Mark Waid: “We Got Both Kinds, The Brave and The Bold”

By Jim Beard

You’re a fanboy. You geek out over a character, maybe drool over a creator, possibly even spaz over a company. But when those all come together in a particular way and you add in a top-of-the-line concept, well, it can be enough to make you enter Fanboy Nirvana.

So, how about Mark Waid, George Perez, DC Comics…and THE BRAVE & THE BOLD?

Recently announced, the upcoming B&B title will be DC’s return to a time-honored tradition: the monthly super-hero team-up. Once a staple in the industry, the team-up title seemed to disappear when things turned a bit dark in comics. With the advent of the new Marvel Team-Up and DC’s decision to put one of the highest profile creator teams on their new Brave & Bold, it looks like the team-up could makes its triumphant return in a big way.

We asked Mark Waid, walking comics encyclopedia and all-around good guy, to take a few moments and talk about his latest project and that classic comic book convention: the team-up.

Jim Beard: In your opinion, why did team-up books fall out of favor in the industry?

Mark Waid: Good question. Several reasons, I think, all of them having to do with the 1990s fan-movement away from following characters rather than creators. That's an overgeneralization, but there's certainly a greater emphasis on creators today than there was back when team-up books were in their heyday--which would seem to indicate that there was a waning interest in the sort of "done in one," subplot-light, rotating-creative-team style associated with team-up books.

JB: What’s happening in that makes a new B&B title possible? Why is DC taking the chance on such a thing at this time?

MW: I guess we'll see; we're assuming that it's possible to do B&B, but until the sales figures are in, we won't know for sure that it's a hit. Certainly, the success of Superman/Batman has shown DC that if the events WITHIN the series are big and DCU-centric enough, and if the creative teams are saleable enough, there's a market still. The challenge with B&B will be in introducing locales, concepts, villains and motifs that will have just as much impact on the DCU in general as, say, the debut of Supergirl in S/B did. But DC understands that and is giving us a wide berth.

JB: Sounds like something of a challenge, though. So, looking back through comic history, what's one of the most ridiculous team-ups you ever saw, in any company?

MW: I really don't think anyone ever wanted to see Spider-Man and the Not Ready For Prime Time Players, but I could be mistaken.

JB: (Jim quickly hides his own personal copy of Marvel Team-Up #74) Uhh, what kind of super-hero team-ups exemplifies the sub-genre, in your opinion?

MW: Again, in today's style, Superman/Batman, but also the best of the early Marvel Team-Up stuff, where a story could arc over several issues with several different guest-stars all handing a "plot baton" off to next month's co-stars.

JB: And that’s the kind of “who’s gonna show up next?” stuff that I loved about the old-school team-ups. Will the new B&B exist simply to tell good stories or is there also some other agenda? I.E. serve to support other titles, launch new characters, etc?

MW: Yes, yes, and yes. I don't think it could survive very long if it were nothing but a romp through the DCU. As good a story as George and I might be able to tell with, say, Batman and Green Lantern, unless it's a story with some weight that matters to the DCU, it's gonna get overlooked or perceived as fluff. Our mandate is to tell stories that you're gonna be afraid to miss!

JB: What's one team-up that you'd LOVE to do but you'd probably never be allowed to get away with?

MW: Still want to do Superman and Captain America someday. More realistically, I personally would so, so, so buy a team-up between Adam Strange and Batman, but I have a feeling I might be the only one.

JB: Hey, I promise to so, so, so buy it if you manage to do it! I loved the odd Batman team-ups with way-out characters like Kamandi, etc. Speaking of which, what was one of your most favorite issues of the old B&B and why?

MW: So many great ones to choose from, but the exemplar might still be the Alex Toth Flash/Atom team-up (B&B #53, “The Challenge of the Expanding World – Jim). It's not a great-shakes story, but it's a phenomenal art job. Also, any of the Alan Brennert B&Bs--those were all great, particularly #182 (Earth-1 Batman and Earth-2 Robin – Jim).

JB: Can’t agree with you more about the Brennert issues. Good stuff. Now, do you think, post-INFINITE CRISIS, that the DCU's as good as it's ever going to be? What was the best it ever was previously, in your opinion? The worst?

MW: Wow. Tough one. Best it ever was? It certainly had a magic to it as a universe right after the original Crisis. At it’s worst, it's hard to say, though I don't think anyone looks back at the "Bloodlines/Genesis" days with any real nostalgia.

JB: Don’t look at me! What I want to know from you is: 'grim & gritty', over and done? Do fanboys now just wanna have fun?

MW: Not necessarily. I've been misquoted--I never said the DCU should be all light and frothy post-IC, I just said that maybe some of our more relentlessly grim and unlikable heroes could perhaps be a little less unlikable. Grant Morrison put it well when he said that, the post-IC DCU, we're "turning up the contrast" a bit. The brighter moments will be brighter, but the darker moments will be even more dramatic.

JB: Which current DCH hero could hold a permanent team-up book spot?

MW: Batman, obviously, though plans aren't currently for him to hold down a permanent B&B slot--I want more variety. Still, that might change. Green Lantern could probably also carry a team-up book. Superman MAYBE--but after, that, not many other characters are that versatile.

JB: Lastly, and I’ll try not to make it a completely stupid question: Why George Perez on the new B&B?

MW: Because there's still three or four DCU heroes that madman hasn't yet drawn. And we'll get to 'em all. Besides, it's George--it's gonna be amazing looking. Can't wait!

JB: Thanks, Mark. I’ll be looking forward to the first issue of the new BRAVE & BOLD, as will quite a few other fanboys, I’m sure.

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