Mild-Mannered Literary Guys Transform Into Comics Writers [NYT]. The article highlights the appearance of literary writers as comics writers, framing it as a trend. Mmmm. I’d say it more reflects a broader openness to brand-based experimentation in the Houses of the Supes, which is not to say that the work produced isn’t valid artistic experimentation. The brands that open the door in this instance are the writers’ names. Think of Chabon as Kiss for the oughts. You know, for the kids. It’s aimed at the same audience that bought the Kiss comics in the seventies now that you all have English degrees and mortgages.

My take sells this whole thing a bit short, though. Marvel has shown a willingness to open their characters to respected creators that are far from as well known as Chabon such as James Sturm and Pete Bagge. Unfortunately, I haven’t ever seen any of these guys’ material for the bigs because I rarely hit a comics shop and when I do I’m usually flat broke or there chasing a specific indie title.