 Its
fans wailed and gnashed their teeth the announcement that DC's Manhunter
was ending with August's issue #25.
For a little over a two years, writer Marc Andreyko had been chronicling
the life of a new hero - Kate Spencer, who, for her own reasons
and motivations, took on the mantle of Manhunter in the DC Universe.
The series was a cult favorite, its audience small, but wildly devoted
to the new heroine as she made her way in a world filled with costumed
heroes, villains, madmen and monsters. During her run, the Manhunter
legacy was explored, Kate made mistakes along her path, other heroes
were met, and a network of supporting characters was fleshed out.
The book won acclaim from virtually all corners, from fans to critics,
pros to other publishers.
But in the end, it wasn't enough. Live by the numbers, die by
the numbers.
Sometimes though, wailing and gnashing of teeth are heard by the
right people, and those right people do take action.
In terms of "right people" thing DC Executive Editor Dan Didio,
and in terms of "action" think five more issues of Manhunter
by the same creative team, helmed by Marc Andreyko.
"I've cancelled a lot
of books in my day, but the thing that struck me the most about
Manhunter was that this was the most vocal and organized
response that we've gotten to any of our cancellations since I've
been here," Didio told Newsarama. "It actually made me pause for
a moment, because Manhunter is a favorite of mine, and when
I had to cancel it, it was really against my own personal choices.
But when I saw the fan response ramp up, it was enough to make me
think it might be worth it to go back, and give this book another
shot."
Think of it as DC "Spider-Girling"
the series. Across town, Marvel's Spider-Girl series constantly
skirted the edge of cancellation, only to come back time and again
for limited runs as fan reaction bolstered sales. Now, it's Manhunter's
turn
"We're creating an arc
that will run another five issues, and we're hoping that there will
be a groundswell of excitement from the fan base that will help
drive the sales and push them up, and help this book keep going
from there," Didio explained.
A relatively recent
development, it was something so unexpected that, as Didio related,
even the idea of a return caught Andreyko completely off guard.
"I was actually exchanging
e-mails with Mark at five or six in the morning, which means that
he was up at two or three am, because he's West Coast," Didio said.
"He asked me for something, and I said, 'How about five more issues
of Manhunter instead. I don't think he believed me, because
all I got back was an e-mail asking, 'Seriously?' So - we conference
called later that day, and we figured that we want to make this
storyline something that is important for the DCU in 2007."
"At first, I thought
Dan was just being mean and teasing me," Andreyko recalled. "When
I realized he was serious, I was astounded. Everyone said 'letter-writing
campaigns never work' or 'don't waste your time,' but the Manhunter
fans didn't listen to the naysayers. And fortunately, DC listened
to the fans. Truthfully, i am humbled by the fans' love for the
book. I still can't believe it's really happening. I'm sure I will
when [editor] Joan Hilty starts calling me for pages though…"
For those who've never
tried the book, the strong reaction to the cancellation may leave
you scratching your head, but for Didio and Andreyko, they have
a good idea of why Kate Spencer has attracted and held a loyal audience.
"What I found fans were
expressing to me in their letters that they like the most is the
humanity of Kate Spencer's character - the fact that they find her
so relatable, and can relate to her, personality flaws and all,"
Didio said. "That and the fact that, despite everything that stands
against her, and the mistakes that she's made, that she keeps pushing
herself and striving to try to succeed. It's something that I think
resonates with a lot of our readers. We look at her character strengths
and weaknesses, and as a person, she has a lot of weaknesses, but
she's always finds ways to overcome them and be the hero."
"Honestly, i think we
have such a loyal readership because they know how much love goes
into the book," Andreyko added. "And, also, i think the dichotomy
of Kate's day [prosecutor] and night jobs is something we can relate
to --- justice is never black and white.
"Either that, or they
just like seeing Kate kill stuff."
As for the story of
the upcoming five issue arc? Well…how about the end first - will
August's #25 leave any plot threads dangling?
"I wasn't going to force
any loose ends together just for the sake of the last issue," Andreyko
said. "There definitely would have been dangling plot threads --
nothing like a bomb being in Kate's car or a cliffhanger -- but
some of the things I was planning couldn't be dealt with in one
issue."
That said, the five
issue arc won't necessarily be tightly connected to what's come
before.
"It's going to deal
with one of the ramifications of Infinite Crisis," was all
that Didio offered
"I could tell you what
the story is, but then I would be unemployed, which is kind of goes
against everything that this five issue arc is about," Andreyko
joked. "I will say that the five issues will have an overriding
arc that will lead up to something big in the DCU. And that there
will be some unexpected guest-stars, as well."
Didio said he's already
looking at ways to counter criticisms that, even though Manhunter
was…er, is, one of DC's best reviewed titles, there was still little
marketing oomph behind it. Think of this article as the first trumpet
call, letting people know far and wide, that Manhunter is
coming back.
"We're making the official
announcement at the DC Nation panel at WizardWorld this weekend,
and here, right now," Didio said when asked how he's going to make
sure the word reaches all ears. "I'll also be dedicating one of
my weekly DC Nation columns to the return of Manhunter, and
one of the things we're all going to do is make sure we take every
opportunity we can to get things right. We're looking at the book
coming back in October or November, depending on how quickly our
plans come together, and we'll make sure we'll have some promotion
tied to those five issues when they're coming out."
As for Andreyko, yeah,
there's a little more pressure. Sure - the book's continued survival
always counted on him to some extent, but with the upcoming arc,
he's got five issues to keep it going. If the audience isn't there,
the plug is pulled, the sheet is pulled up, and the lights are turned
off. But if the audience is there…he we come, issue #100.
"When I start writing
them, I'm sure I'll be sweating," Andreyko said. "I mean, there's
a lot riding on these issues, both with regards to reverberations
in the DCU and for the potential health of the monthly.
"But don't get me wrong
- the pressure isn't so much oppressive as it is exciting. It kind
of reminds of my acting days right before i stepped out on stage.
A good, creative fear/exhilaration."
And as a kickoff to
builing the excitement for the coming issues, Andreyko put on his
salesman hat…
"You've never tried
it? Why should you try it? Well, where do I start? How 'bout this:
it's a damn fun book that I am proud to be a part of - hence, my
long-standing money-back guarantee: "buy an issue of Manhunter
and hate it? Send it to me and get your $2.99 back!". If you're
a fan of your superheroics having equal parts big fights and richly
textured characters, this is the book for you. Add in amazing art,
coloring, letters and edits and $3 is a bargain!
"And, hey, if people
with names like Whedon, Millar, Rucka, Brubaker, Bendis, Oeming,
Simone, Hester, Meltzer, Casey are fans of Manhunter, shouldn't
you listen to 'em?"
Newsarama.com’s WizardWorld Philadelphia coverage:
DC’s Vertigo Panel
Marvel’s Civil War Panel
The DCU Panel
Cup ‘O Joe
Peter David: Telling Tales of the Fantastick
DC Nation
Bullet Dodged, Manhunter Saved
Mondo Marvel
Hellstorm Returns as MAX Mini
Guggenheim on Blade Ongoing
Marvel’s X-Men Panel
Greg Pak on X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong
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