CBR: James Robinson: Writer Without a Superman

[CBR News]

Eisner Award-winning writer James Robinson talks to CBR about a world without the Man of Steel, his Captain Atom co-feature, the life and times of Mon-El and more in the first of a three-part series.


Full article here (http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21199).

[DanCMH]

And the Captain Atom everybody wants to see is...?

It’s Nathaniel Adam. It’s the classic Nathaniel Adam.

Count me in the everybody group. Thank you James. I dont even care about all that Countdown crap. Let's just say it never happened and never speak of it again.

[Flash's Lightning]

I don't like how Mon-El is predestined to join the LoSH in the 31st century. I never did like the idea that you know something *has* to happen. It takes away unpredictability.

And more importantly it gives the idea that Mon-El is temporary, and really of no great importance. How can we feel as though Mon-El is a) important or b)ever in danger if we all know where he ends up, and that his time here must be short as he's basically the same age in the future?

That aside - Mon-El and Guardian are two of the best written characters in the DCU right now. I'm actually having more fun with Guardian, and watching him develop.

One of the things they wanted me to do was, how should I put it, Opal City-ize Metropolis. I think it’s a criticism, and a valid one, if God came down with a giant hand and plucked away the Lex Luthor Building and the Daily Planet, there is nothing else distinctive about that city. It could be anywhere in America. And one of the things I am trying to do -- and you’ll see with the “Secret Files” we have and everything else we have planned -- by the time I leave the book, which won’t be for quite some time hopefully, you’ll really get some sense of what Metropolis is and a little bit more of its history and everything else.

That's a valid point, and one I agree with. Good to see more of Metropolis. Seeing life breathed into it is refreshing.

Though I would point out that you could add some other landmarks to Lex Luthor's building and the Daily Planet. Not many, granted, but Bibbo's Ace of Clubs, would be one.

[Retro315]

Not to mention The Ironworks, and S.T.A.R. Labs (granted, there are more than one but I imagine Metropolis houses the "HQ")

I really liked this part:

The Science Police were actually first introduced by Kurt Busiek. But I think I’m sort of adding things to it. Metropolis is like the capital of science for the DC Universe. And in the way that you go to Hollywood if you want to be a screen actor and you go to Silicon Valley if you want to get involved in computers, if you are an inventor or a scientist, you end up in Metropolis. So the idea that their police force would be more science based, made complete sense. And the idea that we are looking at the start of what will become the Science Police of the 30th century, is a nice touch.

I love that notion. It's one thing to say "well okay, Robinson really GETS Metropolis" but frankly ... it's more than that, because I don't think anybody's ever really put it that way and referring to Metropolis, which is we all know "The City of Tomorrow" as this monument of science is a heck of a way to get me to agree.

Between that and hopefully more throwbacks to the Avant-Garde 1940's style "World's Fair" aspects of Metropolis (which Dini and Timm's Animated Series also riffed on very well) in the art and design will go a long way towards successfully "Opal City-izing" Metropolis, in my opinion.

I can see a little bit of that shaping up in other books as well - in addition to being "The City Without Fear", Coast City has gotten a nice, modern, very military vibe from Johns ... Keystone and Central have gotten a lot of personality as "middle America, proud of their heroes" and fast-paced (to suit Flash), and Gotham ... well, nobody needs to argue the merits of Gotham. The City of a Thousand Film Noir movies. The City of Crime. The Nocturnal City. (As opposed to the City That Never Sleeps, it's "The City That Sleeps Days and Works The Graveyard Shift".

I definitely believe that after 70 years, Metropolis deserves a little love itself, not just the stories that take place in it.

The Daily Planet
LexCorp Building
Ironwoorks
Ace O' Spades Bar
Science Police HQ
S.T.A.R. Labs
Stryker's Island
Lois's Penthouse

Now we can add The Sewers to that list of memorable areas (I wonder how much Superman helped rebuild the Sewers following Brainiac's abduction of the city). I also hope to see a few other things, and expect them as well.

Morgan Edge's media building, for starters.

It'd be REALLY cool if one of these days DC puts out a big picture book showcasing the DCU major cities, with a massive aerial shot trying to show as much of the main city as possible, and then captions all around the sides spotlighting various landmarks and special locations. Like a big overhead of the islands of Gotham, with spotlights for Gotham Central, Wayne Manor, Wayne Tower, Knights Arena, Crime Alley, and other very important places.

We've gotten some stuff like that before, but I'm talking In-Depth, and for all the big cities ... Metropolis, Gotham, Coast, Central, Keystone, Star, Opal, Fawcett, Hub, maybe even some smaller half-page style ones for Gorilla City or Kahndaq.

[Leocomix]

Robinson must be an incredible writer to make me interested in Guardian and Mon-El as full features. Well, true they are in the shadow of Superman just as Bucky is in the shadow of Steve and that is maybe why it works. Robinson is taking a cue from Brubaker in a way but Robinson's ability to create interesting characters has always been the mark of his deftness.
The personalising of the city is a trick introduced by Eisner in the Spirit and used since by the best (Ditko's Spider-Man, Miller's Sin City, Robinson's Starman, Busiek's Astro City)

[Retro315]

Robinson must be an incredible writer to make me interested in Guardian and Mon-El as full features. Well, true they are in the shadow of Superman just as Bucky is in the shadow of Steve and that is maybe why it works. Robinson is taking a cue from Brubaker in a way but Robinson's ability to create interesting characters has always been the mark of his deftness.
The personalising of the city is a trick introduced by Eisner in the Spirit and used since by the best (Ditko's Spider-Man, Miller's Sin City, Robinson's Starman, Busiek's Astro City)

I'd argue New York City in Larry Hama's run on G.I. Joe as well.

[ian33407]

I definetely enjoyed the idea to focus onto the supporting cast...especially Mon-El to my opinion. If I was a writer, I would be kinda stressed about writing 'Superman' who has become so iconic.Mon-El is less stressing character to write, with all his legend to come so the 'alien guy with super-powers' aspect takes all his fun ( : making him doing things Superman would never do, facing unusuals foes )...I really hope to see more about this character, that his time in Metropolis will be really determinant ...

And if there's Steel as a supportive character too, why not use also Infinity Inc. also ? That could change them of the usual ' DC' X-Factor' label...

[ian33407]

I definetely enjoyed the idea to focus onto the supporting cast...especially Mon-El to my opinion. If I was a writer, I would be kinda stressed about writing 'Superman' who has become so iconic.Mon-El is less stressing character to write, with all his legend to come so the 'alien guy with super-powers' aspect takes all his fun ( : making him doing things Superman would never do, facing unusuals foes )...I really hope to see more about this character, that his time in Metropolis will be really determinant ...

And if there's Steel as a supportive character too, why not use also Infinity Inc. ? That could change them of the usual ' DC' X-Factor' label..

[ian33407]

I definetely enjoyed the idea to focus onto the supporting cast...especially Mon-El to my opinion. If I was a writer, I would be kinda stressed about writing 'Superman' who has become so iconic. Mon-El is a less stressing character to write, with all his legend to come so the 'alien guy with super-powers' aspect takes all his fun ( : making him doing things Superman would never do, facing unusuals foes )...I really hope to see more about this character, that his time in Metropolis will be really determinant ...

And if there's Steel as a supportive character too, why not use also Infinity Inc. ? That could change them of the usual ' DC' X-Factor' label...

[4thHorseman]

The Daily Planet
LexCorp Building
Ironwoorks
Ace O' Spades Bar
Science Police HQ
S.T.A.R. Labs
Stryker's Island
Lois's Penthouse

Now we can add The Sewers to that list of memorable areas (I wonder how much Superman helped rebuild the Sewers following Brainiac's abduction of the city). I also hope to see a few other things, and expect them as well.

Morgan Edge's media building, for starters.


Yeah, I'm kinda upset about James saying Metropolis doesn't have anything. it does, it has a lot. It's just poorly used. Besides the ones you mentioned (Newstime is the Morgan media you're thinking of) you also have Suicide Slums, Hypersector (if they still have that) and Centennial Park.

And this interview doesn't say much more. It's like the same interviews with him for the most part.

[jgiannantoni05]

Metropolis has just as much or more than Gotham.

What does Gotham have that is so jump-to-your-mind distinctive? Wayne Manor, Wayne Tower, Arkham Asylum?
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[Duy]

Metropolis has just as much or more than Gotham.

What does Gotham have that is so jump-to-your-mind distinctive? Wayne Manor, Wayne Tower, Arkham Asylum?
Giant typewriters.