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09-23-2006, 10:44 AM
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5.2 OR SO...WITH STEPHEN WACKER ON 52 #20
 Week 19 of DC’s 52 has come and gone, and once again it’s time to catch up with Editor Stephen Wacker about the issue. Just a quick recap – we saw Supernova in the Batcave looking at…stuff…spent a good time in space with Lobo and the space heroes, saw Steel help firefighters, and, just when it couldn’t get any nuttier, saw the Head of Ekron, where the Emerlad Eye was plucked from…Not making sense? Well, that’s why Wacker is here… Newsarama: Starting from the first page, and to keep the “Who’s Supernova” game going along full speed...is the Batcave protected in any specific way, security wise? Obviously, just about any and all heroes can get into it, but who else can? Safe to say that only those Batman wants in the cave can get in the cave, even while he’s off Love Boating? Stephen Wacker: You are correct. Simply put, Supernova is really, really good. We haven’t yet seen the full extent of his or her powers, but when they’re revealed, it’ll make sense how she or he got inside. Oh, and fans of effete British butlers should look forward to Christmas. NRAMAFor those of us not fully up on our Emerald Eyes – is this the first mention of the Head of Ekron? Or at least first sighting? And did Lobo do the tearing? SW: Head of Ekron is new. It’s been called the Emerald Eye of Ekron for years but we never knew what Ekron was. There have been a lot of good Emerald Eye stories throughout the years, but some of my favorites are from the L.E.G.I.O.N. series from the late-80s, early ‘90s - which also starred Lobo for a time, my research lovin’ friends. NRAMA: If you can recall, who brought the Emerald Eye to the table (figuratively)? And was the head a part of the package at first, or did that come in later? Are we going to see more of Ekron’s body parts? SW: My memory is that Grant had made a good point early on in our meetings that he wanted the team caught in the Zeta beam accident (from weeks 4 and 5) to be extremely messed up physically and psychologically. The idea was to really show the terror and pain of interstellar disaster and instantaneous spacefolds rather than have everyone disappear into a special effect hole and wake up in a safe lump on the ground. They were all riffing on the idea of Green Lantern missing an eye and the one he had not being his and that led Grant to thinking about the Emerald Eye. The Emerald head idea is expanded on in the script. I’ll ask the guys if they mind if I share that here. Remind me next week, internet. NRAMA: So where are Lobo and our intrepid heroes off to now? SW: Offstage for a bit. The writers are trying to represent, as closely as they can (while still fitting their story into 52 weeks), the realities of space travel and not have them travel instantly from place to place. Think of it like crossing over a border into another country. There’s more to it than just walking across, so it will take a bit to get to their next stop. What’s important is that between the Emerald Head of Ekrron and Lady Styx, we have a slightly clearer ideas as to the threat that are out there waiting between the Emerald Head of Ekron and Lady Styx. NRAMA: We’ll have more from Geoff Johns on this on Monday, but in Green Lantern #13, we saw the Guardians chanting “52.” What the heck? Generally speaking, are we going to see a growing presence of 52’s storylines and elements in the DC titles? Any particular places we should be looking for tie-ins and touches? SW: The first place I’d look is in the ongoing books these guys are working on. Supergirl and the Legion, Batman, Checkmate and Teen Titans. Now that the One Year Later stories have several months under their staples to establish their status quos, you’ll probably be seeing more hints as to what happened in the missing year. (There was also another early clue in the last few pages of JSA #87, if you’re keeping count….and I know you are.) NRAMA: Finally, from one of our more literate, if not most literate reader: “Is the space plot intended to be a riff on The Odyssey? So far we've had episodes paralleling the lotus eaters (narcotic fruit), and the Cyclops (escape from the giant's cave). Now, with Starfire having let the proverbial hurricane out of the bag and the heroes returning "directly back through th' inferno all o' ya just crawled outta" (issue #19), it seems that Pope Lobo may be Aeolus…thoughts?” SW: Spot on. You nailed it. Y’know…there was a different Aeolus that had a twin…like Starfire? Coincidence….Hmmmm? 52! I am the Lizard King!!! And I just want to say that Newsarama posters are the most literate people on the internet. Nobody drops Homer refs into late-book threads like Newsarama posters!!!! Newsarama rocks! Goodnight, Internet!!! Don’t eat the brown acid! NRAMA: Er, after that flashback to English Lit…or something, it’s back over to you for your requisite teases this week – we’ve got Infinity Inc. coming down the pipe next week? SW: Yep. Here’s a good shot of next week’s cover:  And an extra bonus this week, Matt. I trolled Newsarama for more 52-related questions that need answerin’. Let’s dig in. Q: Will we see Waverider or the Linear Men in 52? SW: Yes. 27. Poor guy. Q: I just picked up the old Time Masters series starring Rip Hunter. In issue #2 we find out that Rip has a cousin named... Dan. Dan Hunter. Does this play into 52 events? SW: Yes, but not in the way you’re thinking. But more of you should pick that series up if for no other reason than the amazing Art Thibert art. Q: Will we be seeing any of the Legion of Super-Heroes in 52? SW: More likely you’ll see one of stars of 52 in Legion before too long. Paul Levitz presented a couple ideas to me and [Mark] Waid about ways to make 52 pay off for Legion that we liked, so keep your eyes peeled and ask me later. Q: Has "a few seconds will make all the difference" been fully realized yet? SW: Not yet. But it’s all we talked about this week in the conference call. Q: Is there any chance we could get a Q&A thread on the general DC universe and not specifically 52? SW: That sounds like a job for any editor other than me. Q: Any truth to the rumor that “52” refers to how many licks it takes to get the center of a Tootsie Pop? SW: No. That’s Three. Q: Skeets - Good? Evil? Driven by an agenda that's a little of both? Neither? SW: Where’s L-Ron? Q: About Animal Man's origin, did you do away with the mystical origin of his powers? If so, why does the list of essential readings for Animal Man include storylines that touch upon that? SW: Great question. The concept of the origins are what we deem a reader “needs” to know to get the basics of who the character is and what they do, not a complete history. Obviously everyone has a different opinion about what’s important, but I don’t think we’ve left major elements out of anyone’s story. The Animal Man origin gives you enough to head right into those amazing trade paperbacks which will expand on his story and show you the weirder aspects of Buddy’s life. Q: Any chance of seeing some of DC's better known historical heroes in 52 such as Jonah Hex, Sgt. Rock, Enemy Ace, The Unknown Soldier or The Viking Prince? SW: You named five of my favorite characters (Hex in particular. Pre-order your Jordi Bernet issues now, suckers.), so it’s possible, but we probably won’t take them out of their historical contexts. No Viking Prince vs. Lobo. Sorry. Q: Any chance of seeing what Kyle Rayner was up to in 52? I love him. SW: He was originally in issue #1 briefly, but was taken out. Maybe in the 2nd half of the series. Q: Regarding the waiters in Marseilles....where they staring at Ralph because he was talking to himself the whole time? Ralph seems to be seeing things that no one else sees. Is Devem altering his view of reality? SW: Great theory. Marseilles is important. Remember it. Q: In Week #18, there were a few pictures and headlines featuring the Croatoans in the Mystery House. Why did all (most of) the headlines look like they had been handwritten? SW: The artists (Eddy Barrows and Rob Stull) wrote in the headlines themselves. When I saw it I kind of liked the mix of typeset and handwritten (to suggest something other than a newspaper. Chalk it up to editorial whim. Q: Most importantly, in the group picture including Ralph and Bobo, our favorite chimp has a shirt reading "Grodd is my ???" What does the shirt say? I must know, WHAT DOES IT SAY?!? SW: “Grodd is My co-pilot.” Q: Steve, if Ralph Dibny becomes the new Dr. Fate I think I'm going to have a heart attack. Where do I send the medical bills to? SW: Bill Willingham. Q: Where is Orion? Will he appear in 52? SW: Not in 52…but it’s a good year to be an Orion fan. Q: Does the gas that affixes the pseudoderm mask to Question's face still change the color of his hair and clothes, as it did before, or has that been retconned? SW: It does when the clothes and hair are treated chemically. So much has been going on with Vic moving all over the globe; it made sense to me that Vic hadn’t been keeping up with the treatments. That call was all me, though. Rucka has asked the same thing several times (not as politely as you however). Q: How soon before we see the real architects behind the various super-hero programs being attempted by Luthor and Egg Fu? SW: Who’s “Egg Fu”? Is that a real guy? Luthor is in #21 next week. Q: In which issue will you reveal Supernova's identity?! SW: Issue #1. But I’m not saying issue #1 of what. Q: 52 is awesome, and I really do go to bed Monday and Tuesday nights thinking, Wednesday is so close! So close! SW: Funny - I lose sleep every Wednesday because it means one day closer to the next issue being due. I used to have 18 issues in my drawer, now they’re all on the stands! Working on the #35 script this week, so we’re in decent shape. Q: With all the stuff done with JLI characters so far, are their fans going to have a reason to cheer for them at some point? SW: Obviously we get this one a lot at 52 Central…mostly from readers unhappy about Blue Beetle’s fate (and now Booster’s). It’s an understandable concern. Giffen, Dematteis, Maguire and Helfer were smart enough 20 years ago to use great characters in that book (which is one of my favorites, too) and worked hard to make them even better. The fact that we’re still talking about most of that crew is a testament to that. I looked at several successful team books that are no longer around and made a list of what happened to those characters; for the most part the members had been drastically changed in the years after the team book went away. The teams gave those characters a spotlight, so when you need a dramatic change in a story those characters with name recognition, but without a home title, often make the most sense. Whether you cheer for them or not is a personal choice. We just hope you like the story, but I haven’t been involved in one discussion about killing or drastically changing a character that wasn’t complicated and involved. It’s not as willy nilly as you may think. (See, this is why I keep Giffen around. I usually just point at him and tell fans he said it was all okay.) Q: Will Tot Rodor make an actual appearance in the book, or is our old pal pee aitch dee relegated to name-dropping only? SW: Early November. Q: Why aren't you capitalizing on all the sudden, "Hey, we totally care about Booster Gold and Blue Beetle all of a sudden!" sentiment and rushing out a JLA: Classified arc featuring the pair and/or one of their League line-ups? SW: I don’t think we foresaw the controversy. Good idea though. I’ll tell Carlin and Marts. Q: Wacker, it’s obvious Booster is still alive since his origin appears in a few weeks. SW: Don’t read anything into that. The schedule was just based around Jurgens schedule because Mark and I really wanted him to do it as a final bow with Booster. Don’t waste too much time looking loopholes. Booster’s really dead. And don’t assume that just because a character has an origin, they survive the year…(I’m looking at you, John Henry.) |
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09-23-2006, 11:05 AM
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#2 |
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if you don't redeem booster, then you all just plain suck as writers. why go through all the trouble of making booster so key in IC, to kill him in such a stupid, stupid way
defend it all you want, these deaths of beloved characters is becoming the crutch of DCU writers. and when you run out of characters people care about, what then? Remember when Jared what's him name (Fate) died in JSA No. 1, allowing Dr. Fate to return? Do you remember anyone being up in arms about that? No, because no one cared. Mark my words, in 10 years, if the DCU writers keep this up, they won't have anyone left to kill that anyone really cares about. |
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09-23-2006, 11:16 AM
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#3 |
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Booster Gold is a second rate character. He's weak in every aspect. 52 #15 will go down as one of my favorite issues of all time because hopefully it will mark the end of Booster Gold. Lets hope he stays dead.
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09-23-2006, 11:34 AM
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#4 | |
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NOOOOO! Not John Henry! I really like him, even with the new powers!  (ian) |
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09-23-2006, 11:39 AM
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#5 |
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Week 20, not 19. Sheesh
 And Booster ain't dead. Of this I'm sure. Steel is probably gonna be dead meat (metal) though, although he's been dead before (the Superman family members have a thing about dying and returning, haven't they?) Give me more Will Magnus and his Metal Men, soon! And I think those waiters were annoyed about the flea-infested TALKING CHIMP, not looking oddly at someone talking to thin air  Lastly, #20 was, just like #19, quite the enjoyable issue (not least because this new take in Lobo is actually kind of neat). Both Pat Olliffe and Chris Batista are eye-pleasing artists when the inking isn't sub-standard (like Batista had to endure earlier in the run). More of them too, please. Last edited by BeastCharming : 09-23-2006 at 11:41 AM. |
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09-23-2006, 11:39 AM
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#6 | |
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Quote:
I assume he was kidding. Or "pulling a Quesada." He wouldn't spoil that here would he? And they dare not kill Steel; it's not like DC has THAT many top-tier black heroes. Steel rules. Glad he liked my suggestion about a Blue and Gold JLI arc or story. While I'd love to see Maguire draw them once again, I wonder, has Giffen ever drew the characters (I can't remember...I seem to recall some shorter pieces featuring J'onn)? Now, start your Infinity Inc. speculating. Is that just Lex's team, sporting new costumes and names? Did they force some poor bastard to get a Nuklon haircut? |
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09-23-2006, 11:42 AM
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#7 |
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No idea what Infinity Inc is, so I'm sure I couldn't possibly have asked for it. But I trust these guys, and will be excited anyway. :-)
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09-23-2006, 11:57 AM
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#8 |
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Is the new Infinity Inc made up of Luthor's quasi-heroes?
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09-23-2006, 12:05 PM
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#9 | |
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Anybody else catch the clue in JSA #87? The only thing I see out of place in the last few pages are an issue of Newstime with some heroes on the cover. |
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09-23-2006, 12:18 PM
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#10 | |
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yeah. But which Booster? Last edited by Nukeboy : 09-23-2006 at 12:56 PM. |
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09-23-2006, 12:21 PM
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#11 | ||||
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Hooray! I got some questions answered! I noticed Steve skipped my "How did "our" Booster get back to the future at the end of OMAC?" question. Has this been answered before? Is it important? Or does it not matter at all?
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Between this answer and the Guardians talking about 52 in the GL book, I'm getting worried that 52 won't have a real ending. Is 52 a complete story or is it just a lead in for the next event? Quote:
To quote a good man, "You will be very happy with the ending of 52. Very happy." Quote:
Really? DC just did two very successful "Bwah-ha-ha" minis and you guys were surprised with the controversy? Not trying to pick a fight - just curious. Quote:
I don't believe you. Now where's Ted?  |
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09-23-2006, 12:36 PM
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#12 |
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What clue was in JSA #87? I need to go re-read that now. Booster ain't dead, I just don't buy that (although they did kind of removed him from a scene in Blue Beetle #7 and replaced him with John Stewart). So I suppose Supernova is going to get his own book. Anyway, it's the butler Alfred. Either that or Batman really needs to get better protection for his cave.
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09-23-2006, 12:56 PM
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Quote:
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09-23-2006, 12:59 PM
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#14 |
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If the space heroes are undergoing the Odyessy, then it gives me more hope Buddy makes it back to Ellen. (Though who is trying to get in her pants while Buddy is gone?)
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09-23-2006, 01:04 PM
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#15 | |
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Quote:
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09-23-2006, 01:06 PM
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I think "52" will probably answer the question who or what is/are the 52, that info will then jumpstart the next event. |
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09-23-2006, 01:09 PM
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#17 |
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So Lex's team is Infinity Inc?
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09-23-2006, 01:39 PM
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#18 |
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Why does everyone asume Ralph will be the new Dr. Fate? The last Fate, Hector Hall, was died and was reborn. Doesn't it make more sense that the new Fate would be Sue.
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09-23-2006, 01:39 PM
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#19 |
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Any chance we'll see Perez and Waid do Starfire's origin?
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09-23-2006, 01:46 PM
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#20 |
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Talking about Marseilles... was that Marseilles, Illinois?
Because Marseille, France doesn't take an "s" |
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09-23-2006, 01:49 PM
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#21 |
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Yeah Booster's really dead...........but Michael Carter isn't as he's Supernova!
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09-23-2006, 02:01 PM
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#22 | |
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Asked Mark Waid a very similiar question at a convention and got a completely different answer. It is because of that answer that I am still reading 52. |
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09-23-2006, 02:10 PM
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#23 | |
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Glad I am not the only one who feels this way. |
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09-23-2006, 02:20 PM
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#24 | |
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No, Michael is Daniel is Rip Hunter. Ted Kord on the other hand.... he's Supernova. |
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09-23-2006, 02:34 PM
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#25 | |
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I don't see Grant Morrison or Mark Waid leaving that unresolved. |
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