This summer, DC Comics is going all-out with three different series.
Meanwhile, Dan Slott begins a bold, new chapter for the Big Blue Boy Scout in theaction-packedSuperman Unlimited.
Josh, the first question is for you.
Can you talk about the challenge of maintaining this balance?
So for me, it’s always just sort of making sure I keep both those sides.
I just venture to keep those two things in check for me.
And it’s not just Superman running around saving people.
It’s not just your man lifting up a car.
You know, there’s very much I keep an eye on Clark.
What’s going on with Clark and people around him?
So do you believe there’s any truth to that?
Mark Waid: I would say there’s truth to that.
So, you know, as goes Superman, so goes DC Comics, right?
Joshua Williamson: Yeah, yeah.
You know, that’s a big piece of it.
I mean, I always think that DC is never just one person, but it’s Superman.
So that’s a whole different math to it.
I think DC is very clearly firing on all cylinders.
Question for both of you.
Will Lana and John’s wedding have a lasting impact on either of your series?
Joshua Williamson: We’ve been really carrying forward a lot of the mysteries from the All-In Special.
But Darkseid’s Legion, we’re gonna be picking up that plot pretty quickly.
We’ve been kind of teasing it in Superman.
We’re gonna pick up that thread pretty quickly in Superman.
But there’ll be some stuff that will happen in between that might impact that thread a little bit.
So we’ll definitely get back to that.
This question is for both of you [Josh and Mark].
How do you feel about having Dan join the Super-Family?
Joshua Williamson:Well, you know, Mark and I have known each other for a bit.
And Mark knows I’ve been a very big fan of Mark’s for a long time.
So he and I definitely have, I’ll say, connection, Mark?
Mark Waid: Fair.
And of course, I worked with Dan a lot at Marvel and doing Spider-Man stuff.
Joshua Williamson: That’s the thing too.
Like, I’m a big fan of Dan’s work from Spider-Man from Arkham Asylum.
That is somebody I’ve always really liked their work.
And so with Dan coming over, it was really interesting.
I didn’t know Dan at all.
Like, I really met him the first time through this process.
And he’s just very excited.
He brings a lot of really like enthusiasm to what we’re doing.
So that’s been, it’s been really fun.
The newSupermanmovie will create a lot of new curious readers.
What classic or not-so-classicSupermancomic would you give the curious reader to begin their Superman comic journey?
Mark Waid: I probably said All-Star Superman.
Joshua Williamson: It’s good to definitely pick up the hits.
Like, you know, All-Star Superman and we have Superman: Birthright and Secret Origin.
Like, there’s these places you’re free to start at.
I almost think one of the beautiful things about Superman is you could pretty much start anywhere.
I think the stuff that we’ve been doing, you might just grab these books off the shelf.
You know, look at like All-Star Superman and looking at all these different or standalone stories.
But that’s not how my Superman fandom started.
I would say if you’re just starting out, just grab a book.
Josh, this question is for you.
But when it does happen, it means something.
And I think that’s what we’re building up across the book.
“, like you’re Superman, but you still get angry.
You’re still human, you know, and you’re able to’t bury it down.
You gotta deal with it.
Some of you are, some of you are no strangers to writing Superman.
Josh, you’re continuing your story.
Mark, returning to the character to write something new.
Joshua Williamson: Mark, I mean, you have the most experience with Superman.
Clark is at a different place in his life as a young man.
Joshua Williamson: Every time we do one of these initiatives to create a new era DC, right?
And that was the thing.
Like Dawn of DC was very about getting back to basics.
It was very much about Clark and Lois in Metropolis.
And so I got to write him in that frame.
I had to look at Clark differently.
And I’m really excited about some of stuff we have coming up that sort of plays with that.
But I think it’s fun.
And that does change over time.
So for me, it’s like, it’s interesting how the book gets to change shape.
Kind of it keeps me on my toes.
I think it’s important to reinvent your book every once in a while to put different spins.
I mean, look at Dan and Spider-Man.
Dan, this question is for you.
No matter how you’re feeling right now about anything, I like that.
I’ve never worked on a character like this before, and that’s uplifting to me.
It makes me feel better as a person.
What does your particular series,Superman Unlimited,Action Comics, andSupermanoffer that the other two do not?
“, that’s going to be the main thrust of my book right now.
There are events that are going to happen in Superman Unlimited that will affect the DCU.
There’s going to be a lot of big changes.
We might even see a new superpower.
Mark Waid: And I guess my answer to what is this series offering that the others aren’t?
And yet, as circumstances dictate, he ends up turning into Superboy much sooner than they had anticipated.
They haven’t figured out the secret identity.
They don’t know all the powers.
They haven’t figured out any of this stuff.
And so that is a look at Superman as he’s building that identity from scratch.
It’s so wonderful to be able to pick up and read this.
Mark Waid: And even when we have, he’s always been just a short Superman.
He was always just a short Superman.
Like, I was just trying to find a magic villain for Superboy back then.
And I remember texting with you, and you were like, “There was nothing.”
and I was like,“I guess I’m making one up for this.”.
Mark, to what extent is what you’re doing about getting the Legion back together?
Mark Waid: If that happens, that happens.
You know, obviously they’ve been a big part of Superman’s legend for a long time.
Joshua Williamson: Yeah there’s a lot of Legion stuff coming.
Josh, we’ve got a handful of questions for you.
Your arc in Superman has focused a lot on whether Lex is capable of change or not.
But what does that mean for somebody like Lex that he’s had this really long relationship with?
They’ve had a connection since their childhood, really.
“, it’s hard for Clark to say no to that.
Like, how does somebody like Clark say no to somebody even when there’s someone like Lex?
Is the conflict of that that’s not going to stop anytime soon.
What does this new version of Lex do now, right?
Like he feels he tried with Superman.
They tried, and it didn’t work, like it very clearly didn’t work.
And so what is the aftermath of that?
We’ll be exploring in the fall in a very big way.
And it’ll be really fun to see.
Superman’s Red K infection is going to be getting worse.
How will this tie into the dangers that the Time Trapper warned Clark about?
Joshua Williamson:Clark’s anger is something we’ve been really building to.
Like that’s just part of life that the fall will always come.
He’s always had this in the back of his head, like he knew the Legion existed.
That is hard to get into too much, but yes.
With a powerless Zod, how do you make him a formidable threat to the Super-Family?
He was a dangerous dude and he did not have powers.
He does not need powers to be dangerous at all.
This is a ruthless man.
He does not care.
There’s a reason he was put in the Phantom Zone.
I’m not worried about him being a danger without his powers.
I actually think he might be a little more scary because he doesn’t have that crutch anymore.
This year very much seems to be the year of Superman.
And it gives you a feeling of optimism, a feeling of hope.
So much of our job is that like you have to sort of become these characters.
But right now, it’s been really nice to have my head in Clark’s.
The format of this issue is somewhat unusual in that it tells one story through three different perspectives.
What was it like navigating this process for you guys?
Joshua Williamson: Zooms.
Mark Waid: (laughs) It was pretty easy.
I mean, the nice thing about working in the Superman office is the communication is always very open.
Joshua Williamson: Yeah, I think we were on the same page and what we wanted from it.
Nobody’s coming at Superman from some weird area.
Fortunately, I had Superman on my side.
Mark Waid: We want a little bit of fear still in you, just at all times.
Joshua Williamson: I fee like you have to be a little afraid to write Superman.
I feel like Superman is funny.
Superman is really easy to get right and he’s really easy to get wrong.
Jorge Jimenez is a fan favorite artist when it comes toSuperman.
What was it like working with him on your parts of the story?
Mark Waid: I mean, sensational, right?
There’s action to it, there’s movement, but he gets the small moments too.
And he’s really good at that.
Dan Slott: He’s a secret weapon in that.
But if you chip away at the surface, he wants Superman.
He’s dying to work on Superman.
Dan, how will you avoid stepping on each other’s toes with Josh working onSupermanand you onSuperman Unlimited?
And the stuff that Josh is playing around with is really the hardcore DC of it all.
If you look at the All In initiative, it’s done amazingly well.
People are really invested in where the DC Universe is going.
And Superman is such a core part of the DC Universe that you know you want that Superman.
You’re you’re there in Josh’s world.
I’m kind of having fun in this pocket of just pure Superman.
This next question is for both.I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Validus.
Can you talk us through why you chose this villain to be an integral part of the story?
Mark Waid: I don’t remember how we landed on Validus.
Mark Waid: (laughs) No dialogue.
Dan Slott: He just kind of goes, “Arrrghhh!
“, and I’m like, “That’s great!”.
Mark Waid: We really needed a heavy hitter.
And so that gives us the continuing thread that goes through all three stories.
Did that show influence your take on this era of Superman at all?
You pretty much talked pointedly about how what you’re doing inAction Comicswill be different from the otherSupermanbooks.
So we’re not completely silent, off into the Smallville era.
And it specifically is, were you referring to this gear appearing inAction?
Mark Waid: Yes, I’m sorry, that’s what I was trying to say.
Dan, this question is for you.
In another interview you did, you referenced that you may be bringing back the Prankster into the mix.
Can you expand upon that?
You get these guys that are perfect.
You don’t ever want to touch them.
Just play them as your Brainiacs, your Zods, your Luthors.
And one of the biggest ones is the Prankster.
I’ve got a prankster take that will freak you out.
You will never look at the Prankster the same way.
That is this prankster’s uncle Oswald, and they’re going to be a frontman.
I don’t know.
This is this feels wrong.
Something about this feels really so horrible.”.
Dan Slott: We’ve got some fun plans in Unlimited for a new take on Metallo.
And what’s he doing?
That is straight-up horror movie vibe.
Now I get to play around with your Steve Lombards and your Ron Troupes and your Cat Grants.
And it’s going to be fun.
And that’s a perfect segue into this next question.
Dan Slott: There’s a way we want journalists to act when we watch a movie.
Like, I don’t watch sports, but I love watching sports movies.
I don’t really care about journalists in the real world.
Like a Newsboy Legion that’s more like the TikTokers that are getting things out as quickly as possible.
It’s just he’s following these weird stories that maybe we shouldn’t know the truth about.
And how do Lois and Clark and Jimmy deal with this kind of stuff?
It’s going to be one of the sandboxes we’re playing with in Unlimited.
Mark, working onActionhas been a bucket list item for you.
Mark Waid: Very few of the stories are actually stories I’ve been percolating on for a while.
Like, what is it like when you discover telescopic vision for the first time?
What is it like to develop heat vision for the first time?
What it’s like to fly for the first time?
There’s a lot of that in there.
There’s also a lot of leaning on the relationship between Ma and Clark.
Dan, this question’s for you.
There seems to be room to level up some of his foes.
You want to find the characters that work best for Superman.
So you have to think about it in those kind of terms.
Like, where do you get your ideas?”.
I’m like waiting for the chance to tell a Superman story.
So my bucket is really full of all the things I’ve always wanted to do with Superman.
He’s on my Mount Rushmore of guys I’ve always wanted to write.
So I’m ready.
I am so ready to jump in there and just tell a million Superman stories.
I can’t wait.
Dan, you referenced Metallo a few minutes ago, and this question kind of leans into that.
Everybody’s got a kryptonite ray gun.
Everyone’s got a pair of kryptonite brass knuckles from Intergang.
Who cares that you got this chunk in the middle of your chest?”.
You’re gonna have to wait and see what this means to be Metallo.
He’s going to get an upgrade.
And I can’t wait for you to see it.
He will have an all-new kryptonite heart.
That’s all I can say.
Dan, the ‘Unlimited’ branding really emphasized the expansive nature of Justice League’s roster in Mark’sJustice Leaguetitle.
Dan Slott: We were looking for a way to explain what this book was about.
I jealously wanted that.
And with a character like Superman, you have to step up.
Mark Waid: Challenging, I would say, challenging in all our books, in different ways.
Dan Slott: Yes, and new beginnings.
This is fresh ground.
This is a great time to see what all the Superbooks are doing.
Mark, this question’s for you.
Feels like this issue really brought that to the forefront.
Mark Waid: Yeah, they have a very special relationship.
I mean, they’re best friends.
Lana is one of the kids who will still treat him like they always have.
She’s not the one making fun of his glasses.
She’s not the one giving him a hard time about being scared of bullies and so forth.
So she’s great, and Clark can tell her things that he can’t tell other people.
And that’s going to play into what we’ve got coming up in Action.
Here’s a question that looks like you both can provide feedback on.
How often do you return to Shuster and SiegelAction Comics?
Is it important to keep them in your imagination while writing Superman?
Dan Slott: The timelessness of it.
Superman is an icon.
you’ve got the option to look at Superman through the lens of any era.
I wanted to get as many heroes as I could in a book.
And then Christopher Reeve came along, and that just sank it for everybody else.
Mark Waid: And my answer is different for Superboy and Superman.
He was a take-no-prisoners, gonna push people around.
And that’s what our Superboy has the advantage to do now.
I don’t have that problem with Superboy.
It was so crazy that the publisher of DC Comics said, :This is ridiculous.
Nobody’s going to believe that a guy can pick up a car.
Let’s not put him on the cover for a while.”.
That was what’s selling.”.
So Superman was created to do impossible things right from the start, and that is what he does.
He does something that is completely impossible.
There is no problem that Superman cannot solve if he figures it out.
Because that’s what we want out of Superman.
We don’t want him to fail.
Superman is sometimes called old-fashioned and no longer relevant.
It actually feels quite the opposite right now.
Mark Waid: I think the answer is in the question.
This is one of the things that attracted me more to coming over and doing Superman.
I want Superman now.
I want this hero now.
Summer of Superman Special #1is available on April 16th from DC Comics.
