The DC Comics Thread

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Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52: Jimmy Palmiotti

THE SOURCE: How do you introduce a new hero?

JIMMY PALMIOTTI: Luckily we didn’t have to do that with ALL STAR WESTERN, since Jonah has been around before most of the readers were born. How we introduced him to a new audience with All Star Western is we explain and examine the character through another’s eyes. This is a simple technique to get the reader into the book from page one and start to open up the universe he inhabits as well.

How do you introduce a new villain?

The best villains are the ones that have a bit of mystery to them and at the same time are driven by what they think is the right things to do, no matter how sick and twisted that may be. The reader must relate to them on some level, otherwise the involvement is limited and no one will care.

What was the first comic you ever worked on?

I inked a book for Eternity comics called NINJA that was pretty crappy, and it paid less than a cheeseburger and fries…but I didn’t care. All I ever wanted was to create comics and nothing was going to get in my way, not even a dozen rejection letters…which I keep in a drawer nearby.

Who was the first character you followed?

I think the first real character I picked up was SUPERMAN …which was probably handed down by my two older brothers. Back then the series didn’t have any continuity to follow, just pick up an issue and you are all in.

What was the first series you collected?

Fantastic Four was the first comic I had a complete set …from issue 1- 125. Later, I sold my issue one for a few hundred dollars and bought a used car, took up girls and forgot about comics for a few years. It happens.

Who was the first writer you followed?

Stan Lee wrote a ton of comics I read, but it wasn’t until much later in life I started to notice writers and my favorites were Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, and Denny O‘Neil.

What was the first convention you attended as a fan?

The first real comic con I went to was a Phil Sueling con in the bottom of a hotel in Manhattan. I still remember a pile of artwork on a table that has a sign on top that read “Kirby pages, $15 dollars each.” Where is that damn time machine???

What was the first convention you attended as a professional?

San Diego comic con, 20 years ago in 1991. It blew my mind and was nothing like it is now. Back then, the comics people were the stars.

What was the first comic book you read?

My first comic was probably an Archie comic or a Superman. That was so long ago…I really don’t know how anyone remembers that far back. I must have been 5 years old.

What was your first job in the comic book industry?

It was when I was in high school, I was hired by Chic Stone to do the backgrounds on the frank Robbins Invaders comics for Marvel comics…and in that same week hired to do backgrounds on a Don Newton story in a D.C. war comic. It was a wild time.

What was the first piece of original art you bought?

I am pretty sure it was a Master of Kung Fu page by Paul Gulacy. I still own it. It’s a treasure.

What was the first digital comic book you downloaded?

That’s an easy one, JONAH HEX #1…I was dying to see how it would look on my iPad…and it looked amazing. D.C. has since then put up 24 more issues.

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Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52: Ivan Reis

THE SOURCE: How do you draw a first panel of a first issue?

IVAN REIS: I always start by the easiest panel of the first page!

How do you draw a first appearance?

I always try to show the character in a full body shot, with all design details. Also, I avoid odd angles because I prefer clean shots and composition.

How do you introduce a new villain?

I go for the same idea as above, but always try to add more shadows and dark areas to the scene.

What was the first comic you ever worked on?

It was a horror story. I was only 14-years-old! The story featured a “Death Lady” (you got it? Lady Death) with the classic skull face and sickle.

Who was the first character you followed?

Conan.

What was the first series you collected?

Savage Sword of Conan.

Who was the first writer you followed?

Roy Thomas.

Who was the first artist you followed?

John Buscema.

What was the first convention you attended as a fan?

San Diego Comic-Con in 2004. It was surreal for me. I felt like Alice in Wonderland … minus the blue dress!

What was the first convention you attended as a professional?

It was the same convention (San Diego Comic-Con in 2004) Hey! It is so damn hard to separate the fanboy from the professional!

What was the first comic book you read?

It was a Brazilian comic, Monica’s Gang.

What was the first piece of original art you bought?

It was a Conan page by John Buscema and Tony DeZuniga. That was a real treasure for me!

What was the first digital comic book you downloaded?

Blackest Night #O.

Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52: Joe Prado

How do you draw a first panel of a first issue?

JOE PRADO: It has to be either something mysterious that attracts the reader’s attention or something super-dynamic. Of course, you can take a different approach, but for me, this attracts my attention as a reader and a fan – not just as an artist.

How do you introduce a new hero?

Ah! Easy! Well, for me a splash-page is perfect for that.

What was the first comic you ever worked on?

It was on the Brazilian market and was a comic book series called U.F.O Team – a bunch of superpowered aliens! Super fun and written by the talented Marcelo Cassaro. In the U.S. market, it was Thundercats: Dogs of War#03. And fun fact: my editor back then was the uber-talented color artist, Alex Sinclair!

Who was the first character you followed?

Easy! BATMAN! During the Dick Sprang Era, followed by Jim Aparo’s run on The Brave & The Bold!

What was the first series you collected?

Batman as well!

Who was the first writer you followed?

Marv Wolfman on New Teen Titans.

Who was the first artist you followed?

Ah! 2 artists at the same time! George Pérez on New Teen Titans and John Byrne on Uncanny X-Men!

What was the first convention you attended as a fan?

San Diego Comic-Con in 2004! It was also my first time in the US! It was a blast meet all the professionals I was working with back then! And also some of my idols, such as George Pérez, Tim Sale, and many others! So my first time was as a fan, and a professional as well.

What was the first comic book you read?

A Brazilian edition of Batman with Dick Sprang’s art.

What was your first job in the comic book industry?

A penciller on the Brazilian mini-series, U.F.O. Team.

What was the first piece of original art you bought?

Well, it was 2 pieces around the same time. A George Pérez Wonder Woman original and Mike Grell’s pencils for a Warlord issue! It’s sooooo awesome to be able to see these masterpieces in your own hands!

What was the first digital comic book you downloaded?

Blackest Night #0.

On your creative process:

For me, the creative process has everything to do with inspiration, and great, GREAT teamwork. If there’s a great collaboration, you can be sure that everybody is putting 101% of their own on the job. And working with Geoff Johns, Iva Reis & Rod Reis on the new AQUAMAN series is basically that! WE share a lot of thoughts and ideas and everyone is inspired the each other’s work. Normally, I’m a penciller, but in the last couple of years, I had the chance to work with Ivan as his inker/finisher on books such as BLACKEST NIGHT and BRIGHTEST DAY. The coolest thing about that is that we achieved a great balance between how I should ink his work, and keep it recognizable, and how I can put elements of my own art-style. After all, in the end, doing comics is a collaborative effort! And people, will be blown away by the new AQUAMAN series. It’s going to be a blast!

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Grant Morrison in ROLLING STONE Magazine

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NIGHTWING #1 Page by Eddy Barrows





STATIC SHOCK #1 Page by Scott McDaniel

[Michael Heide Heide Finition Find all posts View Profile Close Michael Heide]

I've been a fan of Scott McDaniel since Green Goblin and Daredevil, but what I've seen so far of Static Shock looks... bad.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

I usually don't like McDaniel(I think his Nightwing art was horrible 90% of the time), but I'm curious about Static. Maybe its the bright colors.

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[TheHorseman Green Lantern Initiate Find all posts View Profile Close TheHorseman]

So how many "marriages" is this Relaunch gonna end? For what I've read thus far:

- Superman & Lois Lane
- Flash & Irish West

Anymore?

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DCnU Take 2: J.H. Williams III Talks BATWOMAN

Newsarama: I know we've talked about this series before, but that was a long time ago, because the comic was expected much sooner. Was the reason the series for the delay that DC wanted it to launch in September?

J.H. Williams III: Yeah, that's one of the reasons they decided to move it. Apparently we weren't the only title that faced that, from what I understand. When they first started talking to us about it, they indicated there were other titles they were going to try to launch that they decided to hold back for this revitalization plan.

Nrama: Did your plans for the comic change? Or was your first issue somewhat isolated from the rest of the DCU anyway?

Williams: It changed a couple things, in minor ways. There were things we had to go back and figure out in a new way. A little bit of the frustrating part was that some of it had been drawn already. So when we got this new plan from DC, they pointed out these particular newly developed continuity problems. But it was all pretty minor stuff, in comparison to our plan. Even though Batwoman was going to be plugged into the DCU with the Bat-universe, we tried to write scenes in a way where it wasn't going to rely completely on other things. We really wanted the story to be able to stand on its own and not rely on other components. So it wasn't that big of a change, really.

Nrama: We talked before about the opportunity to write Batwoman, and you spoke about how you're continuing some of the things you established about the character when you drew Greg Rucka's run on the character in Detective Comics. But now that you're launching a new #1, who is Batwoman in your book?

Williams: She's socialite Kate Kane, daughter of Colonel Jacob Kane, who went from being a West Point cadet to being ousted because of "don't ask don't tell" policies. Then she ended up going wayward for awhile, trying to figure out how she could best serve herself and the country, because that's what she had planned to do.


ENLARGE

She ended up having an encounter with Batman. And she thought, "Hey, I could do that." Then she pursues the Batwoman role from that point forward, with the help of her father.

Her twin sister and mother had been killed in what appeared to be a terrorist incident, but she later finds out her sister had returned as this villain named Alice. And she has the impression her father knew that "dead" didn't really mean "dead."

So at the beginning of our series, which was what we reinforced with Batwoman #0, her relationship with her father is affected by these past lies. And that makes an interesting dynamic because he helped her become Batwoman.

That's where the character is at the beginning of the series.

Nrama: So you’re still acknowledging everything that took place in the "Elegy" storyline?

Williams: Yes. And her relationship with Alice and Bess and what that means to her psychology is going to play a role in our series, but in interesting ways. During the "Elegy" story, she thinks that she killed her sister, so she lost her for a second time. So we're tying into that, dealing with what that means in terms of survival guilt, going all the way back to childhood trauma. I think that presents some emotional dynamics for the character as we explore her roots.

Nrama: It sounds like she's going through some personal challenges. Is she also going to be challenged on the streets of Gotham?

Williams: Yeah, we have a plan to develop a rogues' gallery for her, because every good hero needs a set of strong villains to define them as a hero. And right now, as it stands, she really only has Alice and the Religion of Crime as any real adversaries that she can claim as her own, to define her as a heroic character.


ENLARGE

So our main goal, over the first year, or even more than a year during the first three arcs of the series, is to really solidify her own little corner of the universe by developing several villains for her that will hopefully find recurring life in some degree and set the stage for her.

Nrama: Is she going to interact with the rest of the Batman universe in the first couple arcs, or is it more about establishing her world separately?

Williams: It's pretty much about establishing her. We don't ignore the other Bat-universe stuff and it has impact on her life, but not in a way that is extremely hands-on, I guess you could say. But events that take place with Batman in particular will have an impact on some of the decisions and direction she puts herself in.

And so yeah, we very much acknowledge her existence in the Batman universe, but I don't think it's a good idea to completely rely on the Batman universe for the strength of this character. If anything, that would weaken this character. For these characters to be fully defined, they need to work with or without acknowledgment from other arenas, like a Bat-character. So we're very focused on just building her up as much as possible.

Nrama: Last time we talked, you indicated you were planning to experiment quite a bit with the art. Is that still the case, or has that changed because of the relaunch?

Williams: No, that's still the case. By the time the first issue comes out, I'm hoping to be putting my touches on the artwork for Issue #5. So we're pretty far ahead of the game.


ENLARGE

Our plan really didn't alter much, in terms of the story and how the arcs work.

As a matter of fact, we just turned in the outline for arc #3, and we have some ideas in there that are hopefully going to push the boundaries of comic storytelling in ways that people might not expect from a superhero book.

Nrama: Is Amy still doing the sixth issue? And the second story arc?

Williams: Yes. She's hard at work on that right now. The writing for her arc is at the halfway point. And she's well into the artwork at this point. So she's way ahead of the game too.

It's good that we got pushed back a little bit, because the work going into this first arc, and the amount of time I'm having to spend on some of these pages is pretty time-consuming. That just seems to be the name of the game for me, for some reason. It's not like I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs. I'm working every day. But delays happen because I have to set the pencil down sometimes to focus on writing, and that can make the schedule kind of bumpy.

So it's good that we're coming out in September now instead. I think we're not going to run into any problems for the first three arcs because we're now so far ahead.

Nrama: Usually, I'd ask what the art style is going to be. But we saw Issue #0, and I think people are familiar with your work. As a writer, it sounds like you're getting into the character in a very psychological way. Does the rogues’ gallery reflect that, as you design them?

Williams: Yeah, what was cool about the rogues gallery is that we wanted to come at it from a very particular point of view, with the idea behind the villains themselves. So we're basing a lot of it on known urban legends. But then we deviate from there and get into some other things where the urban legends stuff... you think it's one thing, then you think it's another, then you realize it's actually something else, which is pretty cool.


ENLARGE

I like plots that can twist in ways that you might not expect, with the villains.

And the psychology of them... some of it's pretty interesting. Like the first one, the Weeping Woman, is a lot about sadness and loss. So the Weeping Woman story parallels or reflects the things that Batwoman and Kate Kane is going through from her own personal traumas.

But the next villains we introduce are much more, for lack of a better word, primal. And much more horrific, just very beastly. So yeah, it's going to be a good variety and mix of stuff.

Nrama: And she'll have a supporting cast?

Williams: Yeah, I think every good comic needs a supporting cast, because it just strengthens everything. It gives you a lot of meat to work with and develops possibilities.

Just as much as we focus on Batwoman's life as a crime-fighting individual, we're going to be putting just as much attention on who she is as Kate Kane, and how those two interact with each other.

I think some of my favorite stories are the ones where the superhero ego and the real-life ego kind of get mixed up. They can't help but have plot points that cross each other or have meaning to each other. And that's my favorite stuff.

And it kind of brings things back to Kate Kane's childhood traumas with the loss of her sister and her becoming this villain, and Kate thinking she's dead again. It all brings things up for her in a way you don't normally see with these heroes. You don't get to see these heroes go through something that would be considered post-traumatic stress disorder. How much self-blame is she carrying because of her sister, and how does that affect her decisions?


ENLARGE

We've had a lot of fans ask us about Alice and whether we're going to tackle Alice, and we certainly wanted to do it, but we wanted to do it in ways that are unexpected. So even though the first storylines don't involve Alice in a real plot sense, her presence is felt in everything that's happening.

Nrama: It's interesting that you're getting questions from fans. To finish up, then, do you have anything else you want to tell fans, based on their response to the launch of this series?

Williams: Well, one of the fears is that we're going to completely disregard what came before. That's virtually impossible. Especially as far ahead as we were on the construction of the series.

And it just wouldn't be a good idea to ignore "Elegy." I don't think it would be a good thing to let it disappear because of a universe change. A character has to have a solid basis to move forward. And we're making sure Batwoman has that foundation, and that we only add to it and make her history and her story richer as we continue

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

So how many "marriages" is this Relaunch gonna end? For what I've read thus far:

- Superman & Lois Lane
- Flash & Irish West

Anymore?

How many more COULD it end? I mean, how many more marriages ARE there? Animal Man is still married post-relaunch, at least. Though I wouldn't put it past TPTB to end that one in divorce within the pages of the new title.

[Michael Heide Heide Finition Find all posts View Profile Close Michael Heide]

Ollie and Dinah were separated as well.
And I have no idea if there will be a Hawkwoman at all in the New 52.

Other currently married couples:

Aquaman and Mera (will most likely still be married).
Tempest and Dolphin (both dead, probably will never have existed).
Ralph and Sue Dibny, Ghost Detectives (New 52 status unknown).

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[TheHorseman Green Lantern Initiate Find all posts View Profile Close TheHorseman]

This relaunch just reeks of Heroes Reborn....I may end up saving money this year

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Ollie and Dinah were separated as well.
And I have no idea if there will be a Hawkwoman at all in the New 52.

Other currently married couples:

Aquaman and Mera (will most likely still be married).
Tempest and Dolphin (both dead, probably will never have existed).
Ralph and Sue Dibny, Ghost Detectives (New 52 status unknown).

Can the Dibnys actually be married, since they are dead? I'll bet their vows were "'til Death".

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