"I love it. "Steve Rude is hard to work with." I'm thinking that means he's probably not an ass-nuzzler looking to ride Dan DiDio's camel toe horse back to the hot barn action that is the DC offices."

Whoa. That's a strange leap. I'm going on what's been discussed on other boards when this first came up and whatever problem you have with Dan Didio has nothing to do with it. There are plenty of pros who walk away from situations where they don't agree with editorial directions without being blacklisted. That is not Rude's problem.

We all know lateness has been an issue, and allegedly there have been some personality clashes. Rude has also been open of late about suffering from clinical depression and fatigue. And whether we like it or not, clinical depression and fatigue is something that counts against hiring someone for a monthly book in a deadline-sensitive industry, and especially now, when DC are putting their foot down on deadline problems.

Rude seems more likely to be a go-to guy on limited series, graphic novels or special projects, but judging from industry interviews, the approval and completion process for that type of project is pretty long, and that's just for the writing.

Now, if Rude was really prepared for the monthly grind and ready to show that he was dependable and ready to work with DC, he would, to paraphrase you, produce work to Didio's specifications while setting aside his own misgivings.

Honestly, him being rebuffed might just be an oversight or they might not have jobs to go around. But Rude and Rude's fans acting all entitled and pissed off that Rude doesn't get any book he wants just by asking, that's not going to help.

What might help, is for Rude to resolve whatever problems he has had with editors and writers in the past and rebuild their confidence in his dependability. And I wish he would do that, so we could see more work by him.

I remember reading his Facebook missive and being taken aback by how entitled and, well, rude it sounded. I really don't think that helped him.

(And yes, the pun is a bit obvious. But since Steve is apparently Norwegian-American, the last name "Rude" - usually Rud or Ruud - actually means "man who clears the wilderness and turns it into farmland". I.e. Pioneer or Trailblazer. So I guess a little joke about it won't hurt.)

Chad, do you write for a living? If not, you should.  Because this...

he's probably not an ass-nuzzler looking to ride Dan DiDio's camel toe horse back to the hot barn action that is the DC offices.

...and this...

Why Rude, Ron Frenz, Mike Allred, Mike Mignola, and Eric Powell aren't worshipped by the Big Two as if their bristol boards were pure coke sniffed off Raquel Welch circa 1971, I don't understand.

...were both hysterical and they had just a hint of Dennis Miller to them. 

Thanks for the laugh! 

 Probably Daredevil's most defining moment over the last 30 years or so. And he isn't even in the panel.

Also awakened the whole age of grim/gritty in superhero comics. Blame WATCHMEN if you want, but it really started with Elektra's demise.

This is the other one Robert.....

Thanks Ronald! Maybe I'll get paid for wordplay some day.

Great Thread! It made me think of this panel from Avengers 187,page 26 panel 2:

I love how subtle but venomous JB made Chthon in this panel. Deliciously Evil!

Then there is this panel from same issue page 30 panel 2:

The transformation back into Scarlet Witch is so well done! And JB made her so beautiful when she returned to her original form!

••

Better, imho, with its original, albeit odd, coloring.