it had ever existed. Not much sales possibility there. If IDW gives it good support, perhaps its sales figures will rise above the poorly-advertised DC numbers.
1
BuffyBia:
>>Fair enough.
Congrats to PAD for getting to continue to tell his story. I hope he takes responsibility for why it didn’t do well under DC’s banner and uses the new lease on the book’s life to grow the story wisely.
–Let me get this straight. It’s PAD’s fault that the book didn’t do well for DC? There’s no other answer (or combination of answers) that could account for the book’s low sales? It’s all on PAD?
So does that mean when *any* comic fails it’s solely the writers’ fault? And–conversely–when *any* comic succeeds, it’s solely the writers’ success?
That means that books that I’ve loved over the years (such as Thunderbolts V1, Untold Tales of Spiderman, Black Panther) who saw lackluster sales were due to the writers. Fabian Niceiza, Kurt Busiek, Christopher Priest, they were the cause of those books’ downfall. Darn them. Well, I’m glad I don’t have to blame the market, the companies, the artists, promotion or anything else on the loss of those books.
And the success of a book like, oh, say ULTIMATES, rests solely on Mark Millar’s shoulders, eh? Bryan Hitch has *nothing* to do with that.
I can’t fathom that logic.
Please read what I said again: PAD will hopefully take responsibility for his book and the potential shortcomings that may or may not have caused the book to do poorly. To blindly blame others for the book’s failure, especially when the book is now being given a new chance, is stupid and ignorant. Does that mean DC ISN’T to blame? No. Does that mean PAD needs to change everything and anything? Not necessarily, but he should at least look.
Sure, Christopher Priest’s run on Black Panter, to use an example afforded to me, is “critically acclaimed.” But it still failed, mainstream wise. Is it because the book sucked? Well, no, but I’m sure his predeliction to non-linear storytelling certainly aided in giving the book a low glass ceiling. IE … his writing style, his responsibility, his decision.
That doesn’t mean you should always pander, but you should always consider the option-NOT just blindly assume your work is golden and then shlump the blame onto someone else.
So, you’re right, there is PLENTY of blame to go around but all the stories I’ve read regarding this … soley places … the blame .. on DC.
This shoulda been PAD’s chance to gain more readers. I mean, last time I picked-up the book #1, I think) I thought it was (yet again) a poor-man’s BTVS rip, but if he had humbled himself in the LEAST bit by hinting at examining what kept the book under the radar for most readers, I would’ve given the IDW #1 a shot while sitting at the shop. But … alas, no.
As for me being a jerk, go back and check the posts. I make a cogent point and get my šhìŧ jumped by the Order of PAD zombies. Agree or disagree fine, but if you continue to harp on me I’ll harp back. And I’ll thank you all to allow me to be the judge of A) what I’m thinking and B) what I choose to do in my free time.
*poke*
“Please read what I said again: PAD will hopefully take responsibility for his book and the potential shortcomings that may or may not have caused the book to do poorly.”
You know, I have done infinite mea culpas in terms of candidly discussing the challenges my deliberate choices for the book have presented in terms of garnering readers, in any number of interviews, and on this website. But you obviously missed all those. Then again, since “Fallen Angel” bears no resemblance to “Buffy” whatsoever, your observations don’t seem to have much truck with accuracy. I will, however, note that John Byrne dismissed it as a “Buffy” rip-off–without having read it, of course–so you’re in interesting company there.
PAD
I guess any story that has a strong female lead with super powers that beats up bad guys is a Buffy rip from now on. Guess that means that Joss’s upcoming WW film will be nothing but a Buffy rip. Is Alias also a Buffy rip?
The only resemblance FA/Lee has to Buffy is that they’ve both got bøøbš…er, well, are both female. Bete Noir is not Sunnydale, Dolph is not Giles, etc. etc ad nausem. Anyone reading FA and calling it a Buffy rip is using the least amount of grey matter required to pound a dodecahedron into a round hole.
PAD-
Hadn’t seen any of your “mea culpas”, so please accept my mea culpa for speaking out of turn. As for keeping company with Byrne, never thought I’d find myself on that side, but so be it.
Without issue #1 in front of me right now, I can’t “truck” my own case with any degree of specificity. However, I distinctly remember walking away from the book with a shoe-horned impression of the Buffy’verse, and I’m quite sure I didn’t just make it up, as suggested. Maybe I had just read a super book beforehand, though. Anyway, with foot firmly planted in mouth regarding my now deflated point, I will dutifully give IDW’s FA #1 a read.
Bobb-
Joss Whedon is far too talented of a writer to steal his own stuff. Given his severe feminist tendencies, though, I’m more than sure Buffy and WW will share similar characteristics, but in ways that will leave each to their own.
I mean that’s one thing I think we can all agree on here, right? Joss is not the kind of writer that would glom specific mannerisms, characteristics, or situations of someone else’s character onto his own, pre-existing characters. Right?
Nice ostentatious name calling, by the way. That kinda humor musta been quite punchy around the school yards …
I’m not name calling…just saying that you’re if all you can see in FA is a Buffy rip, you’re either A) not using your eyes, or B), not using your brain.
The only similarities between Buffy and FA are either superficial (both strong female leads with a supernatural element) or generated by the similar strengths of their creators (both Joss and PAD share the ability to take conventional stereotypes and present them with an unconventional twist).
Joss steals his own stuff all the time. Although it’s not really stealing, I guess. And I’d hardly call his tendencies “feminist.” Check out the good guy body count during his Buffy/Angel run…he kills Buffy, Principal “dog-chow,” Ms. Calendar, Doyle, Buffy’s mom, Buffy (again), Tara, Xander’s eye, Anya, Cordelia, Fred, and Wesley. that’s 8 women to 3.1 men, and one of those wasn’t even a major character (Jonathon was more bad guy when he died, so I can’t really count him).
Are you suggesting that PAD does “glom specific mannerisms, characteristics, or situations of someone else’s character onto his own, pre-existing characters?”…’cause…wow…I’ve never seen that. I’ve always seen one of PAD’s strengths as being able to create new, interesting and unique characters.
Well, if you can’t discern Whedon’s feminist (stated denotatively) tendencies from his stories you’re … either A) not using your eyes, or B), not using your brain. Then again, you are equating “body counts” with said ideological belief, so …
Anyway, just read up on the guy. It’s all there.
Uh..feminist tendencies generally mean equality for women…which would lead me to think that he’d kill fewer women on his show…not more…writers that kill excessive women in their stories are often called misogynists. Worlds away from someone with feminist tendencies.
I’ll fully admit that Joss is more than capable of writing strong female characters that are not stereotypes. but feminist? I will have to read up on him more.
Bobb, Joss Whedon has commented on his original thoughts regarding Buffy and stated that he wanted to get away from the weak, shrieking stereotype, developing a very strong leading woman. Feminist perspective focuses on empowerment and considering that Willow and Buffy are the two strongest characters on the show, by far….
“Uh..feminist tendencies generally mean equality for women…which would lead me to think that he’d kill fewer women on his show…not more…writers that kill excessive….”
You’re, uh, leading yourself to think wrong, bud. That’d like be saying the Grand Wizard of the KKK likes blacks because he wrote a story in which the main character killed only Asian women. It is called not allowing your personal agenda to DOMINATE your story.
Just start looking at Whedon’s Bush bashing comments and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
BuffyBia, don’t take this the wrong way, but you come off as a jerk. And I don’t think you actually *are* a jerk, but you don’t help yourself any.
“That’d like be saying the Grand Wizard of the KKK likes blacks because he wrote a story in which the main character killed only Asian women.”
Not so much…I questioned Joss’s “strong feminist tendencies” because he runs his female characters through the wringers more than his male characters…something a typical feminist would NOT do. If anything, the typical feminist would have the woman saving the male victim, which of course Joss has done, but also would not make the woman the victim as often as happens in the Buffyverse.
Your example lacks a correlation. If you said the GW hates Asian women ’cause he only killed Asian women in his story, that would be accurate. It makes a kind of sense that’s…not.
I did find an IGN interview with Joss…so I understand what you mean now. He *does* have a radical feminist upbringing, but he also *loathes* when agendas drive the story.
Which, y’know, if you had just maybe explained, instead of being snarky, I’d not be left with the impression that you’re a jerk. Like Fred (thanks, Fred).
“Maybe I had just read a super book beforehand, though. Anyway, with foot firmly planted in mouth regarding my now deflated point, I will dutifully give IDW’s FA #1 a read.”
Fair enough. All I ever ask is a fair reading. And believe me, the story I have planned for the first arc couldn’t possibly be confused by ANYONE for something Buffyesque…unless, of course, they’re JB and haven’t read it.
PAD
Bobb,
I guess my example lacked the same kind of correlation your thinking did, huh.
Oh, wait.
Ðámņ.
That was snarky, wasn’t it.
Guess I’ll just have to redub myself. Henceforth, I shall go by the handle of, SNARKYJERK.
Shiny.
Thank you.
Actually, BuffyBia, your example lacked any kinf of correlation. I was using apples and apples, (or women and women), you were using apples and oranges (women and black men).
Just a couple of additions to the male body count: Jesse (nice shock value there), Forrest, and Spike.
One more thing… please keep in mind that there were usually more female roles than male in BtVS and the death of the female character had more impact. (The one exception being Anya, which is explained by Whedon in his commentary for the finale on the DVD – namely that the fans would kill him if he killed one of the core four. 😉
“I will, however, note that John Byrne dismissed it as a “Buffy” rip-off–without having read it, of course–so you’re in interesting company there.”
I’m more or less convinced that JB is a full-blown sociopath (they’re not that uncommon going by the statistics) after reading these quotes on top of all the usual ongoing lying, manipulation, extreme arrogance and egomania:
“The only acceptable response, now that we are officially in a new world, is for the American government to go Old Testament on these møŧhërfûçkërš. Operation Flaming Sword. Find them and kill them. And kill their wives, their children, their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers. Go Super-Israel, and let them know what it =feels= like to be “at war” with the United States.”
“I’ve been thinking this since the various lunatic cells of the IRA began loudly declaring themselves “at war” with Great Britain, imagining immediately what woud happen if the British government said “Righty-Ho, war it is!” and sent over the RAF to turn Dublin into a smoking crater.”
Using female to male kill ratios to gauge feminist inclinations is like comparing apples to oranges, check.
Roger, roger.
Wilco.
Out.
I was going to try one last time…but now SJ’s just making himself look dumb. I’ll stop feeding yet another troll, I guess.
Do these things come in threes? If so, I guess we have one more to tolerate.