THE 52 EXIT INTERVIEWS: GEOFF JOHNS

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

Because he co-wrote 52, one of the most successful books that DC had over the last 52 weeks, it's safe to say that Geoff Johns had a high-profile year.

But wait. The year before that, he wrote Infinite Crisis, didn't he? OK, he's had two high-profile years.

And the writer ... no, wait. Didn't he write the Green Lantern: Rebirth miniseries the year before that? OK, so, three big years.

But as readers close the final pages of 52, now Johns can settle back and concentrate on his monthly comics. Just a handful of understated monthlies... well ... and Justice Society of America's much anticipated crossover with the Justice League title. And then he's got those Sinestro Corps stories coming up in Green Lantern that have already gotten most DC readers in a state of fan fervor.

Alright. Does this guy ever do anything small and unnoticed?

OK, maybe that question is an exaggeration, but Johns seems to be a lot like Black Adam in one respect: Neither of them are meant to walk the safe path and avoid doing something different. Try as he may to play the role of mild-mannered comic book writer, this guy is invariably going to shake things up and push the boundaries of whatever DC toys they give him, much to the delight of his ever-growing list of fans.

So now that his latest story in a series of high-profile comics has come to a close, Newsarama sat down with Geoff Johns to talk about 52. And while he tiredly admits that the experience was a lot more time-consuming than any of them expected, hearing Johns talk about the project makes it pretty obvious that the level of collaboration and friendship he achieved with his co-writers is important to the writer. At the risk of using too many 52-related analogies, there's no doubt after hearing him reminisce about 52 that if Grant Morrison, Mark Waid or Greg Rucka were falling, Johns would totally pull an Atom Smasher and catch 'em.

Newsarama: Let's start at the beginning. You were there when the idea of a weekly series was first introduced, weren't you?

Geoff Johns: Paul [Levitz] came up with the idea. Everything was going to "one year later," and he said there should be a weekly series that gives us a glimpse of what happens during that time. And Greg and I were in there.

NRAMA: And you guys thought you might be able to write it just the two of you, right?

GJ: No. Well, I think we initially had conversations like, "Do you want us to do it?" And, "Is it too ambitious to do ourselves?" Of course, it was. We could never have done it. Dan [Didio] told us that too. And then, I was kind of wavering on whether or not I wanted to do it at all -- 52 weeks! But the opportunity to work with three of my favorite writers and one of my favorite writer/artists of all time, Keith Giffen, was what signed me on.

We saw a lot of work ahead of us, but we also saw great challenges. No one had ever done anything like that before. Paul had a genius idea, and obviously that genius idea has paid off. It worked really, really well.

NRAMA: What were your expectations going into the project?

GJ: That it was going to be exciting and fun. And new. And writing in real time was going to be interesting. Once we all finally met and talked, and with Steve [Wacker] and Keith there to keep the energy and focus in the room, that’s when it finally came together, and that's when I expected it to be an amazing learning experience and something that I'd be really proud to be a part of.

NRAMA: It's been said that you guys built the "weekly machine."

GJ: Yeah, we did.

NRAMA: What was surprising about how that machine ran?

GJ: How we worked together as writers. Because, you know, I knew Greg very well. And I knew Mark and Grant, but not as well as Greg. Greg didn't know Grant at all. I think Greg and Mark had met once or twice. So, going into it, we didn't know how it was going to work. Keith made bets on who would kill who. He lost.

Writing has a lot of give and take when you're collaborating. This was going to involve four of us, and we each have our own vision and take on things. For me, the fact that we were able to not only find a way to not walk on eggshells around each other, but to enhance each other, and challenge each other in a positive way, was the most unexpected part of this. It was something that, if I really sat there and thought, "What could be the greatest thing to come out of this?" -- that would have been it. Everyone was an absolute pro.

NRAMA: Was it tough to juggle 52 with your other comics?

GJ: Yeah, at first we equated 52 as being another monthly, because we figured that since there were four a month, and there were four of us, then it would work out to be like one extra book a month. But it turned out to be more like two or three because of the way we worked on every issue together, the way we broke every story together, the phone calls we had every week. And the scenes were like ... I remember Greg would write a two-page scene, and he'd spend all day on it, then he'd call us about it, then he'd spend another day tweaking it. And that's how it went with all of us.

NRAMA: And you had to do that every week.

GJ: Every week! But it was, again, really rewarding and fun. And I'm really looking forward to seeing how they're putting Countdown together. It sounds a lot different from what we did. But I like what we did. I'm happy with the situation we were in. Working with Grant, Mark and Greg – Keith, Steve, Mike [Siglain] and the unmatched J.G. Jones -- was the highlight of the entire process. And the fact that DC’s production team kept up with us, and sped up when they had to, was amazing.

NRAMA: When they first announced 52, people were taking bets on whether or not you guys could pull off a weekly without any delays. Were there times when you were tight on deadline and things came in a little too close?

GJ: Yeah, there were a lot of things that came a little too close. Well, you figure, what's the chance of one thing getting screwed up somehow? One in 50? Or say one in 25 that, somewhere along the way, there's going to be a problem in writing or production or art or wherever. So of course it didn't run perfectly. But 52 came out on time and we made it. We pulled off what everyone thought we couldn't do. And it sold beyond everyone’s expectations.

NRAMA: Was there any time that you had to scramble to meet a deadline?

GJ: Yes, but for the most part we were pretty stable.

NRAMA: You were so far ahead?

GJ: We weren't always so far ahead, but we were far ahead enough. There were times when we had to get our second wind -- or eighth wind or whatever -- and really get it done.

NRAMA: What was it like when Steve left?

GJ: When Steve left, there was a rocky transition, because Mike was still learning and getting up to speed on everything, and there was some confusion about what was going on. That had to be expected. Plus, I can’t emphasize enough how important Steve was to the entire process for all of us. He was the unifying factor in many ways and he had endless energy in the room. He ran the room. So right when Steve left, I think that's the only time that we were really having to get ourselves going.

NRAMA: Because you knew it would take some extra work?

GJ: We knew we really needed to kick some ass. 'Cause Steve had left, and he was amazing. You know, I love Mike, and he's really stepped into Steve's shoes, but we didn't know that at the time. It's not like we were thinking, "Oh no, Mike can't handle it." It was just that Steve did such a great job, and now we didn't have him.

But it made us really focus, and because of that, we were all ready to kick some ass. Grant especially. I felt like he was our sergeant at arms at that time. And we all gathered up, and I think you can really see it in 52. I think 52 really kicks into high gear once we said, "let's get over that hill, marines!”

NRAMA: You mention Grant as a sergeant in arms. When you look at the four of you as a whole -- as the "band" that everyone calls you guys -- what would you say each of your roles were?

GJ: Well, when I say Grant was sergeant in arms, you know, Grant was our sergeant in arms at that point. But then I was at another point. Mark was at another point. Greg was at another point.

NRAMA: So you each had to take on that role as motivator at some time?

GJ: We each had to take on that role at a certain point, depending on the storyline or just as the result of, you know, not everybody has a great week. Some weeks, I would be a little less checked in because of deadlines, where other weeks I was helping to lead the charge and get the work done.

NRAMA: What do you think each of you brought to the table as a creator?

GJ: Perspective. Each one of us has a very different perspective. And skill set. They all have a great skill set. I'm not going to say Greg's skill set is "down-to-earth writing." That's only a fraction of it. People have been saying, "oh, he's obviously writing Montoya because he's a down-to-earth guy." Well, that's only a piece of it, because Greg also wrote some of the biggest, craziest things in the book.

NRAMA: But they don't know.

GJ: People don't know! And I've said, and it's true, that people have completely guessed incorrectly on who wrote what. And I like that. And they all bring passion. They all bring enthusiasm. They all bring intelligence. Art. Everything.

NRAMA: It sounds like you guys were really working as a team. Was there ever a time when it felt like the four of you vs. editorial?

GJ: Of course. But our loyalty lies with each other.

NRAMA: Never any disagreement among you?

GJ: Creatively, yes. But I can honestly say -- and I don't know if everyone else would agree with me, but I think they will -- we were always on the same page. We always knew what we wanted. We debated about where it would go next, but we always went there together. We had disagreements, but they weren't arguments or hanging up the phone or anything like that. They were debates, and that's always to be expected in collaborating. But they were rational. There were good points made. We always had give and take. It was never someone vs. somebody. All four of us developed a real tight bond -- creatively and personally. And if there was a problem, it was us four vs. somebody. It was us vs. them.

NRAMA: And... did you win?

GJ: You know, you always have give and take with editorial. It's the nature of the business. It's just like work. It's just like regular work. It's not like some huge, secret scheme behind the scenes. That's just gossip. There were a handful of debates, let’s say.

NRAMA: You’ve mentioned that you feel like you grew as a writer.

GJ: I totally did. Everything I do now is a function of me taking everything I learned from these other guys and applying it to my writing. Green Lantern, Action Comics, Justice Society of America.

NRAMA: Can you give an example of what you mean? Something they do or did that influenced you?

GJ: Literally, how they approached character. It's as simple as that. And I can't get much more specific. Watching how they approach it, and how they think about it, and how they put things together, and why they do things. And looking at my weaknesses and their strengths. That's how I learned.

NRAMA: Is there anything about readers that you learned, or about their expectations? You guys got feedback every single week and forced those of us who were reading 52 to adjust to a new type of storytelling.

GJ: Yeah, sure. Absolutely. I haven't really sat down and thought about making a list.

NRAMA: If nothing else, it's proof that readers can respond well to a book that doesn't necessarily rely on big-name characters.

GJ: I think for the characters who were in the book and what we were writing about, I'm still amazed at how well it did.

NRAMA: When Dan Didio revealed the meaning behind 52 in DC Nation, did you guys know that was coming?

GJ: No. We didn’t.

NRAMA: What happened?

GJ: Well, Dan's been really supportive of 52. And it's his job to do what he thinks is best. That's his job. That said, let’s get the letter pages back!

NRAMA: Ah! That’ll get you some kudos from the fans of letter pages, but I see a hidden motive there. Switching gears, then, let's talk about the weekly format. You guys made it work. But do you think it's here to stay?

GJ: I don't think you will see a weekly that will be the exact same thing as 52. Not for a long, long time. It takes writers willing to work together and set ego and self aside. Countdown seems to be structured storywise similarly to 52 where it looks like they're taking some minor characters throughout the DCU and following them through their storylines. That's how I see Countdown, although I don't know a lot about it. But it seems to me that it's taking the same kind of structure, where Paul Dini has crafted these storylines that touch upon major elements of the DC Universe using C- or D-list characters. Which is great -- utilizing characters that people can come to know and love, or despise, either way. But it's broken down where Paul writes the outline and the other guys come in and script over the plot.

But while Countdown is structured similarly to 52, if there's another weekly after that, I don't think it will be structured anything like 52 or Countdown.

NRAMA: It will be something completely different?

GJ: I think it will have to be something completely different, because now we've seen it. Twice! We've seen what it looks like to do a weekly story within the DCU that focuses on a group of characters like this. I know, as a reader, I’d want something new if there was another weekly.

NRAMA: So you think if it’s something different and new, that the weekly format could theoretically be here to stay?

GJ: Sure. If it's a good story, why shouldn't it? Any book that brings people into the comic shop every week is a good thing.

NRAMA: You mentioned Countdown having C- and D-list characters. And clearly you guys established that as a viable storytelling device for a comic like this. You started with the broad description: "A year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman." That could have gone a lot of different ways. How did you come up with the idea to focus on these nine fairly obscure characters?

GJ: That first week, in breakdowns, the four of us along with Steve and Dan and J.G. -- we kind of went through aspects of stories we wanted to tell. Things we wanted to hit upon. And we started brainstorming about characters that would best illustrate those, so we'd have tragedy and redemption and passing the mantle and all these different stories. And they'd be in different parts of the DCU, from out in space to Kahndaq to Metropolis to Gotham City. So we broke it down and just started throwing out names of characters. Like Ralph Dibny, but then we started thinking of themes for him. And we started talking about characters who fit, and characters we liked, and characters we thought had stories within that world. And we all had characters we already really enjoyed -- like Greg had Montoya and I liked Black Adam. Booster Gold seemed like a natural -- he was the one character we always knew would be in the book. And then ...

NRAMA: Why is that? Why was Booster a "natural?"

GJ: Well, out of Countdown and through OMAC Project and into Infinite Crisis, he was the one character who had been affected by everything that was going on. And we really wanted to follow him.

And then we looked at, OK, who takes the role of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman during that year? So who takes the Batman role? Question, and Renee Montoya. So we were like, done. And Superman? Booster Gold. That first time we saw, "Look! Up in the sky," it was Booster Gold. And then who takes the place of Wonder Woman? And you see the Themiscyran embassy, and the Kahndaq embassy takes its place. We started out that way -- what happens when they're not there? What stories can we tell? How can the world be different?

NRAMA: Were there major changes to the story as you went along?

GJ: There were changes all along, but we knew everyone's ending that first week. We knew how everyone's story ended.

NRAMA: The last couple issues we just read? None of that has changed in a year?

GJ: Nope.

NRAMA: But other things did as you wrote the story.

GJ: Well, yeah. But that happens in everyone's stories. Everyone does an outline and certain things don't get in. And that's what we did. Certain things didn't get in there because we didn't have room, and other things evolved out of the story because, as you're writing, ideas came up. Like we got on 25 and said, "Hey, we should do this right here in 26!" and boom ... we did it. It's part of the process.

NRAMA: When you started, what character -- and it sounds like the answer to this is Black Adam -- but what character interested you the most at first, and did that ...

GJ: Black Adam.

NRAMA: [laughs] OK, obvious answer, but did that change as you went along?

GJ: Well, all the characters grew on me more. But Black Adam is still the character I was closest to. I grew really close to Booster Gold. And I really grew to love Montoya and Steel. All of the characters, I got more into. But Black Adam, I've been working with for so long -- he's been in JSA since back in 2002, so it's been awhile.

NRAMA: Did you guys write certain characters?

GJ: Yes and no.

NRAMA: OK.

GJ: What?

NRAMA You're doing that coy Geoff Johns-tight lipped thing. Didn't you pretty much write Black Adam's story or at least take the lead on that character, Geoff?

GJ: Yes and no. We all had our point characters. But we wrote everything. Even when I wrote a Black Adam scene, we still plotted that scene together. Except for the World War III specials.

NRAMA: Right. Those were created completely separately from you guys, right? After you finished Week 50 of 52 and were pretty much removed from the process.

GJ: Yeah. We didn’t know what those were going to be. We wrote #50 and then they created those specials.

NRAMA: OK, so everyone wrote everything because you plotted it together. But what's your favorite moment that you can truly say somebody else wrote?

GJ: Hmmm. Wow, there's a lot of them I like.

NRAMA: Can you name one for each writer?

GJ: OK, OK. I really liked the death of the Vic Sage.

NRAMA: The climb up the mountain.

GJ: Yeah.

NRAMA: Montoya's desperation, and the blood on the mask.

GJ: That was a great scene. Great scene.

NRAMA: And Greg wrote that.

GJ: Mmm hmm. It was fantastic. It was a great scene.

And I love when Magnus steps on that island for the first time.

NRAMA: And sees all the craziness of the scientists!

GJ: Yes! And it's like, "whoa!" It was so much fun. And Grant wrote that scene.

NRAMA: And Mark?

GJ: My favorite scene from Mark? Wow, there's a lot I like from Mark too. I think my favorite is the death of Booster Gold. Because it's so over the top, and he's acting like such an asshole. And we knew why.

NRAMA: You knew all along that it was part of the plan for him to pretend to be that way. You knew why he was pretending to be a jerk.

GJ: We totally knew why. And Supernova's right there. And if you know what's coming up, it's so much fun to read and to look at the reaction from the readers. "Why's he such a jerk?" It was so fantastic, 'cause we played it that way. We're not stupid. Of course, we knew people would say, "He's not a jerk anymore! He's a hero! Why'd he do that? Why'd he go out that way?" Of course people would say that. And that's why I love that scene. It was meant to get people to say that. I loved to see people go, "Why did he do that?" Because when he came back, it was like, "Yeah!" It was a great scene, and I think Mark really played that scene to perfection.

NRAMA: OK, what was your favorite scene that you wrote?

GJ: Favorite scene I wrote? There was a scene I wrote with a line... I'm trying to remember. Oh, I know. The favorite scene I wrote was when they rescue Isis' brother, and he becomes Osiris for the first time. And then Question's standing there, and he says, "Shazam." And Montoya says, "What are you doing?" And Question says, "Just seeing if it's contagious."

I like that scene because when I wrote that, Greg called me and -- because I love the way Greg wrote Question and Montoya together -- he called me and said, "That was great." And I thought, OK, I got it. I got those guys down. So that was my favorite scene.

And I really liked the Isis/Black Adam stuff. There was a lot of that stuff that I really enjoyed writing.

NRAMA: Yeah! You guys created Isis, and everyone loved her. But Black Adam lost her. Poor guy.

GJ: Yeah. Absolutely poor guy.

NRAMA: And the loss caused World War III, and now he's without his powers. Did it have to go down that way because it needed a blockbuster ending?

GJ: Nope. It's just a story.

NRAMA: Just a story.

GJ: Yep. It's a Black Adam story. If it was a Captain Marvel story, he would have gone off into the sunset as a happy camper. That's just who Captain Marvel is, and who his story should be about. Black Adam is unfortunately not that character. And you don't want him to be that character.

NRAMA: He's even more complicated now than he was before, though.

GJ: Absolutely. He lost his family for the second time.

NRAMA: As a result of that, he became such a bad-ass, and became so enraged at the world.

GJ: Well, you can understand his rage because you were there with him. Everything we did with his family, I really thought was strong. And I caught myself laughing at Osiris and Sobek as they were like, goofing off. And Sobek was funny. They were. But that wasn't what Sobek really was.

NRAMA: See, I never really liked Sobek. Loved Isis and Osiris, but never really liked Sobek.

GJ: Why? Because he was annoying?

NRAMA: Yes! But now I know why! There was a reason for it.

GJ: [laughs] Yeah. There's something so ridiculous about the fact that half of Issue #43 ends like a Scooby Doo cartoon, with Osiris looking at Black Adam and saying, "I'll be like you. I'll try." Then the family hugs a little bit. And then ... [laughs] Sobek says, "I could really go for some hummus and lamb right now." And Isis says, "Oh, Sobek." It's almost a freeze frame with laughter from a cartoon.

NRAMA: And then at the end of the issue ...

GJ: ... you find out Sobek's true purpose. And it was horrifying.

NRAMA: Huge surprise.

GJ: It was horrifying!

But you know, it's going to be really interesting for people to go back and read all 52 issues again. Because you'll see things you didn't notice before. You know, you read them so fast. That's just how people read comics -- they get six at a time and they read them really quick. And they miss a lot of stuff. And with 52, there are so many things in the book compared to a lot of other books out there that... you know...

NRAMA: There are hints or ironies or foreshadowing that we didn't even notice the first time around.

GJ: Yeah. It's a dense book. You have to read that book. You'll see very few huge splashes or flashy pages, because we didn't have time for that kind of stuff. We really focused on storytelling rather than big, flashy spectacles. And that's why I think it's going to be really interesting for people to go back and read it again. Like, they're going to see a whole new complexity to Steel's adventure. A new complexity to Buddy Baker in space. All that stuff. Even seeing Nightwing popping in and why. You're going to see a whole new level of reading to it when you sit down and read all 52 issues.

NRAMA: Because the readers know the ending now? Is that what you mean?

GJ: Yeah. They know the ending. They can inspect things.

NRAMA: Like when you read the death of Booster and saw it so differently than the rest of us.

GJ: Exactly. When you read Booster and know what he's doing the whole time, it's such a different story.

NRAMA: You set us up on almost everybody -- you know that, don't you? Made us all look like fools.

GJ: Yeah! [laughs] But that's the idea. To surprise people.

NRAMA: You know, now that we're talking about it -- do you think it was even more important to have surprises and mysteries like that because it was a weekly? Or because it was such a long story? I mean, from a writing standpoint?

GJ: Yeah, it was more like a TV show. We all agreed on that.

NRAMA: Well, like you said, it was dense. But it always had those ongoing mysteries.

GJ: Yeah. It was more like ... well, Greg's a novelist. Obviously. And Grant equated it to a long mystery novel. It's over a thousand pages. So sure, the format and the structure made us think even more about the long-term mysteries.

NRAMA: We've been looking back, but let's look forward a little. Now that we know Booster's ending, can you talk about how his story in the last couple issues will play a part in your Booster Gold ongoing series?

GJ: Well, it's going to play off the idea of the ruptures in the multiverse, and Rip Hunter is going to be involved. It will explore what the next stage of that is, and what has happened to the timestream now that there are holes all over it from Mr. Mind. They have to fix everything.

NRAMA: It's great that Booster's the one who saved the day in 52.

GJ: He saved everything!

NRAMA: In the beginning of the story, you wouldn't have picked him.

GJ: No way. He's the ultimate hero. To me, that's who he is. And it's the tagline of the Booster Gold series: "The greatest hero the world will never know." And that's what he is.

NRAMA: And Daniel is Supernova?

GJ: Yes, but as you'll see quickly, it's a temporary thing. And Daniel's reaction to doing it will be played out in the Booster Gold series. We'll see more of it, but he's not too keen on the idea. He's in over his head, he doesn't like it, and he did it to help. But now he's found a new use for the uniform in Issue #1.

NRAMA: [laughs] I'm scared to ask.

GJ: [laughs] Oh, yeah! I really enjoyed those two characters together. The Booster Gold series will focus on Booster, Skeets, Rip Hunter and Daniel.

NRAMA So Skeets and Daniel do play a part in the series? That’s the first time we’ve heard that. I guess it would have spoiled 52 if you’d revealed it before.

GJ: Yeah. Daniel is -- you can look at it this way -- he has all the bad traits that Booster Gold has. He's where Booster Gold gets all of his crap.

NRAMA: Because Daniel's his ancestor.

GJ: Yes! Booster inherited it all from him. So whenever Booster looks at Daniel, he sees this guy who's given him all the baggage that he's carried. He's the ancestor, yet he's the idiot and Booster's like, ugh. He's really this primitive Booster Gold because he made the same mistakes. Like he screwed up in college, he's into football, and you find out more about that. And he's really immature and lazy. It's frustrating because Booster sees a lot of his old self in him. And that can frustrate anybody, to have to face who you used to be.

NRAMA: So you mentioned these holes in the multiverse. Can you explain what the multiverse is now in the DCU?

GJ: It's 52 universes.

NRAMA: That's the whole description of it? 52 universes?

GJ: Yes. You have New Earth, and then you have Earth-1 through Earth-51.

NRAMA: We’ve seen some hints about what some of the earths are. Are we going to see more of those in the Booster Gold series?

GJ: You'll see some of them. But a lot of them are going to show up in the DC Universe. You'll see the new Earth-2 in Justice Society of America at some point in the next year. You'll see some of the stuff in Countdown, I believe.

NRAMA: Do they fit the descriptions of former earths? Or are they kind of open-ended now?

GJ: Right now, they're just out there. 52 earths. That's all. And you'll start to see them here or there, but the goal really is, like the end of the issue said, "It's a world full of possibilities." We don't want any rules on our stories. So let's be able to tell stories of all sorts of different things.

NRAMA: But after Infinite Crisis seemed to attempt some kind of former multiverse return and played upon that old idea, why go back to a different, new multiverse that exists out there? A new one that hasn't been explored at all?

GJ: Because there are still stories to tell. The idea of a multiverse should be available for those stories. Why put things on a shelf and let them get dusty? Why not put them out there so people can use them? If you don't want to use them, don't use them. But if you want to use them, they're there. That's what we're all about right now -- not putting rules on things. The DC Universe has always been about stories of all types and different interpretations of characters. Let that continue. Allow a megaverse to exist. Allow a book to be anything it wants to be. Allow the characters that people love to be able to be used.

NRAMA: No rules. OK, Geoff. Let's look back on 52 again. Do you have any one regret? And at the same time, one thing that you're most proud of?

GJ: Well, no. I'm really ... I mean, no.

NRAMA: No regrets?

GJ: No, because I had a great time with these guys. It was really fun. There's always things you'd change in anything you do.

NRAMA: C'mon, Geoff. No tight-lipped answers allowed here. Just give us one, "I wish we would have..."

GJ: I wish we would have had more space. [laughs]

NRAMA: There you go. More space for more stories!

GJ: With those characters? We could have told another 25 issues worth of stuff.

NRAMA: If only comics came out more than once a week.

GJ: [laughs] No way! We would have all jumped off a bridge!

NRAMA: OK, so the second part of that question: The thing you're most proud of.

GJ: Just the comic as a whole, and being part of something that innovative. I look at what everybody did, and it's really something to be proud of, and something that was different and changed expectations. There are still people scratching their heads on how we did it, and how it did so well.

And I'd guess, along with Countdown, people are attempting to emulate the success of 52. I'm sure there's talk of more weekly projects.

NRAMA: Anything else you want to say about 52?

GJ: I just want to thank all the readers who reached out and supported the book. It was a major, major commitment. And I'm really thankful that they took a chance on it. And I'm thankful we took a chance on it too. Hope you had fun.

Previously:

Mark Waid

[kingofcities]

Great interview.

Now bring on Booster.

[BryanS7]

I just remembered that Booster Gold was coming out soon -- has it even been solicited yet? I'm definitly checking that out. Interesting that Daniel is going to be a part of the book for the long term, it looks like.

Animal Man, Question, and Batwoman. Where are they going to pop up next?

[caats19]

iii can't wait for booster gold.

[rwe1138]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

That said, let’s get the letter pages back!

Here here!

Great interview, btw.

[jonnynyc]

congrats!
you are the man!

[Lucifer]

Best writer in the biz

[SpyGuy]

So when exactly is the first issue of BOOSTER GOLD scheduled to arrive? At least ask Geoff the question...

[Carter101]

Or Ghost Ralph?

[s*p rules]

How about a "WWIII" Black Adam vs. a "WWH" Hulk smackdown? Wouldn't that be sweet? And Geoff is exactly right; I plow through my stash every Wednesday night, and usually only re-read one or two books that deserve it. Hell, I'm not really sure where all my 52 issues are (bagged and put in various boxes somewhere - I know, blasphemy), but when the trades come out, it will be fun to re-read the story again with a knowing eye (kind of like watching Sixth Sense for the second time).

The scene with Booster and BB was great, maybe Booster will bump into Ted again someday...

[Lasagna Bomb]

I'm really digging these interviews. The guys from 52 seem like family, wish we could have seen those 25 more issues worth of stories

[rdrsfn82]

Glad to hear that Daniel will be in the new Booster Gold book. I really can't wait for that one. I guess this also explains where they will be bringing in the Earth-2 Superman taht was hinted at in JSA #1.

[Scorned1]

Originally Posted by Lasagna Bomb

wish we could have seen those 25 more issues worth of stories

That's where Countdown comes in. You'll get 52 more issues.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by from the interview

NRAMA And Mark?

GJ My favorite scene from Mark? Wow, there's a lot I like from Mark too. I think my favorite is the death of Booster Gold. Because it's so over the top, and he's acting like such an asshole. And we knew why.

NRAMA You knew all along that it was part of the plan for him to pretend to be that way. You knew why he was pretending to be a jerk.

GJ We totally knew why. And Supernova's right there. And if you know what's coming up, it's so much fun to read and to look at the reaction from the readers. "Why's he such a jerk?" It was so fantastic, 'cause we played it that way. We're not stupid. Of course, we knew people would say, "He's not a jerk anymore! He's a hero! Why'd he do that? Why'd he go out that way?" Of course people would say that. And that's why I love that scene. It was meant to get people to say that. I loved to see people go, "Why did he do that?" Because when he came back, it was like, "Yeah!" It was a great scene, and I think Mark really played that scene to perfection.

Apologize to the writing team, RocketeerZ...you apologize right now.

[mrbones]

52 is the greatest thing I've ever read in Comic Book History. It should win all the best awards. I give it an A+ !! Excellent Job Guys!!

[dantebk]

As much as I love Johns, I'm not too excited about a Booster Gold time travel series. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something in (or not in?) the concept that's keep me ambivalent. Time travel is a little out there for me anyway. But I'll keep on reading JSA and GL so don't worry, sir! Thanks for the glory that was 52!

[Scavenger]

So why was a multiverse needed? Other than these writers have a fetish for the Silver Age...what's the point? There was already..sigh..Hypertime...and Elseworlds and all of that.
Gotham By Gaslight didn't need an "Earth" it was just told..same with the kelly Jones vampire story that followed it. Later they were given an imprint for marketing.

Captain Marvel etal are still on Nu Earth, but there's now an Earth S or whatever...why? So Jeff Smith's monster society has a world? Those didn't look like his Marvels...so there's gonna be 5 different Shazam Earths?

Wildstorm's been part of a DC Multiverse for a while now, Captain Atom was stuck there pre-IC...yet Earth 50-Wildstorm only just got created?

You want the JLA to meet evil version's of themselves...so just do it. JLU didn't need "the Multiverese" to have the Justice Lords or Justice Brigade show up..

The fact that the Multiverse was recreated by a moth barfing all over the place seems to be a metaphor.

[Anubis82169]

I'm right there with Scavenger on this one. I'm a long time DC fan & grew up with the Multiverse. But I have grown to love & enjoy the one Earth/one Universe that DC evolved into since the end of the 1st Crisis. DiDio & Ross need to get over ther SA fetish & allow for things to evolve & grow like they have since 1986.

[durkadurka]

Gotta hand it to Mr. Johns. Titans has been amazing, JSA is one of the best super hero comics i've ever read, and his work on Green Lantern has got me interested in Hal Jordan. And i'm drooling for Sinestro Corps.
52 was damn good. Thanks a bunch for all the awesomeness.
I will miss him on Titans. It has been one of those books that i got really excited about. But i dont think i'll be disappointed with his replacement.

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by Anubis82169

I'm right there with Scavenger on this one. I'm a long time DC fan & grew up with the Multiverse. But I have grown to love & enjoy the one Earth/one Universe that DC evolved into since the end of the 1st Crisis. DiDio & Ross need to get over ther SA fetish & allow for things to evolve & grow like they have since 1986.

There, there....just take it easy, and you folks can get over your phobia over certain ideas right quick and get your sanity back....

Just remember, it's not the ideas that are inherently bad...it's how you handle them...

[Scavenger]

Originally Posted by gwangung

There, there....just take it easy, and you folks can get over your phobia over certain ideas right quick and get your sanity back....

Just remember, it's not the ideas that are inherently bad...it's how you handle them...

They created the multiverse by having a giant moth barf on planets.

Does that not sum up how they handle them?

So now there's New Earth and numbered earths...all of which are apparently subordinate to the "real earth"...but they can't even do that right, as I pointed out with the Shazam Earth problem..

So what does "THE MULTIVERSE"--a structured concept--- give you that just writing a freaking story doesn't?

[Happyhatter]

[quote=MattBrady]
NRAMA: What happened?

GJ: Well, Dan's been really supportive of 52. And it's his job to do what he thinks is best. That's his job. That said, let’s get the letter pages back!
[quote]

Let's get the Letter pages back!!!!

[Happyhatter]

And can't wait for Boost Gold & Sinestro Corps... Geoff is going to make this a summer to remember

[DocBrass]

Originally Posted by Scavenger

So why was a multiverse needed? Other than these writers have a fetish for the Silver Age...what's the point? There was already..sigh..Hypertime...and Elseworlds and all of that.
Gotham By Gaslight didn't need an "Earth" it was just told..same with the kelly Jones vampire story that followed it. Later they were given an imprint for marketing.

Captain Marvel etal are still on Nu Earth, but there's now an Earth S or whatever...why? So Jeff Smith's monster society has a world? Those didn't look like his Marvels...so there's gonna be 5 different Shazam Earths?

Wildstorm's been part of a DC Multiverse for a while now, Captain Atom was stuck there pre-IC...yet Earth 50-Wildstorm only just got created?

You want the JLA to meet evil version's of themselves...so just do it. JLU didn't need "the Multiverese" to have the Justice Lords or Justice Brigade show up..

The fact that the Multiverse was recreated by a moth barfing all over the place seems to be a metaphor.

pretty good summary.
I thought that was why Elseworlds was created.

I'm not that big of a DCU history buff, but I was happy with one Earth. now the stories are going to snowball into a Marvel 616 and Days of Future Past storylines.

maybe the Legion will get cleaned up in the JLA/JSA crossovers going on right now.

[NeonZ]

So why was a multiverse needed? Other than these writers have a fetish for the Silver Age...what's the point?

A more consistent relationship between these universes rather than a bunch of one shots and inconsistent rules for travel between them?

Technically, DC originally only had a single universe until the 60s when the Earth-2 and Earth-1 concepts were introduced. So, if anything, an universe is a much bigger regression than a multiverse.