KEITH GIFFEN ON DC/WILDSTORM: DREAMWAR

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

When Keith Giffen takes on a crossover between the DC and Wildstorm universes in DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar, the question won't be who shows up in the series. According to Giffen, it's going to be more appropriate to ask who doesn't.

And among those who do show up will be the Legion of Super-Heroes, a team that fans have been clamoring for Giffen to touch again.

While we talked to the writer/penciller briefly last month about the crossover, Giffen has now given Newsarama more details about the series. Beginning in April, the six-issue mini-series will be pencilled by Lee Garbett, who works with Giffen on Wildstorm's ongoing Midnighter series, and will launch with a cover by Mike McKone. And don't let the title fool you -- Giffen says the characters won't wake up afterward and realize it was all a dream, and the events – like many recently - will have a lasting effect on the Wildstorm Universe

And as we asked him about writing the Legion again, we found out what other characters might show up, from the Authority to the Teen Titans to the Justice League to the residents of Tranquility.

Newsarama: What can you tell us about the crossover and what people will be reading about?

Keith Giffen: It's pretty straightforward. It's DC characters vs. Wildstorm characters. And the way the story is laid out and the way the story is conceived, I think I've actually come up with a legitimate reason for heroes to meet, fight, then reason it out, then team up.

NRAMA: So, at first, they're fighting?

KG: Yeah. It's almost a cliché, isn't it? Every time we see superheroes meet, isn't that what happens? Thor and Spider-Man see each other and fight, even though, you know, they must have read about each other in the newspaper! They'll fight, and all of the sudden Thor will go, "Oh, wait a minute! You're not a robot!" And then they'll team up against the villain.

But this time, there is a legitimate reason for that.

NRAMA: A legitimate reason for them to fight?

KG: Yeah, for that comic book cliché to play out. And I hope we play it out in a way that has a little bit of freshness to it. I hate to think that people are going, "Well, here we go again!" I don't want it to feel like they're fighting in the 13th sequel again.

NRAMA: What are some of the match-ups we might see? I mean, when JLA/Avengers happened, we had to see Thor fight Superman and Batman fight Cap, you know? Will there be anything like that in the Wildstorm crossover?

KG: I don't want to spoil it. Let's just say some of the more obvious ones; I kind of shied away from because they were painfully obvious. I'm trying to shake things up. Certain conflicts, well, you just know they're going to happen. When you see Gen 13, you know they're going to go up against the Teen Titans. When you see The Authority, you know they're going to go up against the Justice League.

How the Legion of Super-Heroes fits in there is something I think will surprise readers.

NRAMA: Yeah! Let's talk about you getting back to the Legion of Super-Heroes. Have you started writing their part?

KG: I've written two issues so far.

NRAMA: And how does it feel to get back to those characters? It's been awhile for you, hasn't it?

KG: Yeah, it's been awhile. Legion of Super-Heroes is a concept that always exerts this weird type of siren song to me. I swear, I'm walking around, going "I've got to touch them again." And I wind up back toying around with them. This is something I thought would be interesting to play around with. I haven't dealt with the characters for awhile. This is an opportunity to go in and remind people of my take on the characters without violating anything that's gone on since I was on the book. And that's fun. It's fun to play around with those characters again. I've got a fondness for the concept.

NRAMA: Well, they've gotten a little bit of a resurgence recently, not only with the new version of the Legion in the current ongoing, but with that Action Comics storyline right now.

KG: Yeah, there's Action Comics. There's Jim Shooter coming back to the series -- one of the guys who put Legion of Super-Heroes on the map.

It seems like almost like a comic book reunion with John Ostrander coming back to do Suicide Squad right -- 'cause I sure didn't -- and Jim Shooter coming back to the Legion of Super-Heroes. People who helped shepherd these people through their most popular periods are coming back to play with them again. You know I'm a huge supporter of new talent, but why not have some of these guys give it a shot too? See if lightning strikes twice. I'm kind of pleased by that.

NRAMA: Getting back to the Legion story you're writing within this crossover -- there have been a few different versions of the Legion. Is it safe to assume this is going to be the Legion you wrote?

KG: Uh... nope!

NRAMA: No? Oh, OK. So this is a different Legion?

KG: Uh... kinda. Sorta. Maybe. Yeah. Well, it's a different Legion than I've ever written or I've ever had anything to do with. Yeah. People will have to read the story to find out more about it.

NRAMA: OK, we'll leave it at that. Now, does this have anything to do with the Armageddon crossover from late last year that spilled over into the Revelations mini-series that's currently going on in the Wildstorm Universe?

KG: No, not at all.

NRAMA: And you said this story you're writing doesn't involve the Multiverse at all?

KG: Nope. The Multiverse has had enough exposure for the time being. I think it's time to maybe put it to rest for a little white. And I wanted to come up with a way to have this crossover occur without having to go to Earth-4 and Earth-51 or Earth-12 or whatever -- just doing a nice, solid, self-contained story that does have ramifications for the Wildstorm. And also, I didn't want to deal with a lot of continuity issues, like how can I use Superman in this issue if he's in Milwaukee next week? It's too much like work and life's too short.

NRAMA: Can you tell us how you got around that, or is that one of the mysteries you want to answer in the story?

KG: That's one of the things you'll get in the story. But I can tell you that the events that happen in the Wildstorm Universe are true. It's not an imaginary story. It's not going to turn out to be a dream that somebody wakes up from.

NRAMA: Yeah, 'cause “Dreamwar” implies it is some kind of dream.

KG: Yeah, the title is appropriate and yet misleading, which is kind of interesting. [laughs] I looked at the title and thought, "Uh oh, people are going to think it's just a dream." But in a weird way, it's appropriate!

But I'll tell you one thing -- it's not going to be where somebody wakes up and says, "Oh, it's all a dream!" Nobody's going to step out of the shower. There are no bargains with Mephisto.

NRAMA: [laughs] So just to clarify: Everyone in the Wildstorm Universe will remember it afterward, and it's going to have ramifications even after it's done.

KG: Yes. Exactly.

NRAMA: But, the DC characters that appear -- will it have any effect on the DC Universe?

KG: It's mostly about the Wildstorm Universe. It's not going to have any ramifications on the DC Universe as such. In other words, we're not going to go to DC and blow up Metropolis or something like that. This is a story that takes place within the Wildstorm Universe. It is a crossover in that the DC characters will cross over into the Wildstorm Universe. And this will be the Wildstorm Universe dealing with the ramifications of it. But no, it's not going to be all of the sudden, at the end, nobody remembers it happens. Everyone's going to remember it happened, and everyone's going to find out exactly why this happened.

NRAMA: OK, then can you tell us why this is something DC and Wildstorm are officially doing now? Why is this the right time for an official crossover?

KG: The timing? You got me. I know that Wildstorm does want to shake up their line of books and, well, I wouldn't say push them in new directions, but just sort of trim off some of the fat. And I guess they figured that the best way to get maximum attention to the fact that something crazy is happening in the Wildstorm books would be to throw the DC characters in there and start it off with a bang.

That said, I'd like to think I'm not writing a crossover for the sake of writing a crossover.

NRAMA: That said, what would you say to fans to convince them that this isn't a crossover just for the sake of doing a crossover?

KG: Read the first issue! I wish I had something I could say that would convince people across the board that it's not going to be the case, but you'll just have to take me at my word, and when you pick up the first issue decide, did he pull it off or didn't he pull it off? There is no way on earth, especially with all these crossovers, that you can convince the people out there that this crossover will be different. This will be not something that you've seen before, not covering the same old ground, because there have been so many crossovers and so many promises have been made that it will be "more dynamic!" and "have long-range ramifications!," and it just doesn't happen.

I would say that if you enjoyed Annihilation, you will enjoy the Wildstorm/DC crossover.

NRAMA: Oh, really? Is it the same kind of tone as Annihilation?

KG: Yes. The same kind of tone in that you take the same kind of characters that maybe people haven't been paying a lot of attention to and spin them around a little bit. But drop them into a story that's worth telling. I think that's the critical part of these crossovers. If the story's not worth telling, then why do the crossover in the first place? If you're just cobbling together a story so you can see Dr. Fate beating up on The Doctor? That might appeal to a handful of people. But it really doesn't pay off in the end and I think it's cheap to the fans. And I am making sure this is a story that would be worth telling even if it wasn't a crossover.

NRAMA: What can you tell us about working with Lee Garbett?

KG: He's also on Midnighter. And I've seen some of the pages from Dreamwar, and he's doing very, very tight pencils and breakdowns. And then we put the finishing touches on it by Trevor Scott. And you know -- come on -- Trevor Scott. You know it's going to look good. So I'm not worried about the art at all. It seems so far that he's pulling off the story beats that I need. So yeah, it looks like it's going to be the complete package here with great art.

NRAMA: And if you say it's like Annihilation, then there has to be a lot of characters for him to draw, right?

KG: There are a lot of characters in the book. A whole lot of characters. I mean, almost all or arguably all of the Wildstorm characters, and quite a few of the DC characters. I'm trying to think... yeah, in terms of the main DC characters, nobody's been left out.

NRAMA: Well, then, since you say nobody's been left out, to finish up, do you want to share something you've written or plan on writing for the series that you think is particularly cool or interesting because of the characters?

KG: Oh, yeah. The one part of the storyline that I'm kind of pleased with, and it went down with Gail Simone's blessing, is when the Justice Society shows up in Tranquility.

NRAMA: Oh! No way!

KG: Geriatric wars, man! [laughs] Any book that's got old people pounding the shit out of each other -- c'mon! It's worth the price.

[rwe1138]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

KG:The one part of the storyline that I'm kind of pleased with, and it went down with Gail Simone's blessing, is when the Justice Society shows up in Tranquility.

NRAMA: Oh! No way!

KG: Geriatric wars, man! [laughs] Any book that's got old people pounding the shit out of each other -- c'mon! It's worth the price.

"That's gold, Jerry. Gold!"

[Punchy]

If it's like Annihilation, then I'll check it out.

Plus, I want to see Midnighter kick Batman's ass.

[finnegan]

AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME!

[Salieri]

Grifter's Powers include making Batman GRIN?

[Yung Hot Rod]

Seems cool. I wasn't a huge fan of Giffen's writing of Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman in Four Horsemen, but I'll give this a try anyway.

[Walter o'Dim]

This looks kinda cool, but I think I would have rather just seen an Authority/JLA crossover.

[coolmvm]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

KG: Oh, yeah. The one part of the storyline that I'm kind of pleased with, and it went down with Gail Simone's blessing, is when the Justice Society shows up in Tranquility.

NRAMA: Oh! No way!

KG: Geriatric wars, man! [laughs] Any book that's got old people pounding the shit out of each other -- c'mon! It's worth the price.

Now that would be interesting to see within this event.

[Kevin T. Brown]

the events – like many recently - will have a lasting effect on the Wildstorm Universe.

Maybe I'm jaded, but "been there, seen that".... How many more "lasting effects" with the Wildstorm Universe have?

With Giffen writing, there's hope that the story will entertaining though..... We shall see what happens with the rest.

[BornToRun]

Very nice. Timing-wise, it's suspicious; I wonder if we'll see some Wildstorm characters (WildC.A.T.S., maybe?) being written by Morrison in the final issue or two of FC.

[Blackbeard]

Wow... this could be very cool. You can count me in.

[SageShini]

Originally Posted by Punchy

Plus, I want to see Midnighter kick Batman's ass.

I see that, and I'm out. Midnighter's a chump who works my nerves.

Also, this irks me:

KG: Nope. The Multiverse has had enough exposure for the time being. I think it's time to maybe put it to rest for a little white.

WTF. Six crappy-to-average one-shots and a weekly series that has mostly gleaned over the multiverse until just now and its time to put it to rest? C'mon man. Ah well. Not going to let that stop me from reading the mini, if only because I'm quite positive they're going to be using the multiverse a lot in 2008.

Plus, Justice Society in Tranquility is just too sweet to pass up.

[johnny.blaze]

Maaaaaaaaaaan super heroes vs super heroes is SOOOOOOO Played Out

we need more Super Villains vs Super Villains. That was one of the reasons Wanted was so cool.

[-Armando523-]

I want to see Midnighter kick Batman's ass.

[I-Ching]

Eh...I don't think this holds much interest for me...

That image of Superman vs Zealot? What kind of snooze inducing "battle" would that be? Wonder Woman vs Zealot maaaaybe, only because they're both amazons of a different sort.

Basically it's boiling down to Icons vs The Neglected Step Child Universe That Jim Lee Brokered A Deal With DC When He Signed To Work With Them But Now Mostly Neglects It Which Is Evident Since There Doesn't Seem To Be A Cohesive Vision For That Universe aka The Wildstorm Universe

skipping

DC should just bite the bullet and incorporate them into the DCU, just isn't cutting it on it's own.

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by johnny.blaze

Maaaaaaaaaaan super heroes vs super heroes is SOOOOOOO Played Out

we need more Super Villains vs Super Villains. That was one of the reasons Wanted was so cool.

Or at least cross universe Superheroes vs Super Villains book.
I can see the title now:
"The Punisher: Cleaning up Gotham...Permanently!"

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

Eh...I don't think this holds much interest for me...

That image of Superman vs Zealot? What kind of snooze inducing "battle" would that be? Wonder Woman vs Zealot maaaaybe, only because they're both amazons of a different sort.

Basically it's boiling down to Icons vs The Neglected Step Child Universe That Jim Lee Brokered A Deal With DC When He Signed To Work With Them But Now Mostly Neglects It Which Is Evident Since There Doesn't Seem To Be A Cohesive Vision For That Universe aka The Wildstorm Universe

skipping

DC should just bite the bullet and incorporate them into the DCU, just isn't cutting it on it's own.

Besides, didn't they already do this?? There was a JLA vs. Wildcats book.

As I recall Wonder Woman kicked Zealot's a$$

Grifter had one of the best zingers: "The Justice League huh? Great name though, guys: it says what it means and it's not afraid to get laughed at"

Then they all group hugged or something and went off and pounded a bad guy named Epoc.

[Sluggo]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

DC should just bite the bullet and incorporate them into the DCU, just isn't cutting it on it's own.

See, I actually have the opposite opinion. I think the Wildstorm Universe should be its own thing, with no ties to the DC Universe. All of this crossing over is diluting the waters and making the universe less unique.

Bottom line for me is that, fiscally, it might have been a good move for Jim Lee to sell his company to DC. But creatively it's been a bust.

I think a fresh restart on all Wildstorm properties is in order, with no ties to any other universe or even to their own past. None of these characters have been around so long that it will break that many hearts.

[newfoundma]

A Morrison/Quietly JLA/Authority would have been great. The Authority vs. the Big Seven League, and then the whole League reserves are called in. Maybe the Authority thought that the League's world needed stronger protectors and they try to take over. The league fights them, but when the everyday citizens start throwing themselves between the Authority beating the tar out of the League (who will not quit), the Authority understand that they are not wanted. As they leave, they solve a cataclysmic disaster that the League ddin't even know about, and the League is left to wonder whether they made a mistake and the Authority is left to wonder whether they should impose their wills on people who need their protection. Clearly, I haven't thought much about this ...

Back on topic, Giffen talks this up well. I'l probably pick it up in trade. Gen13 and Teen Titans sounds great.

[TmTrom]

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnny.blaze
Maaaaaaaaaaan super heroes vs super heroes is SOOOOOOO Played Out

we need more Super Villains vs Super Villains. That was one of the reasons Wanted was so cool.

Or at least cross universe Superheroes vs Super Villains book.
I can see the title now:
"The Punisher: Cleaning up Gotham...Permanently!"

Hah! Punisher Kills the DC Universe! I'd buy THAT!

[BanMan]

Originally Posted by Kevin T. Brown

Maybe I'm jaded, but "been there, seen that".... How many more "lasting effects" with the Wildstorm Universe have?

With Giffen writing, there's hope that the story will entertaining though..... We shall see what happens with the rest.

It's like everytime you look there's some big change in the WSU. Sometimes you'd just like things to settle for a moment.

I have faith that the story will be at least decent with Giffen behind it, though I'm not too thrilled about a DCU/WSU crossover at all. Here's hoping the entire WSU don't go down looking like chumps.

[BowieBolan]

Originally Posted by -Armando523-

I want to see Midnighter kick Batman's ass.

I want to see Midnighter kiss Batman's ass.

AHAHAHAHAHAHA

[SmileOnADog]

Giffen. Legion. Who put what in the where now? I'm there.

[Samy Merchi]

I dunno, Four Horsemen was all Trinity, and this by the cover seems to heavily focus on Trinity, and Trinity just bores me to tears.

If I'll buy this book, it'll be because of Legion, but it'd have to have more than a cameo role...

[KoozyK]

trade worthy. i'm giving up on dc minis unless they look outstanding, which this sadly does not.