John Jackson Miller is a name that until recently was most widely recognized by readers of Krause Publications (publisher of Comics Buyer’s Guide and myriad other comics related publications), where he is editorial director of the comics and games division. But now Miller is making a name for himself on the Marvel/Epic series Crimson Dynamo, and starting tomorrow, as the regular writer of Iron Man (see issue #73). SBC talked with Miller about how he plans to approach Shellhead.
Tim O’Shea: Your first issue has a very prominent scene with Captain America. Your strong understanding of Cap seems almost equal to Iron Man. I was curious, given your knowledge of the character (throughout the years) was Cap's presence in the first issue a subtle nod to Tales of Suspense (the title that Cap and Iron Man shared in the 1960s)?
John Jackson Miller: Oh, sure. The direct references to continuity are less prevalent at Marvel now than they've been in years (some comics had more footnotes than a term paper!), but you can always do things that will have extra meaning to the longtime readers. You can sort of hide Easter eggs for the continuity buffs that aren't going to distract the new reader.
Certainly, Cap and Iron Man have that long association together that begins in Avengers and then continues in Suspense -- and while there's a lot that sets them apart, The Best Defense brings them together to discuss something they have in common: their past ties to the military.
Tony built secret weapons; Cap WAS a secret weapon. They both got into it for different reasons -- and there are different reasons why neither is still involved. I think they're each very interested in why the other chose they path he did, and would be uniquely qualified to offer the other advice.
TO: Also, in approaching Cap, which incarnations of the character most influence your approach toward him?
JJM: I've read them all, but I think my favorite would have to be Mark Gruenwald's Cap. The Seventies gave us the Cap who's questioning his position in the scheme of things, and that made perfect sense for the character then.
But Gruenwald really came at it from the standpoint that Cap had already dealt with those issues, had decided that Captain America was more important than who Steve Rogers was or who was in the White House, and went on living his life as a legend. And then the stories became more about the supporting cast looking every so often in awe at the guy -- which is natural, since to them, it's like Abe Lincoln is in the Quinjet or whatever with them.
I really appreciated that take on the character. It's who Cap is, almost as much as what he does, that makes him interesting to watch and listen to.
TO: Does Tony Stark's ditching of his secret identity make this first arc easier or harder to write?
JJM: Easier, much easier.
When we've seen some of these "super-hero in public life" stories before, usually as part of a What If (the Cap presidency issue comes to mind) the first thing the character usually does is reveal his identity. And that's necessary, because the idea of being able to sneak around bashing baddies at that level is kind of silly. Every reporter in the world is following these folks.
Tony's big revelation a couple of years back makes The Best Defense possible, by removing that undercover element -- while at the same time presenting some juicy plot possibilities. Obviously, people will ask about what he's done as Iron Man and people will wonder whether having him in the job is a good idea, but there's another element: He's been lying to people, on camera, for years and years and years. Voters tend not to like that. And so that makes his mission to get the job even more challenging: He's got to make people forget how to remember.
It's possible, but still like threading a needle. Which is why I say that while The Best Defense very quickly explains why he wants the new position, getting the job is the real challenge.
TO: While you are drawing upon elements of Tony's past (one of the members of the President's administration, Sonny Burch, is a former employee of Obadiah Stane), will you be resurrecting other elements/characters from Tony's rich history?
JJM: Another member of the President's staff, that we'll meet in #74, is someone who should be familiar to both Tony and his readers. #75 gives us another such character, from a different decade. Again, it's done in such a way that it won't puzzle the new reader -- but will give the older reader a chance to plug in what he remembers from the past.
Forty years or not, Tony's career seems to me to exist in some fairly well-defined phases -- and while we may not remember the particulars of who he was fighting in those periods, we do kind of remember what kind of person Tony was in those periods. Having those familiar faces for the older reader kind of helps us remember those phases of his life.
TO: How hard is it write a political adventure without allowing your personal political leanings (or borrowing from current events too much) to taint/overwhelm the tale's tone?
JJM: My own political views are eclectic and varied enough that you'd be hard pressed to label me after you heard them all -- which no one will in this story, I should say. There's what Tony thinks, what the other characters in the story each think -- and how those things interact. That's what'll see print. That's just one more element of characterization, and folks are welcome to debate whether I've figured the characters right on those scores or not.
Tony has clearly thought different things at different periods in his life, so he's going to draw fire from all sides. And he's done things that will make him a target for people on either side of the spectrum.
As for the timing, I think there are a few elements that make this story uniquely apt for the moment. Having Tony contemplate getting back involved in the military makes more sense in 2003 than it did in 1993 or 1983. Having an action movie star run for governor of California gives a familiar ring both to Tony's bid and the kinds of things he has to defend himself against. And having a high-profile Secretary of Defense today -- probably our most famous in 40 years -- makes that post more familiar to readers, too.
I don't think current events are a bad thing. If anything, the idea of Tony Stark, the idea of Iron Man was more fantastic when he was rooted in that more ground-level reality of the 1960s, of men and tanks and political intrigue. I think by playing exceptionally close on that sort of thing -- where, say, the Marvel military's capabilities today are identical with our own -- we really do emphasize Tony's exceptional nature. He's the 22nd Century man walking among us. What does he think? What might he do?
TO: How hard has it been to not go the easy route and do a weapons of mass destruction in a foreign land arc?
JJM: Since my Crimson Dynamo is explicitly about a weapon of mass destruction in a foreign land -- and the drama behind what finally happens to it -- you could say I've already gotten that story out of my system.
There are many kinds of destructive forces out there, and not all of them are in a suitcase or a secret lab. I hope to present Tony Stark with some predicaments that will defy a simple solution, that will really challenge him to use all of his skills.
TO: Iron Man is more than just Tony Stark, his supporting cast has often been as vital as the lead? Of the new characters you'll be introducing in the book's Washington, DC landscape, are there one or two that you enjoy writing over others?
JJM: Stu Conrad, the President's Chief of Staff, has been very interesting. He's a sharp political operative who knows all the ins and outs of Washington -- who's never lost an election for anyone. Yet here in Tony he's got the greatest political challenge of his career --- how can he get this businessman/superhero past Congress? And can Tony make him believe that it's a fight worth fighting? There's just enough of an idealist back there in Stu somewhere to make him hope, to make him want to work with Tony to see what's possible. That's been very interesting to write.
And then there's the aforementioned familiar face from #74, who's been plenty of fun to write, too...
TO: Some writers when embarking on a new run of Iron Man find it important to develop their own "brand new" armor. Will you and Jorge Lucas be unveiling a new armor in the near term? Or is this something that will be avoided because of the "patent concerns" plot element that is introduced in issue 73?
JJM: While there's plenty of "armor time" in this sequence, it's Tony who's in the spotlight for much of this arc.
I do have some ideas for the armor which will be developed as time goes on -- the current version is too close too "magical" for my taste in some respects. While Clarke's Law holds that "the technology of a sufficiently advanced society is indistinguishable from magic," I'd still like be able to explain what he's doing without sounding too "Star Trek." Tony's got a 22nd-century mind, not a 24th!
And this really plays to Jorge Lucas' strengths in depicting real-life hardware. Iron Man should be a book where you can smell the oil and count the rivets. Jorge delivers.
TO: As a person who has a vast knowledge of the many creators and approaches toward Iron Man, within this context from your perspective, what makes Lucas' artistic approach to Iron Man stand out in comparison to other IM artists? What value does he bring to the story in general, as well?
JJM: In addition to what I've said above? Well, there are action scenes, and there are many action artists in comics -- and then there are scenes where important things are still happening, but the setting is more like The West Wing. There aren't many artists in comics who can do those scenes and make them look interesting -- and fewer still who can do both.
Jorge's abilities have really been a discovery for me -- and I've read plenty of comics!
TO: How enjoyable/advantageous has it been to work with Tom Brevoort, a person who knows the Marvel Universe better than almost any other creator in the industry?
JJM: It's been great. I feel very much on the same page with Tom -- we've both read way too many comics, and we seem to have similar ideas about what worked about those comics.
As someone who's edited many publications, I have an inkling of what his day must be like -- and am amazed at the amount of time he's still able to give me to help improve my work. My work is better for his efforts, and those of his support staff.
TO: Is there anything you'd like to discuss that I did not ask?
Well, it's a busy month for me. In addition to Iron Man and Crimson Dynamo, my Standard Catalog of Comic Books, 2nd Edition, is also shipping to stores this week -- it's what I do when I'm not writing scripts. It's 1,456 pages for $34.95 -- check your local comics shop or visit www.krausebooks.com
