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His comments about the dearth of talent/originality is squarely aimed at Marvel/DC and superhero comics. He's spoken of non-mainstream comics a couple of times, most recently Craig Thompson. I'm sure he likes his daughter's comics too 

A lot of people seem to be focusing on that more than anything else which is disappointing. Comic fans are odd and seem to take a lot of this stuff way too personally. Why not concentrate on the main point he makes repeatedly throughout the interview: the Big Two's business model is entirely self-destructive and that's why their sales are shit and getting shittier. It's the way they do business.

Comics must be the only business in the world that punishes its most successful and profitable creators.

Everyone's opinion will remain exactly as it was before.

I do think it's interesting that DC doesn't actually own the copyright to Watchmen however. Am I correct in saying it still belongs to Moore/Gibbons but DC has the right to publish the original series? Meaning these prequels are copyright infringement?

I get impression that the reboot was ordered by DC executves at very short notice to avoid any further copyright disputes, to make matters worse it was implemented by half-wits who don't seem to understand the appeal of their own characters.
'Batman Inc' being kicked into the long grass, 'Before Watchmen', Poor costume redesigns, new logos, slow TV style pacing, creator changes etc, it all adds up to a new era of corporate comics where everything is just an IP to be exploited.

DC and Marvel now are essentially just property management. Their job is to find ways to make these characters more open to cross-media exploitation. Look at the new Avengers film: it's Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates. And those guys didn't get a penny for it even though they've essentially given them the premise, tone, a lot of the characterization and arguably plot too.

Like him or loath him, I completely understand why Millar would prefer to concentrate on his own properties and turning them into big budget action films when the alternative is essentially doing the same thing but being free legwork for a multi-billion dollar mega-corporation and getting squat out of it.

I'm betting quite a few of the top-tier creators in US comics are beginning to feel the same. Probably why the likes of Morrison, Hickman and Brubaker (who frankly should have been owed a cheque for the Captain America film. His run on the series was even credited by both the writer and director as a "source of inspiration") are all focusing more and more on creator-owned material and lanching titles at Image.

Yeah it was all done very quick, at least from the creatives perspective. Snyder said he didn't know the script he wrote for Batman #1 was going to be anything other than Batman #712 or whatever and the news of the relaunch was a big surprise to him. When he heard about it the script had just been sent off to Capullo and he only ended up changing one line of dialogue to 'fit' the new continuity, apparently. It was also this 'last-minute' revamp that Capullo says he was unsure how to draw some of the characters and made Dick Grayson and Tim much younger than he should have.

Sloppy work on the part of DC editorial. It's particularly evident when you look at some of the titles that didn't have a strong vision from either creator, like Green Arrow, Blue Beetle or Static Shock. They had so little time to get it right and you can really tell.

Yes?

Completely agree with both your points, Evil Pants. The relaunch was half-hearted and DC didn't give it the time it needed to really be successul creatively. Factor in their generally lacklustre talent pool, particularly in the middle tolow tier books, and all this realunch has really done is bring DC's inherent flaws to the fore.

Saying that, there are a few books I'm enjoying and it's good to see Marvel taking a beating. Their reaction to DCs success has been very interesting and they've reacted quite poorly in my opinion, choosing to sacrifice a successful books consistency by releasing multiple issues in one month (how can any one artist keep up with that?!) Worst victim of this: Uncanny X-Force.

Biggest disappointment has been Action Comics. It's the DC relaunch in a microcosm: big ideas, a lot of ambition, all scuppered by being rushed and hurt by bad decision-making. DC have always had a problem with their editorial side and this is really becoming evident now. Just look at the whole Static Shock debacle.

The books I'm liking are Batman, Batman & Robin (unexpectedly, this has been really fun!), Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman and The Shade. I'm also liking Frankenstein and All-Star Western.

If a person wasn't too mad on Hellboy (well the first two trade paperbacks anyway) but liked The Amazing Screw-On head and Jenny Finn, would they like Lord Baltimore?

I haven't read Jenny Finn but I'd recommend Baltimore to anyone. It's co-written by Christopher Golden.

I'd also suggest giving Hellboy another go. While I know some people find the first few Hellboy stories a little style over substance (though I do think a re-read is essential to really appreciate what Mignola is doing and how he sets up an entire world almost effortlessly), the stories do become tigher and more focused as the series goes along. I'd also say give those BPRD omnibus' mentioned above a go!

Nice cover.

Good Dredd, loving the pacing on this. Always nice to see some skysurfing action!

Age of the Wolf: I didn't think much of the first series at all. This is a lot better. Hunt's artwork has improved in leaps and bounds and the story itself is a lot more interesting this time round.

Dante: Please don't ever end.

Grey Area: Decent. Not a huge fan of the artwork in this episode, a bit too bare (pun intended) and stiff (er...) Nice idea though, I'm liking this story for the old-skool Thrill vibe. Think it has a lot of room for expansion and I'm liking the fun little self-contained stories (reminds me of Dredd!)

What if...? : 
Lovely B&W Ezqurra art. Lovely little story. Wulf gives Bubba what was always coming to him and gets a nice sendoff. Really very heartwarming and nostalgic in the best sense of the word. A rather fitting ending to 2000AD's greatest duo.

Just to note: the third BPRD omnibus is being released on 17th April... http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/BPRD-Plague-Frogs-Collection-3-John-Arcudi/9781595828606

They're also releasing these omnibus editions in paperback, the first edition around the same time at the incredibly good price of £14.24!! http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/BPRD-Plague-Frogs-1-Geoff-Johns/9781595826756?selectCurrency=GBP Less than a fiver a trade! 

Though I heartily recommend purchasing the hardback editions. They're really quite lovely.

There is a definite 'Vertigo' vibe from Image at the moment, I've tried some of their new stuff like Fatale & Prophet (recommended highly by fellow forum brethren) and really loved Severed too. Throw in comics like The Walking Dead and it's plain to see they've eclipsed Vertigo, even in it's heyday.

Historically I've always seen Image as more 'artist-led' (probably due to its founders!) and Vertigo more 'writer-led'.

I wonder is DC just planning on shutting up shop on Vertigo altogether? Maybe they'll continue to just release stuff like Fables as trades (as they're doing with the Earth One series of GNs) if that has no plans on ending. Wood has finished up Northlanders and DMZ and is moving on; Scalped is finishing soon with Aaron looking like he's staying put at Marvel; Carey seems to be working towards an ending to The Unwritten. Swamp Thing/Constantine have returned to the DCU. And Karen Berger is editing a DCU title for the first time in something like 20 years! 

DC aren't set up for handling creator-owned material anymore effectively than Marvel is with Icon. If creators really want to own their characters, stories and original ideas, they're going to go with Image now.

Great news. The second series was fantastic as well.

Though unrelated in terms of continuity though not creators, the recent BPRD stories have been some of the best in the series. All of Mignola's stuff is firing on all cylinders at the moment!

In the last year Dark Horse have been releasing Omnibus editions of BPRD, collecting the last decade or so stories/trades in chronological order. Each one collects three of the regular trades in hardback and at an incredibly good price.

I can't recommend these enough. The third one is due out in a few weeks, I think.

Yeah I was just looking at those as a way to catch up, as the books seem to go out of print quickly and, although they aren't as big as the Hellboy Library Editions, it is actually cheaper to buy those than the three trade paperbacks they collect (which is nice). Sometimes it pays to wait. Worth bearing in mind that they are only collecting the larger "Plague of Frogs" storyline, do skip some limited series, with Volume 2 going from Black Flame to War on Frogs, so you will need to fill in the gaps with other trades. Details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_for_Paranormal_Research_and_Defense#Collected_editions

As with the Hellboy Library Editions, these omnibus trades appear to be collecting things chronologically in terms of story as opposed to publication. Hence the inclusion of the War on Frogs trade in the second volume as those stories happened around the same time as the Black Flame.

I imagine they'll do similar for the 1946-1948 series and probably Lobster Johnson/Witchfinder as well down the line.

In the last year Dark Horse have been releasing Omnibus editions of BPRD, collecting the last decade or so stories/trades in chronological order. Each one collects three of the regular trades in hardback and at an incredibly good price.

I can't recommend these enough. The third one is due out in a few weeks, I think.

I imagine we're only going to get a short teaser first. Which won't necessarily contain footage. Isn't that how it usually works? Which means the trailer won't be for another while yet.

By grud that's a stonkingly good prog!

Dredd was excellent. Those Judges raining from the sky were fantastic. Wagner really knows how to just naturally throw some action out of nowhere and make it work.

I'm really liking Grey Area. It acts as a nice reprise from some of the heavier strips in the prog at the moment. It's good, clean fun and has that old-school Thrill vibe to it. Keep 'em coming. I also like how, for a teambook, there's little confusion about who's who. At the same time: no helmets this episode? Art droid error?

Absalom was great. This series has a lot more heft to it than the last one.

As for Nikolai Dante: it's pretty much the most perfect series ever to grace this esteemed comic. You heard me. It's the best series ever in 2000AD.