DAN DIDIO ON DCU: DECISIONS

[MattBrady]

Everyone’s talking about politics these days, and in September, that will come to include the heroes and characters of the DC Universe.

The place for the discussion: DCU Decisions, a four-part miniseries shipping every other week in September and October, written by Bill Willingham and Judd Winick, with art and covers by Stephane Roux. The heroes…they’re drawn into the political arena both by circumstance and by the actions of one of their own. A look at the art to the right makes that latter part pretty clear.

We spoke with DCU Executive Editor Dan DiDio about the story, the idea behind it, and why in the world anyone would willingly bring politics into a place that’s politics-free these days.

Newsarama: Dan – first off. Why? What’s at the root of Decisions in terms of getting the project started in the first place?

Dan DiDio: We’re entering a very interesting election year this year, and what I think is important about it is that it’s that there’s this excitement – a sense of “building”…there’s change in the air in regards to the whole political process that’s at play in the United States. What we want to do is tap into that emotion, and tell a story that plays in the DC Universe with our characters, while using the political backdrop we’re seeing now to help to define our characters better.

NRAMA: So how far will the characters go? We’ve got the piece of promo art here, with Green Arrow and he’s not keeping anything vague…

DD: Right. For the first time, we’ll be having our characters make true political stands in regards to their leanings, as well as what motivates them to be heroes, and what they believe is necessary for their world and their country to move in the direction they believe to be the right one.

That’s the larger story.

NRAMA: What’s the inciting incident here?

DD: An assassin in the midst of the heroes that’s basically trying to disrupt and destroy the entire political process. In the opening sequence of the story, there is an assassination attempt on one of the candidates, which brings several of the heroes into the fold once they realize the scope of the conspiracy and more importantly, the impact that it would have on the government and the country.

As the heroes are motivated and start to react to the assassination attempts, they start to express their own political beliefs, and start to discuss amongst themselves the importance of the process, and their role in the process. Several of the beats we’ll be showing here will play out into the DCU following the miniseries as well.

NRAMA: The last time that the DCU touched upon politics in a big way was Lex Luthor’s run at the White House in the Superman titles, which he won. Given the character, that was pretty fictitious take on the process, with official parties not being named. This sounds like it’s closer to reality.

DD: Yes and no. This is not about the actual candidates. Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and John McCain do not appear in this comic [laughs]. These are candidates that represent particular political beliefs, and it’s more about why the heroes are motivated or respond to particular candidates themselves, or the platforms of particular candidates.

And also, this isn’t about a hero trying to become an elected official – this is about heroes choosing or naming a political affiliation in regards to their own beliefs, which include, of course, being a hero.

NRAMA: So, as in our world, the platforms of the candidates end up touching everyone’s lives in one way or another, that’s not different in a world with superheroes – most likely the platforms mention or include superheroes.

DD: Right. And just like in our world, there are moderate beliefs, there are conservative beliefs, there are liberal beliefs. There are Republicans and Democrats. The process and what the various political beliefs and parties stand for remain the same. We’ll be exploring those beliefs as they exist within the DC Universe.

NRAMA: Who are going to be the mouthpiece characters, for lack of a better term?

DD: Naturally, because of the way we’ve played Green Arrow over the years, and because of the One Year Later story where he became mayor, he’s front and center in the first issue, but beyond that, the story will literally run the gamut of the heroes in the DCU, and we’ll be exploring the story from a number of different heroes’ points of view as one roving reporter tries to pin down each of the heroes individual beliefs.

NRAMA: Of all the different directions you could go into and the things you can do with the characters, why in the world go here, into politics with a realistic edge? Of anything, save religion, politics have proven to be one of the most divisive forces of the past decade. As we’ve seen, even party members from the same party will turn on each other in a heartbeat. Why mix the ugliness of our world into something that is, as many people want to see it, escapist entertainment?

DD: Because of the process and the discussion that’s taking place in the world right now, and more importantly, it may be divisive, but it’s also defining. This is just another step for us to define who our characters are. This is something that we’ve been doing ever since Identity Crisis. With that, we examined people’s personal beliefs on what it took to be a hero and how much they were willing to sacrifice for it. In regards to the heroes of the DC Universe, I’ve always said that our heroes are proactive. They go out and they try to do good. Where the differences come from with the heroes is based in what is their idea of the greater good? Again, in examining what people’s political beliefs are, you also start to understand what they believe the greater good to be, and it helps define our characters further. Therefore I think it’s a good thing for us to bring this examination to our stories and to our characters so we can further hone and differentiate who our characters are and who our different heroes are.

NRAMA: So in setting things up, who sat down with the list of characters and put people on different sides of the aisle, as well as sticking right in the middle?

DD: We started with four people in the room – myself, Ian Sattler, Judd and Bill. The interesting thing about the two writers that we brought in is that each one of them have a political point of view that’s diametrically opposed to the other. What that allows us to do is, we believe, explore both sides of the story without selling one side short, or only giving one lip service while we fully explore the other. It allows us to explore all sides of the political process and the political motivations as the story develops. It’s not about a right or wrong, it’s about the whole process itself and more importantly, what motivates people to participate.

NRAMA: Speaking of participation – it seems that if superheroes existed, they’d fall somewhere along the celebrity/public servant continuum, that is, people who are actively sought out for endorsements. Green Arrow is clearly endorsing someone…but will anyone else?

DD: That’s actually is responsible for starting a lot of the story when Green Arrow actually endorses a candidate, and you see the actual effect of that endorsement as it plays out through the polls and the political process. That motivates and galvanized some of the other heroes to step up.

NRAMA: “Step up” meaning discussing it with other heroes, or “step up” and endorse their own candidates?

DD: Both.

NRAMA: End of the day, what do you want people to take away from this?

DD: I want people to take away an understanding of the depth of commitment of our heroes, not just that they’re vigilantes, but that they believe in the system that they participate in. I want people to take away that fact that our heroes are motivated by different reasons and have different views, but yet all of them are able to work together doing what’s right for the people they protect, for the country, and for the world. And I want people to take away the idea that all of our heroes aren’t of a single mind or of one motivation. Each one is driven and driven in different ways to do different things in order to achieve the greater good.

And of course, I really want people to take away a really fun, exciting story that plays against the backdrop of America today.

NRAMA: And if this one does well - DCU: Faith?

DD: [laughs] We never really did go there yet, but we do have a holy war going on in Rann/Thanagar: Holy War so we are touching on some of the larger themes that are common to all religions…

NRAMA: Any last teases?

DD: One last one – on the whiteboards that we’ve shown – we had up on there, “Superman: Red or Blue?” That’s about this series.

[caats19]

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm weird. i dunno if i particularly like it. i prefer seeing it through their actions.

[Simon DelMonte]

Ewww. And I say this as someone who is likely to agree with Ollie's platform.

I already don't care for Winnick, and think that Willingham is a bland writer of super-hero comics. But adding in politics? It sounds like one of those poltical films that means well and no one goes to see.

Never mind that the DCU and real world politics rarely mix well for me. Best to leave this sort of think to Marvel or Wildstorm.

[God-Man]

This could be interesting, or it could be really terrible.

[karmix33]

my first post ever on newsarama, and I'm among the firsts in this trhead!!!!! how cool is that?

Anyway, this mini looks interesting, I like Green Arrow and I've always loved his political background, but.... Winnikck.... well now that's not so good.

[Punchy]

Sounds fun, a more Marvel idea, but it should be good.

Man, anyone who got a Superman endorsement would be sure to win.

[caats19]

Originally Posted by karmix33

my first post ever on newsarama, and I'm among the firsts in this trhead!!!!! how cool is that?

on a scale from clinton to obama?

clinton's cleavage.

[Action Ace]

Well, this is a nice little Molitov cocktail on a Friday afternoon.

As a lifelong right wing Republican, I feel very sorry for the comic book characters that are going to get lumped in with my side of the political aisle.

[Andraxx]

Really, the most politics I ever wanted in a hero was Black Lightning as the Secretary of Education.

[Redcape]

I think I'll pass. My budget is way too tight as it is.

[G. Favreau]

This could be very interesting, or a train wreck in the making.

Either way, I will be one of the gawkers.

[Punchy]

Also, Stephane Roux on interiors?

That's pretty sweet.

[Lex]

I love discussing and thinking about politics, but I'm not sure I want it mixing into my comics. I'm not sure I want to see, let's say, Superman being a conservatve Republican (not that there's anything wrong with that ).

I think I'll at least check out the first issue, but I'm still a little worried.

[SouthtownKid]

This is an excellent chance for DC to alienate readers from their favorite characters.

Next, let's have them all get into some heated religious debate! Wheeee!

[I am MODOK]

Originally Posted by Punchy

Also, Stephane Roux on interiors?

That's pretty sweet.

That's the part that is going to make this pretty hard to pass up. Plus I've rarely read a Willingham story I didn't dig. But I usually don't like Winick's stuff, so It's kind a mixed bag for me.

I'll probably keep an eye on the reviews and wait for the trade.

[luckybucky]

DD: One last one – on the whiteboards that we’ve shown – we had up on there, “Superman: Red or Blue?” That’s about this series.[/quote]

OK, that's just absolutely disgusting. Abominable. Offensive to the core.

PLEASE let Superman soar above this morass.
Geoff Johns nailed it in Action's Superman and the Legion: "You should know better, officer. I'm for everyone."

The closest we needed to come to this entire premise was Meltzer's two line dispute between Wally's Flash and Green Arrow about the nature of the GA/Hawkman argument:

"All those years, we thought it was about politics."
"Kid, you're not listening. It was always about politics."

Got it: we choose our parties based on our personal ethics.

'Nuff said.

What will be truly awful is if they start badly stereotyping voting blocs. For instance, automatically depicting Catholic characters as stereotypically conservative. When in real life, though Catholic voters tend to be spically conservative on life issues, they are often equally liberal on labor, peace and pocerty issues. They can't be nailed down as either "liberal" or "conservative." They're almost their own flavor.

Didio's remarks didn't sound nuanced enough to make such distinctions about anyone. And he so glibly dismisses the idea of DC: Faith.

Doesn't he get (as the above example so clearly shows), the two are automatically intertwined on so many levels for so many people?

I'm not going anywhere near this, no matter how excellent the execution, it's just so disrepsectful as a concept.

[adama]

Funny, I almost never like it when writers just shoehorn in their personal political beliefs but now that they are making a book just about it I'm intrigued. How intrigued? I'll check out the first issue.

Superman: RED or BLUE? I say blue.

[shanealt]

Originally Posted by caats19

on a scale from clinton to obama?

clinton's cleavage.

[themanyouhat]

If this doesn't convince the last few holdouts that Didio needs to go, I don't know what will.

[jonbrak1]

No, thank you.

1) I like to keep my comic book world separated enough from the real one so that I can actually escape from reality. I'm going to be seeing enough election coverage in the real world this fall...I'm going to need an escape now and then.

2) I agree that this sounds like a Marvel storyline. Actually, it sounds like a spin on Civil War. I didn't read that, either.

I think this mini can be safely skipped.

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by themanyouhat

If this doesn't convince the last few holdouts that Didio needs to go, I don't know what will.

Frankly, think it's a fun idea.

WHy hasn't it been done before?

[deadkid]

I predict huge sales. This will beat out everything. ....man.....really.......You know....... Ahhh screw it.

I vote for Jonbrak1. Like I don't get enough politics in my everyday life, especially with elections coming up.

[HomoSuperior]

Boy, do I think this is a bad idea.

I'm a very political person, I work in politics, and I actually like politics in my comics. I really liked the premise for Civil War, for example, if not the execution. But I don't want to see politics done in such an explicit, didactic way. Give me metaphors, allegories--you know, STORYTELLING--rather than just outright declarations of partisanship.

But methinks there's just a smidge of publicity-hogging going on here, given the timing (i.e. leading up to the election), so craftsmanship probably isn't priority number one for DC.

[Clow]

I actually wrote an essay on this for an advanced composition class. My classifications:

Superman - Right leaning, because he's very respectful of authority and the proper channels of dealing with things. He's also the ultimate authority figure with the DC heroes, and seems like he would play more to that ideology.

Batman - Left leaning. With his vigilantism and more well known views (abhorrence of death could also mean opposition to capital punishment; a liberal view), as well as other things he's done (attempt to save Dr. Light from the mindwipe in Identity Crisis could equate to ACLU principles; again, a liberal view), I'd guess it's safe to say that Batman's on the left side.

Green Arrow and Hawkan have already explicitly said that Ollie's a democrat and Carter's a republican. This could get very interesting, I'm in.

[Kid Q]

This sounds really iffy, but I might give the first one a try. At least its written by both a liberal and a conservative, so who knows it might end up with some what of a balanced perspective.