SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE estará escrito por J.M. Straczynski con ilustraciones de Shane Davis, regresando a Smallville y experimentando el viaje del mayor hijo adoptivo de la Tierra, a medida que crece desde que era apenas un niño hasta convertirse en Supermán.
“Lo que estoy intentando hacer es profundizar en el personaje y mirarlo desde una perspectiva moderna. Si fueras a crear la historia de Supermán hoy, por primera vez, pero dejando intacto todo lo que funciona, ¿cómo se vería?”, dice Straczynski.
“Es grandioso para nosotros como lectores de cómics el ver a Supermán nacer por primera vez,” dice Davis. “Es un privilegio darte cuenta de que eres el artista que va a conseguir plasmarlo, más aún haber tenido el lujo de hacerlo en una novela gráfica original. ¡Esto va a ser épico!”.
“BATMAN: EARTH ONE nos permite a Gary y a mí el romper los restricciones de toda continuidad y centrarnos en dos cosas: el personaje y la historia", dice Geoff.
Os dejo las entrevistas al completo:
- Supermán:
Bug and JMS talk SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE!
AMBUSH BUG: Tell me a little bit about the premise behind SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE.
J. Michael Straczynski (JMS): There's this notion, which has really become a kind of accepted cliché, that as soon as you get powers, you put on a superhero (or super-villain) costume and you're off to the races. But logically, there would have to come a moment when you have to decide if you actually want to do that, or if you should do that. It's that moment in the Garden of Gethsemane where you have to decide if you want to endure everything that's going to happen to you if you decide to expose yourself.
Clark comes to Metropolis in his 21st year to decide what he really wants to do. And this is someone who can be anyone, do anything. If he keeps his background secret, as he's done for the preceding 21 years, he can be the best athlete the world has ever known, he could be the next Stephen Hawking, could take away the golf crown from Tiger Woods, create patents that could earn billions. He can finally step out of the shadows and into the light.
By contrast, if he chooses to become Superman, then Clark must live forever in the shadows, dedicated to a life of service and self-sacrifice that could eventually get him killed. That's a hard choice for anybody to make, let alone a 21 year old kid who wants to look after his mom and is lured by the idea of money and success and fame. So the story is about Clark's Gethsemane moment, when he has to finally make that choice, why he makes it, and what follows after.
Against this backdrop, we flash back to his life growing up in Smallville, so we can see how the Kents helped mold him and protect him and get him to a point in his life where he can finally make this most difficult of choices.
BUG: How is your take on the younger years of Superman going to be different than previous takes on his origin?
JMS: This is probably one of the most often told and re-told stories in comics history, so you have to be careful to preserve what's established while trying to find areas where you can bring a fresh approach. But I'll be straight up with you: I'm not here to change his story into something it was never intended to be so that I can "make my mark" on the character. It's about respecting the character and his origins. Especially for me, since Superman has always been my number one icon growing up as a kid. Coming from poor surroundings and circumstances where everybody says "forget this idea of being a writer, guys like you who come from nothing always end up at nothing," Superman was what I held onto, the idea of someone who could do anything. My house is filled with enough original Superman artwork, memorabilia and other stuff to constitute a museum. It's probably one of the biggest Superman collections on the Western Seaboard, not because of the collecting instinct, but because that's how much the character has meant to me over the years.
(True story: I was at Chicago Comic-Con a number of years ago, standing in the dealer's room, when some guy grabbed a bunch of expensive items off a table and made a run for it down the aisle, being chased by the owner of the table. Everybody in the aisle did a fast fade, parting before this guy like the Red Sea. I brought the mofo down and the two of us held him for the police. The con organizer later came up to me and said, "Why'd you do that? He was half your age and twice as big, you could've been hurt." I pointed to where I'd been standing, in front of a ten-foot-tall cutout of Superman. "How could I stand under that, in front of him, and do nothing?" I said.)
So to the point of your question, what I'm trying to do is to dig in to the character and look at him through modern eyes. If you were to create the Superman story today, for the first time, but keep intact all that works, what would it look like? As a fledgling writer I used to love going to see productions of Shakespeare because what would often be done would be to take that original play and move it forward in time. So you could have “Two Gentlemen of Verona” set in pre-WW2 Italy...you could have a female Hamlet...or as was recently produced for film, “Richard III” set in a corollary for Nazi Germany. And suddenly the lens through which you view those stories, those plays, colors and changes how you perceive them without changing anything essential.
Here, of course, we're doing more than that because we're not sticking to a script, but the idea is much the same. So in the case of Superman, you take all those elements that work, and infuse them with a modern sensibility, how it would be written today, this minute, if it had just been created for the first time. If I have any one particular strength as a writer, it's taking someone of massive power and making them relatable, sympathetic and vulnerable while not taking an inch away from that incalculable power.
BUG: Are there aspects of Superman's origin that you purposefully left out for the sake of your story?
JMS: The only substantial thing I'm leaving out is the notion of a Superboy. Here, the first time Clark puts on that uniform, it really is his first time.
In reflecting further on the question of changes, probably one of the most changed characters is Jim Olsen, and the most changed atmosphere is that of the Daily Planet. Having worked as a journalist for nearly ten years, I know what a news room is supposed to feel like, and my one ongoing complaint about comics set in those environments is that you (or I) could tell that the writers had never actually worked for a newspaper.
And in any newspaper, the one guy who is the most dangerous guy to stand next to is the photographer, because they'll go anywhere and do anything to get the shot. I recently saw footage where a press photographer was at one of those races that go through city streets, and a car spun out and came right at him. He kept taking pictures as the back end hit the wall to his right, spun out, and the front hit the wall to his left, barely missing him by inches. He never once stopped snapping photos. A good newspaper reporter keeps shooting no matter the danger, so I'm bringing that aspect into Olsen.
The rest of the staff look, act and talk like actual reporters now, and that's a lot of fun. And when we join our story, the Daily Planet is on the downward slide...it's where new reporters come to learn and old reporters come to die. It's what begins to happen in the aftermath of Superman's appearance that starts to reverse their fortunes.
BUG: How do you deal with the delicate tightrope walk of telling stories that matter vs. not straying so far from the status quo that you don't recognize these iconic characters anymore?
JMS: I think it's a matter of respect and keeping the character first. Again, you don't change things just so you can say "I changed that." You have to ask if it proceeds from character. So for instance, one of the elements of the story is the fact that growing up, Clark would have been even more of an outsider than we've seen previously. Every kid gets in schoolyard fights, but Clark would have had to walk away or just take the punches, because if he slipped for even a second, he could kill the other kid. This would have gotten him a reputation as a coward, a weirdo, and he'd have to hear that every day in the schoolyard...and the one thing you know as a kid is that you don't hang with the cowards or the weirdos. So he would've lived a very solitary, rough, and very controlled life, because even a brief lapse could have disastrous consequences. We see a very real sense of isolation in him, which informs his arrival in Metropolis which represents the first time when he can choose the life he wants, rather than having to endure the life he had to endure.
BUG: How does SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE fit in with current continuity? The name suggests that it could be either part of it or an all new start from square one for the character.
JMS: At this juncture, the book operates outside DC continuity. At some point way, way down the road, some of that may be folded in, but again that's a long ways away.
BUG: It seems there is a pretty even split when it comes to whether someone is a Batman fan or a Superman fan. What is it about the character of Superman that appeals to some but not others?
JMS: I think it's a difference between power fantasies and revenge fantasies, with Superman more the former, and Batman more the latter. Not to belabor the previous point, because we all have our childhood horror stories, but I grew up in the mean streets of Newark and Paterson and some of the poorer parts of other towns. We moved 21 times in my first 17 years. Guys like me didn't become writers, they ended up pumping gas or working in machine shops. It was a dead-end lifestyle filled with no. So on the one hand, there was no one I wanted to get revenge against...I just wanted a chance to be somebody, a chance to learn to fly, and to become someone who couldn't get hurt. So I latched on to Superman at a very early age. I've said it before, and it's true: most of my morality I learned from Superman. One of my very earliest memories is an image from a Max Fleischer Superman cartoon where he has his cape over Lois, protecting her from molten metal. I searched for that image for decades before I found it and it's one of the first things you see when you enter my home...that and a mountain of Alex Ross and Curt Swan artwork, and The Triptych: a sketch of Superman signed by Siegel and Shuster, with an autograph by George Reeves tipped into it.
BUG: Can you tell me a little bit about the art in this one and how you worked with artist Shane Davis?
JMS: Because I tend to write from emotion to action, I live or die by the degree to which the artist is able to express emotion. So when Dan DiDio and I began the process of finding an artist, that skill was number one on the list. As soon as I saw Shane's art, I knew he would be right for this, because he can not only get that degree of expressiveness, but he's also really great on action and composition. There's an insane amount of detail in his work. We had a lot of back-and-forth in terms of character design that led to some really cool stuff.
BUG: How do you respond to criticism you've received for delayed titles that you've penned? Was it easier for you to write in this graphic novel format than the monthly grind?
JMS: Let me dive into this for a second, because this is a sore point with me. I was on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN for over eight years, and with only a couple of small glitches that book came out like clockwork. BULLET POINTS: on time. SILVER SURFER REQUIEM: on time. MIDNIGHT NATION: on time. BRAVE AND THE BOLD: on time. When I took on THE TWELVE, I wanted to do it the same as BP and SSR: let me write it all the way through, get most of the art done, then announce it, because in particular I was concerned that there might be some conflicts in scheduling not just with me but with the artist. But when PROJECT SUPERPOWERS was announced, the powers that be at Marvel decided to go ahead before it was ready, and what I was afraid would happen, happened. He got busy, I got busy, then he got busy again, then I got busy again, and it fell off the grid. (Note: the last scripts will be in by year's end.) With Thor, I'll take the rap for a couple of delays, but Marvel also delayed the book to buy time to find another artist. Between the time I finished the script for the last issue, for instance, and its publication, almost four months went by. I have the timestamp on the file to prove it. That ain't my choice, but I get the rap for it.
With all that being said, for me, it's best to do it then announce it, so there are no delays. So when DC came to me about this project, I felt it was important to again say nothing specific about it until it was nearly done. As I write these words, the script is very close to being finished (we're talking a book of well over a hundred pages), and we've got oodles of art finished.
BUG: The graphic novel format has been a preferred reading experience for a growing number of fans. Trade-waiting is a pretty common term I hear thrown around these days. What do you think; does the release of such a high profile product in a graphic novel format signify the end of the monthly single issues?
JMS Not at all. It's like saying that the production of movies signifies the end of dramatic series TV. Each serves a different need, and fills a different niche. If there's anything that is signified by trade-waiting, it's that we need to write better stories. If a reader can wait until it's all done to buy it, then we're not doing our jobs right. We should be writing stories that the reader can't wait to buy as soon as the next installment hits the stands, and then at the end, wants to gather together for ease of re-reading. If a reader can wait it out, then we as creators need to re-evaluate our work. Seriously.
AMBUSH BUG: Tell me a little bit about the premise behind SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE.
J. Michael Straczynski (JMS): There's this notion, which has really become a kind of accepted cliché, that as soon as you get powers, you put on a superhero (or super-villain) costume and you're off to the races. But logically, there would have to come a moment when you have to decide if you actually want to do that, or if you should do that. It's that moment in the Garden of Gethsemane where you have to decide if you want to endure everything that's going to happen to you if you decide to expose yourself.
Clark comes to Metropolis in his 21st year to decide what he really wants to do. And this is someone who can be anyone, do anything. If he keeps his background secret, as he's done for the preceding 21 years, he can be the best athlete the world has ever known, he could be the next Stephen Hawking, could take away the golf crown from Tiger Woods, create patents that could earn billions. He can finally step out of the shadows and into the light.
By contrast, if he chooses to become Superman, then Clark must live forever in the shadows, dedicated to a life of service and self-sacrifice that could eventually get him killed. That's a hard choice for anybody to make, let alone a 21 year old kid who wants to look after his mom and is lured by the idea of money and success and fame. So the story is about Clark's Gethsemane moment, when he has to finally make that choice, why he makes it, and what follows after.
Against this backdrop, we flash back to his life growing up in Smallville, so we can see how the Kents helped mold him and protect him and get him to a point in his life where he can finally make this most difficult of choices.
BUG: How is your take on the younger years of Superman going to be different than previous takes on his origin?
JMS: This is probably one of the most often told and re-told stories in comics history, so you have to be careful to preserve what's established while trying to find areas where you can bring a fresh approach. But I'll be straight up with you: I'm not here to change his story into something it was never intended to be so that I can "make my mark" on the character. It's about respecting the character and his origins. Especially for me, since Superman has always been my number one icon growing up as a kid. Coming from poor surroundings and circumstances where everybody says "forget this idea of being a writer, guys like you who come from nothing always end up at nothing," Superman was what I held onto, the idea of someone who could do anything. My house is filled with enough original Superman artwork, memorabilia and other stuff to constitute a museum. It's probably one of the biggest Superman collections on the Western Seaboard, not because of the collecting instinct, but because that's how much the character has meant to me over the years.
(True story: I was at Chicago Comic-Con a number of years ago, standing in the dealer's room, when some guy grabbed a bunch of expensive items off a table and made a run for it down the aisle, being chased by the owner of the table. Everybody in the aisle did a fast fade, parting before this guy like the Red Sea. I brought the mofo down and the two of us held him for the police. The con organizer later came up to me and said, "Why'd you do that? He was half your age and twice as big, you could've been hurt." I pointed to where I'd been standing, in front of a ten-foot-tall cutout of Superman. "How could I stand under that, in front of him, and do nothing?" I said.)
So to the point of your question, what I'm trying to do is to dig in to the character and look at him through modern eyes. If you were to create the Superman story today, for the first time, but keep intact all that works, what would it look like? As a fledgling writer I used to love going to see productions of Shakespeare because what would often be done would be to take that original play and move it forward in time. So you could have “Two Gentlemen of Verona” set in pre-WW2 Italy...you could have a female Hamlet...or as was recently produced for film, “Richard III” set in a corollary for Nazi Germany. And suddenly the lens through which you view those stories, those plays, colors and changes how you perceive them without changing anything essential.
Here, of course, we're doing more than that because we're not sticking to a script, but the idea is much the same. So in the case of Superman, you take all those elements that work, and infuse them with a modern sensibility, how it would be written today, this minute, if it had just been created for the first time. If I have any one particular strength as a writer, it's taking someone of massive power and making them relatable, sympathetic and vulnerable while not taking an inch away from that incalculable power.
BUG: Are there aspects of Superman's origin that you purposefully left out for the sake of your story?
JMS: The only substantial thing I'm leaving out is the notion of a Superboy. Here, the first time Clark puts on that uniform, it really is his first time.
In reflecting further on the question of changes, probably one of the most changed characters is Jim Olsen, and the most changed atmosphere is that of the Daily Planet. Having worked as a journalist for nearly ten years, I know what a news room is supposed to feel like, and my one ongoing complaint about comics set in those environments is that you (or I) could tell that the writers had never actually worked for a newspaper.
And in any newspaper, the one guy who is the most dangerous guy to stand next to is the photographer, because they'll go anywhere and do anything to get the shot. I recently saw footage where a press photographer was at one of those races that go through city streets, and a car spun out and came right at him. He kept taking pictures as the back end hit the wall to his right, spun out, and the front hit the wall to his left, barely missing him by inches. He never once stopped snapping photos. A good newspaper reporter keeps shooting no matter the danger, so I'm bringing that aspect into Olsen.
The rest of the staff look, act and talk like actual reporters now, and that's a lot of fun. And when we join our story, the Daily Planet is on the downward slide...it's where new reporters come to learn and old reporters come to die. It's what begins to happen in the aftermath of Superman's appearance that starts to reverse their fortunes.
BUG: How do you deal with the delicate tightrope walk of telling stories that matter vs. not straying so far from the status quo that you don't recognize these iconic characters anymore?
JMS: I think it's a matter of respect and keeping the character first. Again, you don't change things just so you can say "I changed that." You have to ask if it proceeds from character. So for instance, one of the elements of the story is the fact that growing up, Clark would have been even more of an outsider than we've seen previously. Every kid gets in schoolyard fights, but Clark would have had to walk away or just take the punches, because if he slipped for even a second, he could kill the other kid. This would have gotten him a reputation as a coward, a weirdo, and he'd have to hear that every day in the schoolyard...and the one thing you know as a kid is that you don't hang with the cowards or the weirdos. So he would've lived a very solitary, rough, and very controlled life, because even a brief lapse could have disastrous consequences. We see a very real sense of isolation in him, which informs his arrival in Metropolis which represents the first time when he can choose the life he wants, rather than having to endure the life he had to endure.
BUG: How does SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE fit in with current continuity? The name suggests that it could be either part of it or an all new start from square one for the character.
JMS: At this juncture, the book operates outside DC continuity. At some point way, way down the road, some of that may be folded in, but again that's a long ways away.
BUG: It seems there is a pretty even split when it comes to whether someone is a Batman fan or a Superman fan. What is it about the character of Superman that appeals to some but not others?
JMS: I think it's a difference between power fantasies and revenge fantasies, with Superman more the former, and Batman more the latter. Not to belabor the previous point, because we all have our childhood horror stories, but I grew up in the mean streets of Newark and Paterson and some of the poorer parts of other towns. We moved 21 times in my first 17 years. Guys like me didn't become writers, they ended up pumping gas or working in machine shops. It was a dead-end lifestyle filled with no. So on the one hand, there was no one I wanted to get revenge against...I just wanted a chance to be somebody, a chance to learn to fly, and to become someone who couldn't get hurt. So I latched on to Superman at a very early age. I've said it before, and it's true: most of my morality I learned from Superman. One of my very earliest memories is an image from a Max Fleischer Superman cartoon where he has his cape over Lois, protecting her from molten metal. I searched for that image for decades before I found it and it's one of the first things you see when you enter my home...that and a mountain of Alex Ross and Curt Swan artwork, and The Triptych: a sketch of Superman signed by Siegel and Shuster, with an autograph by George Reeves tipped into it.
BUG: Can you tell me a little bit about the art in this one and how you worked with artist Shane Davis?
JMS: Because I tend to write from emotion to action, I live or die by the degree to which the artist is able to express emotion. So when Dan DiDio and I began the process of finding an artist, that skill was number one on the list. As soon as I saw Shane's art, I knew he would be right for this, because he can not only get that degree of expressiveness, but he's also really great on action and composition. There's an insane amount of detail in his work. We had a lot of back-and-forth in terms of character design that led to some really cool stuff.
BUG: How do you respond to criticism you've received for delayed titles that you've penned? Was it easier for you to write in this graphic novel format than the monthly grind?
JMS: Let me dive into this for a second, because this is a sore point with me. I was on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN for over eight years, and with only a couple of small glitches that book came out like clockwork. BULLET POINTS: on time. SILVER SURFER REQUIEM: on time. MIDNIGHT NATION: on time. BRAVE AND THE BOLD: on time. When I took on THE TWELVE, I wanted to do it the same as BP and SSR: let me write it all the way through, get most of the art done, then announce it, because in particular I was concerned that there might be some conflicts in scheduling not just with me but with the artist. But when PROJECT SUPERPOWERS was announced, the powers that be at Marvel decided to go ahead before it was ready, and what I was afraid would happen, happened. He got busy, I got busy, then he got busy again, then I got busy again, and it fell off the grid. (Note: the last scripts will be in by year's end.) With Thor, I'll take the rap for a couple of delays, but Marvel also delayed the book to buy time to find another artist. Between the time I finished the script for the last issue, for instance, and its publication, almost four months went by. I have the timestamp on the file to prove it. That ain't my choice, but I get the rap for it.
With all that being said, for me, it's best to do it then announce it, so there are no delays. So when DC came to me about this project, I felt it was important to again say nothing specific about it until it was nearly done. As I write these words, the script is very close to being finished (we're talking a book of well over a hundred pages), and we've got oodles of art finished.
BUG: The graphic novel format has been a preferred reading experience for a growing number of fans. Trade-waiting is a pretty common term I hear thrown around these days. What do you think; does the release of such a high profile product in a graphic novel format signify the end of the monthly single issues?
JMS Not at all. It's like saying that the production of movies signifies the end of dramatic series TV. Each serves a different need, and fills a different niche. If there's anything that is signified by trade-waiting, it's that we need to write better stories. If a reader can wait until it's all done to buy it, then we're not doing our jobs right. We should be writing stories that the reader can't wait to buy as soon as the next installment hits the stands, and then at the end, wants to gather together for ease of re-reading. If a reader can wait it out, then we as creators need to re-evaluate our work. Seriously.
Shane Davis Lands On "Earth One"
by Kiel Phegley
When CBR last spoke to rising star artist Shane Davis at last summer's Chicago Comic-Con, the DC Comics penciler hinted that his next project would be something big. Something really big. "It's probably one of the biggest things I'll ever work on, which is kind of scary for me,"David said then. "I'm a little nervous about what people are going to say when they see it."
As of yesterday morning, people saw what Davis meant as DC announced its new series of original graphic novels featuring their most iconic superheroes under the banner "Earth One." Teaming up with best-selling writer J. Michael Straczynski, the artist will draw a new version of Superman's origin in the first volume of "Superman: Earth One." Davis spoke with CBR about the project, why it will work better than the myriad other Superman origin reboots of the past and why the graphic novel is a form fans shouldn't fear. Plus, the artist gives an exclusive first look at his character designs for Clark Kent!
CBR: Shane, you've obviously been at this book for a while. At what point did Dan Didio bring you in to this whole process of drawing "Earth One: Superman?" Was it during your arc on "Superman/Batman?"
Shane Davis: No, it was during the Philadelphia convention before last. We were having one of the DC dinners, and I'm sitting at a table with a lot of different people – Andy Kubert and Billy Tucci and some others – and Dan sat down in front of me. We were at the center of this table where I swear to God it looked like "The Last Supper" or something. And I turned my water over and spilled it all in his lap. That's how it all started. [Laughs] I'm apologizing, and he's going, "No no no." Then he tells me, "This is what I want you to do next. I want you to an ongoing, 'new universe' Superman." After being floored by that and not knowing what to say to it, I think he named JMS as the writer to me. And I'm a big fan. I was a fan of his "Silver Surfer: Requiem" story and was enjoying his "Thor" stuff. He was one of the writers I'd always wanted to work with, and I think I knew at the time he was going to be at DC, but I didn't know what he was going to be working on at DC. This was a big treat for me.
And I really didn't take it too seriously. I mean, when someone comes up to you and says, "Hey, I want you to reinvent Superman for a new generation," you kind of just take it like "This person is pulling my leg." I honestly walked away that day thinking nothing would come of it. It's hard. Your brain just shelves these things and goes, "Oh, that's not real." It's like you get a Spam letter in the mail that says you won a million dollars, and you don't believe it, you know? [Laughs] And then it turned out to be true! I probably fought Dan on every level to do anything else because it scared the shit out of me. It really did. I was like, "You're being serious? Well, how's about I go work with Michael Green again on a short arc of 'Superman/Batman'?" I just started naming stuff. Me and [Geoff] Johns were like, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we did Aquaman?" There was another dinner at another convention where me, Johns and Ethan Van Sciver were talking to Dan and going, "Hey! What if Shane did Aquaman?" and Ethan going, "I want to do my Plastic Man story!" It was just me trying to do anything because it was so intimidating and unbelievable.
Then I went through all the stages of acceptance, and it hit me that I was doing it. Eventually, they handed me a big chunk of script – like 38 pages of it. And that's how I ended up on the book.
JMS said about this book that for him, the way to make this work was to make sure that you were presenting Superman as if he'd been made brand new in the 21st Century. As you started working with him on the story and on the character, how did that manifest itself?
I got to read those first 38 pages, and the pacing really didn't end at a 22-page stopping point, which was good. I was given a rundown of Clark there and who Clark was in JMS' words – how he was handling him. He left the descriptions loose, so the first thing I did was submit designs. DC had some notes on his script before I even drew the characters pertaining to two characters: Clark and Jim Olsen. It's not Jimmy Olsen. It's just Jim. And one note on Clark was "How about he have a Smallville letter jacket?" Now keep in mind, Clark is 21 years old and leaving home for the first time, basically. And Jim, they made a comment about him being more of Superman's pal and kind of a buddy instead of a hard-boiled photographer like JMS said in his interview.
So for Clark, the first thing I wanted to do was not put him in a high school letter jacket because he's 21 years old. Any kid that left home at 21 years of age to live on his own in the big city wearing a high school letter jacket deserves to get his ass kicked. [Laughs] You know what I'm saying? I don't think they really help you in the world. So I got rid of that old school mentality. You have to go in on this really respecting everything that's been before, and I noticed right then and there was that maybe the problem with there being so many Superman reboots and what I wanted to try and get away from visually is some of the Superman stereotypes. So Clark as a 21 year old male, I wanted him to wear layers of clothing. He's trying to blend in, and he's got some brooding aspects to him. He's trying to find his way in the world, and his past is his past. But he's trying to find his future. He doesn't want to stand out, so I gave him a hood. I wanted it to emulate the cape bunched up around his next, so it's a red hood on his jacket. I just definitely wanted to get away from the normal Clark Kent – tie, tucked all in, glasses, the slicked back hair. That really didn't make a lot of sense to me.
I had to make him a little bit more fashionable to today's audience. You know, geek fashion is a little more chic than it used to be. What a geek was in the '50s isn't really the same thing today. Clark Kent was a fashion stereotype of an era we're not in anymore. On that same note, I wanted to keep Clark's look broad enough that it'll survive the test of time. Not to say that Clark Kent hasn't survived the test of time. He just starts out here as more of the character that is he. He's becoming Superman. When he puts on the costume, it's the costume for the first time. So when he comes in, it's like, "I'm Clark Kent and I have these abilities" but he doesn't have a dual persona at this point. It was really interesting because this was more about developing a character who fit his situation and his past rather than going, "I know what Clark Kent is! I know what he looks like. Let me draw the same Clark Kent."
The same thing goes for Jim Olsen. JMS has a specific idea that he should be a cutting-edge, almost-getting-killed news photographer. And I thought JMS was dead on there. In the script, I wrote "Major Kudos!" That's much more realistic. Jimmy Olsen always came off as more of a doofus, and he may be a great photographer, but in some of the panels [from the classic comics] it was more about them talking about how he screwed up something. It doesn't seem like he would be the top newspaper photographer because of that. To have a job at the Daily Planet, he would have to be the top of the top when it came to photographers. And I thought that was an interesting story hook JMS was putting in there – Superman surrounded by a great photographer.
When you got those first pages in and had to start, how did the process go in terms of drawing a graphic novel instead of drawing an issue-by-issue story? What did that change about your process from what you did in the past?
The story is more about character-development. I think from a story perspective – and major judos to DC for doing a graphic novel – the things we're going to do with Clark will really make you feel him as a character. That's where our advantage is over previous attempts. As far as action goes, you're going to be a good chunk into the book before you see any real physical action. We have some bits where he's trying to do things like football or, like JMS said, being an engineer. The best way to do the origin story is to know that we don't have to do the costume on the 22nd page. We don't have to have to start off on pages one through five with a flash-forward where we see him in a suit and then stopping the story to go back and tell him how we got there. We were able to pace it correctly, kind of like a movie treatment. When we start the story out, people know Superman's going to be in there eventually. So we can take our time, and if it takes 23 pages to see him rather than 22, we can do that. In single issues, we weren't able to do that.
People have seen your first promo image for the project, and it looks a bit as though you're changing your style up a bit and going with a more subdued, painterly look to the final image. What did you and the rest of the art team envision this project becoming on that level?
It was a big debate. I was 40 or some pages in, and people started asking, "Wait. How are we going to make this pop off the shelf a little more?" It seemed like people had this idea that we had to do something flashy, and I was really conscious of the endeavor in terms of it coming out as a graphic novel and what that meant and what that ultimate goal was. And I think that goal looks a little different to everybody. I think the creators have their hearts and minds in this place where our goal is to give everybody a quality, entertaining Superman story where we're not limited by the medium we're in. We're not on any leash on this, and we can tell the story in the proper manner without needing to supply people with a splash page of Superman in the first issue.
WIth that said, I wanted it to look classy and not flashy. That's the way I phrased it. I thought going super flashed up would be the wrong way to go. I wanted a timeless feel to it. I've been very blessed to be working with [inker] Sandra Hope on this, and she's great. And I'm working with Barbara Ciardo who was the colorist who worked on the "Wednesday Comics" Superman story. And we've all been working very close together. I've been working very close with JMS and am having lots of conversations with him. I've had a very hands-on design of the whole book to date as far as all the characters. There's not been one character I've drawn where JMS has gone, "Oh, that's not what I wanted." The minute I submitted my designs for Clark, not even Superman, DC had said, "That's a young Superman. That's what we wanted." It's weird how in synch JMS and I have been on every character right on down to JIm. Lois was a great challenge to me – to come up with a strong, feminine character that's attractive but is a business woman and not sex icon or anything. I've tackled every page and panel and character in terms of what was best for the story. And I think I've honestly had success on all ends, even with some of the newer characters.
DC has said this book will be the first in an ongoing series of graphic novels. Do you hope to continue working in this world into a second book?
I would be more than happy to start a volume 2 as soon as I'm done with volume 1. I'm pretty well into volume 1 now, like 80 pages, and I'd love to start volume 2 before that even hits shelves. But right now, everybody's looking at the first volume. I'd be more than interested to go on. I've got a lot of heart put into this character. Everybody loves Superman in general, but I mean this version of Superman. I've had fun figuring out how hard he punches and how he lands on the ground. Everything. His heat vision is different, and I reinvented the way his irises react to his powers. I have so much that I've put into the character on every level that it would really break my heart not to draw him again.
And as far as the costume goes, I never really felt there was a lot to change on the costume, and what there was to change was tailoring the boots in some scenes. I got rid of the "cowboy boots" and changed them into regular superhero boots. But there was a lot of development in the way Clark looks and how his powers manifest. I think I came at it from a different angle than people traditionally have. And it all worked out.
When we talked back in Chicago, you had said you were a bit nervous to see what fan reaction would be when you heard about this project. What do you think – or have you seen – about what the Wednesday crowd will make of this as an OGN and what the general public will make of it?
I think the general public will love it. I think whoever reads it will be satisfied because I'm satisfied with how the story has rolled out. I thought at first that the pacing sometimes might feel like we're not getting enough done, but as I flip through the actual book – because I keep a dummy book to flip through – there was so much story in the 80 pages I've drawn. I've seen the colored pages, and people are going to be blown away by the finished project.
I have been able to look at a few of the comments, and some of the negatives are people who wish this was in monthly installments and that they'd rather not have it in the graphic novel format. And my opinion is that as a comic fan and a comic creator is that I sum it up in one sentence: you have to get off the boat to walk on water. That's the scenario. It's a changing industry with changing formats. As a storytelling looking at it from outside the fan's perspective, there are restrictions to the 22-page format like I said above. I really feel this is going to be a lot stronger than people probably think. And the responses are great, but I don't think anybody will know until you hold it and read it how this frees up the character. There are a lot of superhero storytelling stereotypes that have become a joke in some sense just because, I think, how fast we jump into storytelling elements because of the 22-page format. It's a time restriction where you've got to do X, Y and Z within that first 22 pages to hook everybody. It's throwing the story baby out with the bath water to have to hook everybody in 22 pages and then tell the story over the next four or five issues. Sometimes, we're not doing what's best story wise in trying to sell a single issue.
by Kiel Phegley
When CBR last spoke to rising star artist Shane Davis at last summer's Chicago Comic-Con, the DC Comics penciler hinted that his next project would be something big. Something really big. "It's probably one of the biggest things I'll ever work on, which is kind of scary for me,"David said then. "I'm a little nervous about what people are going to say when they see it."
As of yesterday morning, people saw what Davis meant as DC announced its new series of original graphic novels featuring their most iconic superheroes under the banner "Earth One." Teaming up with best-selling writer J. Michael Straczynski, the artist will draw a new version of Superman's origin in the first volume of "Superman: Earth One." Davis spoke with CBR about the project, why it will work better than the myriad other Superman origin reboots of the past and why the graphic novel is a form fans shouldn't fear. Plus, the artist gives an exclusive first look at his character designs for Clark Kent!
CBR: Shane, you've obviously been at this book for a while. At what point did Dan Didio bring you in to this whole process of drawing "Earth One: Superman?" Was it during your arc on "Superman/Batman?"
Shane Davis: No, it was during the Philadelphia convention before last. We were having one of the DC dinners, and I'm sitting at a table with a lot of different people – Andy Kubert and Billy Tucci and some others – and Dan sat down in front of me. We were at the center of this table where I swear to God it looked like "The Last Supper" or something. And I turned my water over and spilled it all in his lap. That's how it all started. [Laughs] I'm apologizing, and he's going, "No no no." Then he tells me, "This is what I want you to do next. I want you to an ongoing, 'new universe' Superman." After being floored by that and not knowing what to say to it, I think he named JMS as the writer to me. And I'm a big fan. I was a fan of his "Silver Surfer: Requiem" story and was enjoying his "Thor" stuff. He was one of the writers I'd always wanted to work with, and I think I knew at the time he was going to be at DC, but I didn't know what he was going to be working on at DC. This was a big treat for me.
And I really didn't take it too seriously. I mean, when someone comes up to you and says, "Hey, I want you to reinvent Superman for a new generation," you kind of just take it like "This person is pulling my leg." I honestly walked away that day thinking nothing would come of it. It's hard. Your brain just shelves these things and goes, "Oh, that's not real." It's like you get a Spam letter in the mail that says you won a million dollars, and you don't believe it, you know? [Laughs] And then it turned out to be true! I probably fought Dan on every level to do anything else because it scared the shit out of me. It really did. I was like, "You're being serious? Well, how's about I go work with Michael Green again on a short arc of 'Superman/Batman'?" I just started naming stuff. Me and [Geoff] Johns were like, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we did Aquaman?" There was another dinner at another convention where me, Johns and Ethan Van Sciver were talking to Dan and going, "Hey! What if Shane did Aquaman?" and Ethan going, "I want to do my Plastic Man story!" It was just me trying to do anything because it was so intimidating and unbelievable.
Then I went through all the stages of acceptance, and it hit me that I was doing it. Eventually, they handed me a big chunk of script – like 38 pages of it. And that's how I ended up on the book.
JMS said about this book that for him, the way to make this work was to make sure that you were presenting Superman as if he'd been made brand new in the 21st Century. As you started working with him on the story and on the character, how did that manifest itself?
I got to read those first 38 pages, and the pacing really didn't end at a 22-page stopping point, which was good. I was given a rundown of Clark there and who Clark was in JMS' words – how he was handling him. He left the descriptions loose, so the first thing I did was submit designs. DC had some notes on his script before I even drew the characters pertaining to two characters: Clark and Jim Olsen. It's not Jimmy Olsen. It's just Jim. And one note on Clark was "How about he have a Smallville letter jacket?" Now keep in mind, Clark is 21 years old and leaving home for the first time, basically. And Jim, they made a comment about him being more of Superman's pal and kind of a buddy instead of a hard-boiled photographer like JMS said in his interview.
So for Clark, the first thing I wanted to do was not put him in a high school letter jacket because he's 21 years old. Any kid that left home at 21 years of age to live on his own in the big city wearing a high school letter jacket deserves to get his ass kicked. [Laughs] You know what I'm saying? I don't think they really help you in the world. So I got rid of that old school mentality. You have to go in on this really respecting everything that's been before, and I noticed right then and there was that maybe the problem with there being so many Superman reboots and what I wanted to try and get away from visually is some of the Superman stereotypes. So Clark as a 21 year old male, I wanted him to wear layers of clothing. He's trying to blend in, and he's got some brooding aspects to him. He's trying to find his way in the world, and his past is his past. But he's trying to find his future. He doesn't want to stand out, so I gave him a hood. I wanted it to emulate the cape bunched up around his next, so it's a red hood on his jacket. I just definitely wanted to get away from the normal Clark Kent – tie, tucked all in, glasses, the slicked back hair. That really didn't make a lot of sense to me.
I had to make him a little bit more fashionable to today's audience. You know, geek fashion is a little more chic than it used to be. What a geek was in the '50s isn't really the same thing today. Clark Kent was a fashion stereotype of an era we're not in anymore. On that same note, I wanted to keep Clark's look broad enough that it'll survive the test of time. Not to say that Clark Kent hasn't survived the test of time. He just starts out here as more of the character that is he. He's becoming Superman. When he puts on the costume, it's the costume for the first time. So when he comes in, it's like, "I'm Clark Kent and I have these abilities" but he doesn't have a dual persona at this point. It was really interesting because this was more about developing a character who fit his situation and his past rather than going, "I know what Clark Kent is! I know what he looks like. Let me draw the same Clark Kent."
The same thing goes for Jim Olsen. JMS has a specific idea that he should be a cutting-edge, almost-getting-killed news photographer. And I thought JMS was dead on there. In the script, I wrote "Major Kudos!" That's much more realistic. Jimmy Olsen always came off as more of a doofus, and he may be a great photographer, but in some of the panels [from the classic comics] it was more about them talking about how he screwed up something. It doesn't seem like he would be the top newspaper photographer because of that. To have a job at the Daily Planet, he would have to be the top of the top when it came to photographers. And I thought that was an interesting story hook JMS was putting in there – Superman surrounded by a great photographer.
When you got those first pages in and had to start, how did the process go in terms of drawing a graphic novel instead of drawing an issue-by-issue story? What did that change about your process from what you did in the past?
The story is more about character-development. I think from a story perspective – and major judos to DC for doing a graphic novel – the things we're going to do with Clark will really make you feel him as a character. That's where our advantage is over previous attempts. As far as action goes, you're going to be a good chunk into the book before you see any real physical action. We have some bits where he's trying to do things like football or, like JMS said, being an engineer. The best way to do the origin story is to know that we don't have to do the costume on the 22nd page. We don't have to have to start off on pages one through five with a flash-forward where we see him in a suit and then stopping the story to go back and tell him how we got there. We were able to pace it correctly, kind of like a movie treatment. When we start the story out, people know Superman's going to be in there eventually. So we can take our time, and if it takes 23 pages to see him rather than 22, we can do that. In single issues, we weren't able to do that.
People have seen your first promo image for the project, and it looks a bit as though you're changing your style up a bit and going with a more subdued, painterly look to the final image. What did you and the rest of the art team envision this project becoming on that level?
It was a big debate. I was 40 or some pages in, and people started asking, "Wait. How are we going to make this pop off the shelf a little more?" It seemed like people had this idea that we had to do something flashy, and I was really conscious of the endeavor in terms of it coming out as a graphic novel and what that meant and what that ultimate goal was. And I think that goal looks a little different to everybody. I think the creators have their hearts and minds in this place where our goal is to give everybody a quality, entertaining Superman story where we're not limited by the medium we're in. We're not on any leash on this, and we can tell the story in the proper manner without needing to supply people with a splash page of Superman in the first issue.
WIth that said, I wanted it to look classy and not flashy. That's the way I phrased it. I thought going super flashed up would be the wrong way to go. I wanted a timeless feel to it. I've been very blessed to be working with [inker] Sandra Hope on this, and she's great. And I'm working with Barbara Ciardo who was the colorist who worked on the "Wednesday Comics" Superman story. And we've all been working very close together. I've been working very close with JMS and am having lots of conversations with him. I've had a very hands-on design of the whole book to date as far as all the characters. There's not been one character I've drawn where JMS has gone, "Oh, that's not what I wanted." The minute I submitted my designs for Clark, not even Superman, DC had said, "That's a young Superman. That's what we wanted." It's weird how in synch JMS and I have been on every character right on down to JIm. Lois was a great challenge to me – to come up with a strong, feminine character that's attractive but is a business woman and not sex icon or anything. I've tackled every page and panel and character in terms of what was best for the story. And I think I've honestly had success on all ends, even with some of the newer characters.
DC has said this book will be the first in an ongoing series of graphic novels. Do you hope to continue working in this world into a second book?
I would be more than happy to start a volume 2 as soon as I'm done with volume 1. I'm pretty well into volume 1 now, like 80 pages, and I'd love to start volume 2 before that even hits shelves. But right now, everybody's looking at the first volume. I'd be more than interested to go on. I've got a lot of heart put into this character. Everybody loves Superman in general, but I mean this version of Superman. I've had fun figuring out how hard he punches and how he lands on the ground. Everything. His heat vision is different, and I reinvented the way his irises react to his powers. I have so much that I've put into the character on every level that it would really break my heart not to draw him again.
And as far as the costume goes, I never really felt there was a lot to change on the costume, and what there was to change was tailoring the boots in some scenes. I got rid of the "cowboy boots" and changed them into regular superhero boots. But there was a lot of development in the way Clark looks and how his powers manifest. I think I came at it from a different angle than people traditionally have. And it all worked out.
When we talked back in Chicago, you had said you were a bit nervous to see what fan reaction would be when you heard about this project. What do you think – or have you seen – about what the Wednesday crowd will make of this as an OGN and what the general public will make of it?
I think the general public will love it. I think whoever reads it will be satisfied because I'm satisfied with how the story has rolled out. I thought at first that the pacing sometimes might feel like we're not getting enough done, but as I flip through the actual book – because I keep a dummy book to flip through – there was so much story in the 80 pages I've drawn. I've seen the colored pages, and people are going to be blown away by the finished project.
I have been able to look at a few of the comments, and some of the negatives are people who wish this was in monthly installments and that they'd rather not have it in the graphic novel format. And my opinion is that as a comic fan and a comic creator is that I sum it up in one sentence: you have to get off the boat to walk on water. That's the scenario. It's a changing industry with changing formats. As a storytelling looking at it from outside the fan's perspective, there are restrictions to the 22-page format like I said above. I really feel this is going to be a lot stronger than people probably think. And the responses are great, but I don't think anybody will know until you hold it and read it how this frees up the character. There are a lot of superhero storytelling stereotypes that have become a joke in some sense just because, I think, how fast we jump into storytelling elements because of the 22-page format. It's a time restriction where you've got to do X, Y and Z within that first 22 pages to hook everybody. It's throwing the story baby out with the bath water to have to hook everybody in 22 pages and then tell the story over the next four or five issues. Sometimes, we're not doing what's best story wise in trying to sell a single issue.
- Batman:
Bug continues the EARTH ONE goodness
with BATMAN: EARTH ONE writer Geoff Johns!
To read his work is to love his work. Geoff Johns has become THE man at DC with a track record of hits like few others. Geoff had a chance to answer some questions about the upcoming BATMAN: EARTH ONE graphic novel.
AMBUSH BUG (BUG): So what is BATMAN: EARTH ONE all about?
GEOFF JOHNS (GJ): It’s Gary Frank and I joining together to be a part of the first line of ongoing graphic novel series ever from the big two.
BATMAN: EARTH ONE is more in line with the European idea of releasing chapters of an ongoing series in graphic novel form. We’re planning on doing two novels a year and set in this new universe, we’re getting unlimited creative freedom that we couldn’t have in current continuity.
When Dan Didio asked if Gary and I would be interested in something like this we were onboard immediately. We’re taking on Batman, and the world around him, and rebuilding it from the ground up.
BUG: How do you make an iconic origin like Batman's fresh and different than previous takes on the story?
GJ: Our Batman is a decidedly different Batman yet it is, of course, Bruce Wayne.
I want to let the book will speak for itself, but Batman, Alfred, Detective Gordon, Arkham Manor, the twisted origin behind Gotham City, the Bat-Mobile and, of course, the world’s greatest group of villains are all a part of the world we’re creating. Some of it the characters will more closely resemble the classic interpretations while others will be wildly different. We’re introducing a lot of new characters and elements to this Batman.
The first graphic novel features an entirely new villain.
BUG: Apart from event books and maybe the occasional guest appearance or team book appearance, this is the first time I recall you doing a Bat book. What was it about this project that finally attracted you to Gotham?
GJ: Three words: “Gary Frank” and “freedom.” Obviously, I love long form storytelling. I gravitate to projects I can dive into and reinvent and add to, like Green Lantern. I’ve wanted to work on Batman, but I wanted to wait until the project was right. BATMAN: EARTH ONE allows Gary and I to break the restraints of any continuity and focus on two things: character and story. Add to that the idea of working on a line of graphic novels instead of being limited to twenty-two pages, it’s a challenge and I love a challenge.
BUG: I know you're a multiverse freak. How does BATMAN: EARTH ONE fit in with current continuity? Is it another universe, an Ultimate/All Star style take, or something completely different?
GJ: All of the above.
BUG: I've observed somewhat of a split between those who like Batman and fans of Superman. What is it about Batman that appeals to so many readers?
GJ: I think the grounded nature of Batman. And if there is one word that might sum up our version of Batman it’d be grounded.
BUG: The Joker: insane or sane? And will he be showing up in BATMAN: EARTH ONE?
GJ: If anyone knows my work they know how much I love villains. I’ve been dying to crack into the best rogues’ gallery in comics for years. Eventually, yes -- you’ll see the Joker, but the first well-known villain we’ll be focusing on early in the BATMAN: EARTH ONE graphic novel series is the Riddler.
BUG: Gary Frank has been one of my favorite artists since his INCREDIBLE HULK run. Can you tell us a little bit about how you and he collaborated for this project?
GJ: First off, Gary Frank is one of the greatest partners-in-crime a writer could ever ask for. The amount of thought, care and effort he puts into his work along with the brilliance of his talent makes him someone that I’m chaining myself to. My aspirations are nothing less than to work with Gary Frank until I’m dead.
The fact is, Gary Frank is the single best Superman artist of this generation, but he’s actually a Batman guy. Before we started Superman, we’d talk about Batman at length. We’ve spoken about ideas for Batman since we started working on Superman together. We started brainstorming this project before it even started, discussing what we would do with Batman and where we would take him.
BUG: After doing this project, which do you prefer writing: monthlies or graphic novel sized stories?
GJ: Ask me again in five years.
BUG: What does this graphic novel format say about where the industry is going? A lot of folks are waiting for trade these days. Is this the first step of DC dropping monthlies and cutting out the middleman and going straight to trade?
GJ: I don’t think it has to be the case with either or. Monthlies, graphic novel series, digital, etc. DC is exploring every avenue of publishing. It’s a changing market, but it’s an expanding and growing market, and I’m psyched to be riding the wave up front with Gary and Batman.
with BATMAN: EARTH ONE writer Geoff Johns!
To read his work is to love his work. Geoff Johns has become THE man at DC with a track record of hits like few others. Geoff had a chance to answer some questions about the upcoming BATMAN: EARTH ONE graphic novel.
AMBUSH BUG (BUG): So what is BATMAN: EARTH ONE all about?
GEOFF JOHNS (GJ): It’s Gary Frank and I joining together to be a part of the first line of ongoing graphic novel series ever from the big two.
BATMAN: EARTH ONE is more in line with the European idea of releasing chapters of an ongoing series in graphic novel form. We’re planning on doing two novels a year and set in this new universe, we’re getting unlimited creative freedom that we couldn’t have in current continuity.
When Dan Didio asked if Gary and I would be interested in something like this we were onboard immediately. We’re taking on Batman, and the world around him, and rebuilding it from the ground up.
BUG: How do you make an iconic origin like Batman's fresh and different than previous takes on the story?
GJ: Our Batman is a decidedly different Batman yet it is, of course, Bruce Wayne.
I want to let the book will speak for itself, but Batman, Alfred, Detective Gordon, Arkham Manor, the twisted origin behind Gotham City, the Bat-Mobile and, of course, the world’s greatest group of villains are all a part of the world we’re creating. Some of it the characters will more closely resemble the classic interpretations while others will be wildly different. We’re introducing a lot of new characters and elements to this Batman.
The first graphic novel features an entirely new villain.
BUG: Apart from event books and maybe the occasional guest appearance or team book appearance, this is the first time I recall you doing a Bat book. What was it about this project that finally attracted you to Gotham?
GJ: Three words: “Gary Frank” and “freedom.” Obviously, I love long form storytelling. I gravitate to projects I can dive into and reinvent and add to, like Green Lantern. I’ve wanted to work on Batman, but I wanted to wait until the project was right. BATMAN: EARTH ONE allows Gary and I to break the restraints of any continuity and focus on two things: character and story. Add to that the idea of working on a line of graphic novels instead of being limited to twenty-two pages, it’s a challenge and I love a challenge.
BUG: I know you're a multiverse freak. How does BATMAN: EARTH ONE fit in with current continuity? Is it another universe, an Ultimate/All Star style take, or something completely different?
GJ: All of the above.
BUG: I've observed somewhat of a split between those who like Batman and fans of Superman. What is it about Batman that appeals to so many readers?
GJ: I think the grounded nature of Batman. And if there is one word that might sum up our version of Batman it’d be grounded.
BUG: The Joker: insane or sane? And will he be showing up in BATMAN: EARTH ONE?
GJ: If anyone knows my work they know how much I love villains. I’ve been dying to crack into the best rogues’ gallery in comics for years. Eventually, yes -- you’ll see the Joker, but the first well-known villain we’ll be focusing on early in the BATMAN: EARTH ONE graphic novel series is the Riddler.
BUG: Gary Frank has been one of my favorite artists since his INCREDIBLE HULK run. Can you tell us a little bit about how you and he collaborated for this project?
GJ: First off, Gary Frank is one of the greatest partners-in-crime a writer could ever ask for. The amount of thought, care and effort he puts into his work along with the brilliance of his talent makes him someone that I’m chaining myself to. My aspirations are nothing less than to work with Gary Frank until I’m dead.
The fact is, Gary Frank is the single best Superman artist of this generation, but he’s actually a Batman guy. Before we started Superman, we’d talk about Batman at length. We’ve spoken about ideas for Batman since we started working on Superman together. We started brainstorming this project before it even started, discussing what we would do with Batman and where we would take him.
BUG: After doing this project, which do you prefer writing: monthlies or graphic novel sized stories?
GJ: Ask me again in five years.
BUG: What does this graphic novel format say about where the industry is going? A lot of folks are waiting for trade these days. Is this the first step of DC dropping monthlies and cutting out the middleman and going straight to trade?
GJ: I don’t think it has to be the case with either or. Monthlies, graphic novel series, digital, etc. DC is exploring every avenue of publishing. It’s a changing market, but it’s an expanding and growing market, and I’m psyched to be riding the wave up front with Gary and Batman.
y de paso me los leo yo 
