Q&A with Geoff Johns and Jim Lee
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Q: What's it like working on a huge initiative like The New 52?
Geoff Johns: This has been a tremendous rtunity to go back
and look at the central core of the characters, the directions
they've gone in over the years and the new takes we can bring to
them. For me, the Justice League had become too much of a tight
knit unit. Their relationships became nearly interchangeable, and
in a team dynamic that is extremely dull. What conflicts would
come out of their different personalities and approaches to these
larger-than-life problems? How would the world's greatest super
heroes really form a team? Their relationships are vastly
different with one another and will continue to be.
Jim Lee: It's been incredible to see so many people coming
together and be a part of this fresh, new direction to move our
characters forward for, what we hope, will be a new generation of
fans. These are characters that have been around for many, many
decades and you shouldn't feel ed to be changing that up
because otherwise they're just going to ossify and become relics
of the past, as sed to something living and breathing in the
present.
Q: How are you balancing making these stories and characters
feel fresh and new while still respecting what came before?
GJ: You always want to remain true to the core essentials of the
characters that have made them connect with generation after
generation, but at the same time you want to take chances. You
want to do something that hasn't been done. For me personally, I
want to explore mythologies and villains and new elements that
are introduced alongside the world's famous characters.
Q: What would you say defines the character you are working on?
GJ: Their central concept, which is an emotionally driven one.
I'm surprised by how many super heroes seem to lack believable
motivation and, in comics, are often ill-defined. What does the
character want? And how does that relate to the bigger story at
hand? And how can I connect to that? That's what defines the
character for me. Their powers, worlds and enemies should all be
an extension of that.
Q: What stories or creators inspire you most when working on
your character?
GJ: I'm inspired by anything that I connect to emotionally and,
in the case of super heroes, that I cheer for.
Q: So what do you consider to be your character's definitive
stories?
GJ: That's up to the audience to decide. Sinestro Corps became
one because it connected with so many readers.
Q: With over 75 years of stories, is it difficult discovering
new ideas and places for these characters to go that haven't
already been done?
GJ: Surprisingly, there's always more stories to come from these
characters--that's what makes them great.
Q: What would you say is the difference in approach between
writing and dialoguing the characters of The New 52 versus their
previous incarnations?
GJ: I don't want anything to be taken for granted. I don't want
the Justice League to be the worked-together-and-friends-for-life
characters that they've been. So approaching them in a different
way, as people first and heroes second, is what I've been doing.
Q: Jim, what's it like working together with Geoff on Justice
League? What about his writing do you think compliments your art?
JL: Geoff's energy jumps off the script and while he's known for
his in-depth history of the rich DC Universe, it's his focus on
character and the interpersonal quirks that really make it fun
working on DC's trademark superteam. I get a big kick out of
drawing their first interactions and more human aspects on the
page, including a sense of humor and fun amidst this amazing
roller-coaster ride of explosions, derring-do and heroics. At the
end of the day, it's this journey you didn't expect that keeps
people excited about comics!
Q: Jim, you've been involved with two of the biggest comic
launches in comics history, X-Men No. 1 and Justice League No. 1.
What's it like for you making such huge marks in the industry?
Are they similar in any way?
JL: It's great! I think any artist wants to reach the widest
audience possible for their work, so it's always gratifying to
work on a project that captures a lot of fan attention and be
considered a huge success. That instant feedback online and
meeting fans at conventions is always a rush that fuels me to
keep drawing late into the night. Justice League was part of a
much larger effort, so it's even more rewarding to see the whole
relaunch resonate with fans in a huge way!