"Most writers have themes they return to time and again, each time looking at a different way. This also is true of many of the most lauded comic book writers. Alan Moore is fond of using public domain characters and exploring politics and the deconstruction and reconstruction of super hero tropes. When working with established characters, Grant Morrison can’t seem to get enough joy out of mining a character’s past continuity to find new ways of making what is often a discarded, silly part of the Golden or Silver Age canon bring new light and understanding to a character. Morrison also likes to explore the metaphysical, leading to dense comic writing that can be hard to get through, but rewarding if you get all the references and points he’s making. He also likes to look at the future consequences of today’s actions, most famously during his runs on New X-Men and Batman. Mark Waid has become the master of exploring the consequences of lies and the truths we withhold from each other. His heroes have secrets even from each other and that can lead to dire consequences. Finally, we have Jonathan Hickman who seems to have two primary themes that run through his work. The first is about the role of fathers and the effects of having/not having a father and having/not having a family. He has explored this in more than one comic, but it is the central theme of his excellent run on Fantastic Four and FF. I would love to see another writer run with the fact that Hickman has Valeria choose Dr Doom as her father figure. Hickman also enjoys exploring how a cabal of very intelligent people can radically change the world. This was a minor theme during his run on Fantastic Four, but it is a central theme in S.H.I.E.L.D., The New Avengers, The Manhattan Projects and East of West."
I think I read a quote once (could be making it up) that was something to the effect of, "Authors are constantly rewriting the same book."
Looking past the comics world for those who aren't into comics, I can think of Michael Crichton whose theme of lies of omission is very similar to Mark Waid's (he agreed when I brought it up during an interview). Neal Stephenson loves to explore social consequences of massive technology change (Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Anathem) and cascading effects of history on the present (Cryptonomicon, The Baroque Cycle 1-3).
I tend to think it's pretty incredible that, when done well, an author can look at the same subject from differing points of view without fatiguing the reader. I feel this is done best when the theme the author's approaching is not a preachy one and it's a background element to the story rather than the point of the story.
Curious what other S&L readers think. Do you get bored? Can you enjoy it? Do you even notice it unless someone points it out? I think we should probably rule out series as a general rule because the author is "stuck" in the same world and maybe with the same over-arching dilemma, but I'd also welcome discussion involving series if it takes that into consideration. (ie don't complain that "OMG all of Star Wars is about the force". But do talk about how it shows two different generations growing up with substitute father figures and how father/son deal with it differently.)
"Most writers have themes they return to time and again, each time looking at a different way. This also is true of many of the most lauded comic book writers. Alan Moore is fond of using public domain characters and exploring politics and the deconstruction and reconstruction of super hero tropes. When working with established characters, Grant Morrison can’t seem to get enough joy out of mining a character’s past continuity to find new ways of making what is often a discarded, silly part of the Golden or Silver Age canon bring new light and understanding to a character. Morrison also likes to explore the metaphysical, leading to dense comic writing that can be hard to get through, but rewarding if you get all the references and points he’s making. He also likes to look at the future consequences of today’s actions, most famously during his runs on New X-Men and Batman. Mark Waid has become the master of exploring the consequences of lies and the truths we withhold from each other. His heroes have secrets even from each other and that can lead to dire consequences. Finally, we have Jonathan Hickman who seems to have two primary themes that run through his work. The first is about the role of fathers and the effects of having/not having a father and having/not having a family. He has explored this in more than one comic, but it is the central theme of his excellent run on Fantastic Four and FF. I would love to see another writer run with the fact that Hickman has Valeria choose Dr Doom as her father figure. Hickman also enjoys exploring how a cabal of very intelligent people can radically change the world. This was a minor theme during his run on Fantastic Four, but it is a central theme in S.H.I.E.L.D., The New Avengers, The Manhattan Projects and East of West."
I think I read a quote once (could be making it up) that was something to the effect of, "Authors are constantly rewriting the same book."
Looking past the comics world for those who aren't into comics, I can think of Michael Crichton whose theme of lies of omission is very similar to Mark Waid's (he agreed when I brought it up during an interview). Neal Stephenson loves to explore social consequences of massive technology change (Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Anathem) and cascading effects of history on the present (Cryptonomicon, The Baroque Cycle 1-3).
I tend to think it's pretty incredible that, when done well, an author can look at the same subject from differing points of view without fatiguing the reader. I feel this is done best when the theme the author's approaching is not a preachy one and it's a background element to the story rather than the point of the story.
Curious what other S&L readers think. Do you get bored? Can you enjoy it? Do you even notice it unless someone points it out? I think we should probably rule out series as a general rule because the author is "stuck" in the same world and maybe with the same over-arching dilemma, but I'd also welcome discussion involving series if it takes that into consideration. (ie don't complain that "OMG all of Star Wars is about the force". But do talk about how it shows two different generations growing up with substitute father figures and how father/son deal with it differently.)