A paraphrased repost since it seems my first one got lost in the ether....

Just an FYI for those who've been keeping an eye on this one...on August 6,
Supreme Power will hit the stands, with pre-orders being taken now at comics
stores. Up until now, I'd always felt that Midnight Nation was the best thing
I'd ever managed to pull off in comics. (I enjoy the heck out of writing
Spidey, but there's just something about Midnight Nation that won't let me
go.)

Supreme Power may, I finally think, supplant that one.

There's something going in in Supreme Power, a strong emotional core, that
pulls me in every time I sit down to write it. It's got an edge, it's
profoundly sad in places, and weirdly funny in other places. Some elements are
bound to be a bit controversial, but that's part and parcel of telling this
particular story. Emotions are, for me, the whole point of telling a story,
and those who've read and reviewed Midnight Nation as it slowly revealed itself
know what I'm talking about.

Not coincidentally, Gary Frank is doing the art, who also did the art on
Midnight Nation. So that may also be a part of it. The art is just stunning,
especially the way he captures the emotion of the characters in their eyes.

Given the reactions of some folks who've seen the black and whites proofs of
the first issue, I think this is going to move out pretty fast, and Marvel for
the most part doesn't reprint issues, so if it ain't ordered in advance, it
might not be available until the gather it together for the trade.

Anyway...I don't want to belabor the point. I don't generally come on to
promote something unless I feel strongly about it, and this one I *definitely*
feel strongly about.

I'm inestimably proud of this book, and I hope you'll check it out.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2003 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)

>>Just an FYI for those who've been keeping an eye on this one...on August 6,
>>Supreme Power will hit the stands,
>
>I'm really looking forwards to this one it's got to be said

Thanks...as it happens, I forgot to include the url to a peek at the book (in
addition to the pieces in this month's Wizard and Diamond Comics Preview):

http://previews.diamondcomics.com/editorial/splashpage/june_03/04_supremep
ower.html

>Couple of quick bits though...
>When might we see the last few Rising Stars issues? PLEASE!!

That depends entirely on a situation with Top Cow that is in need of
resolution. The delay in writing has not been a delay in writing; it's been
working through some problems with Top Cow for the last...almost year now. The
final issues won't be turned in untnil those issues are resolved.

>JQ has mentioned that a new Dr Strange series is being "worked on". I
>know you've said you'd love to be part of this. What are the chances
>of you being involved?


100%.


jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2003 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)

>I know that I personally, having bought every issue of every book you
>have written thus far, feel RELUCTANT (to say the least) to jump into a
>new and *unknown* entity like Supreme Power (as opposed to say, Dr.
>Strange) without Rising Stars being concluded (due to their
>similarities).

Except, of course, that they're not similar in any way, manner, shape or form.
This is an extension of the world that Mark Gruenwald created long ago,
predating RS. Yes, it's a world that has not previously seen super heroes, but
that's just about any fictional universe before, say, Kal-El lands. The two
stories do not touch each other at any two contiguous points.

>So, IMHO, it's probably more in your interest to get the
>end of RS out then it is for Top Cow. That's the problem with waiting on
>Top Cow.

If someone is not doing right by you, and they want something from you, it's in
your best interests to get them to do right by you before you give them what
they want. It's about being a professional business person and living up to
agreements. I always honor mine, and tend to make sure others do the same. If
you hire a contractor to build you a home, and two thirds through reneg or
otherwise back off on the business arrangement, a reasonable person doesn't
expect the contractor to continue working anyway. The logic you employ is the
logic constantly used to screw writers. I don't work that way.


jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2003 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)

Just to follow-up on this...I don't know if I passed along the info in this
forum or not, but the sales on Supreme Power #1, which hit stores yesterday,
the 6th, have gone over 100,000 which not only puts it in the top five books,
but it's the first time (according to Joe Quesada, who knows these things) that
a Max book or other imprint mainly aimed at adults has broken 100,000.

And the reviews to this point have been great. It's really hit home in a big
way, which is what I was hoping would happen with this one. Several have
commented on the sense that they haven't really read a story like this before
(including the one at bureau42.com), which was just what I was hoping for.

I just got the pencils in on issues 4 and 5, and the whole thing just holds
together so well, and the art is terrific, Gary's doing a great job.

In any event...my thanks to all who picked it up, and we're off on something
quite extraordinary, I think, because the issues to come just go from strength
to strength. Issue 2 is an absolute kick in the head.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2003 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)