COUNTING DOWN WITH DAN DIDIO

[MattBrady]

minor spoilers for 52 #50 ahead.


“This is just the calm before the storm,” DC Executive Editor Dan Didio said when asked to describe the overall tone of the DC Universe at this point. “For the most part, a lot of fans don’t realize how much has been set up for this period of time. There are a lot of things that have been seen and currently being seen that will be playing out over the course of the next year and a half.”

That next year and a half, of course, will cover the upcoming Countdown weekly series, a 52 week event that’s counting down to…something. Just what it is? Don’t ask, Didio ain’t telling. But as for what’s going on in the DCU right now – he’s all about the gabbing.

“This week is a kickoff week in a lot of ways for the DCU,” Didio said. “This is due largely to the fact that we have World War III coming together, and closing those final doors to One Year Later in enough of a satisfying manner for the fans who were left wondering about the changes. Now, as we move into the new stories, most of the previous questions have been answered. We’ve also got the Nightwing Annual coming out which wraps up another big part of the One Year Later storyline, so it’s a lot of big stuff coming down this week, and things are only going to keep getting bigger as we roll towards the end of 52, we’ve got Amazons Attack starting, and then, into Countdown.”

Looking at it from the outside, Didio prefers to call the present time a “transition period” as 52 winds down and Countdown revs up, but what about for those poor saps who are on the inside? How do the characters in the DCU see their world right about now?

“You sure can remember when things were better,” Didio laughed. “I think it’s an interesting time. The best way to put it is that everybody thinks that they’re established back into their respective groove after some very, very rough times. Everything is operating the way they think it should be. The heroes have reached a level of comfort with what they’ve achieve and where they’re going, and I almost want to say that they’re ready to move past all the turmoil of the past few years. This is the moment where they feel they can almost take a breath and move on with life itself.

“Unfortunately, things are going to turn in completely the opposite direction. Things that they thought were part of the norm, are now going to be part of events that will be taking them down a very, very crazy path.”

And some of those characters headed down that crazy path will be those who’ve had their story told weekly in 52.

“The lead characters who survive will come out of the other side of 52 – Booster Gold, Montoya, John Henry Irons – all the characters that come out of it, the next time we see them in the present continuity, we’re going to be addressing issues of what they were doing for their missing year. Remember – One Year Later showed the entire DCU moving forward with the exception of these characters, because we kept them out of the stories because we didn’t want to tip our hand as to whether or not they were going to make it out of 52.

“Now, we’re going to be showing, as they appear, what’s happened in their lives, and then more importantly, what happens after that. To give a little bit away – as people found out today, coming out of World War III, there are massive changes with Black Adam. And then, we see Black Adam again in Countdown – but, there will be marked differences between the character from the two periods. We’ll explain what happened to Black Adam in his own miniseries that will be set during his missing year. So we’re going to be filing in the blanks and make the story as complete as possible and answer as many questions as possible, but still leave the opportunity for future developments down the line.”

In terms of prepping for this weekly series (Countdown) compared to that one he was prepping for a year ago (52), Didio said there’s a marked difference, thanks in large part to the structure. Instead of having four co-writings co-writing each issue, Countdown has one head writer, Paul Dini, who will be working with other writers.

“The script process works a lot smoother with Countdown,” Didio said, when comparing the two. When you have four writers working together, there have to be lots of discussions and a pretty high level of organization among them to figure out who’s responsible for various sections of the story, and each one has to turn in their work. So – there was more effort on the writing side of 52 from an organizational side, but you can’t argue with the end result of that.

“With Countdown, Paul is the head writer, and broke down the overall story, and is in communication with all of the other writers, so it runs a lot smoother. Realistically speaking, we have a weekly conference call between Paul and the writer who’s working on that week’s issue and that writer can change, based upon availability, so that way, it doesn’t slow down the process as you’re waiting for other people to turn in work.

“Plus, there’s a little difference in the pacing of Countdown. It’s a little more open, and that’s just natural coming from when one person is pacing out all 22 pages of a book, they tend to move at one speed throughout, rather than when four writers are working with a set number of pages, and trying to cover as much as possible in those allotted pages. Paul has a chance with this to let various beats breathe a little more if he needs to, one section can use more pages, and that can be worked out without a big conference. So logistically, it’s different. No better or worse, but different.”

Part and parcel to having one head writer (and learning from some of the mistakes made when connecting 52 and the One Year Later titles), the communication with the weekly series and the rest of the DCU editorial team will be smoother.

“Paul created a 110 page bible of the DCU for the next year,” Didio said. “There’s some flexibility in it, but any time anyone feels they need to make a slight switch or directional change, everyone is made aware of that change, so that way, we’re clearly sharing the sensibilities of where the story is going, and trying to tie as much in as we can both directly and thematically.

“That said, given that this is taking place ‘now,’ in the present-day DCU, we really don’t have as much wiggle room as we did in 52, where that story was in its own environment and could move as the story told them to move. With Countdown, we have a pretty good idea where this story is going, we have a lot of big moments that are built in throughout the course of the year, and people are already building on those moments, so you don’t have as much flexibility to move them because the domino effect would just be too big.”

Something else new that Didio will be doing for Countdown - this…er, these. This thing here that you’re reading. Weekly for the first month of Countdown, and then monthly thereafter, Didio will be checking in at Newsarama to talk about Countdown, take questions, and of course, tease, tease, and tease some more. Along with Didio, look for a regular, weekly Q&A with Countdown editor Mike Marts, weekly weigh-ins from the Best Shots team, monthly interviews with Dini, and loads more.

But enough about us – what about some kind of juicy tease for the start of Countdown? We already know that someone dies in issue #1…and…?

“We find out that one of the missing members of the DC Universe is key to almost everything that’s going on, so therefore, so much is built around trying to find him and trying to unlock the secrets of a number of things that are occurring throughout the DC Universe,” Didio said.

“Jason Todd is probably one of the key players in the whole storyline in regards to the hunt of trying to figure out what is going on in the DC Universe, because he has some questions in his own life that he feels are unanswered.

“Oh, and the storyline that spins from the JLA/JSA crossover, which features members of the Legion of Super-Heroes touches on Countdown as well, and what you’ll find out is that Karate Kid was left in the past – in our time, hopefully to unravel what’s going on the DC Universe. He’s left behind for a purpose. It wasn’t his choice. He was left.

“Holly from Catwoman, along with Trickster and Pied Piper all play major, major roles in Countdown. You’re going to see that we have a wide range of characters who will be taking the stage throughout the course of Countdown that will show everything the DC Universe is.”

[khuxford]

Man...I love when a whole lot of things are tied together like they currently are in the DCU. I know that isn't for everyone, but I'm too busy being psyched to care.

Edit: though I can see Rucka complaining about Didio giving away items again.

[BinMan]

Yay for Countdown.

Looking forward to this in a major way.

You might even say... I'm... er... counting down towards reading it.

Or not, if that was too awful.

I'm sorry, I'll be quiet now.

[ColourMan]

HOLLY from CATWOMAN plays a MAJOR ROLE?! I am shitting myself here!!!

[Tobey Cook]

Meh. Have to say that this interview doesn't really fill me with excitement for Countdown. Dini seemed more jazzed in his interviews about it. Didio needs to show a little more passion about the characters he represents if he expects fans to spend money on these books every week.

[exultant801]

man, i hate that jolly guy...

[holtom2000]

yah. haven't read 52 yet (sucks to live in the middle of butt crack, nowhere) but I'm pumped about reading about booster and black adam. early May can't come soon enough so I can get the last four issues of 52
and this countdown series sounds like something that will continue to suck my wallet dry.
good thing DC botched wonder woman and flash the way they did - i don't know if I could afford all the books I'll want to in a couple of months.

[Binkley]

I am guessing, then, that the Trickster and the Pied Piper are the ones who are handcuffed together in all of those ads.

[nwspencer]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

“Paul created a 110 page bible of the DCU for the next year,” Didio said. “There’s some flexibility in it, but any time anyone feels they need to make a slight switch or directional change, everyone is made aware of that change, so that way, we’re clearly sharing the sensibilities of where the story is going, and trying to tie as much in as we can both directly and thematically.

It would be pretty cool if, once the whole story is finished, they put this out in some form, like a scriptbook. I always wonder what these line-wide bibles look like. 110 pages... wow.

[RDuarte]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Paul created a 110 page bible of the DCU for the next year,” Didio said. “There’s some flexibility in it, but any time anyone feels they need to make a slight switch or directional change, everyone is made aware of that change, so that way, we’re clearly sharing the sensibilities of where the story is going, and trying to tie as much in as we can both directly and thematically.

While I like the idea of a shared universe and clear continuity, I don't like the idea of someone, anyone, even someone I respect like Paul Dini, being handed the reigns of an entire universe, and making everyone else play by their rules. When you make everyone else shoehorn their stories into what you're doing you don't have a diverse product, you have a million tie-in titles. The creators in the tie-in books have to stop what they're doing or change it all together to make it fit the "bible." Some DC titles (I'm looking at you, Wonder Woman) need room to breath and get their legs going before jumping into another crossover.

And what happens next year, when the reigns are handed to Kurt Busiek? Or the following year, when they're handed to Marv Wolfman? Or the following year when they're handed to Brian Michael Bendis (after his jump to DC!)? The point is, giving people control over the universe will hurt creativity (unless you're the guy in charge), and make it seem more and more like the line of titles serves only to explain or match up to the main crossover title that year.

And I feel the same way when Marvel does it (Civil War and now Planet Hulk), so please don't call me a "Marvel Zombie."

[Darthphere]

Originally Posted by ColourMan

HOLLY from CATWOMAN plays a MAJOR ROLE?! I am shitting myself here!!!

You may want to see a doctor about that.

[JoeZhang]

it's all tease with Didio and DC in general - everything seems to go on forever with no answers and just more of the same crappy mini-series that go nowhere (I'm looking at you ION - a series which had NO answers for the questions it set-up).

[PaulCrocker]

Very cool to hear about the Black Adam mini and his inclusion in Countdown. I need to know what happens to him now!!!!

[ScottMat]

[quote=MattBrady

“We find out that one of the missing members of the DC Universe is key to almost everything that’s going on, so therefore, so much is built around trying to find him and trying to unlock the secrets of a number of things that are occurring throughout the DC Universe,” Didio said.

“Holly from Catwoman, along with Trickster and Pied Piper all play major, major roles in Countdown. You’re going to see that we have a wide range of characters who will be taking the stage throughout the course of Countdown that will show everything the DC Universe is.”[/QUOTE]


Well, at least Wally's coming back...

[ColourMan]

For all of you who don't read Catwoman, Holly is a Frank Miller creation, first seen in Batman: Year One, and she dresses up as Catwoman from time to time.

I'm so happy I added Countdown to my pull list today.

[LikeaPhoenix]

Here's hoping Countdown won't turn out like the mishmash mess that of 52. Hopefully DC has learnt from its mistakes with the aforementioned series and planned this series out better and NOT try to shoehorn in storylines, e.g. World War (Black Adam) III, in trying to one-upmanship Marvel's World War Hulk. Yeppers! Countin' down to Countdown!

[JusticeLeagr]

"Bibles", like the ones written for television shows, are written to give backgrounds on character, places and whatever else in a continuity and are really never meant to be seen by the audience. They are meant to be guides, not history written in stone. Even Star Trek: NextGen by season three had deviated from their bible. Its a very encouraging thing to see from DC because it means there is an effort to make their universe cohesive. I don't know if Marvel did one for Civil War but it would have helped because it could keep characters from acting "out of character" in different appearances. My point is that "bibles" do not constrain creativity, as they are written with need for future changes in mind. I look forward to DC books in the coming year.

[CodeGuy]

I'm a little confused by Didio talking about a "missing year" for characters like Black Adam. 52 moved in real time, but the regular DCU has not been moving in real time. The last year of published comics shouldn't be anything close to a year for the characters. So the time between the end of 52 and the start of Countdown shouldn't be a year.

[JusticeLeagr]

Originally Posted by ColourMan

For all of you who don't read Catwoman, Holly is a Frank Miller creation, first seen in Batman: Year One, and she dresses up as Catwoman from time to time.

For a minute there I thought I read "he dresses up as Catwoman from time to time.". Frank Miller in a Catwoman costume...

[dalunt]

i wish there was a list of graphic novels/trades i could read so i could know who was who in countdown

[Lord Ruthven]

Originally Posted by ScottMat

Well, at least Wally's coming back...

Giving that it's been made very clear that there's a "search for Ray Palmer" going on in Countdown/All New Atom, my money's on him being the "missing member of the DCU" that Dan is talking about.

[JusticeLeagr]

Originally Posted by CodeGuy

I'm a little confused by Didio talking about a "missing year" for characters like Black Adam. 52 moved in real time, but the regular DCU has not been moving in real time. The last year of published comics shouldn't be anything close to a year for the characters. So the time between the end of 52 and the start of Countdown shouldn't be a year.

I think he meant that over the 'year' that 52 played out as the missing time that those characters had not been seen. I always think of comics time as you can't really say how long a story line takes or how much time happened between not only story lines but even between panels. Hey, there was even a Sherlock Holmes story that started on an afternoon in March and ended on a night in October even though it supposedlyonly took a day, does not change the fact I love Holmes.

[JusticeLeagr]

Originally Posted by dalunt

i wish there was a list of graphic novels/trades i could read so i could know who was who in countdown

Newsarama has been doing Countdown to Countdown articles that you could find some of that info...

[Theatre_Sniper]

Originally Posted by JusticeLeagr

For a minute there I thought I read "he dresses up as Catwoman from time to time.". Frank Miller in a Catwoman costume...

For some reason i think alot of people would pay to see that lmao

[dchart1]

Originally Posted by ColourMan

HOLLY from CATWOMAN plays a MAJOR ROLE?! I am shitting myself here!!!

That could be a sign of a more serious problem.... Seriously, I like how they are taking minor characters and giving them major roles. Just like in the real world, sometimes the "everyman (or woman...), is what the story is all about. I am interested in reading in particular why "Jimmy Olsen must die."