MichaelDoran
10-30-2002, 01:58 AM
<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/GACv23.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/GACv23_t.jpg" width="175" height="267" border="0" alt="GREEN ARROW/GREEN LANTERN - Black Circle: Urban Knights " align="right"></a>With current Green Arrow writer Brad Meltzer’s six-issue run coming to an end with issue #21, it’s time to play another round of “Guess the New Green Arrow Writer?”
Game Over … DC not only revealed the answer to that question today, but they announced a few other surprise moves - including the signing of soon-to-be-former Green Lantern writer Judd Winick to an exclusive creator contract [yes, you read that right] and the identity of the next regular writer of the series Winick is leaving.
Got questions? Sit back and put up your feet, we’ve got all the answers along with interviews with the principles…
Just the Facts, Ma’am
First off, the publisher announced Winick - who began his relationship with DC with Green Lantern #129 - has signed a one-year exclusive agreement with them. As to how this new contract affects his work on Marvel’s Exiles and his own Oni series The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, the writer addressed those topics in a conversation with Newsarama. But more on that in a moment, there’s more business to attend to.
Winick, who contributes the lead story for next week’s Green Arrow Secret Files #1, has more Ollie Queen in his future under his new DC contract.
Following the last issue of writer Brad Meltzer’s six-issue run, “Archer’s Quest” [Green Arrow #21], and a “special issue” (#22) by writer Scott Beatty and the series’ regular art team of Phil Hester (p), Andy Parks (i) and Matt Wagner (cvr), Winick takes over as the new regular Green Arrow writer, and at the same time, Ben Raab takes over the regular writing chores of Green Lantern … sort of …they’ll actually be working together on a crossover storyline until their respective solo runs begin a few months later. But more on than in a sec…
"Brad's run on Green Arrow has been fantastic, but we knew going in that he wasn't likely to be able to stay past those six issues," said Group Editor Bob Schreck. "You couldn't ask for a better choice to take over the series than Judd, though - and I am 100 percent confident that Green Lantern is going to be the book that takes Ben into the top ranks of comics writers, which is where he belongs."
"I've seen Judd's plans for Green Arrow, and I know his writing - there's no question the book is in the best hands,” said Meltzer. “I couldn't be more excited. No one touches Judd's dialogue, which is easily the most vital factor for keeping Ollie as sharp as he's supposed to be. Green Arrow readers just won the lottery. I'll be there every single issue."
If the ‘Green Team’ of Winick and Raab rings familiar, it’s because the two writers were previously announced this past spring to be jointly writing an upcoming six-issue Green Lantern/Green Arrow mini-series, to be drawn by artist Charlie Adlard. Now tentatively titled Dark Circle: Urban Knights, those plans still hold, but instead of a mini, the storyline has now been absorbed into a three-month, bi-weekly crossover of the respective monthly titles, encompassing Green Arrow #23-25 (parts 1, 3 and 5) and Green Lantern #162-164 (parts 2, 4 and 6).
As readers may recall, the story finds Oliver Queen and Kyle Rayner teaming up to stop an intergalactic crime syndicate from establishing their operations on Earth, “...If the two heroes don't kill each other first!” says DC. “Not surprisingly, Green Arrow is less than impressed by the heir to Hal Jordan's legacy, while Kyle finds Ollie's old-school crimefighting tactics not at all to his taste.” [look for more on this crossover later in this story].
Then, following that crossover storyline, Winick begins his run as regular Green Arrow writer in earnest with issue #26, joining the continuing art team of Hester, Parks and Wagner. And at the same time, Raab takes over regularly writing Green Lantern solo with issue #165, with art by Dale Eaglesham and Rodney Ramos.
Okay, got all that? Good, because after the following interviews with Winick and Raab regarding these respective developments, there will be a quiz…
Drawing the Bowstring
The decision to move on from Green Lantern for Winick was a simple one – he’d told all the stories he wanted to tell. “I had planned a run of around two years,” Winick said. “I had several stories that I wanted to tell and I’ve told most of them. Most. I wouldn’t say that I’d never write GL again, but I am done for now. I’m very happy with the stories that have come out of my run. I’d rather go out with a certain amount of longing to stay than throw in the towel with disgust or boredom.”
According to Winick, the move to Green Arrow is a fresh start of sorts, given that, aside from color choices, the two characters have very little, if anything in common.
“Ollie’s a playboy,” Winick said. “Ollie’s a rouge. Ollie’s more of a tough guy. More of a commie. He’s from the old school. He’s also just a guy with a bow and arrow. A lot of the GL story telling involves having to find limits to what Kyle can and can’t do. The dude with the most powerful weapon in the universe that bends to his will and imagination has few limits, heroics-wise. Ollie gets hit with a bottle on the back of the head and he’s got problems. Then again, so would Kyle. In any event, Ollie’s very different from Kyle and I look forward to the change.”
Like many fans, Winick found that while his interest in Green Arrow was re-ignited by both Kevin Smith and Meltzer’s runs on the series, the series reminded him of what a cool character Oliver Queen can be.
“Without ass-kissing too much, I thought Kevin Smith’s run on Green Arrow was masterful,” Winick said. “He really figured out a solid way to bring the man back from the dead and make it a story - not a stunt. He also built a family. It was such a great read. He nailed it. Brad’s run is such a textbook example of a great writer who is also a huge fan. Brad is combining a full on mystery with a ton of fanboy history and references, but still - most importantly - if you haven’t ever read the book, you could pick it up and love it. These are very big shoes to fill.”
Followers of both Winick’s work and activities outside of comics will probably realize that there’s more than a passing similarities to the personalities of creator and character - as Queen has been written over the years, he and Winick share more than a few viewpoints and traits.
“You’d have to know me personally to see how true that is,” Winick said, when asked about being a close match to Oliver Queen. “I’m not the politically correct fascist that I may be perceived as. I’d actually consider myself rather impatient, very intolerant … grumpy. I drink alcohol, I eat meat, I wear leather, and I reserve the right to call women I know, ‘sweetie.’ Why I’d be considered some screaming liberal because I think racism, and homophobia are bad ideas and that poor people should have some kind of shot in the world is beyond me.
“So. Yeah. Ollie and I have a little in common.”
That said, Winick explained that he wouldn’t be playing up Ollie’s social consciousness per se, because it’s not an attitude or something external to the character. “It’s him and it’s part of the story,” Winick said. “We will be telling tales that are socially relevant. Ollie will also be jumping over rooftops, shooting arrows, and beating the living crap out of bad guys.”
Something else that appeals to Winick about the character of Oliver Queen is the fact that the man’s relationships are a reflection of himself – complex and contradictory. Given the families that he’s tried to “build” around himself many times over the years, and his success rate (pretty low), Queen’s quest for both “family” and “home” have become deeply ingrained in the character over the years.
“I love how complicated he is,” Winick said. “It’s one of the things that I’ll be focusing on. Ollie can be a hypocrite; he’s flawed. It makes him one of the most compelling figures in the DCU.”
Winick confirmed that one of Queen’s “flawed” relationships will be continuing through his run – Green Arrow and Black Canary will remain an item. “They’re crazy about each other and they will continue their affair,” Winick said.
Staying characteristically mum about what’s coming up in his run, Winick kept it simple: “Kevin Smith brought Ollie back. Brad delved into and resolved some of Ollie’s past. We will be moving forward. We’ll see some folks from the past and we will meet some new ones. The first story arc is tentatively entitled ‘Straight Shooter.’ It’s six issues long, and will introduce a great new villain and have a few names from the past. Connor and Black Canary will take part … there’ll be monsters, mobsters, and what I hoping is some of best fights to come out of the series.
A storyline Winick was ready to talk about is the upcoming crossover with Green Lantern. “Ben and I came up with the basic story - but truth - Ben brought more to the table than I did … Dude is good,” Winick said. “We fleshed out what the beats would be for each issue then we’ve split up. We each take an issue and switch off. Ben writes parts 1,3, and 5. I write 2, 4, and 6. We read each others scripts and exchange notes, but it’s mostly each man taking the 22 pages on his own.”
As for the threat: “Drug dealers from space.”
And how well Kyle and Ollie get along: “They hate each other. They don’t get along at all.”
[* for more on the crossover storyline, look for Newsarama’s previous coverage of that storyline following this story]…
Unlike the two writers who came on the title before him, Winick said that he doesn’t have an end issue – he’s on Green Arrow for the long haul.
When asked why, as a writer who seemed to have a bright future at any number of comic publishers, he’d sign exclusive with DC, Winick jokingly said that DC pulled a Brando on him. “They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. In short, I’ll be writing three monthlies, Green Arrow is one the other two I can’t discuss yet. The move was just about the projects. There were some I wanted to do; there were some that they wanted me to do. We each came to the table with different ideas and found that we we’re saying: ‘Hell yeah - I’m in!’ The exclusivity was gravy.”
Meanwhile, from Winick’s perspective, the move to DC exclusively shouldn’t impact his Marvel series, The Exiles, nor is it meant to be a line in the sand for Winick to DC’s cross-town competition. “I love Marvel, and I adore The Exiles,” Winick said. “There were no hard feelings. Fans can take heart - there’re over a year’s worth of Exiles scripts in the can, so there’s more to come.”
Likewise, the exclusive contract allows another of Winick’s creations to live on. “DC has allowed me to continue to do Barry Ween for Oni Press,” Winick said. “I will hopefully be able to pop out some more of those issues as well.”
The Lantern’s New Light
On the other side of the green leaf, Raab said that he became aware Winick was leaving Green Lantern early this year during a visit to DC offices. “I decided to stop by [Green Arrow editor] Bob Schreck's office and thank him for the couple of GL fill-in jobs I had just done for his office. We got to talking and he started telling me all about his post-Kevin Smith plans for Green Arrow. I was psyched to hear that Brad Meltzer was finally making the jump to comics - Brad, Judd and I all go way back to the University of Michigan, where we bonded over our mutual fanboy-ism.
“Schreck then told me that Brad's run would be six-issues long and that he was thinking about having Judd take the reins afterwards. Which meant he'd need someone to write Green Lantern and would I be interested? Needless to say, I was.
“As a kid, I liked Batman and Superman because they were pretty much the characters that were in your face. They had TV shows, movies, toys, merchandise. You knew who they were because they were so well branded. But then, one day, you discover... Hey! There are other super heroes out there. Guys like The Flash, Hawkman, Aquaman and Green Lantern! Slowly but surely, I started getting into these other heroes and of them all, Green Lantern always stood out the most. It's definitely a dream come true to be able to write his ongoing adventures.
”What attracts me to the assignment most is the Sci-fi aspect inherent within the series. The idea that the entire cosmos is GL's 'turf' to protect really opens the doors for so many different kinds of stories. We may not have proof of extraterrestrial life in our universe, but GL's is rife with strange and colorful species and worlds where anything is possible. That's pretty freakin' cool, if you ask me.”
Raab said he’s in the process of re-reading Winick’s run on the book for the third time as a means to further understanding where the character is at. “I have to say he's done a great job,” Raab said. “Adventurous, topical and entertaining. That's how I see his tenure on the book. He's really raised the bar, and I intend to build on the foundation he's laid and continue to push things forward.”
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Glga3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Glga3_t.jpg" width="150" height="208" border="0" alt="GREEN ARROW/GREEN LANTERN - Black Circle: Urban Knights " align="left"></a>As for just where moving things forward will take him, Raab lightly touched on specifics, saying that as a result of the Green Arrow/Green Lantern crossover (Green Arrow #23-25 and Green Lantern #162 - #164), the character will spend some time in space, and his priorities will shift a little, and become more “cosmic” in nature. “Meaning,” Raab said, “he's got some serious work to do outside of Earth before he can come home.”
For Raab, Kyle Rayner is motivated by duty, obligation, and legacy – all facets of being Green Lantern that have grown in him over time. “It’s the same thing that all of Earth's other Green Lanterns when you stop and think about it,” Raab said. “None of them expected to inherit this mantle. An understanding of what it means to be a Green Lantern always comes later; once they've gotten to know themselves and the implications of wielding the power of the ring...
”I believe the other reason why Kyle does it is because he's an artist. The ring provides the ultimate means of creative expression. On some level, it gives him something every artist strives to possess: the power of creation - emphasis on the lowercase 'c.’ That, combined with his inherent desire to see justice done and equality for others, I think is what gets him up in the morning.
”Plus, it's the most powerful object in the universe. Who wouldn’t want it?”
Raab confirmed that Kyle’s love interest, Jen Hayden will remain, although, given Kyle’s location for the first few issues, their relationship will be a long-distance one, to put it mildly. “Jen will make occasional appearances, but she won't be joining Kyle in space,” Raab said. “Now, that doesn't mean they've broken up. Theirs is going to be a long distance relationship. For a little while, anyway.
”Her purpose in the story is simple - to be the woman he loves. His confidante. His shoulder to cry on. The one who whips him into shape when he slacks. And who's there to support him when he needs it. That's what they both are to each other. And that's what makes them real people...”
As for specifics, Raab’s ‘solo’ run begins with issue #165, a self-contained story whose ultimate resolution is seen in issue #170. “Sandwiched between those two issues, we'll see a couple of different stories that all build around a central goal of Kyle's: to protect all of Sector 2814 and not just Earth,” Raab said. “Whether he succeeds or fails in that goal, by the end of the arc, the stage will be set for a much larger drama to unfold in space. We'll see some new villains, and the unexpected return of some old, familiar faces, so stay tuned!”
That said, the supporting cast established through Ron Marz and Winick’s respective runs won’t be abandoned. “The Terry Berg subplot has opened the doors to so many other possible storylines for that character, and it would be a shame to not explore it further,” Raab said. “So count on him sticking around. Also, I intend to touch a little upon the relationship between John Stewart and Merayn, especially since John will be…busy on something else. Without him around all the time, what is there for an alien like her to do on Earth? I think there's something worth delving into there...
”While Kyle's in space, there are going to be several new characters, both heroic and villainous that come into his life, as well as a new direction for some old friends... And when he returns home, a new setting for his personal life is a distinct possibility. We'll see.”
In the more general sense, Raab said he’s anxious to push his sleeves up and get his hands in the Green Lantern toybox. “I'm really looking forward to exploring the 'cosmic' side of the character,” Raab said. “Like I said, just about anything goes in space, and I intend to exploit that to the fullest extent of my imagination. As for the heroes I'd like to see him interact with...well, I'm very happy that Kilowog is back. Always liked that guy and I'm eager to see where we can take his character now that he's been brought back from the dead. And at some point after GL returns to Earth, I'd like to have him run into, no pun intended, his good buddy, the Flash, as well as a couple of other personal faves of mine, but let's leave some surprises for later.
”Villains-wise, there are some classics I think any GL writer would love to play with, like Star Sapphire, but there also some of the more recent foes like Fatality or Grayven who could spark really cool storylines. But before I get to any of them, I want to add some new threats to the mix. Without giving too much away, the first one I'll being introducing has ties to the Green Lantern legacy and will make their debut in the GL/GA crossover, so if people want a feel for what things will be like, they should check it out.”
Finally, Raab acknowledged that some fans might see him as something of a long-shot in regards to landing the job of writing the series. After all, he hasn’t had an ongoing assignment at one of the major publishers in years. The time away, Raab said, was well used to recharge his creative batteries with projects that focused on characters that live outside sphere of those whose work wardrobe is limited to spandex.
“Green Lantern was the first series to come along in a while that I could really sink my teeth into,” Raab said. “Over the past couple of years, I devoted my energies to a wider variety of projects rather than one specific book. I've done several mini-series, one-shots and fill-in arcs for companies here in the United States and abroad. And while I was working on those, I started developing some independent projects of my own. Including Cryptopia, which was optioned for development as a possible feature film and/or TV series by Goodman/Rosen Productions, and The Lost Tribe, a supernatural horror noir serial running in Comiculture Magazine, a 64-page anthology quarterly that I helped launch this summer.
”In the interim, I've also been working on breaking into the film and television industry, and have just been hired to co-write a screenplay for one of the producers of the upcoming film, Agent Cody Banks, so I’ve been busy, just not fully in comics.”
Like Winick, Raab is onboard his “green” book for as long as DC will have him.
Lastly, when asked the ubiquitous question that every Green Lantern writer must face, Raab had a simple answer and a smile, “Read Spectre.”
[[i]*The following information regarding the tentatively-titled Dark Circle: Urban Knights, the upcoming Green Lantern/Green Arrow [now] crossover storyline appeared in our coverage of this year’s Philadelphia and Chicago Wizardworld conventions].
<blockquote>“The two emerald titans must team up to stop an intergalactic crime syndicate from moving their operation into our corner of the galaxy,” is how DC described the storyline this spring. “That’s if the two heroes can keep from killing each other, as Oliver Queen can’t help but measure Kyle Rayner against Hal Jordan’s heroic legacy. And it should come as no surprise that Ollie isn’t all that impressed by Kyle.”
The story, according to Winick, involves a “drug dealer from outer space,” which forces the two heroes – Kyle Rayner and Oliver Queen – to team up. True to his recently-returned-to-life form, Queen won’t be able to help but measure Rayner to his predecessor, Hal Jordan, and it should come as little surprise that Queen finds Rayner not too impressive as a hero.
Speaking to Newsarama about the story, co-writer Raab expanded a little upon the friction that will exist between the two heroes. “It’s not there for the reasons one might expect,” Raab said. “Ollie's carrying a different set of emotional baggage these days, and Kyle is nowhere near as uptight as Hal was during 'Hard Traveling Heroes', so the conflict between them is born of completely different circumstances than the simple fact that GL and GA have historically been at odds with each other on some level.
“Though the classic O'Neil/Adams stories were definitely an inspiration when Judd and I started hashing this story out, I'd say we're walking a very different road this time around. We wanted to capture that flavor in our own unique way, and not retread what's come before. The goal isn't to re-create a classic, but craft an entirely new one...
“I wouldn't say we intentionally went the total opposite route for the sake of being different. It just turned out that way as the ideas developed into a cohesive story. And though our adventure has its basis in the cosmos, the majority of it takes place on Earth. That was something we felt was crucial for both characters...the sense that their world is being threatened. Their homes. Their loved ones. The things that matter most to them not just as super heroes, but as people.” </blockquote>
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Game Over … DC not only revealed the answer to that question today, but they announced a few other surprise moves - including the signing of soon-to-be-former Green Lantern writer Judd Winick to an exclusive creator contract [yes, you read that right] and the identity of the next regular writer of the series Winick is leaving.
Got questions? Sit back and put up your feet, we’ve got all the answers along with interviews with the principles…
Just the Facts, Ma’am
First off, the publisher announced Winick - who began his relationship with DC with Green Lantern #129 - has signed a one-year exclusive agreement with them. As to how this new contract affects his work on Marvel’s Exiles and his own Oni series The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, the writer addressed those topics in a conversation with Newsarama. But more on that in a moment, there’s more business to attend to.
Winick, who contributes the lead story for next week’s Green Arrow Secret Files #1, has more Ollie Queen in his future under his new DC contract.
Following the last issue of writer Brad Meltzer’s six-issue run, “Archer’s Quest” [Green Arrow #21], and a “special issue” (#22) by writer Scott Beatty and the series’ regular art team of Phil Hester (p), Andy Parks (i) and Matt Wagner (cvr), Winick takes over as the new regular Green Arrow writer, and at the same time, Ben Raab takes over the regular writing chores of Green Lantern … sort of …they’ll actually be working together on a crossover storyline until their respective solo runs begin a few months later. But more on than in a sec…
"Brad's run on Green Arrow has been fantastic, but we knew going in that he wasn't likely to be able to stay past those six issues," said Group Editor Bob Schreck. "You couldn't ask for a better choice to take over the series than Judd, though - and I am 100 percent confident that Green Lantern is going to be the book that takes Ben into the top ranks of comics writers, which is where he belongs."
"I've seen Judd's plans for Green Arrow, and I know his writing - there's no question the book is in the best hands,” said Meltzer. “I couldn't be more excited. No one touches Judd's dialogue, which is easily the most vital factor for keeping Ollie as sharp as he's supposed to be. Green Arrow readers just won the lottery. I'll be there every single issue."
If the ‘Green Team’ of Winick and Raab rings familiar, it’s because the two writers were previously announced this past spring to be jointly writing an upcoming six-issue Green Lantern/Green Arrow mini-series, to be drawn by artist Charlie Adlard. Now tentatively titled Dark Circle: Urban Knights, those plans still hold, but instead of a mini, the storyline has now been absorbed into a three-month, bi-weekly crossover of the respective monthly titles, encompassing Green Arrow #23-25 (parts 1, 3 and 5) and Green Lantern #162-164 (parts 2, 4 and 6).
As readers may recall, the story finds Oliver Queen and Kyle Rayner teaming up to stop an intergalactic crime syndicate from establishing their operations on Earth, “...If the two heroes don't kill each other first!” says DC. “Not surprisingly, Green Arrow is less than impressed by the heir to Hal Jordan's legacy, while Kyle finds Ollie's old-school crimefighting tactics not at all to his taste.” [look for more on this crossover later in this story].
Then, following that crossover storyline, Winick begins his run as regular Green Arrow writer in earnest with issue #26, joining the continuing art team of Hester, Parks and Wagner. And at the same time, Raab takes over regularly writing Green Lantern solo with issue #165, with art by Dale Eaglesham and Rodney Ramos.
Okay, got all that? Good, because after the following interviews with Winick and Raab regarding these respective developments, there will be a quiz…
Drawing the Bowstring
The decision to move on from Green Lantern for Winick was a simple one – he’d told all the stories he wanted to tell. “I had planned a run of around two years,” Winick said. “I had several stories that I wanted to tell and I’ve told most of them. Most. I wouldn’t say that I’d never write GL again, but I am done for now. I’m very happy with the stories that have come out of my run. I’d rather go out with a certain amount of longing to stay than throw in the towel with disgust or boredom.”
According to Winick, the move to Green Arrow is a fresh start of sorts, given that, aside from color choices, the two characters have very little, if anything in common.
“Ollie’s a playboy,” Winick said. “Ollie’s a rouge. Ollie’s more of a tough guy. More of a commie. He’s from the old school. He’s also just a guy with a bow and arrow. A lot of the GL story telling involves having to find limits to what Kyle can and can’t do. The dude with the most powerful weapon in the universe that bends to his will and imagination has few limits, heroics-wise. Ollie gets hit with a bottle on the back of the head and he’s got problems. Then again, so would Kyle. In any event, Ollie’s very different from Kyle and I look forward to the change.”
Like many fans, Winick found that while his interest in Green Arrow was re-ignited by both Kevin Smith and Meltzer’s runs on the series, the series reminded him of what a cool character Oliver Queen can be.
“Without ass-kissing too much, I thought Kevin Smith’s run on Green Arrow was masterful,” Winick said. “He really figured out a solid way to bring the man back from the dead and make it a story - not a stunt. He also built a family. It was such a great read. He nailed it. Brad’s run is such a textbook example of a great writer who is also a huge fan. Brad is combining a full on mystery with a ton of fanboy history and references, but still - most importantly - if you haven’t ever read the book, you could pick it up and love it. These are very big shoes to fill.”
Followers of both Winick’s work and activities outside of comics will probably realize that there’s more than a passing similarities to the personalities of creator and character - as Queen has been written over the years, he and Winick share more than a few viewpoints and traits.
“You’d have to know me personally to see how true that is,” Winick said, when asked about being a close match to Oliver Queen. “I’m not the politically correct fascist that I may be perceived as. I’d actually consider myself rather impatient, very intolerant … grumpy. I drink alcohol, I eat meat, I wear leather, and I reserve the right to call women I know, ‘sweetie.’ Why I’d be considered some screaming liberal because I think racism, and homophobia are bad ideas and that poor people should have some kind of shot in the world is beyond me.
“So. Yeah. Ollie and I have a little in common.”
That said, Winick explained that he wouldn’t be playing up Ollie’s social consciousness per se, because it’s not an attitude or something external to the character. “It’s him and it’s part of the story,” Winick said. “We will be telling tales that are socially relevant. Ollie will also be jumping over rooftops, shooting arrows, and beating the living crap out of bad guys.”
Something else that appeals to Winick about the character of Oliver Queen is the fact that the man’s relationships are a reflection of himself – complex and contradictory. Given the families that he’s tried to “build” around himself many times over the years, and his success rate (pretty low), Queen’s quest for both “family” and “home” have become deeply ingrained in the character over the years.
“I love how complicated he is,” Winick said. “It’s one of the things that I’ll be focusing on. Ollie can be a hypocrite; he’s flawed. It makes him one of the most compelling figures in the DCU.”
Winick confirmed that one of Queen’s “flawed” relationships will be continuing through his run – Green Arrow and Black Canary will remain an item. “They’re crazy about each other and they will continue their affair,” Winick said.
Staying characteristically mum about what’s coming up in his run, Winick kept it simple: “Kevin Smith brought Ollie back. Brad delved into and resolved some of Ollie’s past. We will be moving forward. We’ll see some folks from the past and we will meet some new ones. The first story arc is tentatively entitled ‘Straight Shooter.’ It’s six issues long, and will introduce a great new villain and have a few names from the past. Connor and Black Canary will take part … there’ll be monsters, mobsters, and what I hoping is some of best fights to come out of the series.
A storyline Winick was ready to talk about is the upcoming crossover with Green Lantern. “Ben and I came up with the basic story - but truth - Ben brought more to the table than I did … Dude is good,” Winick said. “We fleshed out what the beats would be for each issue then we’ve split up. We each take an issue and switch off. Ben writes parts 1,3, and 5. I write 2, 4, and 6. We read each others scripts and exchange notes, but it’s mostly each man taking the 22 pages on his own.”
As for the threat: “Drug dealers from space.”
And how well Kyle and Ollie get along: “They hate each other. They don’t get along at all.”
[* for more on the crossover storyline, look for Newsarama’s previous coverage of that storyline following this story]…
Unlike the two writers who came on the title before him, Winick said that he doesn’t have an end issue – he’s on Green Arrow for the long haul.
When asked why, as a writer who seemed to have a bright future at any number of comic publishers, he’d sign exclusive with DC, Winick jokingly said that DC pulled a Brando on him. “They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. In short, I’ll be writing three monthlies, Green Arrow is one the other two I can’t discuss yet. The move was just about the projects. There were some I wanted to do; there were some that they wanted me to do. We each came to the table with different ideas and found that we we’re saying: ‘Hell yeah - I’m in!’ The exclusivity was gravy.”
Meanwhile, from Winick’s perspective, the move to DC exclusively shouldn’t impact his Marvel series, The Exiles, nor is it meant to be a line in the sand for Winick to DC’s cross-town competition. “I love Marvel, and I adore The Exiles,” Winick said. “There were no hard feelings. Fans can take heart - there’re over a year’s worth of Exiles scripts in the can, so there’s more to come.”
Likewise, the exclusive contract allows another of Winick’s creations to live on. “DC has allowed me to continue to do Barry Ween for Oni Press,” Winick said. “I will hopefully be able to pop out some more of those issues as well.”
The Lantern’s New Light
On the other side of the green leaf, Raab said that he became aware Winick was leaving Green Lantern early this year during a visit to DC offices. “I decided to stop by [Green Arrow editor] Bob Schreck's office and thank him for the couple of GL fill-in jobs I had just done for his office. We got to talking and he started telling me all about his post-Kevin Smith plans for Green Arrow. I was psyched to hear that Brad Meltzer was finally making the jump to comics - Brad, Judd and I all go way back to the University of Michigan, where we bonded over our mutual fanboy-ism.
“Schreck then told me that Brad's run would be six-issues long and that he was thinking about having Judd take the reins afterwards. Which meant he'd need someone to write Green Lantern and would I be interested? Needless to say, I was.
“As a kid, I liked Batman and Superman because they were pretty much the characters that were in your face. They had TV shows, movies, toys, merchandise. You knew who they were because they were so well branded. But then, one day, you discover... Hey! There are other super heroes out there. Guys like The Flash, Hawkman, Aquaman and Green Lantern! Slowly but surely, I started getting into these other heroes and of them all, Green Lantern always stood out the most. It's definitely a dream come true to be able to write his ongoing adventures.
”What attracts me to the assignment most is the Sci-fi aspect inherent within the series. The idea that the entire cosmos is GL's 'turf' to protect really opens the doors for so many different kinds of stories. We may not have proof of extraterrestrial life in our universe, but GL's is rife with strange and colorful species and worlds where anything is possible. That's pretty freakin' cool, if you ask me.”
Raab said he’s in the process of re-reading Winick’s run on the book for the third time as a means to further understanding where the character is at. “I have to say he's done a great job,” Raab said. “Adventurous, topical and entertaining. That's how I see his tenure on the book. He's really raised the bar, and I intend to build on the foundation he's laid and continue to push things forward.”
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Glga3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Glga3_t.jpg" width="150" height="208" border="0" alt="GREEN ARROW/GREEN LANTERN - Black Circle: Urban Knights " align="left"></a>As for just where moving things forward will take him, Raab lightly touched on specifics, saying that as a result of the Green Arrow/Green Lantern crossover (Green Arrow #23-25 and Green Lantern #162 - #164), the character will spend some time in space, and his priorities will shift a little, and become more “cosmic” in nature. “Meaning,” Raab said, “he's got some serious work to do outside of Earth before he can come home.”
For Raab, Kyle Rayner is motivated by duty, obligation, and legacy – all facets of being Green Lantern that have grown in him over time. “It’s the same thing that all of Earth's other Green Lanterns when you stop and think about it,” Raab said. “None of them expected to inherit this mantle. An understanding of what it means to be a Green Lantern always comes later; once they've gotten to know themselves and the implications of wielding the power of the ring...
”I believe the other reason why Kyle does it is because he's an artist. The ring provides the ultimate means of creative expression. On some level, it gives him something every artist strives to possess: the power of creation - emphasis on the lowercase 'c.’ That, combined with his inherent desire to see justice done and equality for others, I think is what gets him up in the morning.
”Plus, it's the most powerful object in the universe. Who wouldn’t want it?”
Raab confirmed that Kyle’s love interest, Jen Hayden will remain, although, given Kyle’s location for the first few issues, their relationship will be a long-distance one, to put it mildly. “Jen will make occasional appearances, but she won't be joining Kyle in space,” Raab said. “Now, that doesn't mean they've broken up. Theirs is going to be a long distance relationship. For a little while, anyway.
”Her purpose in the story is simple - to be the woman he loves. His confidante. His shoulder to cry on. The one who whips him into shape when he slacks. And who's there to support him when he needs it. That's what they both are to each other. And that's what makes them real people...”
As for specifics, Raab’s ‘solo’ run begins with issue #165, a self-contained story whose ultimate resolution is seen in issue #170. “Sandwiched between those two issues, we'll see a couple of different stories that all build around a central goal of Kyle's: to protect all of Sector 2814 and not just Earth,” Raab said. “Whether he succeeds or fails in that goal, by the end of the arc, the stage will be set for a much larger drama to unfold in space. We'll see some new villains, and the unexpected return of some old, familiar faces, so stay tuned!”
That said, the supporting cast established through Ron Marz and Winick’s respective runs won’t be abandoned. “The Terry Berg subplot has opened the doors to so many other possible storylines for that character, and it would be a shame to not explore it further,” Raab said. “So count on him sticking around. Also, I intend to touch a little upon the relationship between John Stewart and Merayn, especially since John will be…busy on something else. Without him around all the time, what is there for an alien like her to do on Earth? I think there's something worth delving into there...
”While Kyle's in space, there are going to be several new characters, both heroic and villainous that come into his life, as well as a new direction for some old friends... And when he returns home, a new setting for his personal life is a distinct possibility. We'll see.”
In the more general sense, Raab said he’s anxious to push his sleeves up and get his hands in the Green Lantern toybox. “I'm really looking forward to exploring the 'cosmic' side of the character,” Raab said. “Like I said, just about anything goes in space, and I intend to exploit that to the fullest extent of my imagination. As for the heroes I'd like to see him interact with...well, I'm very happy that Kilowog is back. Always liked that guy and I'm eager to see where we can take his character now that he's been brought back from the dead. And at some point after GL returns to Earth, I'd like to have him run into, no pun intended, his good buddy, the Flash, as well as a couple of other personal faves of mine, but let's leave some surprises for later.
”Villains-wise, there are some classics I think any GL writer would love to play with, like Star Sapphire, but there also some of the more recent foes like Fatality or Grayven who could spark really cool storylines. But before I get to any of them, I want to add some new threats to the mix. Without giving too much away, the first one I'll being introducing has ties to the Green Lantern legacy and will make their debut in the GL/GA crossover, so if people want a feel for what things will be like, they should check it out.”
Finally, Raab acknowledged that some fans might see him as something of a long-shot in regards to landing the job of writing the series. After all, he hasn’t had an ongoing assignment at one of the major publishers in years. The time away, Raab said, was well used to recharge his creative batteries with projects that focused on characters that live outside sphere of those whose work wardrobe is limited to spandex.
“Green Lantern was the first series to come along in a while that I could really sink my teeth into,” Raab said. “Over the past couple of years, I devoted my energies to a wider variety of projects rather than one specific book. I've done several mini-series, one-shots and fill-in arcs for companies here in the United States and abroad. And while I was working on those, I started developing some independent projects of my own. Including Cryptopia, which was optioned for development as a possible feature film and/or TV series by Goodman/Rosen Productions, and The Lost Tribe, a supernatural horror noir serial running in Comiculture Magazine, a 64-page anthology quarterly that I helped launch this summer.
”In the interim, I've also been working on breaking into the film and television industry, and have just been hired to co-write a screenplay for one of the producers of the upcoming film, Agent Cody Banks, so I’ve been busy, just not fully in comics.”
Like Winick, Raab is onboard his “green” book for as long as DC will have him.
Lastly, when asked the ubiquitous question that every Green Lantern writer must face, Raab had a simple answer and a smile, “Read Spectre.”
[[i]*The following information regarding the tentatively-titled Dark Circle: Urban Knights, the upcoming Green Lantern/Green Arrow [now] crossover storyline appeared in our coverage of this year’s Philadelphia and Chicago Wizardworld conventions].
<blockquote>“The two emerald titans must team up to stop an intergalactic crime syndicate from moving their operation into our corner of the galaxy,” is how DC described the storyline this spring. “That’s if the two heroes can keep from killing each other, as Oliver Queen can’t help but measure Kyle Rayner against Hal Jordan’s heroic legacy. And it should come as no surprise that Ollie isn’t all that impressed by Kyle.”
The story, according to Winick, involves a “drug dealer from outer space,” which forces the two heroes – Kyle Rayner and Oliver Queen – to team up. True to his recently-returned-to-life form, Queen won’t be able to help but measure Rayner to his predecessor, Hal Jordan, and it should come as little surprise that Queen finds Rayner not too impressive as a hero.
Speaking to Newsarama about the story, co-writer Raab expanded a little upon the friction that will exist between the two heroes. “It’s not there for the reasons one might expect,” Raab said. “Ollie's carrying a different set of emotional baggage these days, and Kyle is nowhere near as uptight as Hal was during 'Hard Traveling Heroes', so the conflict between them is born of completely different circumstances than the simple fact that GL and GA have historically been at odds with each other on some level.
“Though the classic O'Neil/Adams stories were definitely an inspiration when Judd and I started hashing this story out, I'd say we're walking a very different road this time around. We wanted to capture that flavor in our own unique way, and not retread what's come before. The goal isn't to re-create a classic, but craft an entirely new one...
“I wouldn't say we intentionally went the total opposite route for the sake of being different. It just turned out that way as the ideas developed into a cohesive story. And though our adventure has its basis in the cosmos, the majority of it takes place on Earth. That was something we felt was crucial for both characters...the sense that their world is being threatened. Their homes. Their loved ones. The things that matter most to them not just as super heroes, but as people.” </blockquote>
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