Nightscrawlers

Dear Marvel Editor –



At the recent Wizard World Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Dan Buckley informed panel audiences that the Nightcrawler solo series is due to be cancelled at the end of its 12 issue run. This decision comes as an incredible disappointment to me and damages my enthusiasm for Marvel's creative and editorial process as a whole.

As a comics enthusiast I enjoy reading the books not just for their entertainment value, but also for their literary and artistic merit. The creative team on Nightcrawler was dedicated to creating a book that did more than just tell a story about its main character, it delved deep into his background and sought to solve the riddles of his past. Few characters in the Marvel canon have a history more complex than Nightcrawler's and thus it was an incredible risk that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa took in examining it so closely. The fact that the series has done this as effectively as it has is a testament to both the writer's research and to penciler Darick Robertson's meticulous execution, giving warmth, heart, and soul to a character that is often drawn as inhuman and inaccessible.

In short, creatively and editorially, everything about Nightcrawler is good. The critics concur as well; Nightcrawler has been unanimously agreed upon as the best of the solo books published after last year's Reload Event. The sales of the book reflect the critical opinion as Nightcrawler issue #1 through #6 all sold within the top 100, higher than any solo character's book with the exception of Wolverine. It took an unannounced three month hiatus to drop sales of Nightcrawler below the top 100.

Thus it seems that Marvel never expected to support this book nor the innovators who brought life to the character and his story. If exciting new books like Nightcrawler cannot survive Marvel's creative culling process in favor of the same old stories, then why should we, as consumers of your product continue to care? If it doesn't advance the art form or tell a story I don't already have on my shelf, then why should I be interested in paying for it?

I am a fan of the art of comics, of inventive story telling, and of Nightcrawler. Having all three in one package was one of the best things Marvel ever did and it is my hope that you would see fit to allow Nightcrawlers' creators continue the excellent work they have begun.


Regards,