Thought Balloons by Don MacPherson "Web Worlds at War" Last week was crazy. Not only were we busy trying to launch The Fourth Rail, I've been training on a new pagination system at work and learning the craft all over again for the first time in seven years. Twelve-hour days were the norm, and those days happened to start in the middle of the night, at 4 a.m. While all this was going on, one of the items of note in the world of comics was the news about the WizardWorld website. Maureen McTigue -- a former DC Comics editor who supervised the site's comics content -- wasn't with the company anymore. The site's future was uncertain, and a scaling-back of content seems a certainty. I really didn't pay the idea much heed when I first heard about it on the Warren Ellis Forum. Sleep deprivation and all that. I had naps to take and Web content to write. A few days have passed, and I've had a chance to mull the development over. And it's a damn shame. WizardWorld.com's comics section, under McTigue's guidance, was something of an antithesis to the often-mocked-online-but-high-selling Wizard: The Guide to Comics magazine. While the print version seems to focus on "who'd win?" supposition, comics values and cleavage, the online version seemed to make more room for small-press titles, for diversity. I tried to stop by the site every day. But I've got a new comics website myself. I should be happy that a potential competitor is out of the way, right? Wrong. Competition has little to do with Web publication, especially in the world of comics. Most sites offer completely free content. Though some may imagine comic-book websites compete for readers, we are, in fact, sharing them. I didn't always think this was the case. Back during the Psycomic 1.0 days, I strove to make that website the only one an online comics enthusiasts would need to visit to get his fill. I wasn't alone in my way of thinking. An air of competition loomed online at a number of sites. That goal was pointless, and it was impossible to achieve. The World Wide Web has changed the way we look at the comics industry. We learn of new projects faster than some of those working on the projects. We have more direct contact with those creting the stories we love. We have greater access to those elusive issues and other collectibles we absolutely must have. The goal shouldn't be to outdo the other guy, but to offer new perspectives. One of the most wonderful aspects of the Web is how it has empowered those who choose to put it to use, and at little cost. Gareb Shamus has had a powerful voice in comics for some time now, but now a guy sitting in his den in Australia can have just as loud a voice in the world of comics. All one needs is a message, something unique to say. Sure, some sites will garner more traffic than others, but that's a testament to the quality of their messages and their uniqueness. The Ellis Forum has a different voice than the Bendis Board. Sequential Tart has proven to be such a strong concept that an entire comics subculture seems to be forming around it. Don't dig on my reviews or Randy's? Check out Comics Worth Reading. This is a have-our-cake-eat-it-too scenario. We can even have ice cream on top if we want. Pass me that fork, will you? Don MacPherson should not be taken when operating heavy machinery. Email Don MacPherson comments about this column, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.