5.2 OR SO ABOUT 52 #31 WITH MICHAEL SIGLAIN

**MattBrady** · 12-08-2006, 04:24 PM

This week - 52 went into space, which was good for shifting the spotlight off of the earth-bound heroes, but very, very bad if your name is Captain Comet, or you were one of the two Green Lanterns sent to provide backup. Ralph met Supernova and did the “I know who you are!” thing, while Cassie showed that she’s getting her head back together.

Oh, and small Green Lanterns make for groovy jewelry.

Let's hit up Editor Michael Siglain for some answers.

Newsarama: What planet is this assault by Lady Styx taking place on? Have we seen it before?

Michael Siglain: This is a totally new—and doomed—planet courtesy of our four eccentric writers. They wanted a never-before-seen planet that vaguely resembled a cross between a science fiction version of Edwardian era England and London during the Blitz in World War II. For those of you keeping score at home, the name of the planet is Vartu.

NRAMA: The soldiers of Lady Styx - are they a race unto themselves, or a collection of races and individuals that she has conquered?

MS: The unstoppable soldiers in question are the Necroton Troops of the Stygian Passover. The Necrotons are made up of various races of zombie-like people, aliens and humanoids, whose flesh is animated and controlled by their belief in the Lady Styx. They’re less like Nazi Sturmabteilung, or even Star Wars Stormtroopers, and more like the Borg.

NRAMA: Does she have a goal in mind, or is she conquering to conqueror?

MS: Her plan is simple: she wants to destroy everything. She’s pure evil and—what’s worse—she’s hungry. Lady Styx bathes and feeds on her liquefied enemies — she’s that evil. As we saw in this issue, she also likes flaunting her conquests. In this case, she strapped Captain Comet’s charred body to the front of her flagship. So she’s evil and a showoff.

NRAMA: Yeah – that death of Captain Comet - how does this, or does it, synch up with Mystery in Space, where Captain Comet dies thanks to Lady Styx - is that a completely separate, and later, death?

MS: It syncs up, as long as you remember that 52 happened a year ago, and that the good Captain has died and died again. After he’s burnt up by the venomous Lady Styx, he dies but his consciousness goes on. The Green Lanterns sent to investigate the disturbance also die, and the Guardians deny any knowledge of the incident, so when Mystery in Space comes along, those characters are dealing with her for the very first time.

NRAMA: So it just sucks to be Captain Comet, knowing you're going to be dying over and over again - painfully?

MS: Pure and simple: it just sucks to be Captain Comet.

NRAMA: Back on earth - with the Everyman project subjects losing their powers, as John Henry has figured out...how many of them are fliers?

MS: Approximately 3,720. Next question.

NRAMA: Any reason you know that number so specifically?

MS: Next question!

NRAMA: Fine, fine - what's Ralph drinking? We've seen him sloshed, depressed, and outright moody. He was drinking something in this issue, but he seemed to possess all his faculties. Is he back on the 'gold again?

MS: Nope. Ralph has given up the ‘gold in favor of good ol’ Tennessee whiskey. It’s subtle, but Cassie does turn her nose to the alcohol. Plus, she is a minor.

No drinking, kids. And stay in school.

NRAMA: So - Ralph knows who Supernova is, something he figured out by looking at his powers from the proper angle. Flight, apparent teleportation, light discharges...those are the powers, right? Any hints as to which way to look at them?

MS: Ralph is still one of the world’s greatest detectives, so it wasn’t difficult for him to put all the pieces together and determine the identity of person behind the mask. As for you internet sleuths and would-be detectives, if you search back through all of the issues, you should be able to make a fairly educated guess regarding Supernova’s true identity. However, because it’s the Christmastime—which is the season of giving—I’ll give you all a hint: don’t look at just one person’s powers. After all, nobody said that Supernova was one individual.

NRAMA: Okay - Superman being out of the picture was the key as to Ralph figuring out who Supernova was? Any clarification on that line?

MS: Absolutely. That very line can connect almost every character...but I’m not telling you how. I mean, I can’t give everything away...

NRAMA: Are all the major players in the main 52 storylines life-long inhabitants of the Post Infinite Crisis earth?

MS: That depends on if all of the major players are actually living, doesn’t it?

NRAMA: Since you’re going all mystic on me and answering questions with questions, with the mysteries presented in 52 - I think it was Jeph Loeb who originally said it, that with writing a mystery in comics, you're one writer (or 4) with 100,000 readers trying to figure things out. As such, someone is going to figure it out. Do you let that bother you, editorially, or on the production side of things?

MS: On a logistical level, if you look at the numbers, it’s almost impossible to think that someone isn’t going to guess at least part of the mystery behind 52.

On a professional level, if you’re asking if guessing the ending bothers me, the answer is a resounding yes! While we certainly want people to be thinking about the ending—or endings—part of my job is to keep the mystery, and that can be difficult because of the amount of people who are involved in the making of this comic. That’s not to say that someone is going to go yell the secrets from the rooftops, or put it in their daily 52 blog, but it does mean that someone might accidentally slip, and we can’t have that.

On a personal level, letting the cat out of the bag bothers me even more. I hate it when someone spoils the end of a book or a movie for me, so I’m working my hardest to make sure that that doesn’t happen—and that includes not revealing too much in these 5.2 answers. The writers and the readers and everyone in between are really invested in this book and they keep coming back for more. Will the readers actually guess what happens? Who knows. It’s a long shot, and the odds are against them, but that doesn’t mean that a shot in the dark won’t reveal the right answer. I just hope one person doesn’t spoil it for the rest the gang.

NRAMA: Has there been any "reactive" story elements in 52, that is, pieces added to perhaps patch something readers pointed out, or adding more to a mystery that was figured out earlier than planned?

MS: If we took “reactive” story elements into account, then Ambush Bug and Super Chief would now be leading the cast.

We do take what the readers say very seriously, especially when it comes to the mystery aspect of it all.

NRAMA: Okay – back to the issue – the last page - what're the space heroes' intentions here?

MS: They’ve just seen Vartu destroyed, and are gearing up to do battle with the galaxy-crushing Lady Styx.

NRAMA: All on their own?

MS: Hence Buddy’s “Uh-oh” line.

NRAMA: We’re going to be inaugurating your first “52 questions with Michael Siglain” so while we start soliciting for questions, just to prime the pump for next week - a couple of reader questions...

MS: Reader questions? Is that part of the 5.2 experience? Didn’t that part end when Wacker left?

NRAMA: Some say it’s why Wacker left…

alright - from "effect" - Will Jason Todd ever show up in 52? Explaining what happen to him after Under the Hood? Or if Batman knows he's alive?

MS: Jason Todd? In 52? What makes you think you haven’t seen him already?

NRAMA: “effect:” Along those lines, was the Nightwing in Week 30 who met with Batwoman Dick Grayson?

MS: Heh. Noticed that I didn’t mention Dick Grayson by name last week, huh? Oh, all right. Dick Grayson met Batwoman. Happy now?

NRAMA: And = as “Squashua” has championed on our boards - the new Blue Beetle has a "52" on his chest? Yes or no?

MS: Yes, but only when he’s in 52. In his own book, it goes back to looking like a scarab.

NRAMA: And over to you for the tease - but a couple of specific questions...

MS: A tease that features more questions? Damn, you’re a sneaky one, Brady.

NRAMA: Yeah, yeah…of the teases/comments in Rip Hunter's cave - which one will be addressed soonest?

MS: “He won’t smell it.” Really. No, really.

NRAMA: The diverse storylines - coming to a large conclusion, or parallel final tracks and conclusions?

MS: Both and neither. It’s a tease, Matt, ya ain’t getting specifics on this one!

NRAMA: Okay - show yer pages

MS: All right, gang. Next week you get Titans and Crocodiles and Yetis — oh, my! Well, it’s just one Yeti, and it’s a talking Crocodile, but you get the idea. Now check out this purdy picture:

And, because it’s the holidays, feast your eyes on the magnificence of the week 33 cover by JG and Alex. What a team!

Time for me to start decking the halls, gang. See ya next week!

Got a question for "52 Questions About 52 With Michael Siglain"? Click here

mpdfuzz · 12-08-2006, 05:32 PM

Where is Beetle pictured with the 52 on his chest like that?

Err, I mean specifically,, not just "In 52 dummy..."

JediFlaherty · 12-08-2006, 05:33 PM

"The odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field are approximately 3,720 to one."

Cobalt Kid · 12-08-2006, 05:35 PM

Great, great cover

Pksoze · 12-08-2006, 05:38 PM

The unstoppable soldiers in question are the Necroton Troops of the Stygian Passover.

Gotta love comics sometimes for phrases just like that.

whitemarkd · 12-08-2006, 05:38 PM

Supernova may be more than one person? Interesting...

God-Man · 12-08-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobalt Kid

Great, great cover

Most definitely.

I can't believe I missed the 52 in Beetle's armor!

jedifish · 12-08-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

NRAMA: “effect:” Along those lines, was the Nightwing in Week 30 who met with Batwoman Dick Grayson?

MS: Heh. Noticed that I didn’t mention Dick Grayson by name last week, huh? Oh, all right. Dick Grayson met Batwoman. Happy now?

I was right, so yes I'm happy.

That was weird (and cool) seeing Lady Styx in 52 and then on the first page of Mystery in Space #4. It definitely made her seem more badass than if I hadn't first experienced her character in 52.

nafannataz · 12-08-2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpdfuzz

Where is Beetle pictured with the 52 on his chest like that?

Err, I mean specifically,, not just "In 52 dummy..."

Practically in every panel.

However that pic is from the cover of Blue Beetle #2

Kevenn · 12-08-2006, 05:39 PM

I'm guessing from the run on the bottom of the cover, that it's Jason Todd as Nightwing now "meeting" Batwoman?

In any case, that's a great cover!

jedifish · 12-08-2006, 05:39 PM

Supernova is Amazo?

Spidey418 · 12-08-2006, 05:40 PM

Nightwing gets Batwoman to switch teams?? Nicely done, sir! :P

So anyone put weight into the mutliple Supernova hint? Or is that a red herring a la not mentioning Dick Grayson last 5.2?

mpdfuzz · 12-08-2006, 05:42 PM

Could Supernova be the return in some form of Ronnie Raymond (Firestorm)?

To form Firestorm, Ronnie had to merge with another individual, Martin Stein. Ronnie died in Identity Crisis, but showed up later in the new series as basically a consciousness without a body. He merged with the new Firestorm (Jason Rusch) but later disappeared or faded away as it seemed his essence was used up in the Firestorm matrix. Could Ronnie have found a new way to merge with someone, maybe someone deceased or incapaciated, to form the new Supernova? Maybe the Eradicator?? Just throwing stuff out there.

It is a stretch, but as far as I know, Firestorm was the only character that required 2 people to form.

whitemarkd · 12-08-2006, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevenn

I'm guessing from the run on the bottom of the cover, that it's Jason Todd as Nightwing now "meeting" Batwoman?

Oh, that would be just fantastic - Dick and Jason fighting over a redhead worked so well in Bruce Jones' Nightwing run...

Kevenn · 12-08-2006, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spidey418

So anyone put weight into the mutliple Supernova hint? Or is that a red herring a la not mentioning Dick Grayson last 5.2?

I think it's a case of it's someone with powers, but they're also using someone else's device to give them even more powers than what they had before.

FireLight · 12-08-2006, 05:47 PM

That cover - an odd image/position of Nightwing. I assume he's jumping backwards off the roof after giving BW a gift - but it still looks odd.

ElijahSnowFan · 12-08-2006, 05:56 PM

i'm terrible with mysteries -- always have been, always will be. i'm a straight-line thinker -- for instance, if you tell me "Booster Gold is dead," then i don't consider a time-traveling Michael Jon Carter a possibility to be Supernova. it doesn't even cross my mind until someone else says it.

with my limitations now firmly in place for all to see, i freely admit that i have no clue who Supernova is. i can't figure out who it could possibly be, or what their motivation would be to do the things he's doing. how the character knows Ralph but doesn't know Cassie Sandsmark. what devices could create those effects -- Booster Gold, for instance, didn't have any teleportational abilities, and couldn't move through time at will.

it's maddening, because i'd like to know -- the editor says there are enough clues there to figure it out, and i just can't put any of it together.

Kolimar · 12-08-2006, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: Yeah, yeah…of the teases/comments in Rip Hunter's cave - which one will be addressed soonest?

MS: “He won’t smell it.” Really. No, really.

He should get some aspirin and hot soup for that cold then.

Kolimar · 12-08-2006, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElijahSnowFan

i'm terrible with mysteries -- always have been, always will be. i'm a straight-line thinker -- for instance, if you tell me "Booster Gold is dead," then i don't consider a time-traveling Michael Jon Carter a possibility to be Supernova. it doesn't even cross my mind until someone else says it.

with my limitations now firmly in place for all to see, i freely admit that i have no clue who Supernova is. i can't figure out who it could possibly be, or what their motivation would be to do the things he's doing. how the character knows Ralph but doesn't know Cassie Sandsmark. what devices could create those effects -- Booster Gold, for instance, didn't have any teleportational abilities, and couldn't move through time at will.

it's maddening, because i'd like to know -- the editor says there are enough clues there to figure it out, and i just can't put any of it together.

You can join my club.

Kolimar · 12-08-2006, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pksoze

The unstoppable soldiers in question are the Necroton Troops of the Stygian Passover.

Gotta love comics sometimes for phrases just like that.

Agreed.

Kolimar · 12-08-2006, 06:20 PM

Good cover. It does a nice job capturing the Christmas spirit hero-style.

bluebird · 12-08-2006, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireLight

That cover - an odd image/position of Nightwing. I assume he's jumping backwards off the roof after giving BW a gift - but it still looks odd.

I believe he's killing himself after giving her a gift. "Sing-a-long" with Alfred is intriguing...

calvin! · 12-08-2006, 06:25 PM

supernova is totally sylar.

and isn't blue beetle NOT in 52? that missing year he was in another dimension, and the year passed in minutes for him.

bluebird · 12-08-2006, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElijahSnowFan

i'm terrible with mysteries -- always have been, always will be. i'm a straight-line thinker -- for instance, if you tell me "Booster Gold is dead," then i don't consider a time-traveling Michael Jon Carter a possibility to be Supernova. it doesn't even cross my mind until someone else says it.

with my limitations now firmly in place for all to see, i freely admit that i have no clue who Supernova is. i can't figure out who it could possibly be, or what their motivation would be to do the things he's doing. how the character knows Ralph but doesn't know Cassie Sandsmark. what devices could create those effects -- Booster Gold, for instance, didn't have any teleportational abilities, and couldn't move through time at will.

it's maddening, because i'd like to know -- the editor says there are enough clues there to figure it out, and i just can't put any of it together.

A time-travelling Booster Gold with Prometheus' Cosmic Key? He'd know Ralph but not Cassie, but Naaahhhh... what would be the "second key," why would SUperman have to be out of the picture, and why would he be young enough for Cassie to mistake him as Superboy? It has to be a teenager too. I don't know that all the clues are thre, unless this is a time-lost Kal-El Superboy (remember that documentary in UP, UP & AWAY?), but then, why did he want the krpytonite glove...? Arrrgh!!!!

bluebird · 12-08-2006, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

<
NRAMA: Has there been any "reactive" story elements in 52, that is, pieces added to perhaps patch something readers pointed out, or adding more to a mystery that was figured out earlier than planned?

MS: If we took “reactive” story elements into account, then Ambush Bug and Super Chief would now be leading the cast.

We do take what the readers say very seriously, especially when it comes to the mystery aspect of it all.

Like the panel where Cassie brings up the Cult of Connor thing, answering long time reader question on how/why Superboy was publicly "outted"? THere' s still a newpspaer headline calling it "the Cult of Conner"...in retrospect, they mighta wanted to just go with the Sect of Superboy. What kind of Cult really refers to itself as a "Cult" anyway?