By rights this is the sort of thing that should be playing heavily into Robin's current arc, but...perhaps it's best not to go there.
Honestly, I'm neither surprised that Willingham isn't working the Steph angst nor particularly upset about it. If he was, I'd feel duty bound to try to read the title again, after all, and, while it's possible he wouldn't screw THAT pooch, too... heh. I'M not placing any bets.
... This is not because I think he's a better character, but because Steph's death just made me GRAH and want to throw things. Dixon worked to ENSURE that Tad didn't become a popular antihero; he made him unsympathetic and kind of annoying on purpose and, evidently, didn't want fans to like the character. But he also worked to make sure he *was* a character with realistic motives and consistant characterization and a certain degree of humanity.
You know, I hadn't thought about Tad in a while, but you're absolutely right. I'm not at all sure, at this point, *why* he existed, and his storyline was rather flawed, but at the same time... I mean, I read the whole thing, and *enjoyed* it -- because of the reasons you list. Whether he ever *should* have existed or not, Dixon (and yes, he *was* the only one who wrote Tad, I believe) sure as hell made him *real*.
When she was in the suit, even, I didn't feel like she was being Steph in the Robin suit (in the Robin title, at least), I felt like she was just OH WOW NEW GIRL ROBIN!!! with a side of incompetency thrown in just to make her something that kind of (maybe, sort of, almost) resembled the character Willingham assumed her to have been, since he obviously didn't care to read up on her. Maybe feeling that way was my problem though, and nothing to do with the story itself, but...
No, it wasn't your problem. And *I* have no problem saying that without doubt or hesitation, even though we've never actually chatted all that much and I don't actually know you. Why? Because DetC #796 was *exactly* the kind of story which should've happened with Steph as Robin. Gabrych knew her, and whether or not he loved her, he *respected* her, and it's really the stand-out issue of War Drums. (Everyone should own at least one copy, if for nothing else than Pete Woods' unbelievably gorgeous pencils. *points to icon*)
...I know a lot of it has to do with writers, with what had to be done according to TPTB, but I can't help but wonder *why* it had to be that way, and how gender might (or might not, obviously) have anything to do with these characters' roles in their respective stories.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2005-04-06 12:02 am (UTC)Honestly, I'm neither surprised that Willingham isn't working the Steph angst nor particularly upset about it. If he was, I'd feel duty bound to try to read the title again, after all, and, while it's possible he wouldn't screw THAT pooch, too... heh. I'M not placing any bets.
... This is not because I think he's a better character, but because Steph's death just made me GRAH and want to throw things. Dixon worked to ENSURE that Tad didn't become a popular antihero; he made him unsympathetic and kind of annoying on purpose and, evidently, didn't want fans to like the character. But he also worked to make sure he *was* a character with realistic motives and consistant characterization and a certain degree of humanity.
You know, I hadn't thought about Tad in a while, but you're absolutely right. I'm not at all sure, at this point, *why* he existed, and his storyline was rather flawed, but at the same time... I mean, I read the whole thing, and *enjoyed* it -- because of the reasons you list. Whether he ever *should* have existed or not, Dixon (and yes, he *was* the only one who wrote Tad, I believe) sure as hell made him *real*.
When she was in the suit, even, I didn't feel like she was being Steph in the Robin suit (in the Robin title, at least), I felt like she was just OH WOW NEW GIRL ROBIN!!! with a side of incompetency thrown in just to make her something that kind of (maybe, sort of, almost) resembled the character Willingham assumed her to have been, since he obviously didn't care to read up on her. Maybe feeling that way was my problem though, and nothing to do with the story itself, but...
No, it wasn't your problem. And *I* have no problem saying that without doubt or hesitation, even though we've never actually chatted all that much and I don't actually know you. Why? Because DetC #796 was *exactly* the kind of story which should've happened with Steph as Robin. Gabrych knew her, and whether or not he loved her, he *respected* her, and it's really the stand-out issue of War Drums. (Everyone should own at least one copy, if for nothing else than Pete Woods' unbelievably gorgeous pencils. *points to icon*)
...I know a lot of it has to do with writers, with what had to be done according to TPTB, but I can't help but wonder *why* it had to be that way, and how gender might (or might not, obviously) have anything to do with these characters' roles in their respective stories.
Exactly. Fucking *exactly*.