SUPREME WRITER: JMS ON SUPREME POWER

[MattBrady]

You may have heard of this small book out today at comic shops called Supreme Power. We’ve run previews, we’re reported on the sales, and now, we chat up series writer J. Michael Straczynski. Trust us, what makes it on the page only scratches the surface of the concepts in the book.

Newsarama: You touched on this a little at the Blockbuster panel at San Diego, but could go into why you opted to use these characters? When some of the characters are having a moderate to radical revamp anyway, why not just create new characters from scratch?

J. Michael Straczynski: It wasn't as if I was looking to do a team book and landed on these guys instead of doing an original bunch. Joe Q at Marvel sent an email and asked if I was familiar with the original Squadron Supreme, and if I wanted to do anything with them. I was, and that's how it started. I'm rethinking some aspects of the characters, but I'm trying to do it in terms of, if they were created today by the same people who created them then, what would they do to take advantage of the creative freedoms we have now? The template of each character is still there and in place.

NRAMA: So were you a fan of the original Squadron Supreme when it appeared and Mark Gruenwald’s projects with them?

JMS: I'd bought the books when they first came out, and purchased the trade after talking to Joe. I very much enjoyed the first Squadron Supreme stuff, and made sure to go back through it all to re-acquaint myself with it all.

NRAMA: In general, what's the relationship between the Squadron Supreme and the characters in Supreme Power? Are the original Squadron characters just inspirations and starting points, or is it something along the lines of you checking with the source material and then thinking, "Oh - no, according to the original stories, Hyperion would never do that," And then changing your story to reflect it?

JMS: It's somewhere in-between. I made it a point to take the names and the origins of the characters, and to incorporate where they went in general in the original book as guidelines on where I should go with the new one.

NRAMA: Speaking about the characters specifically, these archetypes - the "Superman," the "Wonder Woman" the "Green Lantern," - what is it, in your view, that keeps creators coming back to these time and again? Are these archetypes, in a way and through a 20th-21st century lens, just mapping back to what's in our mythology and collective unconsciousness - that is, the Allfather, the Earth Mother, the Magician, the Trickster, the Lord of Darkness, and others?

JMS: There are certain characters that are, as you say, archetypes. The stranger in a strange land, to quote Moses, who was himself abandoned as an infant, lost among the bulrushes, as was, I believe, Apollo; Mercury and other very-fast characters, the Amazon who showed up in Xena and Greek mythology as Athena, the magician with the latest version of the sorcerer's stone...these are all familiar tropes through thousands of years of history.

We keep coming back to them because there is something ancient in them that resonates with us, something of the tribal myth-maker re-telling old mysteries wrapped in new cloth...new lamps for old, as the cry goes in Aladdin. Contemporary super-heroes are our version of the gods of old, and that has great power.

NRAMA: Given that the most common archetypes that the characters of Supreme Power are compared to are the DCU characters, have there been any parts of what's come to be seen as archetypical canon that you've jettisoned? For example, in issue #1, Mark Milton (Hyperion) isn't raised by the kindly farmers from Kansas, he’s taken by the government.

JMS: I wanted the arrival of Mark Milton/Hyperion to be what philosophers refer to as the First Cause...his arrival in our world, an Earth we recognize as real, becomes the trigger for other powered individuals to begin showing up. They're all connected to his arrival in ways they don't and won't fully realize for some time. Along those same lines, I'm trying to think through how their powers could work and be realized in ways that haven't necessarily been done before, or fully thought out. This is something I've been working on closely with Gary Frank, looking to make them more visually realistic.

NRAMA: Along those lines, Gary mentioned that having costumes, period, was something he wondered about. Is that a question that’s typical of things that you've considered for the series? For example, for the original icons, spandex costumes were shortcuts for the artists, who only had to draw the human form and then have it colored in with a distinctive pattern. How do you justify them in something like Supreme Power?

JMS: In most cases, they wouldn't. Hyperion gets one because it's a government thing, a focus group thing designed to play into people's perceptions and expectations. In the case of the Blur - formerly the Whizzer, the clothes he wears are designed to assist with air resistance and carrying away excess heat. Look at the outfits worn by Luge athletes or runners...the skin-tight clothes, often brightly or even garishly colored. Is that a costume or is it something that works for what they do? For all the characters, we're looking to make them wear more clothing that is evocative of a look or style or costume than a costume per se.

NRAMA: It’s pretty easy to see in the approaches you’ve mentioned above, and you’ve also mentioned this, that Supreme power is experimental in nature, allowing you to turn many conventions over in your mind and look at them from all sides. How much of a split is Supreme Power for you between telling a good story and really experimenting, or is it fully blended, and one can't be teased away from the other?

JMS: It's a whole package, I've never really looked at it as separate things. In the telling of the story I try different techniques, some straightforward, some more experimental. I'm doing a lot of repeated-panel stuff, giving you one visual story while telling another dialogue-wise. There's a great piece on the first page of issue #2 where you're looking at a character not moving for the whole page, and you think you're just looking at captions under what we're looking at...then you realize it's something else when you hit the end of the page. Little things that take different approaches to storytelling that aren't meant to stick out really, but which cumulatively allow me to tell a story in a different way.

NRAMA: Speaking of the experimental side of things, you've mentioned that the series isn't necessarily plot-driven, but rather follows the characters through their lives. Was that a decision from the start, or a realization that you came to once you'd dug into the concepts and characters you wanted to play with?

JMS: It's hard to describe in that there are some stories you tell, and some stories that tell themselves through you. B5 was one of those, and this is another. I wrote the first issue and kind of discovered the tone and direction of it as I wrote it. This structure led me right into issue two, and so on.

At one point, Marvel asked for a breakdown on where the story was going, and I really couldn't tell them beyond the very broadest of strokes because...it isn't that kind of story. What's the story of The Sopranos? It has lots of character arcs, you can see where the characters are going, what's happening to them, and the consequences of that, but what's the story of it? It's not a plot-driven show. This isn't a plot driven book in much the same way. I can't describe it better than that because I don't have the vocabulary for it.

NRAMA: But given that comics, especially superhero comics, which Supreme Power will be categorized as, are plot-driven, do you see any drawbacks or risks with skipping that approach in lieu of the character-driven path?

JMS: The risks are multitudinous and varied...I could utterly fall on my face with this. You're right, there are expectations on all sides about this kind of book, and I'm deliberately playing with them.

Thing of it is, it's not like these characters are sitting around meditating on their navels. There's substantial amounts of action and intensity and drama in each issue...it's just not about stopping the evil Dr. Mabius from using the Forever Machine to ignite the atmosphere. Again, I look to the Sopranos...it's not a plot story, but big stuff happens all the time.

In many comics, you get a great deal of breadth but not much depth, there isn't time to drop anchor into a character because you're chasing the plot and the exposition. In Supreme Power, we drop anchor as far and as deeply as we can...so it goes deeper than the norm.

If you really want to get inside the head of someone who has to deal with these abilities, who lives in this world, I think this is the place to go.

NRAMA: That said, what's your structure going to be like in the series? From previous Squadron Supreme stories, as well as Rising Stars, it seems that, if history is any example, the "heroes in a realistic world" story has some given, ultimate conclusions…a big fight for control, the enforcing of the heroes' beliefs, a sacrificing of the heroes for a peace, or the Superman character standing in the ashes of the world. Can you explain a little more on how you're structuring this as an open-ended series?

JMS: Nothing would make me happier than to be able to do that. But I can't. Not because I'm being coy, but because the story hasn't taken me there yet, and I don't want to push. There's the thing about the centipede being asked which foot it uses first when it walks...and now it can't walk at all because it's aware of the process. I'm trying not to look too closely at this process because it's just working too well right now to want to mess with it.

NRAMA: Fair enough. Looking at story specifics, the beginnings of your origin story for Hyperion obviously mirror Kal-el’s arrival on earth. Again, why chose to stick so closely to that particular archetype's origin, rather than update it as well to a more Heinlenian, Stranger in a Strange Land, he arrives on earth as a young adult indoctrinated in a different culture?

JMS: There's really no way to tell this story without having him come from space, because again there have never been heroes of this kind on Earth before, that means, ipso facto, that the point of origin has to be outside Earth. I couldn't just have him materialize, there had to be a means of conveying him. And the ship itself is very important to the story, as its presence is one of the things that precipitates the arrival of our other characters. The gem used by Dr. Spectrum, for instance, comes from the ship's power source.

The idea of a character like this being found and raised by a lovely young couple doesn't work in this universe because, in a real world environment, this ship would be picked up on radar and the military would be on top of it within hours...which is what happens here.

NRAMA: Speaking of the other characters, how does Princess arrive on the scene?

JMS: The Princess -- I can't use the term Power Princess, it's too She-Ra for my tastes -- is kind of an anomaly and a mystery because she's the only one who was here before Hyperion's arrival, potentially thousands of years before his arrival. Which raises the question of where she came from, and what if any her relationship is with Hyperion. We catch a glimpse of her in issue two, "Six degrees of Contamination," which gives us a look at Dr. Spectrum, Nighthawk, Princess and two others.

NRAMA: You've mentioned that, given the non-plot driven approach, there will be no super-villains per se for the characters to fight; rather they become entwined in the problems of a realistic world. Isn’t there a Yin/Yang of comics as theorized in Unbreakable - the hero creates their villain?

JMS: That's kind of a misnomer...we will eventually have powered individuals with destructive agendas coming in. What I said was that the story wouldn't be about the bad guy of the months wreaking havoc, that you couldn't break down the structure that simply, not that we wouldn't have antagonists of equal or greater strength arising in this universe. I've always thought that the battle between Miracleman and what was once his sidekick, Kid Miracleman in London was one of the most compelling uses of a character like this...it's not that he has a given plan, it's that he's totally freaking psychotic with immense powers and no hesitation in using them.

NRAMA: How integral to the series is Gary Frank? Would you have done this without him?

JMS: If Gary had not been available or interested, we'd have had to soldier on, but having him on it has made him integral to it. Because this is a very character-driven book, you absolutely need a strong character artist, and that is Gary's strong suit. Now that he's done it, I can't imagine the book without him. Usually, when pages come in, I flip through them to make sure they're on-story, and then set them aside. With Gary's pages, I clip them together and I keep going through them, time and again, because they're just lovely and powerful. When another issue's worth of pencils comes in, I'll go back to the first issue, go through it, then work my way up to the current one so that I can see the whole story laid out, and it just knocks me out.

NRAMA: In designing the characters' revised looks, how much do you contribute versus just letting him run with it?

JMS: There was a lot of give-and-take on this, because Gary had very definite ideas on how to present some of these characters visually, and I respect his views a great deal, so I wanted to be sure to listen carefully. There were a few times when I said, "Story wise that really doesn't work for me," but they were the exception more than the rule. That's especially true with the Blur and Nighthawk. The only costume I'm still not 100% sold on is Hyperion's, because it still feels too conventional, but there's always time for more focus groups in our fictional universe.

NRAMA: Speaking of those other characters again, and you had mentioned this earlier, Whizzer’s name has been changed to Blur. Is that one of those more realistic changes that, outside of a comic book, no self-respecting superhero would call himself the Whizzer these days, being that it suggests perhaps a different super power than running fast?

JMS: I allude to both in the book, but the Blur is preferable and more evocative. As Gary said, in this day and age who's going to call himself the Whizzer? It could not possibly conjure up more woefully unfortunate images.

NRAMA: Along with Gary, how crucial was being under the MAX imprint to doing the series? Was it one of your requests from the start, or was it something Joe offered as an option?

JMS: I actually don't remember how it came about. It just seemed like a natural progression toward allowing us to tell the kinds of stories I wanted to tell. I wanted the freedom to use the occasional bit of language or imagery you just can't do in a regular comic, but that isn't the point of it for me. That's a means to an end, not the goal. Similarly, some of the ideas or approaches we were going to get into might be controversial, and that also mitigated toward a more adult title. But it just sort of metamorphosed into that.

NRAMA: How far will you be pushing the envelope of the MAX imprint with the series?

JMS: As far as the story requires.

NRAMA: How close will you be sticking to/mapping your characters on the original Squadron Supreme characters? Will you be sticking exclusively to the core characters, or will you expand as the Squadron did to include an analogue to every JLA member, past and present?

JMS: My goal is to revive Mark's characters and play with them in the current world, not to look to anybody else on the outside. I also want to keep the cast of characters fairly limited. The one problem with the original Squadron Supreme is that it grew to so many characters that you almost lost track of them after a while. For me, the central character of the book is Hyperion, with the other characters orbiting around him, and I'd like to keep that number down to less than a dozen.

NRAMA: In the world of Supreme Power as a whole, what will the reaction of the common folks be? Obviously, the government will want to reign them in, but what about, say teenagers? Will the heroes be the rock stars of their world? Will they be the catalyst for some people to start trying to give themselves powers? We're living in a culture where everyone wants to emulate movie stars as it is - it doesn't seem a stretch to think that some would see possessing powers as the ultimate "it" thing…

JMS: It's going to be all over the place. Some will react in just the ways you described, others differently. Which will be part of the fun, especially as you pull in the cult of personality aspects.

NRAMA: Let’s hit the traditional wrap-up - the first three issues have been solicited, so can you give a tease of those and hints at what’s to come?

JMS: In #2, we see the first glimmerings of the other characters who will become central characters, we see how they begin to take the steps that will bring them into their destiny as Nighthawk, Dr. Spectrum and others. We'll see Mark as a teenager trying to blend in as a normal person, with some fairly unfortunate results. And we'll continue to follow his "parents" dealing with who and what he is.

In issue #3, Hyperion is covertly used for the first time by the government, with very impressive results, but the thing about secrets is that they have a way of getting out, and we follow the story of a reporter who is on the trail of what he thinks is a new military weapon...except this one comes knocking on his front door one night…

[ameriskin]

I can't wait to read this. I loved Rising Stars and Midnight Nation. I have been collecting all of the ASM's that he's been on, but I haven't gotten around to reading them yet. I'm trying to grab the start of the series and then read through the whole thing.

[Christian Otte]

I've said it before, and I'll gladly say it again - this book is gonna kick so much ass!!

Oh, and great interview, Matt .

[Chesscub]

When I first heard about a revival of the Squadron Supreme I was so psyched about it. Mark Gruenwald's story was a classic. I've got both the maxi-series and the trade paperback that came out. I wish that the original had continued.

Upon reading what Straczynski and Frank have done, it makes me even more excited. A revival and redesign could do a lot to draw attention to the original classic (if Marvel takes advantage of it). The artwork looks stunning.

I'm so geeked for tomorrow!

Jeff

[Pascal]

I HAVE TO READ ISSUE 1!!!

[swol]

I tried to stay away.
Honest!
I was not going to pick up this series for a myriad of reasons.

But this sounds damned interesting.
I'll be checking it out.

[Taylor Porter]

This does look pretty damn good. JMS really sounds like he knows what he's doing. I'm looking forward to picking up this series (in TPB form, of course).

[choisez]

Good interview, Matt!

I hadn't really thought of the Magician archtype before as the Dr. Spectrum/Green Lantern character(s).

Straczynski's a great writer and I love Frank's art! His attention to detail and great faces deserve wider recognition.

Isanove did a beautiful job on Hyperion holding the American flag and I love that page w/ Dr. Spectrum being bonded w/ the gem too.

This'll be the first thing I read tonight and I can't wait.

Btw, is that Nighthawk all dressed in black w/ the yellow eyes?

-Eddy

[blackandwhite]

Gary Frank's art is the one that got me. but u can bet that JMS will give us a rollicking good ride too.

[farwell3d]

Man, the more I read about this the more intrested I become. I've never read Squadron Supreme, and I'm still dripping with anticipation for this book.

[OcCaM]

Yep, sounds interesting.

But, the Blur is really that much more mature and less silly sounding than the Whizzer?

Anyway, I'm getting the Special Edition if there's still a copy at lunchtime, and if I like the story maybe I won't wait for the trades on future issues!

[NotAnIssue]

Originally posted by Chesscub
A revival and redesign could do a lot to draw attention to the original classic (if Marvel takes advantage of it).

Well, Marvel is doing they're part....they did re-release the Squadron Supreme tpb....

I think I'm going to read that before I get to issue #1 of Supreme Power....

[Gregg Cummings]

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
This does look pretty damn good. JMS really sounds like he knows what he's doing. I'm looking forward to picking up this series (in TPB form, of course).

You and me both. I've made the mistake of buying both Rising Stars & Midnight Nation in monthlies.

[Marcus Bucklin]

I too, am pretty excited about this book. I am also one of the ones who will be picking up the TPB od the original series today when I pick up Supreme Power #1. The writer, the art, the storyline, and seting are all just perfect for what could be the smash hit (both comercially and with the fans) of the year. Pick it up or you'll be sorry later on... that's my two cents.

[DarthRandall]

I can't wait for this one. JMS' takes on these characters sound great, and don't fall into that "heroes in the real world" trap that so many creators try for. Based on JMS' comments, this one sounds like it has promise, and with Frank on art, you know it's gonna look purty.

Can't wait to see what JMS and Frank have planned for Ape-X

[Chesscub]

Now if only Marvel could reprint the Squadron Supreme Graphic Novel : Death of a World. I've only been looking for it for 8 years.

Jeff

[The Mirrorball Man]

Originally posted by OcCaM
But, the Blur is really that much more mature and less silly sounding than the Whizzer?

The only thing I know is that Blur is much more mature and less silly sounding than Weezer.

[Dude]

oh i wanna wait for the graphic but well ain't happening...plus I love shiny covers with bonus'

[meverat]

don't buy this series or anything else JMS does until we see the last issues of Rising Stars. He really screwed the fans, let him know you won't put up with it.

[MattBrady]

Originally posted by meverat
don't buy this series or anything else JMS does until we see the last issues of Rising Stars. He really screwed the fans, let him know you won't put up with it.

JMS has said on numerous occasions that the problems with RD' lateness are due to disputes he has with Top Cow's behavior. If you want to step in and mediate that mess on behalf of the fans, you're welcome to try.

MattB

[Rawle Austin]

JMS.

Congrats to you and Gary Frank on creating this milestone in comic book history.

We in the UK won't get to see this til tomorrow (Thurs) and I for one am eagerly looking forward to it!

Long may this title stay in the top ten.

Growler

[meverat]

Originally posted by MattBrady
JMS has said on numerous occasions that the problems with RD' lateness are due to disputes he has with Top Cow's behavior. If you want to step in and mediate that mess on behalf of the fans, you're welcome to try.

MattB

I'll have to think about that.

I know this but I'd like to think that the fans are more important than whatever's going on and there is only 3 issues left. To both sides: Get over it, let the issues out. Go to court or hold a grudge later.

[gwangung]

Originally posted by meverat
I'll have to think about that.

I know this but I'd like to think that the fans are more important than whatever's going on and there is only 3 issues left. To both sides: Get over it, let the issues out. Go to court or hold a grudge later.

You, as a writer, are getting screwed over on the property you created and there are more important things?

Yeah, right.....

[Kevin Street]

I'm heading out to get this right now!

Originally posted by OcCaM:
But, the Blur is really that much more mature and less silly sounding than the Whizzer?

He'll always be the Whizzer to me.

[jawaplumber]

Originally posted by meverat
don't buy this series or anything else JMS does until we see the last issues of Rising Stars. He really screwed the fans, let him know you won't put up with it.

How many people do you have living in your house?

How many people do you work with on a daily basis?

How many aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.. do you have who live nearby?

How many pets do you own?

I ask because I need to know how many copies of SUPREME POWER No. 1 to buy for and send to each and every one of them just to piss you off. Hope your dog likes it, he can even use it to crap on, I don't care. So, make with the addresses soon, ok? Thank you muchly

Gee, some way to support a writer you like. Crap on him when he stands up for what he believes in, all because you missed out on a couple of comic books. If we all followed that sort of logic, JMS would probably say "screw comics" altogether and just stick to the greener pastures of Hollywood.