Dan Slott: Busting Loose

By Tim O'Shea

Dan Slott’s reputation in the comic book industry seems to be steadily on the rise, after many years of hard work. The project that greatly elevated his standing in 2003 was Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, the six-part DC Comics miniseries with artist Ryan Sook that is set to be released as a trade paperback next month. As if that’s not enough, March will also serve as the premiere month for Slott’s relaunch of Marvel’s She-Hulk. He’ll also soon get to take the JLA for a spin, writing an arc of the book with Dan Jurgens on art. Of course, with all this sunshine—as we find out exclusively in this interview—a little rain must fall…or more exactly a title must end. But Slott tells SBC how he and the Batman Adventures creative team plan to end things with a bang as the series ends with issue 17. But now we’re getting ahead of ourselves, let’s get on with the interview.

Tim O’Shea: DC doesn't automatically convert every miniseries into a TPB, how pleased were you to find out Arkham Asylum: Living Hell was going to be released as a TPB?

Dan Slott: Insanely happy. This was my first time working on a DCU project, and I was amazed at how much DC supported it! They gave it house ads, a full page in Previews, promoted it on their web site, featured it in their bulletins page... I was really feeling the love! And NOW they've made it a trade? It just doesn't get any better.

O’Shea: What aspects of that collaboration with Ryan Sook are you most proud of
creating?

Slott: The characters! Ryan is an incredible talent! All of his pages display perfect storytelling, rich details, and the highest level of craft-- but my favorite thing about his work will always be the way he fleshes out the characters.

There were all these new faces running around Arkham-- Jane Doe, Humpty Dumpty, Warren White (to name a few)-- and Ryan brought them all to life. With great designs, he made them all unique. And with expressive faces, postures, and body language, he brought them all to life and made us care about them.

O’Shea: Any plans to collaborate with Sook in the near or long term?

Slott: God, yes! If our schedules can line up, and DC's willing. Right now, I'm busy with SHE-HULK and JLA. And Ryan's hard at work on Hawkman! (Man, I can't wait to check THAT out!)

I've read a lot of the fan reaction to Arkham Asylum: Living Hell -- what people liked and what they didn't. And with that in mind, I've got a ton of ideas for a sequel that I think ALL of the Arkham fans will like. I've run a bunch of these by Ryan and he's totally into them. But obviously, the three big factors will still be: his schedule, my schedule, and DC's interest.

O’Shea: I'm a firm believer that as talented a writer can be, he or she can only truly succeed in the present market if paired with a savvy editor? What advantages or lessons learned do you think you gain working with such editors as Joan Hilty (on Batman Adventures) and Tom Brevoort (on your new She-Hulk monthly)?

Slott: Both Tom and Joan have to deal with flaky writers and artists ALL day-- a thankless task if ever there was one. That said, both of them are consummate professionals. They always give you the straight answer. Always return your calls and e-mails-- despite their VERY busy schedules. And always keep their sense of humor. Both editors are really fun to work for, in completely different ways.

Tom lives and breathes comics. He knows the history of the entire industry, the continuity of all the characters, and the mechanics of what makes a comic work-- and what can make a comic great! His advice is always spot on, insightful, and helpful. And, every time you fail to take it, you look back and realize-- he was one hundred percent right.

Joan is always open to experimenting with story ideas, format, and execution. Just look at the weird stuff Ty Templeton and I got away with on Batman Adventures. This WAS a book that told straightforward stories-- in self-contained single issues-- and kept all the characters on model with their cartoon counterparts. Thanks to Joan, we were able to mix things up and BREAK every one of those rules.

Suddenly, readers were getting two stories per issue, issues that modularly linked up to form epic story-arcs, and (most importantly) a world that was constantly changing, growing, and going somewhere.

O’Shea: You and fellow Batman Adventures creator Ty Templeton have constructed a unique Bat-verse, where Penguin is mayor and Riddler is trying to reform. In the coming months, you get to tackle the origins of Batman's trophy room...among other stories. How liberating/entertaining is it to construct a Batman continuity totally separate and unencumbered from the other Bat books?

Slott: It's been great! The Paul Dini/Bruce Timm continuity is clean, elegant, and... well... perfect. Every character is stripped down to EXACTLY what makes them work. They're completely devoid of any cumbersome continuity missteps and misinterpretations. Their Batman isn't Pre-Crisis, Post-Crisis, or Post-Zero Hour. He's just Batman.

Working on THIS Batman? Getting PAID to work on THIS Batman? This has been one of the happiest and most fulfilling jobs I've ever had.

O’Shea: For many modern day comic consumers, there never can be enough comics with strong female leads. Do you hope to garner a larger female readership than you might with other characters, by writing She-Hulk? Or are demographic concerns of that kind not something you want or think you should consider in one's creative/marketing development of a project?

Slott: She-Hulk is one of my all-time favorite Marvel characters. I've pitched a number of She-Hulk projects over the years, and this one finally "took." So, who am I writing She-Hulk for? I'm writing it for myself. I know that sounds horribly selfish, but that's the truth. I'm just hoping that all the fun I'm having comes through-- and that the readers who find this title have fun with it too.

O’Shea: When PULSE’s Jennifer M. Contino recently interviewed you, you briefly commented on some potential, but not necessarily direct, influences. You expressed concern that by citing influences, people might pigeonhole the work (She-Hulk) before it's released. I appreciate that, but I was curious...in mentioning Law & Order … any chance you might "rip a story from the headlines" as L&O does on a weekly basis, for plot inspiration?

Slott: In this new She-Hulk book, Jen will be practicing "Superhuman Law." These cases will be based on the logic problems inherent with trying cases in the Marvel Universe-- a world where androids, time-travelers, and super-villains are common place. (For example: in She-Hulk #3 a ghost wants to give testimony in his own murder trial). These cases will lead to adventures OUTSIDE of the courtroom.

Whew! That said, for the first six issues She-Hulk is going to be dealing with cases that play off of the quirkiness of living in a superhuman world. But once the series gets it legs and makes it past issue #7, I would LOVE to take a superhuman TAKE on a "ripped from the headlines" kind of story.

O’Shea: I think the art (again as previewed in the PULSE’s piece) shows the tone of subtle wit to potentially come in the book. What is the greatest storytelling asset--from your perspective--does Juan Bobillo bring to the series?

Slott: Juan's artwork is nothing short of jaw-dropping-gorgeous! I showed some pages to a retailer here in NYC... and the next day he doubled his order for the book. Now, whenever I go into this guy's shop he tells me, "This book is going to be huge!"

Juan is a master on many fronts-- from his drawing of the female figure, to his fine line work on the smallest of details.

I also think one of his greatest assets is his fresh approach to the Marvel Universe. He brings a new look to every Marvel character that pops by. In issue #2, Doctor Strange shows up for a quick cameo, and I'm looking at Juan's drawing of Doc and thinking, "Damn, he would do the BEST Doctor Strange series..."

But, of course, such thoughts are blasphemy! Because I'll kill anyone who tries to take him off She-Hulk! Y'hear me?! Back off! He's mine! Grrr!

O’Shea: While you've been in the industry for a number of years, paying your dues,
not many of your contemporaries can lay claim to the fact they once wrote a Two-Gun Kid story that was drawn by Gil Kane and ended up as part of his Marvel Visionaries collection. Do you consider that one of your early career high points?

Slott: It was one of the high points of my LIFE! When I was a kid, comics cost a quarter and that was the EXACT amount of my weekly allowance. That meant I could only get four or five comics a month-- and they were always Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel Team-Up, Detective, Brave and the Bold, and either Marvel Tales, Batman, or Two-In-One.

Growing up, my heroes were Spider-Man, Batman, and The Thing... but my idols were Gil Kane, John Romita Sr., Ross Andru, and Jim Aparo. I hadn't been working for Marvel for long, didn't even have a dozen stories under my belt, and they let me do a Two-Gun Kid story with Gil Kane! How cool is THAT?

From the moment that story saw print, you could've hit me with a bus.

O’Shea: When Arkham Asylum: Living Hell first came out, how much of an unfair misconception of your writing (thinking your writing was more suited for the all age/Batman Adventures market) did you have to overcome with consumers and critics alike?

Slott: Most consumers didn't know who the heck I was. So, no, I don't think that played into at all. To the average comic fan, I was a new face. I think most readers today are oblivious to the work I've done on the Adventures books, Looney Tunes, Ren & Stimpy, or what-have-you.

O’Shea: Do you think the success of the miniseries has been a major boost to your reputation as a writer?

Slott: I hope so. But let's wait and see.

O’Shea: Of the new characters you introduced in Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, are there any you'd like to take and use to develop a new miniseries? Was there one or two favorites of the new characters that stand out in your mind?

Slott: Humpty Dumpty. I just love that poor, messed-up freak. And, boy, did Ryan nail him in the art! His origin story in AA: LH #3 is our favorite issue of the run.

O’Shea: In a follow-up to my initial editors question from my first round of questions. What impact did Dan Raspler, who edited Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, or other members of DC's editorial ranks, have on the direction of the project?

Slott: Dan Raspler was pivotal! He pushed for the project, got the ball rolling, and put together the team. I am forever in his debt! When Dan left DC, Val D'Orazio did an incredible job of keeping the train on the tracks. I was a total basket-case about this mini-- it was my first DCU project, a Batman project, and there were many times I felt completely overwhelmed. I don't think I could've made it through to the other side of this thing without Val.

O’Shea: As you are branching out into new projects and facing new challenges, in what ways do you hope to improve along the way as a storyteller?

Slott: New projects? Well, with She-Hulk, Marvel's giving me my first shot at a mainstream monthly. And DC's letting me take a crack at a seven-issue arc of JLA-- and letting me do it with Dan Jurgens! Let me say that again... Dan Jurgens! Wow! Something tells me I'm naming my first born after JLA editor, Mike Carlin...

As for new challenges... Well, with Arkham I wanted to show people I could something dark and disturbing. With this new JLA project, I'm going to take a crack at doing something big and cosmic!

O’Shea: What can you tell folks about your upcoming JLA arc?

Slott: It's about BIG heroes doing BIG things! This is the JLA we're talking about-- the smartest, strongest, and most iconic heroes of this or any age. When they go into action, the stakes should be unbelievably high-- mythic to the Nth degree.

In this arc they're going to face an all-new threat, an entity whose power level is on par with Thanos, Korvac, and even Darkseid. And what he does with this power, the way he uses it to threaten the fabric of space and time, not only effects the nature of the universe... but also the format of the comic.

Funky, huh? Well, I don't want to give TOO much away at this early date. But I'm sure I'll let more out of the bag before the first (double sized) issue comes out! :)

O’Shea: What's it like working with Dan Jurgens on JLA-- a legendary industry artist?

Slott: There is no hyperbole I could throw out that would do it justice! I've already seen the first 50 or so pages of art and I'm completely blown away. In all honesty, I've been an utter bastard with some of the plots, asking Dan to draw things that would put most artists in the hospital! And, God bless him, he's delivered! Heck, he's MORE than delivered, he's triumphed over my EVIL plot descriptions.

Just to show you what Dan has to put up with, here are TWO excerpts from PAGE ONE of the first issue:

"We open on an endless sea of humanity, packed in together like passengers in the hold of a slave-ship. Peoples’ arms are pinned to their sides. All we can see are squirming heads and shoulders. They’re all confused and disoriented."

"...we start to zoom in on this undulating plane of human heads. The closer we get, the more we can see that these aren’t heads from "central casting." These are the faces of people from all walks of life: different ages, races, and gender-- REAL people, who are not particular pretty or glamorous."

Seriously now-- I'm a bastard, aren't I? And, hoo-boy, when you SEE that page, you're just speechless. You're just left in a world of awe-- and a world of respect for Mr. Jurgens' skill.

O’Shea: Of the JLA team, which has been your favorite to write--has it been one of the DC Trinity (Bats, Supes or WW) or someone else?

Slott: They're all fantastic characters. And with seven issues to play with, I'm making sure that everyone gets their BIG moment in the spotlight. In the last issue I turned in, Superman really got a chance to shine. Everything he's doing or saying in that issue, I feel, goes straight to the core of who he is and what he's about.

In the past, I've worked on Justice League Adventures, so I've already played around with most of the "big guys." And even though Eel O'Brian has been a regular in Batman Adventures, I've never really got to write for Plastic Man. So that's been a hoot! As a writer, he's one of those characters who can surprise you-- by writing himself. You'll be working on a scene, and he'll pop up at the right moment with a funny line or bit that you never saw coming.

O’Shea: For you what are the distinct character differences between Batman in books like JLA versus the Batman you write in Batman Adventures? How hard is it to shift gears between the two?

Slott: This is the great myth about the Adventure books. That they're "just" for kids. If done right, these books should be for everybody-- kids AND adults. I think the worst thing you can do to the Adventure books is to "dumb them down." Kids are MUCH smarter than you give them credit for. And if there's something they don't understand, they just power on and keep reading.

Now the HARD thing for me to do was to shift gears between the Adventure books and the dark-violent-sadistic-and-sometimes-sexual world of Arkham Asylum. Eep! There was ONE line in Batman Adventures #5 where I had Deadshot make a joke about Larry Flynt. Needless to say, my editor changed it before it got to the letterer. (Thank God!)

O’Shea: One of the cores strengths of Batman Adventures is the supporting cast. Of that cast, who do you most enjoy writing and find yourself trying to work into more scenes?

Slott: Alfred Pennyworth! What a scene stealer! He's another one of those characters that just writes himself.

O’Shea: With Mike Carlin's rotating of creative teams, do you hope to do another JLA arc down the road?

Slott: That would be sweet! But let me get through this one first, okay? When you look at it all at once, you see a 170 page commitment. And that can be pretty daunting! You just have to focus on each piece at a time-- and be pleasantly surprised when you've reached the end. That was the biggest lesson I learned while working on Arkham.

O’Shea: Any plans to follow-up on She-Hulk's recent "love connection" with Cain Marko (in Chuck Austen's X-Men), or was that just a "one-arc" stand?

Slott: Um... No. That wasn't She-Hulk. That was a robot. A slutty sleep-with-the-guy-who's-tried-to-kill-your-cousin-many-times robot. All sincere apologies to Mr. Austen, but that's just my take. That said, I loved all of Austen's She-Hulk scenes in Avengers #78.

O’Shea: Anything else you'd like to discuss?

Slott: Well... I've been dreading this, but it's going to come out eventually... I talked it over with Joan and she says it's okay to let everyone know... Batman Adventures is ending on #17.

O’Shea: Wow that is big news, sad news, but big news. Why is this happening?

Slott: A new Batman cartoon is coming out in the fall. It will have NO ties to the Dini/Timm continuity. A NEW comic will be developed to reflect THAT continuity. It was decided that TWO different cartoon Batman books would cause brand confusion. So... Whoosh. The Batman Adventures book is going away.

O’Shea: So this is beyond your control. It's not due to poor sales, but rather due to editorial wishes to align with the new TV series. Does that soften the blow of the run coming to an end, or is it just as frustrating?

Slott: I found out late Friday, January 30th and it took me a good week to work through the obvious anger and frustration. In the end, it took my co-writer Ty to turn me around. He got me to look at the situation in a completely different light. We still had enough advance notice that we could scrap our current story line... and send the series IN STYLE!
That's pretty cool when you think about it. We get to be the guys who are going to wrap up the present and tie the bow. The ENTIRE breadth of the Batman Adventures legacy (Three to four cartoon series, four to five comic series, and various minis and one-shots)... and we get to be the ones to say goodbye. That's a pretty big honor... and an even larger responsibility.

O’Shea: That being said, you and the gang plan to go out with a bang. What can you tell folks without spoiling the surprises?

Slott: Well, #14 was already solicited before we found out. But with a little tinkering, there'll be some "going away" fun to be had-- as well as a farewell to a Batman Adventures character. Who? We're not saying, but it's somebody the readers haven't seen for some time.

For #15, Ty, Rick (Burchett), Terry (Beatty), and myself will take a quick break as we go all out on the BIG issues. For that month, Jason Hall (Beware The Creeper,
Justice League Adventures) will come back and deliver the sequel to his AMAZING Mr. Freeze story (from Gotham Adventures #51, one of the highlights of that series' run!).

And then we get the last two issues ever...In #16, two MAJOR Batman Adventures characters will have their status quos changed FOREVER! It's big! It's epic! You'll hate yourself if you miss it!

And then comes #17. This is a Batman story I've always wanted to tell. I've kept it in my pocket for some time now. It ONLY works in the Batman Adventures universe. A long time ago I asked Joan if I could write it-- but keep it in the drawer and save it until we knew the series was ending. Well... Now I get to finally write it up.

So, in the end, I feel very fortunate we had enough advance warning. Am I sad to see the series go? Yes. But I'm glad that I'll get to be there at the end.

O’Shea: I feel the series had great long-term potential and it seemed that the creative team was overflowing with ideas. With the early end to the series, what characters will you not get to play with, that you wish you could have?

Slott: I really wish there was time to do the origin of Plastic Man. To show Batman's final confrontation with Phantasm. And to play around with the mystery of the Red Hood. Ty and I really were in this for the long haul-- and all of these things were for much later on down the road.

Before that, I had a fun "World's Finest" arc planned, a "Brave and the Bold" arc I wanted to do. A creepy Man-Bat story scribbled away in a notebook. And a dozen other ideas. Maybe, someday, I could adapt some of these into mainstream Batman stories. So who knows?

O’Shea: When all is said and done, which of the Bat cast of characters will you miss writing the most?

Slott: The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl. She's the Batgirl I grew up with and it was a real treat to get to write her. Batman Adventures #7 will always be one of my favorite comics.

O’Shea: Also, what will you miss most about collaborating with this creative/editorial team?

Slott: Everything and everyone! Joan always let us try and get away with new things. Harvey made sure I was always in the loop-- or had someone to bounce ideas off. Rick-- well, he's one of the BEST Batman pencilers EVER! Terry-- Terry's put in the most time on the ENTIRE run of the Batman Adventures series-- and, out of EVERYONE on the team, is probably the MOST passionate about the book! Lee (Loughridge) did an outstanding job on every issue's coloring!

And Ty is one of my best friends-- I've learned SO much from working with him! And even though we'll still talk on the phone all the time-- it won't be the same as pitching Batman Adventures ideas back and forth. God, that was fun!

It was a great, great, great time. And I don't know if you could ever bring something like that back.

So, all I'm saying is, the NEW guys who are going to work on the NEW Batman cartoon book... Well, they BETTER tell the BEST damn Batman stories EVER! Or I'm going to find them and kick their collective ass! Seriously, I want them to blow me away with this new book, to really make it something special. I wish them all the best, and Bat-fan that I am, I anxiously await the first copy!

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