Between The Staples

… for Doctor Strange and other characters!

Okay you know what bugs the shit outta me? The fact that recently I have put Bendis! in that same area with Warren Ellis, kinda over there —–> where I do not plan on buying their stuff unless they WOW the flying f****k outta me. That said, I do think that both are good writers and I lean more towards Ellis of late then Bendis! That said the recent words from Bendis! after this weekend’s Baltimore Comic-Con have me thinking that someone like Bendis is getting his wires crossed. Here are the posts on CBR for reference:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18250
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18245

Okay now that you have read those pages, let me rant on…

Bendis! quote:

A fan asked about the new status quo for Doctor Strange. Bendis! answered that in Stephen’s mind, he’s failed at being Sorcerer Supreme, leading to his surrendering the role. “So the question is — if he’s not Sorcerer Supreme, who is?”

This raises a question for me. One being, as a writer, can you say that a character has FAILED at being anything when YOU wrote the character? I mean the character isn’t a sports person, like is a hockey player, who you can then evaluate their performance and come to such a conclusion. NO! Bendis! wrote the character in this current situation in the pages of New Avengers. If Doctor Strange has failed at anything then it was due to the recent usage of the character itself and the fault should be directed to the writer(s) and NOT to the fictional character. I mean it sounds  kinda crazy doesn’t it — blame a fictional character for a reason to change the character, I mean WTF!?

Before Bendis! hacked Stephen Strange as a psychiatrist in House of M then Mark Millar wrote him out of Civil War, ’cause Dr. Strange could have fixed it all in the blink of an eye, and lately Bendis! has never known how to handle Strange so he de-powered him before running a a samurai sword through him just to take the character out of play for several issues. Just before Secret Invasion, Bendis! then wrote Strange out of the game plan entirely by having the character question himself when his magic failed him or so he thought. I still feel that came out of left field no matter what Bendis! was claiming in his run may have leaned towards that. Recent stories, before Bendis! writing the character, by Brian K. Vaughn in Doctor Strange: The Oath and Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis in their comedy romp of the The Defenders with The Hulk, The Silver Surfer and Namor had Doctor Strange as a smart if not somewhat quirky yet confident Sorcerer Supreme.

I really find this more of a situation that Bendis! doesn’t know how to write Doctor Strange and rather than admitting that and ditching the character for another writer who could step up and write the character properly.  Bendis! is now pimping out / selling the idea (oh sorry, storyline) to remove Stephen Strange from being the Sorcerer Supreme and either making a brand new character to be Sorcerer Supreme or handing the reigns to another established Marvel character that Bendis! prefers.

If that doesn’t reek of the big ego that is Bendis! then I don’t know what does. I think Bendis! should just concentrate on writing Avengers comics with actual Avengers characters than filler to the new fall tv-show like trailer Marvel calls Secret Invasion. Bendis! should stop worrying about how to avoid writing Doctor Strange while still keeping his claws on the property.

At least when Ellis plays with the characters, he’s pretty quick about letting them go and moving on to the next paycheck… I mean mad scientist idea for a character. For that I have a soft spot in my heart of Ellis whereas the more I hear about Bendis!, the less I want to NEVER fork over any money for anything he does.

It is also pretty funny that in the recent Bendis! vs Kirkman panel at the Baltimore Comic-Con, Bendis mentioned how if a writer really wants to write a character that they should do just that. Why doesn’t Bendis! just let someone who wants to write Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. write the character rather than just making a new Doctor Strange that he wants to write?

I just don’t get it. I really don’t. Someone should show Doctor Strange the love. Please!

Oh and I will cover the whole Dan Slott going on Mighty Avengers either later today or tomorrow. Best Bang will come out after I am feeling better…

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