To the Current Cosmic Creative Team on Lenar Clark:
I know that everyone who writes a letter to a comic book says this, but I'm going to say it anyway: I've been a big fan of Lenar Clark since the beginning, but this is the first time I've ever actually sent a letter to a comic book. I just want to say how thoroughly I've enjoyed the current "Full Circle" storyarc.
To be honest, I wasn't so sure how I was going to feel when the new writer came on board. The quality on LC had really started to flounder. I swear, I almost quit reading the book entirely after the issue where Lenar (or I guess he's Clark now?) turned 21. I mean, there was so much build up to this event, what with Lenar claiming he'd be dead by 21 every five minutes since he was 13 and all, but then when his birthday came, there was nothing. Not even a crazy mad drunken misadventure! What a let down! And when I read the preliminary press on what the new writer had planned for the fall, I was less than enthused.
I'm happy to say that I've been pleasantly surprised.
I didn't think that taking Clark out of FARC was a good idea. I thought it'd be like taking Batman out of Gotham City, but somehow, you've really made it work. I think Brent's doing a great job as Clark's roommate. The pillow fight scenes are really action packed! And when Brent punched Clark in the face in October, I damn near pissed my pants with laughter because he kept saying he'd tried to pull the punch at the last minute. Like if he hadn't, Clark's head would have gone flying off his shoulders or something... Ha! And the scene where they were watching a Chiefs game, and Brent almost cried when Clark kept saying that Dante Hall sucked? Priceless.
And I love what you've done with Caleb Prewitt in the meantime. You picked up on the ambiguities of his character set up by previous writers, and have really made him compelling. I mean, there's just no telling what this guy's gonna do next! Is he a good guy or kind of a villain? Is he crazy or just fucking with everybody? Who the hell can tell anymore? He's like Lex Luthor on Smallville, but without all the pretentious references to Alexander the Great.
But if anyone's going to get a nod for Best Supporting Character from the Wizard Fan Awards this year, I think it's Kate Jeffries. I love the fact that Clark's comfortable talking to her now. You don't know how many times I'd be reading this series, watching Clark run around with his head up his ass, and I'd just think to myself, Why doesn't he talk to Kate about this? She's right there for godsake! And she's so well written! That thing she said at the end of the recent issue "Leave Her Alone" about how powerful Clark could become almost made me cry. Then Clark started doing impressions of her future children, and I couldn't stop laughing. And that's what Lenar Clark should be, in my opinion. Poignant to a fault on one page, and laugh-out-loud funny on the next. That's "Full Circle" in spades.
But you know what has really marked this storyline for me? The best characterization of Erin Tuttle we've seen since she came back in "Return of the Turtle." I don't know why, but for some reason, when it came to her dialogue, your predecessor seemed to be working from the rule of thumb: Think up the craziest, most irrational thing someone could say, then throw in a reference to Ed. I don't know whom he was writing, but it certainly wasn't the character I fell in love with during the "We're Flawed, Baby" storyarc. You're not really writing that character either, but I can definitely see her in there somewhere. I might not always agree with her, but at least I know where she's coming from.
And what can I say about Melissa Maynard? Who thought that the girl unfortunate enough to be introduced all those years ago in the off-beat "Therapy" issue would become so much more than a bit player? I've reached a point in which I can't imagine this series without her, or maybe I just don't want to.
I'm just so floored by this storyline! On the surface, it's kind of an extended rehashing of the same tried and true plot elements of classic Lenar Clark stories like "Martyr Complex Blues" or "The Angel Takes a Dirt Nap" with the unresolved issues from last spring's "LWS & MPFH Spells Trouble", but there are deeper themes running through "Full Circle". It's a story about the interplay between those things in our past that we wish we could recapture with those things we'd like to leave behind, and how difficult it can be to tell one from the other. And what really amazes me is that I think Clark might actually change by the time "Full Circle" is completed.
A lot of writers before you have treated Clark's rampant immaturity like it was something to celebrate. I'm glad to see he's finally realizing how much of an ass he can be at times. He actually seems to be trying to better himself in this regard. I also think you've done a great job of toeing the line between Clark's self-deprecation and self-loathing. There's a difference between pathos and pathetic, and thankfully, you seem to be leaning more toward the former.
And I love how you've tweaked the typical conventions that have been set up in this series. Another writer would have made "Inter-Stella Travel" a taut and tense battle of wits and guile, but instead, you wrote it with this very calm, cool, and collected tone of voice that made it perfect. At first, I thought "How Can I Convince You It's Me I Don't Like" was going to end just like the old Danielle Schwartz story "Never Mind," but you threw that startling twist in at the end. And you're not afraid to break up your own pacing. I thought we were heading in a great direction at break neck speed after "Bowling Shoes II: Electric Boogaloo," but you really slammed on the brakes with "Turtle Waxing" and slowed things down in an interesting way.
Even the art's improved. I think Clark was being drawn a little fat last year. And despite what other people have said, I like him with hair. I hope he doesn't shave it anytime soon.
But as much as I like the new direction Lenar Clark is taking, I do have one complaint: Clark's Spider-Man obsession has really gotten out of hand. I think the best example of this was in "Another Friday Night in Columbia", when Kate told Clark that it was up to him to decide if they were all going to eat at Formosa or Otto's, and there was actually a thought balloon coming out of his head that read "Doctor Octopus = Otto Octavius" when he said "Let's go to Otto's!"
Come on! That's just weird!
And the conclusion of "Full Circle" had better really pay off! Don't cop out like the end of "Sophomore Slump". I want to see Clark go for the big brass ring, even if it means falling flat on his face.
I don't know if Lenar Clark is the series Corby and April Clark expected it to be when they first conceived it in October of 1981, but it's a book I can say I'm happy to read again. I know this is going to sound kind of sad, but sometimes I think my entire life revolves around what happens to these characters. Keep up the good work!
One more question though: Are we ever going to see the grim and gritty grudge match between Jack and the Feel Better Bear? And if so, who's going to come out on top?
Sincerely,
Frank L. Kralc
Thanks for the kind words, Frank. The pending conclusion to "Full Circle" is gonna be a big one. We don't think you'll be disappointed. After that, we've got a storyarc planned that ends with Clark's graduation. It's called "Once and For All" and we're sure you're going to like it. Keep reading!
I know that everyone who writes a letter to a comic book says this, but I'm going to say it anyway: I've been a big fan of Lenar Clark since the beginning, but this is the first time I've ever actually sent a letter to a comic book. I just want to say how thoroughly I've enjoyed the current "Full Circle" storyarc.
To be honest, I wasn't so sure how I was going to feel when the new writer came on board. The quality on LC had really started to flounder. I swear, I almost quit reading the book entirely after the issue where Lenar (or I guess he's Clark now?) turned 21. I mean, there was so much build up to this event, what with Lenar claiming he'd be dead by 21 every five minutes since he was 13 and all, but then when his birthday came, there was nothing. Not even a crazy mad drunken misadventure! What a let down! And when I read the preliminary press on what the new writer had planned for the fall, I was less than enthused.
I'm happy to say that I've been pleasantly surprised.
I didn't think that taking Clark out of FARC was a good idea. I thought it'd be like taking Batman out of Gotham City, but somehow, you've really made it work. I think Brent's doing a great job as Clark's roommate. The pillow fight scenes are really action packed! And when Brent punched Clark in the face in October, I damn near pissed my pants with laughter because he kept saying he'd tried to pull the punch at the last minute. Like if he hadn't, Clark's head would have gone flying off his shoulders or something... Ha! And the scene where they were watching a Chiefs game, and Brent almost cried when Clark kept saying that Dante Hall sucked? Priceless.
And I love what you've done with Caleb Prewitt in the meantime. You picked up on the ambiguities of his character set up by previous writers, and have really made him compelling. I mean, there's just no telling what this guy's gonna do next! Is he a good guy or kind of a villain? Is he crazy or just fucking with everybody? Who the hell can tell anymore? He's like Lex Luthor on Smallville, but without all the pretentious references to Alexander the Great.
But if anyone's going to get a nod for Best Supporting Character from the Wizard Fan Awards this year, I think it's Kate Jeffries. I love the fact that Clark's comfortable talking to her now. You don't know how many times I'd be reading this series, watching Clark run around with his head up his ass, and I'd just think to myself, Why doesn't he talk to Kate about this? She's right there for godsake! And she's so well written! That thing she said at the end of the recent issue "Leave Her Alone" about how powerful Clark could become almost made me cry. Then Clark started doing impressions of her future children, and I couldn't stop laughing. And that's what Lenar Clark should be, in my opinion. Poignant to a fault on one page, and laugh-out-loud funny on the next. That's "Full Circle" in spades.
But you know what has really marked this storyline for me? The best characterization of Erin Tuttle we've seen since she came back in "Return of the Turtle." I don't know why, but for some reason, when it came to her dialogue, your predecessor seemed to be working from the rule of thumb: Think up the craziest, most irrational thing someone could say, then throw in a reference to Ed. I don't know whom he was writing, but it certainly wasn't the character I fell in love with during the "We're Flawed, Baby" storyarc. You're not really writing that character either, but I can definitely see her in there somewhere. I might not always agree with her, but at least I know where she's coming from.
And what can I say about Melissa Maynard? Who thought that the girl unfortunate enough to be introduced all those years ago in the off-beat "Therapy" issue would become so much more than a bit player? I've reached a point in which I can't imagine this series without her, or maybe I just don't want to.
I'm just so floored by this storyline! On the surface, it's kind of an extended rehashing of the same tried and true plot elements of classic Lenar Clark stories like "Martyr Complex Blues" or "The Angel Takes a Dirt Nap" with the unresolved issues from last spring's "LWS & MPFH Spells Trouble", but there are deeper themes running through "Full Circle". It's a story about the interplay between those things in our past that we wish we could recapture with those things we'd like to leave behind, and how difficult it can be to tell one from the other. And what really amazes me is that I think Clark might actually change by the time "Full Circle" is completed.
A lot of writers before you have treated Clark's rampant immaturity like it was something to celebrate. I'm glad to see he's finally realizing how much of an ass he can be at times. He actually seems to be trying to better himself in this regard. I also think you've done a great job of toeing the line between Clark's self-deprecation and self-loathing. There's a difference between pathos and pathetic, and thankfully, you seem to be leaning more toward the former.
And I love how you've tweaked the typical conventions that have been set up in this series. Another writer would have made "Inter-Stella Travel" a taut and tense battle of wits and guile, but instead, you wrote it with this very calm, cool, and collected tone of voice that made it perfect. At first, I thought "How Can I Convince You It's Me I Don't Like" was going to end just like the old Danielle Schwartz story "Never Mind," but you threw that startling twist in at the end. And you're not afraid to break up your own pacing. I thought we were heading in a great direction at break neck speed after "Bowling Shoes II: Electric Boogaloo," but you really slammed on the brakes with "Turtle Waxing" and slowed things down in an interesting way.
Even the art's improved. I think Clark was being drawn a little fat last year. And despite what other people have said, I like him with hair. I hope he doesn't shave it anytime soon.
But as much as I like the new direction Lenar Clark is taking, I do have one complaint: Clark's Spider-Man obsession has really gotten out of hand. I think the best example of this was in "Another Friday Night in Columbia", when Kate told Clark that it was up to him to decide if they were all going to eat at Formosa or Otto's, and there was actually a thought balloon coming out of his head that read "Doctor Octopus = Otto Octavius" when he said "Let's go to Otto's!"
Come on! That's just weird!
And the conclusion of "Full Circle" had better really pay off! Don't cop out like the end of "Sophomore Slump". I want to see Clark go for the big brass ring, even if it means falling flat on his face.
I don't know if Lenar Clark is the series Corby and April Clark expected it to be when they first conceived it in October of 1981, but it's a book I can say I'm happy to read again. I know this is going to sound kind of sad, but sometimes I think my entire life revolves around what happens to these characters. Keep up the good work!
One more question though: Are we ever going to see the grim and gritty grudge match between Jack and the Feel Better Bear? And if so, who's going to come out on top?
Sincerely,
Frank L. Kralc
Thanks for the kind words, Frank. The pending conclusion to "Full Circle" is gonna be a big one. We don't think you'll be disappointed. After that, we've got a storyarc planned that ends with Clark's graduation. It's called "Once and For All" and we're sure you're going to like it. Keep reading!
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