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THE KRYPTON Q&A WITH GEOFF JOHNS, JAMES ROBINSON AND STERLING GATES
The architects behind the biggest Super-crossover in years unfurl their plans for the Man of Steel and an uncorked City of Kandor!
By Kevin Mahdeo
Posted 12/2/2008
Like Jor-El and Lara sending off baby Kal-El, writers Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling Gates plan on rocketing Super-fans to a brave, new world of excitement with what may be Superman's most groundbreaking story since the character "died" in 1992.
With the tragic death of Superman's pop Jonathan Kent in the pages of October's Action Comics #870, the Man of Steel experienced one of the most heartbreaking moments of his life. But as one life ended, hundreds of thousands more burst onto the scene with the expansion of the Bottle City of Kandor and the subsequent arrival of 100,000 Kryptonians on Earth—the consequences of which Action Comics penman Johns, Superman writer Robinson and recently debuted Supergirl scribe Gates plan on exploring in the nine-part Super-title crossover "New Krypton."
"We have a lot more planned than what you might obviously think," says Robinson. "We have plans for every name you can imagine, pretty much."
The crossover spans all three Super-books—Action, Superman and Supergirl—and blasted off with the New Krypton Special which debuted on Oct. 22, which picked up on threads from each title and began to lay the groundwork upon which the crossover will be built.
"It really sets the tone of where ‘New Krypton' is going to go," explains Johns of the one-shot. "It's basically laying out all the pieces of the puzzle, and it's up to us to put them together and the reader to try and put them together for themselves."
Ready to launch the Superman family up, up and away, the three writers joined together for a roundtable interview unlocking the doors to "New Krypton" and giving readers a peek inside their grand designs for the Family of Steel's new world.
WIZARD: First off, which one of you is responsible for killing Pa Kent?
ROBINSON: That's Geoff.
GATES: Totally Geoff.
JOHNS: [Laughs]
Why emotionally destroy readers like that?
JOHNS: The idea is that it's the worst and the best day for Superman. By all accounts, he's lost his true father and he's gained a huge piece of his homeworld back. So he's going to be completely conflicted about how to feel and how to react and what to do. It's putting Superman in an emotional place that I don't think we've seen him before.
How does Pa Kent's death affect his relationships with Kara and Lois?
ROBINSON: With Lois, I think the death of his father will bring them closer together at times because she'll be an emotional crutch for him. At the same time, I think that they will perhaps go through some strain due to him being drawn toward his people and this culture that is—no pun intended—alien to her.
GATES: In regards to Supergirl, she shares the joy of Kandor's return and the return of her people, and to her, what he's experiencing, she already felt when she lost her parents and was sent to Earth. I think it's going to be an identification point for the two of them to latch onto each other emotionally.
We see that Supergirl takes on a secret identity, and we know the same happens with Atlas. What does a secret identity mean for you, and why use them?
JOHNS: Well, all these characters with their secret identities, it isn't like Batman or Hal Jordan. These guys—Atlas, Supergirl, Superman—they aren't human. They're these larger than life figures trying to find their place among humanity. I think exploring that through a secret identity is where you get a lot of the story and drive of these characters.
ROBINSON: Plus, I think comic book characters that don't have secret identities are boring. You're taking away a big, dramatic aspect to the whole mythos of the superhero. If you look at characters without secret identities, more often than not—and there are exceptions to every rule—they tend to be less important characters.
JOHNS: I remember when Wally West didn't have a secret identity and every time he wasn't the Flash, he was just eating dinner somewhere. Part of a secret identity is putting them in a situation or in a world. The Daily Planet is where you get a lot of humor and a lot of humanity with Clark Kent masquerading as a human.
GATES: And that's the idea with Supergirl. She's gone so long with being a Kryptonian character. Giving her a secret identity is important to help her understand and be a part of the human race.
