Have Marvel and DC Both Lost Their Minds?

Look, dealing with employees, especially creative talent, can be tricky. We all know this. But two news stories emerging today in the world of comics and comics-to-film are just mind-boggling.

First, and probably more notable to a wide audience, is that Marvel reportedly thinks Iron Man 2 will be just as good with or without Jon Favreau, and they don't want to pay him more to do the job.

To any studio nimrod holding this point of view, I say this: Favreau delivered on your biggest gamble *ever* and served you up a foundation for Marvel movies going forward in the next few years. Pay the man. He knows what he's doing. He combined comic fan passion with movie-making skill, he knows everyone already involved in the movie, knows the characters, knows the story.

It is possible, although highly unlikely, that you could get someone just as good as Favreau. It is impossible that you will get someone better. It is very likely you will get someone worse and tank your suddenly brand new, shiny A-list money-making licensable property.

Remember X3? Learn those lessons well.

Edited to add: David Maisel. Remember that name. That is the name of the guy who might well tank Marvel Studios' promising start at the theaters.

Secondly, more important to guys like me who have been digging Robin and Batman and the Outsiders and the general resurgence of Dixon at DC, comes the terse announcement on Dixon's message board that he is no longer employed by DC.

As his work was one of the very few glimmers of hope that I could enjoy DC superheroes right now, this was a pretty crushing disappointment. I hold out hope that it's over some crazy right-wing political thing so that I can at least have some modicum of respect for DC, but I'm guessing that it's some stupid ass editorial thing, since they seem to have a remarkable capacity for those these days.

Market share's not getting any bigger, DC. Might be time to start thinking about turning that ship around before all the creators jump off.