BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO Forget the hundred year war, it's nothing compared to the strife between the residents of Rann and Thanagar. The battles between those planets make World Wars look like little lovers quarrels. But sending flowers the next day or calling, isn't going to be an easy fix for these groups. Jim Starlin, already responsible for the Death of the New Gods, explained what it's like tackling a whole different type of god in these pages for the Rann/Thanagar Holy War.
THE PULSE: I think a lot of people were surprised that the Death of the New Gods actually featured those characters dying! How do you feel orchestrating the end of legends like this?
JIM STARLIN: It was quite an honor putting an end to Jack Kirby's grand opus. It was also extremely daunting, because I knew that no matter what I did, there were going to be a number of folks in fandom that would just plain hate it. There would be those that psychically just knew exactly what Kirby had planned and would find my conclusion blasphemous.
THE PULSE: What has surprised you the most about the reaction to your cosmic epic? Have you gotten any hate mail from New Gods fans, who are outraged by this tale?
STARLIN: Well, to tell the truth, I have gotten very little response to the Death of the New Gods because, until now, I have avoided it. There have been folks up at DC, who have said they liked what I was doing. It's sold well, so DC's sales department adores me. But I've not been to any comic convention since before the series started coming out and, on a day-to-day basis, I don't run into that many folks that read comics.
I've especially avoided checking out any response to it on line. Experience has taught me that for every constructive bit of criticism I might find on a given website, I must work my way through dozens of less helpful comments, some of which are little more than the writer venting his or her spleen. These I can live without, especially when I'm in the middle of a 240 page job. Keeping the creative winds in your sails is hard enough without inviting someone to poke holes in them.
THE PULSE: You've always had a big respect and loyalty to these cosmic type characters. I know it was kind of like, "If someone's going to write the end of these Fourth World residents, it's going to be me!" type of situation. But now that it's almost over, do you have any kind of regrets or second thoughts about being involved in the Death of the New Gods?
STARLIN: No, when Dan Didio approached me about the project, I decided I wanted to write a story about disillusionment, and that's exactly what I did. There were some rough spots at the beginning, connecting my story with Countdown. Had to make a few adjustments along the way, to meld more smoothly with the overall DC Universe doings, but, for the most part, I had a good time working on The Death of the New Gods. Matt Banning and Art Thibert gave me a terrific inking job, and I've fallen in love with Jeromy Cox's coloring.
THE PULSE: I'm anxious to see how the story ends, but part of me doesn't want to get that final issue, because it seems so ... well ... final! How many New Gods will remain after it's all said and done? We've already seen Mr. Miracle's name in some upcoming solicits, so it seems a safe bet that he survives ... but will he be the last god standing?
STARLIN: Aren't there two Mister Miracles? I'll tell you this much: ONE GOD survives my culling. No, I won't say who but by the time this interview gets online the survivor will be pretty apparent.
THE PULSE: Speaking of god, Rann and Thanagar are at it again this summer in the eight part Holy War limited series. What's happened to renew hostilities between these species?
STARLIN: The title should give you a clue to that. What has prompted more wars over the centuries than any other reason? Religion. When you have God on your side anyone that disagrees with you has to be a fool and a heretic. So they automatically get classified as something to kill off.
THE PULSE: In Countdown to Adventure the residents of Rann and Earth are dealing with a Lady Styx virus. Seeing as how Rann plays in this Holy War, one would have to guess that they aren't all infected aliens. In fact since they were dealing with that, it seems the planet would be ripe picking for the Thanagarians to invade. Is that one of the sparks for this war? The weakness of Rann after the virus?
STARLIN: Thanagar finds a replacement for its blind worship of Onimar Synn. Comet's in the story and so, considering that, a not-so wild guess at to what that replacement religion might be shouldn't be too difficult.
Rann's post-religious virus experience will also play into the tale. You may be able to get the folks out of the monastery but it's a lot tougher getting the monastery out of the folks.
Top this off with a revamp of one of the golden age of philosophy's characters and you have a Holy War worth remembering.
THE PULSE: Since you mentioned Comet, those following your work with that character, know of his run-ins with the Eternal Light Corporation; it's easy to guess their involvement. How did Thanagar get into this "religion"?
STARLIN: Simple. Needed a religion to replace the discredited worship of Onimar Synn and I wanted to do more with the Eternal Light Corpoaration and the prediction that Comet and the Weird would be involved in a conflict of cosmic proportions. This is all heading down that same path.
THE PULSE: We've seen other Holy Wars in world history, what sparked this one between these planets?
STARLIN: As usual the religious conflict is a smoke screen for darker motivations. In this case it comes down to lust for power.
THE PULSE: We've also seen religious differences lead to wars between countries, and lifelong grudges and hostilities; that span so many generations sometimes people can't say what they are fighting about, just they are fighting. Who or what influenced you the most as you were determining how this story would unfold?
STARLIN: A number of things and folks.
Being raised Catholic and eight years of parochial school to start off with. A president, who answers to a higher father, is another. The restriction of stem cell research. The various wars in and around the Middle East. Etc, etc, etc. We're so surrounded by religious fundamentalism, fanaticism and religious abuse we hardly notice it anymore.
Non religious influences? Dan Didio wants me to resolve the Rann/Thanagar War. Who wins? Why, the group that has God on their side, of course.
THE PULSE: A lot of DC's cosmic type characters are involved in this: Adam Strange, Hawkman, Starfire, Tigor, Comet, Chief Justice Max, Tyrone, Starman; and some not so cosmic like Bizarro and Animal Man. Some of those seem obvious choices to include in a tale involving both Rann and Thanagar. But some seem like they'd have no real place in this struggle. What made those characters ones you wanted to feature here?
STARLIN: Well, we'll skip over the obvious ones. They were in the original Rann/Thanagar War. Animal Man and Starfire? They're sort of connected to Adam Strange since 52. Bizarro? Now that's another story.
Back when the original Rann/Thanagar War was being planned, Dan and I talked about me writing it. For a number of reason that didn't happen. But in our talks about the project Bizarro was supposed to be among the main characters. I was kind of surprised when the series came out and he wasn't in the mix. I've loved the character since I was a kid, so I immediately tossed him in right from the start of the planning of Holy War.
THE PULSE: Are you creating any new characters for this tale?
STARLIN: A villain. In fact I predict that this baddie will become one of DC's top bad guys. He's a revamp of someone I worked on a long time ago. He's also been grafted onto a philosophical concept of Plato's. Don't want to say too much about this dude because in many ways Holy War is his story. I already have plans to utilize him in the next big project I'm going to do with DC.
THE PULSE: The solicits for the first few issues seem to take this story not just through space, but also through time. Why did you want to pit some of the heroes of today from past terrors?
STARLIN: Aren't we all haunted by the past? Besides it gave Ron Lim a chance to draw some dinosaurs.
THE PULSE: A war between two alien races seems like something that has to attract the attention of other worlds. What other races are involved in this struggle?
STARLIN: Dear God, haven't I got enough characters running around in this story already?! You want additional worlds?! But seriously, other worlds do come into play (Hardcore Station, Earth) but this is the Rann/Thanagar Holy War, so that's where most the action takes place.
THE PULSE: What's it like for you to be working with Ron Lim again on a cosmic tale?
STARLIN: Working with Ron is always such a pleasure. The man's a true professional and very much on the same wavelength as I when it comes to storytelling. The truth is I had to beg him to hold off on another better offer to get him to work on Holy War first. From what I have seen of the pages he and Rob Hunter have turned in on the first issue, all my groveling has paid off big.
THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on?
STARLIN: Looks like I may be doing a little work on a character folks will think I have worked on before but haven't. Can't say any more than that at this point. Besides, it's the end of the interview and leaving them with a cliffhanger is always a good idea.
The first of eight issues of the Rann/Thanagar: Holy War should be in stores next week.
Posts: 21381 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
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This should be fun...I really liked the original WAR mini & the MYSTERY IN SPACE mini by Mr. Starlin.
Posts: 94 | Registered: Mar 2006
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