Interview With Landry Walker

I've been a big fan of writer Landry Walker  since his incredible work on Supergirl Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade book. He is definitely one of those creators whose work I immediately put on my pull file. The works tend to be very complex and layered, with a plot pushing forward but with incredible themes and concepts bubbling along too.

When I heard he was writing a horror book called The Butcher's Boy for Image, I reached out and asked for an interview. Luckily, he obliged. Of note, The Butcher's Boy is only three issues in and well worth looking for.

On to the interview.

Anj: Thanks for doing this.

The Butcher’s Boy comes right out of the gate as pretty stark horror. Is this the first pure horror book you’ve done? (As a 50+ year old, I grew up reading DC horror comics and watching all the horror films I could in the 80s. And I loved your Mad Hatter book.) 

LW: Not the first. Several years back I authored a Manga-style original graphic novel called House of Odd, which was part of the Dean Koontz Odd Thomas series. I collaborated with Dean on that one – he provided a short plot and cast of characters, and I filled out the rest.

I also have done a couple of shorts in Eerie Magazine over the years, and dabbled with a send-up of classic horror monster movies with the Little Gloomy series that Eric and I did (that later became a cartoon series called Scary Larry).

Perkins Superwoman Interview

I have been lamenting the recent cancellation of Superwoman, a book filled with potential starring Lana Lang. In particular, after the murky opening arc,  I definitely enjoyed Perkins run as writer on the title and the big themes and messages she brought to the book.

Before the book became too distant in the rear view mirror, I reached out to Perkins with a few questions and she was kind enough to answer. So enjoy a little peek behind the curtain of Superwoman!

1) You took over Superwoman after her initial story arc and at a time when the Superman histories (both Convergence and New 52) were being rewritten and melded together. What were the challenges heading into the book? Given the lack of established history, were you given a sort of carte blanche? Or were there guidelines?

There was certainly a lot to keep track of when I was going into my run on Superwoman. As the new writer, I wanted to honor all that was done before me while adding to the history via creating a new status quo. There are always guidelines to work within, but I had awesome editors who were stoked to hear my ideas and were encouraging of my focus on building out more of Lana Lang and her world.

Steve Orlando Interview

With the news of the new Supergirl series coming out of #Rebirth still fresh, I reached out to writer Steve Orlando for an interview. A big thanks to DC PR and Orlando for answering a few questions about the new book and Supergirl in general.

I was feeling optimistic about the book from everything that I had heard before this interview but I am doubly optimistic now. So enjoy ...

Anj: Congratulations on being named writer on the Supergirl Rebirth book. I was wondering if you could talk about your history with the character? Have you always been a fan? Is there a favorite Supergirl run in the background?
Orlando: I have long been a fan! Probably my first live interaction with Kara was when she debuted on Superman: The Animated Series, with her distinct urge to explore and to “VROOM” everywhere she went. I had encountered her before, in trading cards, in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but those were all backlogs, collecting I did when I was voraciously reading up on the DCU as a young, erstwhile fan. But when she debuted in the Dini/Timm series, it was fresh, I was seeing it at the same time as the rest of the world, not playing catch up, and I loved it. I loved the energy, the positivity and the joy associated with the character – her unfaltering ability to stay positive despite the tragic circumstances that brought her to Earth.
And that’s really what first made me connect to Kara – her history is in many ways even more tragic than her cousin’s, with her being a teenager when she left Krypton, and having real, tangible things that she’s left behind. But I connected with that, she tries her hardest not to let it weigh her down, or weigh other people down. I think her tenacity is something we can all aspire to – and really, superheroes, icons, we want them to to aspirational figures. Kara to me is all about positivity in the face of adversity, and through her experienced with that, a wealth of understanding. For me, that all started with her animated series appearances, to the Earth-Born Angel run, to the return of Kara Zor-El, and the growing accumulating DNA that brought us to where we are today.

2. What do you find compelling or intriguing  about her character? What about her interested you enough to write the new book?
I hinted at it a bit above, but to me, it is Kara’s approach to the world that draws me to her. For one, she has a more real, detailed, and rich immigrant or refugee story than her cousin, who woke up to loving human parents and only later learned about the world he lost. Kara, leaving real people, real memories, coming to Earth with real opinions, having to learn a new language, a new culture, being adopted by new parents. All those things ring so true to me for what people go through, and as to her feeling at times like an outsider, what I have gone through both in my personal life being bisexual and in my adult life traveling to different cultures and nations. Kara’s positivity in the face of all this, her perspective, is what I find truly inspiring.
And as I said above, THROUGH that comes her vital, unique understanding of people, or more so, a need to understand. That underlying unity that someone with super senses must feel, when a planet of 6 billion people can seem like a small village to her.
Early on I realized, and I still think it’s true – plenty of heroes show up, stop the bad guy, and send them to prison. But Supergirl shows up two weeks later to see how they’re doing, and how she can help. She’s been there. She’s been in tough situations. She’s made mistakes. And she wants to understand you, and help you through yours.

3. Can you talk about the pitch process? Did you approach DC editorial? Or did they approach you? How far ahead do you have stories planned?
Much like my pitch process on MIDNIGHTER, the pitch for SUPERGIRL began with one idea, which grew into the statement I gave above:
“Supergirl’s compassion is as mighty as her strength.”
With pitching for characters, it’s always a little from column a and a little from column b – there’s outreach from the office, and then a conversation about where you’d take a character, why they’re important to you, what your take is. I found the offer of SUPERGIRL extremely intimidating, following in the footsteps of some amazing runs, and working with a character that means so much to so many people. But in truth, if you’re NOT intimidated taking on a character, then I don’t think you’re truly understanding what these comics, and these icons, mean to people. These are characters and ideas that change lives, that save lives, and so they demand an inherent reverence, respect, and passion. Since I did MIDNIGHTER, there isn’t a comic convention that goes by where someone doesn’t come up to me and say the character has given them the strength to come out, to be themselves. And I know people connect with Supergirl in the same, incredibly passionate way. So the offer was an honor for me, and a challenge.
As for how long I have planned out – as you may know from my work I am a huge DC Universe nerd and always looking to explore new corners and add new facets to a world that so strongly influenced me as a child. So I have stories planned for a long time, as long as readers will come along with me. And every time I crawl down a wiki hole or crack open my DC WHO’S WHOs, the plans grow exponentially.

4. Can you, if possible, talk about the transition from the last book to this new one? Is this the same Kara? Has time passed? Will we be seeing some of the supporting cast or villains from the last series?
I can talk a bit about it, sure – but not much. This is definitely the same Kara you saw in the New 52 SUPERGIRL series, sixteen years old, new to Earth. In story time, she has been on Earth for less than a year, and in that time has gotten into some trouble, be it her skirmish in Siberia when she landed, or her actions as a Red Lantern. But she’s putting that anger in the past, and looking forward, thanks to some new friends and a fresh start as seen in SUPERGIRL: REBIRTH.
The book will pick up from Super League, going on right now in the Superman family of books, BUT Super League is not required to pick up SUPERGIRL: REBIRTH, which will set the stage all on its own if you like. As for supporting cast, we’ll see some new faces, some faces from previous adventures Kara has had, and one major villain rearing his Cybernetic Head as the Cyborg Superman comes in search of Kara. In the previous series, the readers knew he was Zor-El, but he did not, and Kara did not. Now that information is out, and it changes everything.

5. How would you describe the tone of the book?
Optimistic! Kara is definitely working her way through adjusting to Earth, which is something she hasn’t had time to do in the New 52 after basically running in the red since she landed a few months ago. And there’s an adjustment period – she’s been welcomed to Earth, yes, and wants to become a part of our world. But it’s a new language, it’s new culture, and especially compared to Krypton, our “advanced” Earth technology seems like stone age tools to Kara.
But to be Earth’s protector, to help us, she HAS to understand us, and so she remains committed to her goal, and to herself. Even if things aren’t always easy, even if she has moments of doubt, she remains caring, she remains steadfast, and dedicated to the world that welcomed her when her own blasted her into space.

6. Any last things you’d like to say to the Supergirl fandom who visits here? 

The Super family of books is incredibly important to me – and I hope that comes through in the first page, the first issue, and the first year of SUPERGIRL. But to me that doesn’t mean a line of books about Superman himself, or characters trying to be like Superman. It’s about awe. It’s about wonder. It’s about huge comic book ideas. And it’s about compassion. I think Supergirl would be Supergirl even if her cousin never made it to Earth, because her outlook would never let her go down a different path. She’s intelligent, she’s caring, she’s brave.

We talk a lot about what it means to be “a super” in the DCU. And it transcends the surface level things like being related to Superman. The diversification of the Super family of books shows just that – being a Super, being super, is something we can all achieve to. It’s in how these characters, and Supergirl especially, always sees and roots for the best in us, EVEN if we don’t ourselves.

And in SUPERGIRL I’m excited to put that to the test, and usher in a new day for the Girl of Tomorrow. 

Tony Bedard Interview

We recently learned that Tony Bedard's run on Supergirl will be over shortly and that writers Kate Perkins and Mike Johnson will be taking Kara down a new creative direction. 

I have loved Bedard's run on the book as he understood Supergirl and made her more like the character that I love, even in the midst of her becoming a Red Lantern and joining the JLU. I had the opportunity to interview Bedard recently, asking him about his take on Supergirl, his current run, and where he was hoping to take her. It was hard not to be a fanboy. Here is the interview.

Anj: You have had a couple of short runs on two different incarnations of Supergirl, a brief run on Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes, and even had her in R.E.B.E.L.S.!  Have you always  been a fan of Supergirl? What do you think of her as a character? What are her key attributes or character qualities?

TONY: I started reading comics relatively late in life, around the age of 15. It was the mid ‘80s and the first thing that really hooked me into superhero comics was Marvel’s SECRET WARS. I was so jazzed by it that when I heard DC was also doing a mega-event called CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, I dived into it. So, ironically, my first exposure to Supergirl was her death in that series. But it left a lasting mark and I have always deeply felt her importance, even at times when she didn’t seem as important to whatever “big thing” was happening in comics. As for getting to write SUPERGIRL during the “Amazons Attack” event, and also getting to write a few issues of SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES, that was sheer, wonderful luck. So, while I’ve always liked the Supergirl character, I’ve just been fortunate that they asked me to write her this many times. For me, her key attributes are the things that come with wearing that “S” on your chest – the responsibility to use your gifts for the benefit of others, the humility and self-sacrifice to serve the greater good even though you’re powerful enough to just take what you want. And I think Supergirl should have a brightness and optimism that matches her youth. She is filed with promise and potential. She should be an aspirational character, a role model. I think this can be maintained, even when you’re trying to fill her stories with teen angst and the sense of confusion and isolation that comes with being a teenager.

Anj: That vision of her as a young hero, learning the ropes while understanding what her responsibilities is mine as well. And yes, I think she should be an aspirational character as well.

Anj: You wrote three issues in the last incarnation of Supergirl, between Joe Kelly and Kelly Puckett’s runs. The issues were also crossovers with Amazons Attack as well as Countdown. What can you tell us about those issues? Did you ask to write them? They also seems to be an attempt to rehabilitate her character after a rough portrayal in Amazons and prior stories where she was angry and isolated. Were you hoping to make her more likable back then?

TONY: The Amazons Attack issues were offered to me out of the blue. As a former editor, I know that when you plan these big events, somebody is bound to drop out, or a creative team gets shifted around, and suddenly you have to get some issues covered. So when the editor called asking if I could pinch-hit on SUPERGIRL, I was only too glad to step in. The funny thing is that I hadn’t been keeping up with SUPERGIRL at the time and didn’t realize that she’d been portrayed as angry and isolated. I just wrote her as I thought she should be. As I’ve said in previous interviews, I want my Supergirl to be likable and upbeat. So even though she was screwing up, crashing Air Force One, etc., I still wanted her underlying character to be wholesome, well intentioned and sympathetic.

Anj: I love that the way she acted in those issues was your 'default' Supergirl. That is fantastic. I loved those issues and thought that maybe DC had asked you to soften her edges given the upcoming run.  

TONY: But when I think of those issues, what really stands out to me is how great it was working with Renato Guedes. Holy crap, that guy is amazing!  He drew Supergirl like a human being, and he put those biker pants under her skirt. Thank you, Renato! Maybe I’m just old, but the LAST thing I want from a SUPERGIRL comic is one of those upskirt shots. I remember seeing a few people online complain that he had made her “too fat.” Unbelievable. He made her look like a real girl is what he did.

Anj: Yeah, his stuff is great. I loved how he drew Supergirl here and when she appeared in Superman when he was drawing that book. And don't remind me about the bike shorts debacle. Like you, I thought they made perfect sense.

Anj: I was a big fan of R.E.B.E.L.S. and reviewed it monthly here. I loved that Supergirl was part of the opening issues. Were there plans to ever bring her back to the book? Do you miss Vril Dox?

TONY: I miss Vril Dox every day! I even tried to sneak him back into the DCU in the Villains Month BRAINIAC issue. But I don’t think we’ll be seeing a New 52 REBELS series any time soon. As for having Supergirl appear in that series, having written Kara in the 30^th Century already, she seemed like the best person to deliver a message from Brainiac 5 to his forefather Brainiac 2 (Vril Dox). It was just a guest appearance, but I felt really good about the way Brainiac 5 sent his message: having her actually write it on a blank DVD with her heat vision. Cute trick. Y’know, I’ll always be grateful that DC let REBELS go as far as it did. I think it was 28 issues. It was one of those times where something was liked internally and they really gave it a chance. Maybe if the DCU follows in Marvel’s movie footsteps, then REBELS could be the Guardians of the Galaxy surprise movie hit of 2022…?

Anj: Can you talk about how you ended up on the current Supergirl book? You have gone on record as saying that you wanted to make the angry and isolated New 52 Supergirl more likable and relatable. Did you seek out the assignment? And what were you hoping to bring to the book? Did you know early on that it was going to be a short run?

TONY: This was another instance of DC calling me and offering me the gig out of the blue. They knew I was looking for a new project, but I didn’t specifically lobby for SUPERGIRL. To be honest, it’s hard to get a gig you’re going after unless it’s a completely new pitch, like I did with R.E.B.E.L.S. (Yes, I know I was just trying to re-launch the criminally under-appreciated L.E.G.I.O.N. ’89).  Once they gave me SUPERGIRL, what I was hoping to bring to the book was a supporting cast and a lighter tone -- a moment for Kara to get past her resentment and embrace her new home. What DC wanted was to build up her rogue’s gallery and to play up the “stranger in a strange land” aspect. I tried to give them what they wanted and get the stuff in that I wanted. It ended up a bit of a mixed bag, but looking back I’m pretty happy with the run, even if much of it was dealing with characters and situations that I sort of inherited.

Anj: Knowing how you had treated her in all the prior runs that we've talked about, I was thrilled to hear you were on the book and what your approach was going to be. 

Anj: But then shortly after the announcement of you coming on board, we got the news about Red Daughter. Did you have to adapt your plans dramatically because of the new plot direction? How closely did you work with Red Lanterns’ writer Charles Soule on the arc?

TONY: I got to work fairly closely with Charles, since it was his idea to make her a Red Lantern to begin with! And I have to admit that when it was first presented to me, I wasn’t sold on the idea. I was trying to take her away from being angry all the time and we were going to make her a Rage Lantern?! But it didn’t take long to realize this might be the perfect pivot point for Kara. She couldhit bottom and then end up rejecting anger.  So I went along with it, and the great surprise was that by making her a Red Lantern, we gave her an instant support network and people to play off of and it turned out to be a great little storyline. I owe a lot to Charles, especially for making RED LANTERNS a fun, upbeat read. It made it easier to bring some of that fun to SUPERGIRL. 

Anj: I thought Red Daughter was handled very well and actually showed a more likable and friendly Kara despite the rage ring.  Was it hard to write a character who embraced rage while trying to make her a more heroic and positive person?

TONY: It was surprisingly easy. Kara had been searching for friends, for a place to belong. After a few really bad turns, she suddenly had a bunch of people who valued her power and wanted her around (except for Guy Gardner, who was wise enough to see she shouldn’t be one of them). It all worked out pretty nicely, with both moments to see her as a hero, and a great life lesson for Kara. Being a Red Lantern was one of the first times that people actually cheered for her. She deserved to be wanted for a change and she finally got a taste of what it felt like. 

Anj: You sowed the seeds of future plotlines which may never come to fruition. Can you tell us what you were planning with Blaze? Siobhan? Michael? Shay Veritas?

TONY: I was going to have Blaze create a trio of henchgirls called the Furies. Remember Siobhan’s roommate and her two friends? They were all orphaned in superhero battles and had sworn themselves to finding a way to make super-people pay. They were going to beat Supergirl and take her back to Blaze’s home dimension. Hilarity would ensue. I wanted to get Siobhan in there more, to make her and Kara a team. I had one issue where the newly Red Lanterned Kara fights Silver Banshee, and I contrasted their fight with flashbacks of Kara and Siobhan just having fun roommate moments. That remains one of my favorite things from the run: just letting her have a friend. Michael returns in my final issue, and we’ll see if they do anything with him after that. If not, it was enough that Kara met a guy who had every reason to hate life and yet retained a positive outlook. He was in many ways a good role model for her, and he didn’t want to trick or use her, which is nice for a change. And Shay I wanted to keep playing sort of mysterious. Is she really a friend to Supergirl, or does she view her as another science project? Shay’s still a bit of a cypher to me, which is okay if she’s played for mystery. But I liked doing scenes of her staff at the Block talking about what it’s like being stuck there, having to wear her face, alternating between admiration and resentment. It gave the whole Block set-up a little complexity.

Anj: Too bad we won't get the chance to read that Blaze arc. Sounds like a blast. Anyways, as a big Supergirl fan, I just wanted to thank you for writing such a great Supergirl, a young, positive hero still learning the ropes. While you have a couple of more issues on your run, any last words for Supergirl’s fandom?

TONY: I just wish the new team success. Kara’s had a rocky time since the New 52 launch, but I feel like right now she’s well positioned to move forward and become a true hero on her own terms. And I wish Emanuela Lupacchino all the success in the world! She’s an amazing artist and Supergirl couldn’t be in better hands, art-wise!

Anj: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to Supergirl fans! Looking forward to your last 2 issues.

Interview With Paul Kupperberg

Paul Kupperberg was the writer on the entire 23 issues of The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, as well as her last stories in Superman Family. Kupperberg's Supergirl was always confident and strong and those stories are loved by fans of Kara. Elements of those stories still resonate to this day with Reactron and Blackstarr still around.


I recently had the opportunity to interview Kupperberg about his time on Daring as well as other Supergirl stories he was involved in. As a long time Supergirl fan, it was an absolute thrill to ask him some questions that have been on my mind for a while! 


A hat tip to blog friend John Feer, who recently wondered what Kupperberg's plans with Dick Malverne were. It was that question that spurred me to seek out Mr. Kupperberg. And, of course, many many thanks again to Mr. Kupperberg for taking the time to chat with me about Supergirl. Off we go ...

Anj: Were you a fan of Supergirl before you were named writer for Daring New Adventures? What do you think of her as a character; what are the key aspects or appeal of her?

Paull Kupperberg: I was a Supergirl fan long before I ever thought of working in comics. She was one of earliest comic book crushes, after Wonder Woman, which when I started reading was deep in the throes of its really ridiculous “fairy tale” run under Bob Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito...I guess it was Bob’s idea of writing a “girls comic,” with genies and dragons and the introduction of Wonder Girl and Wonder Tot. Anyway, I was five or six years old when I discovered Wonder Woman in the early 1960s, and a couple of years later I started following the Supergirl back-up in Action Comics. 

I’m not sure exactly what it was that I liked about Supergirl. I loved all things Superman, but if I had to choose between Supergirl and Superboy, I’d have gone with Supergirl every time. It never bothered me that she was a girl, and there was something way more real to me about her than Superboy. Maybe it was that subtle undercurrent of sadness about the strip...you know, with Linda being an orphan, kind of sacrificing her childhood happiness to serve as Superman’s “secret weapon.”

Anj: What was it like to work with industry legend Carmine Infantino on the book? Was he involved in the creative process with you?

PK: Carmine is a legend and I grew up loving his work on The Flash, Adam Strange, and Batman, and any time he drew one of my scripts it was a thrill. But we didn’t exactly work together, at least not in a side-by-side collaborative sense. We really did things like a factory, everybody creating their individual part and sending it down the conveyor belt to the next guy so he could do his. I plotted Supergirl with my editor, Julie Schwartz, and wrote it as a full script that he sent it along to Carmine. Usually the next time I saw the story was when it was in print, and I almost never had any contact with Carmine himself. After he was fired from DC in the mid-70s, he never came up to the offices again, so he didn’t have any input into the storyline. I doubt he would have been interested in being part of the process even if he’d been offered the chance.

Anj: There are so many things about Daring that I am interested in learning about, many of them dealing with your characterization of Supergirl. I think your Supergirl was the most confident version of the character to date. Was that change in her character part of your pitch for the title?

PK: Absolutely. By the time I started writing her in Superman Family, she had been around quite a while and would have known, as far as I was concerned, what she was doing by then. Besides, she’s SUPERgirl, with all the powers and abilities of Superman. What the hell did she have to be insecure about? I don’t think I could have written her as anything but as strong and confident. Nothing else made any sense to me.

Anj: That confidence was seen even before the title was released, in the preview story in Superman #376 where Supergirl literally steps out of Superman’s shadow and shows she is her own person. Did you feel you needed to break her away from Kal a bit, not having her look over her shoulders as she had in the past?

PK: Definitely. Kara had been standing in Superman’s shadows for about 25 years by the time I started writing her. It was past time she found her own path and started following it, even aside from the fact that any character who can move planets really wouldn’t have too many confidence issues.

Anj: You also sort of de-aged Kara, making her grad student age after years as a news reporter, guidance counselor, and soap opera actress. Can you talk about that decision?

PK: “Sort of de-aged” her is right. We never specified her age or denied any of her previous jobs, just sent her back to graduate school, which anybody can attend at any age, and never mentioned any of the earlier continuities after that. We could still get away with casual reboots like that in those days.

Anj: The Daring run coincided with the release of the Supergirl movie and the unveiling of the headband costume. Was there a buzz around DC at that time about how the character might be breaking out a bit? Did the movie’s release effect any of the comic storylines in any way?

PK: There was some hope for Supergirl breaking out, but no real expectations, especially after we saw the movie, which was pretty bad. But aside from the costume changes, we mostly ignored the movie...I think everyone was just happy the film didn’t damage Supergirl’s reputation as much as it did Helen Slater’s.

Anj:  The last issue of the title ends with the return of Dick Malverne and a romantic kiss. Do you remember what your plans were for that storyline?

PK: Not really, although Linda was definitely going to reject Dick. At the time I wrote Supergirl #23, we thought the character was going to continue in a new title, DC Double Comics, which she was going to share with a revamp of Superboy. I wrote the first issue (which got as far as being penciled by Eduardo Barreto, and lettered), which has a scene between Linda and Dick; he confesses his lifelong love for her, but she doesn’t want any part of it. After that, Linda took off for what was planned as a six month space adventure on New Krypton, but I don’t remember what we had planned for Dick.

Anj: You also wrote DC Comics Presents #86, the last Supergirl story before her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths. What was it like writing that script, knowing it was Supergirl’s last?

PK: After about three years working on the character, I was glad to have a chance to say good-bye to Supergirl, but I wasn’t happy with the decision to retcon her (and Superboy) out of the continuity.

Anj: You also wrote a bunch of my favorite books growing up including the Doom Patrol Showcase issues and series and Arion Lord of Atlantis. These books featured strong women like Celsius and Lady Chian. Do you think you have an affinity for writing female protagonists?

PK: I guess so. I’m by nature and politics a feminist, and I’ve known plenty of strong women in my life. It never made sense to me that someone’s sex would limit them in what they’re capable of doing. It used to bug the hell out of me when Wonder Woman was treated like a second class citizen and when I took over as editor of the title, the first thing I did was institute what I called the Superman-Batman Rule. That says that if you wouldn’t put the top male superheroes in a situation, you can’t do it to Diana either.

Anj:  I can’t thank you enough for this interview. Where can fans of yours find your work now?

PK: I currently write Life With Archie: The Married Life for Archie Comics, which was just nominated for a 2011 Eisner Award in the category of Best Publication for Young Adults, and I’m working on getting some new creator-owned properties off the ground. Anyone who wants to find out what else I’m up to can check out Paulkupperberg.com or friend me on Facebook.

Anj: Thanks again!

Interview With Landry Walker and Eric Jones

Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade came out 2 years ago and was unbelievably well received. Written by Landry Walker and drawn by Eric Jones, Cosmic was truly a pitch perfect all ages Supergirl book, with something for everyone and every generation of Supergirl fan. Despite it’s critical acclaim, a hinted-at sequel has never come to fruition. And yet, two years later people are still talking about Cosmic, especially after some concept art for the ‘9th grade’ book were posted on the web.

I was lucky enough to recently have the opportunity to talk to Landry Walker and Eric Jones, revisiting Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade and touching on other topics as well.

Anj: Can you guys talk about the creative process that led to Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade? Did you pitch an all-ages book and then decide on Supergirl? Did you pitch a Supergirl book and decide on the audience you were hoping to reach?

LANDRY: We pitched an all-ages Supergirl book. Though we really didn’t have a plan at first. Bob Shreck was the first person at DC we approached for work in general, as Disney Adventures had just been cancelled. He had the idea that Eric and I might be a good fit for Johnny DC and set up a meeting with Jann Jones at WonderCon. We walked away and decided to prepare a Supergirl pitch, unaware that Jann was at the convention looking for someone to produce an all-ages Supergirl. In fact, she had approached someone already, but they turned her down. No idea who that was. In a parallel universe, they’re answering these questions.

ERIC: The turnaround on the book being green-lit was also crazy fast -- usually there's a lot of waiting on the creative end while the decisions get made by Editorial, but they were obviously looking for something like what we pitched, and away we went -- we were in full production by a month or two after our pitch.

Anj: Were you always Supergirl fans? Or did that grow from the research for the book? What else can you say about your comic roots? Any creators or comic runs that influenced you as a fan or creator?

LANDRY: I became a Supergirl fan during Crisis on Infinite Earths. I was familiar with the character before hand, but her sacrifice and strength in that series really grabbed me.

Influences? Peter David. Keith Giffen. Howard Chaykin. John Byrne. Roy Thomas. Scott Shaw. Too many to name here and now. As I got older I drifted into the works of Peter Bagge and Joe Matt… that sort of stuff. Comics runs? Teen Titans by Wolman and Perez. Man of Steel. Batman: Year One. Captain Carrot...

Really, all the stuff you would expect of someone in my age group reading DC.

ERIC: I grew up a Marvel kid, actually, but like Landry, Crisis on Infinite Earths was when I got on board with Supergirl (and in my case, DC in general). But her arc in that series was so good, and so classically heroic -- I was sold.

As for my influences, I have at least a thousand. Paul Smith's run on X-Men in the early 80s was huge for me. So was 70s and 80s anime like Space Cruiser Yamato, or Macross. Akira (the comic) blew my mind when it came out in the US when I was a teenager. Watchmen. The Dark Knight Returns. American animation art is a big one, particularly Alex Toth's work. Also European comics artists like Moebius, Herge, Schuiten. Indie comics too: the Hernandez Bros., Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes. I worked for a long time at Rory Root's Comic Relief shop in Berkeley, and just about everything there influenced me, really.

Anj: What do you think is the appeal of the Supergirl character?

LANDRY: The character represents eternal optimism and hope. During the worst, she sees the best. She can be young and fun and irritable and short-tempered and goofy. But no matter what, she will always put the needs of others first, even if it means she will suffer greatly because of it.

She’s also a teenager. She’s learning. She has a place to start from, and a goal to reach. That’s way more interesting from a storytelling perspective than a character that’s already established.

ERIC: I think her appeal is a function of the fact that she's someone we can relate to. Everyone has been in a similar place to hers; she's not an authority figure, but she has a duty to herself and others that she's dedicated to. I also think she's inspiring to us, since she'll put herself in harm's way to do what's right --who doesn't aspire to that?

Anj: That is my take on the character as well. My love for the character was that I loved Superman’s powers but I could relate to Supergirl way more. She had the foibles I had but was always striving to do what’s right.

Anj: Getting back to Cosmic, you have so much Supergirl history (and DCU history) sprinkled throughout the book. Was that part of the plan … to give this ‘out of continuity’ book some roots in continuity?

LANDRY: More or less. I’m not a big believer in continuity; I think it’s largely an illusion. I mean, Supergirl from theearly 60s and the one that died in Crisis are only the “same” character because we say they are. So as far as I’m concerned, our Supergirl is the original Supergirl. Her origin is fundamentally the same and her role in the universe is the same. What Eric and I have done is streamlined her origin for a new audience. We made some sense of why she was wearing a uniform when she crashed, and put a malevolent cosmic hand behind the insane coincidence that is her arrival on Earth… but she is the same Kara that was in comics during the 60s, 70s and 80s.

ERIC: We really wanted to make the book "all ages", in a literal sense; we wanted it to be entertaining for readers of any age. One of the tools we used to that end was referring to things that had taken place in classic (or not-so-classic) Supergirl stories, just as a nod to the people who were familiar with the material. I think it was a fun way of giving longtime fans more to digest, without slowing down the story.

Also, Landry and I both really enjoy taking preexisting material that sometimes conflicts with itself (and 50 years of Supergirl comics by innumerable creators and editorial directions definitely has that happening), and finding a way to incorporate as much of it as possible into a cohesive story.

Anj: I loved Cosmic and could ask a million questions about it. Do you have any favorite moments of the book? Anything you wish you did in retrospect?

LANDRY: The Hand of Krona. That was probably the part I’m most proud of. The Supragirl arc is also a something I’m tremendously happy about. We did the throwaway bit in issue 3 where she vanishes from existence, and you think little of it -- it’s more of a joke than anything -- but we get a feel for her as a separate character in issues 5 and 6. After reading those, go back and read what is essentially her death scene and it has (I hope) much more impact.

ERIC: So many favorite moments. Most of Kara's "daydreaming" sequences are favorites, particularly those involving The Moon Gang. The ending of #1, which in my opinion is one of the most affecting pieces we've done to date. I'm really proud of our take on Streaky, particularly the scene where he attacks Belinda Zee in the background while Supergirl and Lena argue in the foreground. My most favorite scene has to be when we reveal the true nature of Supergirl's predicament, and the true roots of so much of the DC Universe. I really couldn't be happier with how that all came out.

Anj: You may recall that the Krona moment was my number one Supergirl moment from 2009. And everybody loved the ‘Moon Gang’ here as well. It was great to see them cross over into the Batman Brave and the Bold book you guys did.

LANDRY: That was actually part of a grander plan that we didn’t get to see concluded. In our first issue, we introduced “The Void” which claimed to be from “Quasi-Space", which people might recall is where Argo was shunted to when Krypton exploded in Cosmic Adventures. We later brought in our own version of Egg-Fu, re-imagined as a more Lovecraftian nightmare creature called Y’ggphu Soggoth, who claimed to be “the second sign of the great ending”; the Void was actually the first.

This was all leading to a planned two-issue crossover appearance from our Supergirl, where Kara would lose her powers and take on the identity of Flamebird while working with Batman. Eric even did some test designs of the costume.

ERIC: We never really finalized a design, and she looks significantly older than she would've been in the book; can't really recall why that was. In any case, it's sort of a glimpse of what she'd look like late in the proposed Supergirl series, maybe 12th Grade.

I really wish we would've gotten to that Brave and the Bold story; it was such a fun idea to connect the Cartoon Network Batman to our Supergirl, and having Kara become Flambebird would have been another nod to the Supergirl mythos that would have been nice for the fans. Unfortunately we were taken off the book before it could all happen, but luckily there were no obviously-dangling plot threads.

Anj: Cosmic Adventures in the Eight Grade was so well received and is still getting some publicity nearly 2 years later. Are you amazed at the outpouring of support and the demand for a sequel?

LANDRY: I’m absolutely flabbergasted that people are still so passionate about the project. It’s humbling, and I consider us very lucky to have managed to create something with so much permanence. Usually, books like this get passing interest and then fade from memory.

ERIC: I'm amazed, and I'm thrilled that we managed to tap into something that people feel so strongly about. Considering that all-ages comics rarely get the time of day in this era, I'm deeply touched that people are championing the project so vocally.

Anj: I know that the Cosmic 9th Grade book is still theoretical. Without tipping your hand, any hints on what we might see if the book is done?

LANDRY: It’s all a bit of a jumble in my head. I do think we would see some familiar characters from Argo appear. Brainiac 5. The Phantom Zone. We’ve shown some of the art produced, so obviously Lex is back at some point. Satan Girl. Melinda Mee (Bizarrogirl). The Locker of Solitude (have to keep a super horse somewhere). Robin. Lena Thorul, Jungle Princess…

More important, we would see Linda grow. She’s not the same Linda who broke her desk, and wanted to fly home. She’s happier, more confident, and she’s started building a life on Earth. We see her in the aforementioned art with longer hair, as the series (10th grade and so on) progressed, we’d see alterations to her uniform, some moments of great happiness and some moments of great tragedy.

And as Lena said in issue 6… the Red skies ARE coming.

ERIC: And it would be filled with drawings by me!

Seriously, though -- I think we'd produce something very much like the last volume in flavor, but really upping the ante and expanding on things both character-wise and plot-wise. We do have some pretty cool ideas for where to go with it, and without saying too much, I think the fans would be pleased.

Anj: Well, as a Supergirl fan, I love that Satan Girl, as a concept, seems to worm her way into every incarnation of the character. But Jungle Princess?? That’s interesting.

LANDRY: It’s from an old story where Lena had amnesia -- Action Comics #313, I believe. There really weren’t very many appearance of the character in her original form, but what is out there has tremendous potential.

ERIC: Oh, man, that's an idea I'm still really fond of. One way or another, we need to get that one out there.

Anj: And you had to bring up the red skies! Supergirl fans have PTSD about that stuff!

LANDRY: And justifiably so! COIE was some dramatic/traumatic material, and can be folded very well into a retelling of Supergirl’s mythology. How things go when we get there… well, we’d just have to wait and see.

ERIC: I think it's worth mentioning that we really had some elaborate plans for Supergirl that were going to address most of her major adventures throughout the years, and Crisis was absolutely one of them.

Anj: What can you tell us about your upcoming project Danger Club (projected February 2012 Image release)?

LANDRY: It’s basically a combination of a Secret Wars-type adventure in a DC-style universe. All the adult heroes are taken to a distant corner of the universe to fight a terrible evil, and they don’t come back. But they left dozens of sidekicks and supervillians behind on Earth, and conditions quickly deteriorate. Eric is drawing it and Joey Mason is on colors, so it’s the full Cosmic Adventures team on a very different project.

ERIC: I think this one is going to surprise a lot of people; it's completely different from any other book we've ever done, and I think most people won't realize it's by the same creative team that did Cosmic Adventures.


Anj: Leaving Supergirl for a second, Landry I thought your Mad Hatter book was disturbing and haunting. What was it like to dip your toes into the mainstream DCU?

LANDRY: Darker. That’s a pretty personal story, directing a lot of my own obsessive-compulsive behavior and self-hatred into a comic. It’s not a great place to live, so to speak. When I write I try to stay in a certain head space -- the place the characters are living -- so that the voices of said characters stay natural to me.
The Mad Hatter story was written in about three days; three days where I locked myself up, alone in my house, and paced around while muttering quietly.

To be honest, that stuff is much easier to write than an all-ages series. It’s just a less-fun place to park your mind. It takes a toll.

Otherwise, in some ways that story is less mainstream DC than Cosmic Adventures. There’s really only one character in it, and that’s pretty much my own take on the Mad Hatter with little concern for what anyone else has done with him. I wanted the book to be a single issue, definitive Mad Hatter story that told you everything you ever needed to know about him. I’m pretty happy with it.

On a related note, I got to work with Keith Giffen and Bill Sienkiewicz. Keith called me up himself to tell me he was on the project, and complimented me repeatedly on the script. We talked a few times on the phone – mostly about humor in comics. The phone calls are one of the highlights of my experience writing comics. If that was my only shot at writing for the DCU proper, then so be it. What a note to go out on!

Anj: I think the thing that got me about that book was that I really felt for Tetch early in the book, seeing him struggle with his compulsions and trying to overcome them. And then you see he has a closet full of corpses. That reveal just turned that book on its head.

LANDRY: I’m pretty happy with the reaction to the book. The cyclical nature of compulsion/gratification/remorse is very real; moreso with alcoholism or drug abuse admittedly, but the mindset I represented with Tetch is one where there is no “normal” moment. The cycle never ends. That’s what madness is. Not the glamorous and pretty kind of crazy we sometimes see Batman villains dressed up in, but the destructive and corrosive personal hell that you know you’re in, but can’t escape. So when you look from the outside, you want to feel sorry for the person trapped in this cycle, but the dark end of the cycle is so repugnant that it changes your perspective on them. And if you feel that way about them, imagine how they feel about themselves.

Anj: Finally, I think we all want to see Supergirl Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade happen. What can we do to help persuade DC to make it happen?

LANDRY: Ask DC. And then ask them again. Keep posting about about it. Post on forums. Ask at conventions. Email DC. Mail DC. Send them Facebook messages. Twitter comments. Whatever people can do to make sure that DC hears them and to keep people talking about it.

ERIC: DC wants to know what people want to read. If they hear from enough people that they want a sequel to Cosmic Adventures, you can bet that someone at DC will try to make it happen. Keep asking them for it, however you go about it. If you can convince DC, I think it's fair to say that Landry and I will happily do the work.

Anj: Let’s hope the troops rally and get this done!  I know that there are facebook pages and Twitter petitions for this to happen too.  If anyone knows those links, please post them in the comments section!


Landry and Eric, thanks again for stopping by and talking!

Kelly Sue DeConnick Interview

The DCU is going to relaunch and the 'new' Supergirl #1 is coming out in September.

But that is the future. And I am not forgetting the present. We have a three issue story arc by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist ChrisCross before that happens. I didn't not want to ignore these issues, the last of this current incarnation of the Girl of Steel. I was lucky enough to ask a few questions of DeConnick about her run on the title. Hope you guys enjoy it. Supergirl #65, DeConnick's first issue, is on sale today!


Anj: I know from prior interviews that you have been a comics fan, and a DC fan, since childhood. Any particular creators or story arcs that influenced you as a fan or writer? Any favorite characters?

Kelly Sue DeConnick: I’m not sure I can point to any direct influences; I don’t tend to see other people’s work in my own—not that I’m not sure it’s there, I’m certain it is—but I don’t think I have the proper perspective on my own work to be able to see it. If someone else were to say, “you can see the influence of XX in scene BLAH BLAH,” I could probably evaluate it well enough to agree or disagree, but I don’t think I’m able to spot those things myself.

That said, I can tell you that I loved pretty much anything George Perez ever touched—particularly Wonder Woman--and the Marv Wolfman run on Tales of the Teen Titans was a big favorite of mine. I remember finding a stack of them second-hand and having my mind blown. Even the PAPER was nicer than anything I’d ever seen before. (Does anybody know what that was about? Was there a run in the late 80s on really good paper? Issue #66 was definitely part of the run I remember so fondly.)

I loved Nocturna. I was obsessive about that character during her brief life. NOCTURNA!
And of course, as I’m a plucky gal of a certain age, Lois Lane has a special place in my heart. Cliché, but true. I may or may not have a LL-related collection. I also may have published a zine in my youth called “Lois Slain.”

Anj: Have you always considered yourself a Supergirl fan? As a creator, what about her appeals to you? Any of her past stories that resonated with you?

KSD: I adore her! But I don’t want to misrepresent myself, like, oh yeah—I’m this HUGE Supergirl fan from way back. That would be a lie. The woman in the Super-orbit who always drew my attention was Lois Lane. I had to do research before I could properly pitch Kara.
That said, it wasn’t hard to fall in love. I feel... proud of Kara. It’s a strangely maternal affection.

Anj: The solicits for your arc have Supergirl thwarting a kidnapping plot at college (I thought I had read somewhere it was Stanhope), which sounds like it could be a Silver Age plot from her Adventure run. Is there a retro feel to your arc? Are there other hidden Supergirl Easter Eggs we should look for?

KSD: There is definitely a retro feel, though you’ll find more Easter Eggs of the 80s movie variety than Silver Age Supergirl, I think. But you’re right about Stanhope.


Anj: This is your first arc in the DCU. And I know a classic villain shows up. Were you tempted to bring in any other guest stars?


KSD: I wasn’t, actually! I kind of wanted to keep the DCU out of it as much as I could. I was afraid of it getting continuity-hamstrung, you know? When I was doing my research I was having to hop around a bunch of different titles to get caught up and it was frustrating, confusing—and expensive! It left me wanting to section off my little arc and make it as self-contained as possible so that it would be accessible to, you know, people like me. (I had no knowledge of the reboot when I pitched the book, but I have to say, I having been away from most of the DC universe for a while and having just had to try and get caught up, I certainly understand the impulse.)
Oh, wait—that’s not entirely true. I put Lois in of my own volition. Just in case this is the only book I ever get to do for DC, I’m going to write Lois Lane, dammit!

Anj: It sounds like Lois plays a big part in your arc. As a Supergirl fan, I think it is interesting that Lois acts as a catalyst so often in Kara's stories. She played key roles in both Sterling Gates' and James Peaty's runs, both positive and negative. What is your take on the Lois/Kara dynamic? Why do you think it is prevalent in Supergirl stories?

KSD: In the first issue, I wanted to play with this idea that Supergirl and Superman are not inter-changeable, right? I’m sure you heard me say this already, but if you can replace Supergirl with Superman and the story still works, I think there’s a problem. So I illustrated that by having Lois assume the same banter-y relationship with Kara that she has with Superman and having it fall flat because it’s unearned, because the dynamics of their relationship are different.

Aaaand in execution, I’m not sure it works. Or rather, I think it works overall, but there’s one exchange in one scene that I’m afraid comes off as more antagonistic than what I intended in concept. I expect I’ll take some heat for that and that’s fair.

As for why Lois is so often such a big part of Supergirl stories, I suspect it’s because they’re so different. From a storytelling perspective, that’s incredibly appealing.

Anj: Your arc also takes Supergirl to a new frontier, college campus. Was it fun to put her in that environment, a stranger in a strange land? Any chance of romance in the arc?

KSD: I loved it. I wanted to give her a taste of being a regular girl. And yes, there is absolutely a love interest in the form of one Henry Octavius Flyte, Bastard Ne’er-Do-Well, physics prodigy and my attempt to reverse the gender of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope.

Anj: Can you talk about your approach to this arc knowing you were only going to be on the title for 3 issues? You can't really make any major changes but the story still needs to be compelling. Is it a similar to how you approached the one-shots you have written for Sif and Rescue?

KSD: It is similar, but not exactly the same. With Sif and Rescue I was looking for things worth addressing that there hadn’t been room for in regular continuity—ways to fill in gaps. For Sif, I wanted to give her her spine back, to help her exorcise Loki. For Rescue, I wanted Pepper to acknowledge Happy’s death was still a thing she had to live with. People don’t bounce back from the death of a spouse, they just learn to live with the loss.

With Supergirl, I was presented with an opportunity to pitch on 3 issues of self-contained story and it seemed to me the last few years had been mostly about the Super, so it seemed logical to focus on the Girl. I spent a lot of time thinking about what it’s like to be Kara, saddled with the mantle of responsibility that comes with those powers, everything she’d been through with regard to her parents and I thought this poor kid needs to catch a break. So I tried to write a gift for her, a story that’s fun and romantic and playful and dances with themes and images from childhood and adolescence. And now, knowing what this story is in the larger context, I’m doubly happy with it. I got to put the period on the end of that sentence and I did it in a love letter.

I’ll leave it to you to judge whether or not I was successful, but I’m really happy with it.


Anj: You are one of a couple of women to ever have written Supergirl, and the first to have an arc on the title. Did that influence how you approached Kara?

I don’t think so. I hope not, anyway. I don’t want that to be true.

I was told straight away that one of the reasons they approached me was my gender and I had mixed feelings about that, but I decided that my gender had worked against me enough in my life that I was willing to accept one in the win column.

Anj: Your three issues are probably already close to being finished. Did you have as much fun writing Supergirl as you thought you would? What other projects are you working on that we should look for?

KSD: They’re done! And I actually had more fun writing it than I expected. I think I got more comfortable as I went, so I really, really loved Issue 67. I was surprisingly emotional putting that together.

Castle: Deadly Storm! I’m having a ball. Look for that in September, I believe.

Anj: Thank you so much for stopping by and answering some questions. Can't wait to read your Supergirl stuff.. And I'll be sure to look for Castle:Deadly Storm!

Interview With Jake Black

I am always thrilled when I get the chance to interview comic creators, sort of a dream come true for an old fan like me.

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Jake Black, a comic writer and big Supergirl fan. Black has been involved in multi-media representations of Kara, a unique position for a creator, and also got to work closely with Helen Slater. So I there was a lot for me to cover. Hopefully, I got to everything.

Anj: Whenever I get to talk to a creator, I always want to get a feel for their comic background. Can you talk about your comic background? Any characters or other creators or arcs that stand out for you?

JB: I started reading comics about 25 years ago, beginning with Archie and licensed Star Trek comics, it wasn’t long before I started reading super-hero books, too. The first arc I remember reading was the Death in the Family story in Batman. I’ve loved the Superman family forever, though I took a little break from them in 1989, when Batman was what everyone cared about. I remember seeing Superman IV in theaters, and loving it. It was the Super Friends, and the Super Powers action figures that really spurred my interest in super-heroes lore. I was also a big fan of the Ruby-Spears Superman animated show. In my adult years, I started re-collecting the Super Powers figures, and had more than 20 of them. I also had the Ruby-Spears Superman show on DVD. I recently had to sell them for my cancer bills (as well as a good percentage of my comics collection), and that was heart breaking because of my lifelong love and background.

Anj: I ask some version of this question to most creators I meet and trust me, you are the first to mention Superman IV. I do think the Ruby-Spears cartoon is totally underappreciated. And as for Death in the Family, I can admit I voted for Robin to die. I have regretted that vote since then.


JB: I never said Superman IV was good! :-) I just remember seeing it in theaters, and I bought a Superman comic around that time. I was disappointed with the comic because it was all about Jerry White, Alice, etc. and almost no Superman.

Anj: You are clearly a Supergirl fan, being involved in a number of projects with the character. Can you discuss the appeal of the character for you? Is there a version of the character or comics run that is your favorite?

JB: What I love about Supergirl is the innocence/naïveté combined with ultimate power. I’ve always been more of a B-list or Sidekick guy. I like Robin over Batman. Supergirl over Superman, etc. I was really taken with the Matrix version from the Death of Superman saga, and her subsequent mini-series and monthly. I thought Peter David did a great job making her interesting. I’ve really enjoyed all of her appearances/stories. My favorite version/run, I guess, was her initial return in 2004. I loved the Jeph Loeb/Michael Turner run, and the whole thing with Darkseid. Really, though, I’ve loved all of it. Even some of the lesser-liked stuff I’ve really, really enjoyed.

Anj: Chronologically, it looks like the first Supergirl project you did was write the character booklet for the Eaglemoss figurine. What was the process behind that? Did you consider all the versions of the character? Did you have anything to do with the layout of the book or the artwork chosen?

JB: I’ve been working on the Eaglemoss magazines since they began, and in June will be writing my 40th issue. They are consistently my favorite projects. I have a degree in history, and as such have a solid background in historical research. I got through various officially licensed publications, like the DC Encyclopedia, and other books, as well as comics, and distill the character’s story down to its streamlined basics. The folks at DC Comics are heavily involved in proofing and editing, and approve the content. With this particular issue, I was told to focus only on the modern version of Kara, and her story.

I don’t have anything to do with the layout, and as far as the artwork, I provide a list of possible comics/trades and the brilliant staff at Eaglemoss pick and choose what will make the issue look the best. They’re really great at what they do!

Anj: Next, you were involved in the Supergirl:The Last Daughter of Krypton documentary featured on the Smallville Season 7 DVDs as well as the Superman/Batman:Apocalypse DVD. What was your role on that project? Was there any discussion to include the Matrix Supergirl in the production (a version of the character skipped in the documentary)? There are great quotes from a lot of amazing people in that featurette, including Gail Simone, Paul Levitz, Elliot S! Maggin and others. Were you involved with any of that aspect of the piece?

JB: I was actually working on the Eaglemoss magazine and the Smallville DVD piece at the same time. I had been working on various Smallville projects since season one, and had written and really assisted with a lot of the season 6 DVD feature on Green Arrow. When Kara was announced as appearing in the show’s seventh season, the DVD feature producers, the uber-talented guys at Retrofit Films, and I started plotting a history of Supergirl piece. It was great fun.

In the initial stages, we talked a bit about including the Matrix version, but elected not to for simplicity and time sakes. The piece was about Kara, the girl who would be on Smallville, and including Mae detracted some. We even had a discussion of Power Girl, the Supergirl from the future with the black tights and scratchy red S, Natasha Irons, etc. but just eliminated all of it in favor of focusing solely on Kara.

As we began production, we assembled a list of potential interviewees. I submitted several names, most of which were included in the piece. I also helped write the interview questions for them. Once the interviews were shot, I worked with the producers and directors and assisted in culling some of the soundbytes, and then wrote the narration for the doc. Several of the images in the piece were scanned from my private comic collection, too. It really was a fun, fun project to do.

Anj: I think that avoiding Power Girl and Cir-El makes good sense. And in retrospect, I suppose for the purposes of Smallville staying away from Matrix makes sense. But I loved the Linda Danvers/Matrix character so much I wish she got some screen time.


And again, just such a nice diverse group of people to interview about Supergirl.

JB: Thanks. I really put a lot of thought into who we could get for the best mix/diversity in the piece.

Anj: You also co-wrote Supergirl #50’s ‘A Hero’s Journey’ with Supergirl herself, Helen Slater. How did you get that gig? How closely did you work with Helen on that story? What was it like working with her? In many ways, that story felt like a defense of the character and how far she had come. Was that tone directly from the two of you or asked for by DC?

JB: I first met Helen in 2007, when we were both guests at the Metropolis, IL, Superman Celebration. (If you’re a Superman fan, you really need to make the trip there some summer. It’s held the second weekend in June annually.) At dinner one night that weekend, Helen, some of the promoters and other guests, and I started having a detailed discussion about Supergirl and developed a great desire to pitch DC on it. Helen and I hammered out an outline for a (I think) 4 issue story and submitted it to DC. It didn’t work, and that was fine.

A couple years later, when Sterling Gate’s first trade was coming out, DC contacted me to see if I could help them get Helen to write the intro. I help broker that deal, and she wrote it. We were then both excited a few months after that when DC approached us about doing a 6-page backup for Supergirl #50. Helen and I bounced several ideas back and forth and submitted a couple options. They liked elements of a couple of them, and after a couple group discussion with the Superman office and DC and Helen and me, came to the “Greet the Press” idea.

Helen had a lot of things she wanted to say about the Hero’s Journey from an anthropological perspective, and she got to do so in the story. We worked together on crafting everything. DC sent her a bunch of comics for reference, and we both wrote a lot of it. I don’t think she gets the credit she deserves on the story, because she really put a lot into it.

She and I both love Supergirl. Helen brings such a unique perspective to the character. It’s a lot of fun. We wanted to throw in a lot of Easter eggs for the fans, including things like Laura Vandervoort’s famous Smallville promo shot being on a TV screen, and stuff like that. It was really a lot of fun!

Anj: Of course Helen Slater has a special place in the hearts of all Supergirl fans. It is so wonderful that she has such affection for the character, really embracing her part of the fandom. I really thought that story was great (gushed about it in a review here) and definitely dove-tailed in nicely with the character progression that Sterling Gates was doing. I hope Helen knows how beloved she is to us Supergirl fans and please let her know we loved that story!

JB: I will!

Anj: I posted here about the fundraiser you are doing to help with your medical bills. Can you give us some background and an update?

JB: In 2009, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer. I’ve been cancer free for just over a year and a half. Unfortunately, healthcare is expensive, and as a full-time freelancer, I was only able to afford health insurance with a higher premium and very high deductible. Treatment cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and there are associated costs (like mortgage, utilities, and other everyday bills) that become extremely difficult to pay. Our insurance covered most of the treatment costs, but the associated costs and follow up treatments have not been covered, and we’re $25,000 in debt from the experience. I’m very grateful for my life, and I’m glad that I’m around to pay these bills…but I’ve got to actually pay them! :-)

So, the fine folks at GiveForward.com are hosting a fundraiser for us. We’re trying to reach our $25,000 goal by July 12, which is my birthday. We’ve been giving away prizes for donations, and have a few more to give out. Helen Slater signed some pictures and she and I gave away a copy of Supergirl #50 signed by us both. Lots of cool stuff like that. As of this interview, we’re at about 26% of the way to our goal. My wife Michelle and I are so grateful for everyone’s support thus far. We’ve been battling to get on top of the debt for more than two years, and we’re really ready to have it behind us. To donate, or see what our next cool prize will be, visit http://BlackFamilyCancerFund.org.

Anj: Hopefully the fundraiser is a success. Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting. Always great to talk to a creator with a love for Supergirl.

JB: Thanks for the interview, Anj. It’s always a pleasure to talk Supergirl with someone who cares as much about her as you do!

Wrap-Up Interview With James Peaty

James Peaty was gracious enough to answer a couple of final questions I had now that his time on the title has wrapped up. I can't thank him enough for taking the time to expound a bit on 'Good Looking Corpse'.

Anj: Hard to believe that 'Good Looking Corpse' is already behind us. Looking back, anything you would have changed? Do you have a favorite moment of the arc?

James Peaty: Hmmm…tricky one. You always wish you could change things, but that’s usually just a line here or a moment you wish you’d dialed up or down differently. I suppose most of all I’d have liked to have had a bit more space. The cutting of monthly books down to 20 pages isn’t a killer – I’ve written plenty of the animated books over the years that are that length – but a bit more room for certain moments to breathe would have been helpful, I think.

As for my favourite moment of the arc…well, I’m going to pick two. First one would have to be the ‘Robin’s worst nightmare’ splash page. I think it’s a moment that’s very true to the character, says a hell of a lot with a little, but – on a more practical level – it’s also the moment where I felt completely in control of the book and was writing specifically for Bernard. So to see it come to life as well as it did was a huge thrill.

My other favourite moment(s) would have to be the scenes featuring Lois Lane, but especially that final scene on the roof in the last issue. I think that whole exchange between her and Kara is classic Superman stuff…but with a slight twist. Loved writing that.

Anj: I loved the Damien page as well.

The Lois/Kara dynamic fascinates me as almost every Supergirl writer has had the two interact in a meaningful way. I did think those scenes in this arc were excellent, showing how much that relationship has grown since the Superwoman storyline.

JP: As the two most important women in Superman’s life (sorry Ma Kent!) I think it’s important that they have a relationship/dynamic that’s slightly separate from the Man of Steel. It makes the characters seems more alive and gives the whole DCU greater weight. It’s things like that that sell the idea of the DCU as being a cohesive universe rather than shoe horning in obscure continuity references here, there and everywhere. That’s why I was keen to work in the little reference to Cat Grant losing her son in issue 63. If you don’t know what Lois is referring to you can still read it and it works within the conversation, but if you know your Superman history - and certainly Sterling’s last couple of issues - then it has a greater resonance, I think.

Anj: The reveal that Alex was a Dubbilex clone with some K-genes was a nice unexpected twist. Can you talk about that plot point? In the end, he seems complex with hate issues, mommy issues, and daddy issues. Was he tough to write?

JP: Well, from the moment I joined he was always going to be a Dubbilex clone, but I honestly can’t remember if the K-gene stuff was added by me or was already there. If it wasn’t me then it’s something I completely agreed with as just making him a clone of an old character would have been quite dull. I also think It means he has a lot more potential – in terms of his powers etc – that can be explored if people want to use the character in the future. One thing I really didn’t want to do with his character was ‘fix’ him as being just this thing. That’s not – in my opinion – how good characters or villains come about. Yes, there’s a strong starting point for him because of the Dubbilex stuff, but lets not make that the only thing that’s interesting about him. As for his character having issues…well, he’s a kid. It’s never mentioned outright, but he’s probably only about a year old! He has the arrogance and indifference that the gifted, yet inexperienced have a tendency to wear as a badge.

As for him being complex, I’m not sure about that. He dresses in purple armour and has horns on his head. He’s hardly subtle! But, joking apart, the whole ‘orphan’ thing tied into the themes of the arc about youth etc. I also thought – and not to be too glib about it – that in some respects he’s an abused child. He’s essentially been mistreated and raised in isolation since day one, so it’s not really a surprise that he turns out the way that he does. But was he tough to write? The whole arc was tough to write!

Anj: As I said in my review, he seems like a replicant from Blade Runner, craving a full human experience, creating a family and friends, but not being mature enough to handle those 'real life' relationships. In that way, much like Roy Batty, he is a sympathetic villain.

JP: Well, you always hope that’s the case. They key thing with Alex (and this relates to Batty as well) is that he doesn’t see himself as a villain. He’s just doing what he was built/grown to do, albeit in a slightly more…aggressive fashion! But then I think the same is true of heroes. Should they always be in the right? I’d say ‘no’, but then I think playing with the flaws and ambiguities of the characters is what makes writing fun.

Anj: I was glad to see the Lois/Devereux plotline played out in the last issues. Was the plan always going to be that Devereux was to be an unwitting agent for Alex?

JP: It was always my plan – as soon as I came onboard - that she’d be a key figure in the story, mainly, because it’d be pretty daft to introduce her in the first part and then dump her. Not only that, she was introduced as someone so significant that Alex actually took the trouble to kill her son. That’s a HUGE thing to bring into a story and one that you’re sort of duty bound to deal with once you do. It also has a certain amount of dramatic potential to it, so I guess I just homed in on that. I also felt that committing that crime defines Alex to some extent, so you want to explore that. Why would he did it? Well, there has to be a connection to Catherine.

I also liked the idea that - when you look at the story as a whole - Catherine is the real victim. She loses absolutely everything and gains nothing. On a more practical level, keeping Catherine around meant I could legitimately keep Lois Lane in the story. More Lois is always a good thing!

Anj: I liked seeing Supergirl leading the next generation of heroes, gaining some confidence. Were you happy how that plot turned out? Where do you think she stands in the DCU?

JP: Yeah, I was. I think we did it in the right way, which is to make it something that grows from the character. In a sense the whole arc is about how Supergirl perceives herself and how that’s out of kilter with how others see her. It’s not anything radical, but it’s consistent with what’s come before and it moves the character forward. Which was – essentially - the brief when I got the book. As for where do I think Supergirl sits within the DCU? I guess it depends. The perfect role for her - in my opinion - would be as either leader of the Teen Titans or as a sort of junior member of the JLA. In my mind she’s roughly analogous to where Kyle Rayner was back around the time of Grant Morrison’s run on JLA. She’s clearly at the pinnacle of that next generation of heroes - and certainly she’s potentially one of the most powerful heroes in the entire DCU - but she’s not quite experienced enough yet to sit at the top table comfortably full time and certainly not in a major leading role. Maybe someday that’ll change, but I don’t think so at the moment.

Anj: You know, the Rayner comparison from JLA is spot on. I can remember Kyle meeting Hourman and Hourman saying something like 'why do you perseverate over Hal Jordan; you are as good as him'. He always acted like he belonged at the kids' table ... but then, by the World War 3 arc, grew into the hero he is today. Morrison's JLA run was magical.

Bernard Chang really did some knockout art on the arc. Did you work closely with him on page layout and panel construction?

JP: No, we didn’t. I just wrote the scripts the way I felt they should be written and Bernard just drew them. There were a few occasions where Bernard would ask about changing a detail or a splitting a panel, but generally he draw what I wrote. There was very little back and forth.

That said, Bernard’s art fundamentally influenced the way I wrote the book from my second solo issue (issue 62) onwards. After seeing how good he was it just freed me up to write the book in a slightly more expansive and bolder way. I’m especially proud of the splashes and spreads we cooked up. The Robin one I mentioned before was terrific, the ones at the end of issues 62 and 63 are both pretty superb, but I have to say that I think the ‘Alex-having-the-plot-downloaded-into-his-brain’ double pager in issue 64 is pretty special. If only for the fact it’s such a bonkers piece of storytelling. But why not?!? I knew Bernard could do it and it made a dull exposition scene - and exposition is dull at the best of times - a hell of a lot livelier on the page. But I wouldn’t have had the nerve to do that if Bernard and I hadn’t established a pretty good rapport over the course of the previous issues.

Anj: Your time at the helm of the book is officially over. If you were still on the book, any idea where you would take Supergirl next?

JP: Hard to say, really. As I mentioned before, the whole relationship with Lois would be interesting to play with and I think that dynamic would be fun to explore. In terms of Kara’s adventures, I guess you’d just want to make sure she moves forward. I think her greatest strength as a character, actually, is that she’s very similar to Superman and yet she isn’t him. And what I mean by that is that you get to play with the iconography etc without being imprisoned by some of the other paraphernalia. You can be respectful of the legend, but not hidebound to it and that’s very freeing.

If anything, I think I’d like to put her in stories you wouldn’t expect and really try to mix up the tones and genres. Have her character be consistent, but place her in a milieu that’s a little stranger than your average DC title has become. Make it a sort of sideways glance at the DCU, if you will. How would she relate to characters like John Constantine or Etrigan or Animal Man? What about if you took her off-world for a while? Maybe that all sounds quite scattershot and bonkers and makes everyone hugely relieved that I’m off the book, but I just think if you get the gig and a blank sheet of paper you’ve got to go for it. We can all dream!

Anj: I wouldn't mind seeing Supergirl meet up with the more bizarre side of the DCU. Of course, I also once wrote a fan letter asking DC to have John Constantine guest star in Hawk and Dove.

JP: Now that sounds like a book I’d buy!

Anj: Thanks again for answering some more questions James. And thanks for writing such a strong, intelligent Supergirl! Look forward to whatever you do next!

JP: Thanks, Anj. It’s been a pleasure.