Link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21769

I was reading an interview on CBR with one of my favourite writers of the moment Rick Remender and how he's planning to finish up one if his creator owned series The End League. He's also going to be finishing off easily one of the best books out there at the moment Fear Agent; something I couldn't be more gutted about. Why this sudden move to conclude his titles? Well he is now a proud employee of Marvel Comics with an exclusive deal which will keep him pretty busy. As I have enjoyed both of these comics enourmously I'm left with something of a quandry, am I happy Remender will be at Marvel writing some of my most beloved characters? or Am I sad to be losing some new and interesting characters and stories so early on in their development?

For most of my comic reading through the years I've been a capes and tights sort of guy, love the big hero stories especially anything from Marvel and to a lesser extent DC. I followed the X-Family books religously and I'd only venture away from the big 2 publishers to pick up some movie tie-in stories like the Alien books from Dark Horse. I never considered that the writers of these books were writing something else before they 'appeared' at Mavel or DC. Of course I knew they must've come from somewhere but I just didn't care, all that mattered was how good they were at writing 'my comics'; the ones I liked to read.

Follow up:

Now, however things are different. I still get a healthy stack of Marvel/DC books but also I like to see what else is going on. I read crime books, space adventure, more indy cape and tights, horror stories, mystery books, whatever I can get my hands on really and it doesn't matter who the publisher is as long as the story is good. Now I see things fro the other side of the fence, I'm enjoying books like Fear Agent and The End League and BAM! here comes Marvel with their big fat check and steals away the writer. Only just started Casanova from Matt Fraction but he's got not time to write it anymore because BAM! Marvel need him on Iron Man and X-Men. Of course I don't blame the writers, this is their job, they need to put fold on the table and an exclusive contract with a big publisher not only garuntees that but also gives stability that's hard to find in an industry where one day you're hot and the next you're toast. I can't even blame the publishers, they're just ensuring they have the best writers for their books and the fans, who can argue with that?!

But still I'm down two bloody good comic books and someone needs to pay! Ok well I am picking up Remender's Punisher (absolutely fantastic) and I've started back with Uncanny X-Men and Invincible Iron Man because I have faith in what Fraction can do so I guess if you add it up I'm actually one book up. The point is I will miss these comics and the characters created in them that I've grown to love. Heath Huston from Fear Agent is the best drunken space pirate since Han Solo except Heath is better because he's got a rocket pack. I now feel the pain that some poor 2000AD fan must feel everytime they lose an Alan Moore, Grant Morrison or Garth Ennis. Luckily these writers still write their own creator owned works whilst dipping in and out of the mainstream but does the exclusive contract allow for this?

Probably not but why should it, the publishers are in this to make money and in all fairness Marvel have their Icon line and DC; Vertigo which allow creators to do their 'own thing' whilst still remaining under contract to those companies. I even heard that although Jason Aaron is now signed exclusively to Marvel they're allowing him to carry on with his Vertigo series Scalped (also bloody brilliant) for as long as he wants and that's one of their direct competitors. I started this rant angry at the publishers for using exclusive contracts to secure writers and take them away from the books I love but I guess they're not so bad. The price of success it seems is you have to leave what you love behind.

The End League wraps up with issue #9 out in October and Volume.5 of Fear Agent is available now.