Letter Bugs by Don MacPherson Comic-book professionals aren't born, they're hatched... often hatched from a larval cocoon stage that leading Nicaraguan scientists have termed "the fan." And sometimes, those fans write letters to comics publishers and editors. And sometimes, those letters were published. These are real subsmissions to comics letters pages from days gone by, penned by the real pros of today. Our first letter was published under the "Inside the Atom-Hawkman" banner in The Atom & Hawkman #45 (cover date November 1969)... "Dear Editor: 'Come to my Hanging' in Atom-Hawkman #43 as certainly one of the most-uh-interesting stories to come out in years. I myself am rather fond of the Gentleman Ghost because he reminds me of my all-time favorite Hawkman villain, The Shadow Thief. I've always had a sort of fasciation for highwaymen and such and remember dearly The Atom #6, cover-featuring the Time Pool story, 'The Highwayman and the Mighty Mite!' "The origin of the Gentleman Ghost was really outrageous (as the story was sub-titled) and one of the most amusingly ridiculous origins I've read. It certainly is refreshing in this age of innovations to see a trite and true Golden Age type origin. It's almost unique in the age of power rings and radioactive spiders to have so very little explanation in an origin. The story itself wen so smoothly that it was terribly relaxing. I'm glad to see that Murphy Anderson picked up a bit from Jerry Grandenetti's style (from the late-lamented Spectre), although the angle shots work better with Anderson's curves than with Grandenetti's stick figures. The 'Buzzin' Atom story in this issue is just barely worth mentioning. Denny O'Neil seems to despise super-villains--and there are only three things that can save The Atom now. Those are Chronos, Bug-Eyed Bandit, and Gil Kane. I've had enough of two-bit mad scientists and second-story men. "To sum it up, The Atom is shrinking to oblivion while Hawkman is soaring to newer, greater-than-ever heights. Meanwhile, I cheerfully remain... Signed, Steven Grant, Madison, Wis. Yep, we confirmed it. The author of said letter was comics writer and ComicBookResources.com columnist Steven Grant. Of course, Grant went on to work closely with that artist he hails in the letter, the late Gil Kane. Let's jump forward a few years now, and check in with a former fan who had some harsh words for an sci-fi murder mystery. Addressed to writer Mike W. Barr and then-DC managing editor Dick Giordano, this letter is from "Brave & Bold Mailbag", published in The Brave and the Bold #195 (cover date February 1983). "Dear Mr. Barr and Mr. Giordano: I hate to put it quite this way, but I've been with B & B for twenty years now. Twenty years. And I must say that, in all that time, there was never as bad a story as 'Who Killed Adam Strange?' I was so incredibly disappointed by what looked like to be such a good idea (and with Infantino artwork!) that I couldn't read anything else for a long time. I just walked around the house, muttering something to the effect of 'A planet of billions of people, and Batman GUESSES who the murderer is.' He GUESSES! Did you not stop to think how ludicrous that idea is, that he picks on some girl who tried to shoot him down maybe because she was nervous about the great detective, but more probably because she could have honestly thought him to be another invader? Does it matter that she had absolutely--ABSOLUTELY--no apparent motive, nor any conenction with Adam whatsoever? Come on. A bad story isn't something to shoot for, but a great idea turned into a bad story is a crime. Think next time you, Mr. Barr, write a mystery and you, Mr. Giordano, edit one. I haven't been this let down by a comic in a long time, and I doubt seriously that I have ever seen another that so much deserved never to have seen the light of day. Signed, Mark Waid, Richmond, VA The Ruse and upcoming Fantastic Four writer himself let us know about this little gem. It seems that even then, almost two decades ago, he took his comics very seriously. Of course, that critical eye served him well when he went on to become an editor at DC Comics. In more recent years, however, the barbs have been directed at him... as have many well-deserved kudos. Don MacPherson has been told repeatedly not to play with his mailbag in public. Email Don MacPherson comments about this column, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.