A DCU WHODUNNIT? BRAD MELTZER ON IDENTITY CRISIS

[MattBrady]

Come June, the DCU will be rocked thanks to Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales. That which will do the rocking - Identity Crisis, a seven issue miniseries which features a murder mystery among the hero set, but more than that vows to change the status quo as well as how the DCU sees its heroes. Newsarama spoke with Meltzer for more.

But be warned – there are no spoilers ahead, because there’s precious little information ahead, aside from the fact that the story centers on the murder and a dark secret from the Justice League’s past. Core characters will be those of the original Justice League lineup, while the villains of the DCU will be getting their time in the sun as well.

Identity Crisis marks Meltzer’s return to comics after the critically-praised “Archer’s Quest” storyline he wrote in Green Arrow which, in a way, completed the full “return” of the hero to the land of the living in the DCU. But that story wrapped last year. Where’d he go?

“Where'd I go?,” Meltzer asked back, chuckling. “Right back to my day job -- finishing my new novel, The Zero Game. As I've always said, when DC first approached me for Green Arrow, it was as a marketing ploy - they needed a guinea pig to take over after Kevin Smith. When they first asked, I said I'd do it, but then, like Kevin, I had to get back to my day job. Make no mistake, I love writing comics - I get wet and sweaty just thinking about them - but writing novels is what pays my bills. Period. Also, unlike some, I can't work on two, three, or four projects at a time. Whatever I'm writing, I focus all my time on that - so after ‘Archer's Quest,’ I went to The Zero Game...after that, I went to Identity Crisis. God bless the guys who can do multiple projects. I can't. I put all my energy into one - and do everything in my power to make that one book the best I can.

“In fact, from a financial perspective, writing comics is the single dumbest move I can make - it keeps me from my primary form of income...it takes me away from Hollywood stuff...and it doesn't let me work on other projects. But I love it. That's the only reason I do it.”

And the temptation is always there – Meltzer was offered several projects from numerous editors and publishers both during and after “Archer’s Quest.” “This is a very small industry with dozens of nice people in it,” Meltzer said. “And I'd love to work for all of them - but right now, time-wise, I just can't afford to take that time. I can write a comic project every year-and-a-half or so. If the scheduling works out, I'd be honored to work for some of those who asked. They know how much I respect them. But DC asked me to the dance first, and you gotta dance with those that brung ya.”

The story’s roots lay both in some long-held ideas by Meltzer, as well as some ideas tossed at him from DC. “After Green Arrow, Mike Carlin asked me to do a JLA story, knowing it's been my lifelong dream - laugh all you want, it's true,” Meltzer said. “In the back of my head, I always wanted to do a true superhero murder mystery [Meltzer jokingly admitted that he was still scarred by the murder of the original Mr. Terrific in a JLA/JSA team-up]... Then Dan Didio and Carlin were brainstorming one day about writers who they thought could handle writing emotions. Somehow, my name came up, so they asked me. I was waiting on copyedits on my next novel, so I said I'd think about it. I actually spent a month trying to figure out a take, and was about to call them back and turn it down. Then we had a breakthrough. I said, ‘I got it...I got it...let me go...’ A few weeks later, I pitched them the whole story.”

And all Meltzer is revealing is the broadest of broad stokes. “It's a murder mystery set in the DC Universe,” the writer said. “Pure and simple. But the consequences of what unfolds...well, that's the real story. Characters live...characters die -- and hopefully, you'll never looked at these masked men and the villains they fight quite the same way again.

As far as “murder mystery” goes, the one in Identity crisis is the real deal, “with suspects and everything,” Meltzer promised. “Isn’t that how it all works?”

While not confirming if the murder victim is one of the hero’s own, Meltzer did admit that while the story is about heroes and villains, it’s more about the people behind the masks. As such, the heroes will have different ideas about how to deal with the suspects, and ultimately, the killer, and as anyone familiar with the DCU can figure – some will opt for courts and the judicial system, while others may just want the other heroes to walk away so they don’t know one else has to witness the ultimate justice they want to mete out upon the killer.

And everyone is involved. “Everyone I could fit in in a realistic way -- that I had something to say about -- without making it just stupid,” Meltzer said. “So...as much as I love the Legion, there're no Wildfire and Blok scenes. One of the few I couldn't find space for were the Challengers of the Unknown. But otherwise, Dan and Mike opened the toybox and let me play. And let me make one thing clear: I should not have done this project. My schedule did not permit it. But when I started laying the story out -- and saw what we could do with it -- I worked nonstop on it until it was finished. I gave up writing a pilot script to do it. Identity Crisis is everything I have to say about superheroes.”

That kind of phraseology – “everything I have to say about superheroes” will always be evocative of other writers and creators’ “ultimate statements” on superheroes, which includes some pretty heady company, such as Watchmen (which DC is already making allusions to) and Kingdom Come.

Given those pillars of the genre, Meltzer is looking to bring is own voice into the story, along with his own style. “I write thrillers for a living - without pictures, so it's just me bringing my sensibilities to the comic book mold,” Meltzer said. “Plus, as anyone who read my Green Arrow knows, it's also littered with my obsessive love of the medium. Beyond that, I'm saying mum. The fun is in what you don't know.”

We tightened the thumbscrews, and Meltzer squeaked out a few more comments, firstly, the challenge of writing a murder mystery in a world where you’ve got a man who can see through walls and the “World’s Greatest Detective” for starters.

“That’s exactly what I loved -- working with those characters -- and dealing realistically with their near-unlimited resources,” Meltzer said. “How do you fool a man who can see through walls? Or a woman that has a lasso to force you to tell the truth? Or a man who is twenty steps ahead of you mentally? You'll see.

“In many ways, I hope that's why DC hired me -- if you read one of my novels, you'll see this is what I love. Setting up a disastrous problem -- and then pulling all the emotional juice I can out of it. If you can put the story down and walk away, I'm not doing my job,”

Newsarama Note: Meltzer’s new novel, The Zero Game, hits stores January 20th. “You can see the cover and the what-it's-about on www.bradmeltzer.com. And I even managed to sneak a ton of comic references in there without the copyeditor noticing,” Meltzer added.

[tralfaz]

Now, want it now...

need time machine... i want to read and look at it now!!!!

[ferro821]

Yeah, first post. Well, I thought Mr. Meltzer run on Green Arrow was okay. Not as good as Kevin Smith's run, but good in its own way. I probably will pick up the first issue or two to see how good it is and I will go from there.

[ferro821]

Guhh...I thought I was the first post. It's 5:44 in the morning. I guess you have to get up really early to be the first post.

[tralfaz]

Originally posted by ferro821
Guhh...I thought I was the first post. It's 5:44 in the morning. I guess you have to get up really early to be the first post.

east coast wakes up first

[Ace]

I thought Meltzer's run on Green Arrow was about a million billion times better than Kevin Smith's and I can't wait until this comes out.

Matt

[Johnny Triangles]

Lately, whenever DC suggests that they're going to pose "hard questions" about their heroes' methodology or change the status quo, they usually flake out in the end. For example, Joe Kelly promised to address the opposing viewpoints of Authority-type heroes and how they relate to heroes like Superman. When his Supes issue with Manchester Black came around, he created these totally over-the-top psyhotic sociopathic, homicidal dirtbags that we were supposed to believe were analogues of the real Authority. I would have enjoyed it much more if he actually introduced a team that was really more like the Authority and explored the pros and cons of both types of Superhero approaches in a balanced way. Instead, he took the easy way out by just presenting Manchester Black and his Elite as just all-out villains and having Supes kick their ass.

And Our World At War was supposed to have a bunch of hard questions, life-altering moments, and change status quo. After a ton of tie-ins and double-sized issues, what did it turn out to be except a really long superhero battle. What real lasting repurcussions did it have for the DCU.

That being said, I hope DC doesn't make this a really extensive crossover that consumes all other books only to return everything to near status-quo at the end of the storyline. I don't mind if a story doesn't pose hard questions or change the status quo, I just hate when DC PROMISES it will and flakes out in the end.

[tralfaz]

Instead, he took the easy way out by just presenting Manchester Black and his Elite as just all-out villains and having Supes kick their ass.

i dont recall The ELite as being villians in the eyes of the public of the dc universe.

[gOgIver]

I will not be fooled by the word CRISIS!

[cncoyle]

I gotta say, this sounds really cool. And knowing that Meltzer is doing this more for his love of comics than for income just makes me want to like it even more.

[mattstev2000]

Brad Meltzer's run on Green Arrow was fantastic, better than Smiths which was pretty great in the first place - couple him with Morales, and the potential for seeing Batman wrapped up in a good murder / mystery and I am already salivating at the thought.

[Eddy_O]

Personally (and this is all just my opinion), I don't like going back to the "classic" Justice League. I didn't like it last week in Liberty and Justice, and I don't like it here. If they're going to really explore the people behind the masks, why not use the current team? If we keep getting these stories with the "classic" team, it's harder for newer members like Raven and Faith to "get over", to borrow a wrestling term. Again, just my personal opinion.

Now having said that, the premise of this story sounds great, and I'll definitely pick it up. I just wish it was the current team.

[kingofcities]

I said it on the other thread, and I'll say it again: HELL YES! Meltzer rules, and I cannot wait to read this book. If you guys haven't read any of his novels, you need to run out and get them NOW! He's great at writing really tense thrillers. Having Rags on this book too is just icing on the comic cake...

Oh and Tralfaz, give me a shout when you get that time machine up and running...

Kent

[SpyGuy]

Add my voice to the chorus of people who preferred Brad Meltzer's run on GREEN ARROW over Kevin Smith's. The idea of a Meltzer-scripted DCU murder mystery already has me hooked and curious of the outcome. (Just as long as Captain Atom isn't replaced as the bad guy at the last minute by Hawk...)

[J.D. Lombardi]

This sounds really good and I like what Meltzer had to say about why he was in the biz...though it did feel a little like we're "lucky" to be able to read his work. It is nice to find a person who don't care abou the money and just wants to write.

All that I have a fear of is that the end result will be an interesting story, but a marketing ploy. A marketing ploy only in that we'll get the death of a character no one gives a shite about. I'd love to have a momentous thriller like this that actually had a key/famous character's death.

[tralfaz]

Originally posted by SpyGuy
(Just as long as Captain Atom isn't replaced as the bad guy at the last minute by Hawk...)

yeah, remember that? and that was before the internet was used by everyone

[tralfaz]

Originally posted by kingofcities


Oh and Tralfaz, give me a shout when you get that time machine up and running...

Kent

ok, but its gonna be hard finding a blackhole and a craft that could sustain the speed we need to travel foward in time

[J.C. Bakken]

From what Brad says, and what Carlin have said, it doesn't sound like the ploy is comming first, but the story.
And from what everybody says about his run on Green Arrow, this looks pretty cool.

[IanZL]

Superman is going to kill Batman.

[kingofcities]

Originally posted by tralfaz
ok, but its gonna be hard finding a blackhole and a craft that could sustain the speed we need to travel foward in time

You are the cosmic philosopher so I'll trust your judgement here.

Kent

[pogoman]

Originally posted by Ace
I thought Meltzer's run on Green Arrow was about a million billion times better than Kevin Smith's and I can't wait until this comes out.

Matt

agree 100%

[rockieman]

Originally posted by World Famous J. Triangles
And Our World At War was supposed to have a bunch of hard questions, life-altering moments, and change status quo.

Actually it did have some life-altering moments. I vowed never agin to buy a Super-Crap title until they get good writers.

Looks like my wish was answered with the new teams this Spring.

[Michael Eidson]

Meltzer's Green Arrow run wasn't as solid as his novels; Identity Crisis sounds much more suited to his strengths (and to my tastes). I don't like this bit, though...

"Identity Crisis is everything I have to say about superheroes.”

...because I want to see many more DCU comics by him. Maybe he'll move on to another publisher or imprint eventually; I still want to see a Daredevil legal thriller.

[fournwah]

where can i find this? what happened?

[Matches Malone]

Originally posted by fournwah
where can i find this? what happened?

JLA v.1 #171-172. It was the JLA/ JSA crossover for that year. It's not bad, but the explanation was a little contrived for my taste.