Because I need something to read in the loo

For whatever reason, I picked up the latest issue of Wizard Magazine, a.k.a. The Red-Headed Hype-Child Magazine. (Speaking of which, did Wizard start their own conventions just because they got their credentials laughed off at the others? But I digress.)

If you never read Wizard Magazine, it's basically a fluffy 'zine about the comic book industry. Hard-bitten journalism? No. They're pretty much the worst offenders for the "Hype Now, Snark Later" brand of media. (Oh, and they like to transcribe artists having interviews with other artists rather than having to get a reporter to do actual work.) 75% of the articles in Wizard are previews up upcoming events, and there is nary a word of caution to be found in any of them. But zip to the Trade Paperback reviews, and you'll see soggy scores for those storylines hyped so heavily only months before.

This month's issue has eight pages devoted to the 15th anniversary of the Death of Superman storyline. It's a transcription (because, of course, having an actual interviewer write this into a true article might drain their convention budget.) of DC creators talking about the stages of the event. One of the writers complains that people have blamed them for the collapse of the comic book industry, and he says that's unfair. But the creators seemed to marvel at their own genius of reducing the panels-per-page as the story progresses until the final issue is completely (and horribly) one panel on each page. Let's see... the worst story (or lack there of) ever written from a one-note concept, drawn out over as many issues as possible, and sealed in a special little baggie to dupe all the wannabe collectors... yup, those guys are absolutely to blame for the downfall of the industry.

Pages of writers whining that they don't get enough recognition for their work... obviously not, because they weren't immediately fired. Why is Wizard magazine giving so much space to glorify this event? And yet it could have been worse. Right?