In response to a fan question answered by DC's EIC, Dan Didio, Dwayne McDuffie, writer of DC's Justice League of America revealed that he has been fired from the book. Many fans have shown their dissapointment with the direction in which McDuffie has taken the book by voicing their opinions on various message and discussion boards.
One such fan asked, "I hope we fans bitchin' didn't get you off the book." In a statement issued by McDuffie himself he responded:
"Nope, it was my own doing. I was fired when "Lying in the Gutters" ran a compilation of two years or so of my answers to fans' questions on the DC Comics discussion boards. I'm told my removal had nothing to with either the quality of my work or the level of sales, rather with my revelation of behind-the-scenes creative discussions.
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed, because next summer was planned to feature a JLA-driven crossover, where my book's story line would have been the driving force. I'm distressed by where I left Black Canary, as my intention was to use the current subplot to strengthen her character and relationships with the new membership, and instead I'm leaving her at the bottom of a hole I'd intended to rebuild her from. I was also just about to get a regular artist for the first time since I've been on the book, which would have been nice. That said, I'm sure DC's going to put together a creative team that will generate major excitement around JLA, which is as it should be."
McDuffie took over the writing chores for JLA after Brad Meltzer's run ended with issue #12. Many critics have stated that McDuffies run on JLA was plagued from the start with editorial mandates, and crossovers that slowed his pace, and kept him from returning the book to flagship status.
McDuffie is probably best known as the co-creator of the Milestone Universe. An African-American owned publisher, and home of such characters as Hardware, Icon, and Static Shock. Many of these characters were counterparts of established characters from other publishers. DC Comics acquired the rights to the Milestone characters last year, and have been slowly incorporating them into the DCU proper of late, many under the watchful eye of McDuffie himself.
As for this fan, I always associate him as the creative driving force behind the Justice League Unlimited animated TV show. It was in this series that McDuffie showed his true strength in writing short bursts of serious action intertwined with captivating stories that involved all the big names of the DCU and a lot of the more obscure fan favorites.
McDuffie said that he will continue with his involvment in the animated TV show Ben 10: Alien Force, and that he also has a couple straight to DVD animated films for Warner Animation coming out very soon. As for comics, the Milestone TPB program is in full swing with Hardware, Icon and Static Shock among the first to hit shelves, this year.
See you in the future! AC