FIVE WONDER QUESTIONS with MARC ANDREYKO!

[Gail Simone]

I love this guy. Great writer, great friend, I just have huge affection for everything I've ever read of his. And his dedication to his craft and characters is simply astounding.

Marc created the new MANHUNTER character, about which, I'll say more in a moment. But the book itself is a pleasure through and through. Smart, funny, scary, dark, joyous, and full of humanity in a way many top ten books couldn't achieve if they tried for a century.

But Kate herself is a bit of a revelation--my kind of heroine! She didn't make speeches about kicking ass, she just DID and man, you better recognize!

Marc has racked up a ton of prestigious awards and nominations despite writing relatively few actual comics. He collaborated with Bendis on the wonderful TORSO, with P. Craig Russell on an acclaimed Dr. Strange one-shot, and more, but I'll always know him as Manhunter's daddy.

And as the weird dude who gets attacked in a freakishly obscure film I saw on Netflix whose name I won't mention. "Hey, who is that guy with the hair? He sounds so familiar...HOLY CRAP, IT'S MARC ANDREYKO!"

Netflix rules.

Thanks for coming to visit, Marc!

[Gail Simone]

1) Okay, I would love to spend all five questions talking about Kate (and bless you for letting me use her in BOP!), but this IS a Wonder board, so let's talk about that. I thought you wrote a KILLER Diana in your Manhunter story. Can you tell us a little bit about how that story came about?

WELL, EVER SINCE DIANA KILLED MAX LORD, I THOUGHT HER TRIAL WOULD BE AN AWESOME THING TO EXPLORE. WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLY ON, BUT NOTHING CAME OF IT. THEN WE WERE CANCELLED. AND, AS "AMAZONS ATTACK" WAS GEARING UP, WE WERE UN-CANCELLED:) SO, THE TRIAL OF WONDER WOMAN WAS BACK IN PLAY AND I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO WRITE DIANA. (EVEN THOUGH I WAS TERRIFIED OF WRITING HER MUCH MORE THAN BATMAN OR SUPERMAN!)

2) I hear that a lot, that people are scared to write her, but you showed Diana in a way that I think complimented what Greg Rucka was doing, that is, trying to show her dealing with the real-life aspects of a celebrity life in an imperfect American society. What were you trying to accomplish with Diana in that story?

THANKS. IT'S TOUGH WITH DIANA. SHE WOULD STILL BE ADJUSTING TO MODERN SOCIETY AND ITS EVER-EXPANDING REPERTOIRE OF QUIRKS, BUT, BY NO MEANS IS DIANA NAIVE. BALANCING THAT WAS MY BIGGEST CONCERN. BUT, AFTER A FEW PAGES, I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW MUCH FUN AND HOW EASILY WRITING DIANA WAS!

OH, AND TO ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION: I WANTED KATE AND DIANA TO RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER AS WOMEN FIRST, SUPERHEROES SECOND. AND THE CONTRAST OF WW KILLING MAX TO PREVENT HIS TOTAL CONTROL OF SUPERMAN VS. MANHUNTER'S MORE PROACTIVE SELECTIVE ELIMINATION OF BAD GUYS WAS FAR TOO DELICIOUS TO NOT EXPLORE.

3) HA! Well, it worked, and I think it was an important story, given the circumstances. You have several times talked to me about your desire to write more Wonder Woman...it seems like we talk about it every time we see each other! What is it about Diana that appeals to you?

I THINK WHAT APPEALS TO ME MOST IS DIANA'S CLEARNESS OF VISION, STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, AND HER LACK OF ALL THE POST-MODERN, SARCASTIC "WIT" THAT SATURATES OUR CULTURE (INCLUDING ME:)!!). DIANA'S VOICE HAS A PURITY AND AN HONESTY THAT IS A CHALLENGE FOR ME. AND THAT'S FUN. PLUS, IT'S WONDER WOMAN!!!! WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO WRITE HER?

4) I DON'T KNOW! So, do you have a dream Wonder Woman project, Marc?



WELL, I WOULD LOVE IT IF DC DID A SECOND WW BOOK! I WOULD KILL TO WRITE WW'S ADVENTURES IN A RELAUNCHED "SENSATION COMICS", MAYBE WITH A DONNA TROY OR ARTEMIS BACK-UP?

AND IN MEGA-FANTASY WORLD, I'D LOVE TO DO A BIG, OUT-OF-CONTINUITY ORIGIN EPIC IN THE VEIN OF "SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS" WITH A LITTLE "ALL-STAR SUPERMAN" THROWN IN.

BUT, ONLY IF IT'S OK WITH YOU, GAIL SINCE YOU ARE WW'S GATEKEEPER. AND A DAMN FINE ONE AT THAT!


5) You are nice, but weird! And finally, can you talk to us about your current and upcoming projects (with a possible aside about the odd acting appearance I saw you do in an obscure Netflix title whose name I won't mention? ;)

A BUNCH OF STUFF ALL OVER THE MAP: "MANHUNTER" BACK-UPS CONTINUE IN "BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM", I HAVE A "KIANI" ONE-SHOT FROM ASPEN IN OCTOBER, A "G.I.JOE ORIGINS" ABOUT BARONESS W/ BEN TEMPLESMITH IN THE WINTER(IDW), A BOOK CALLED "PANTHEON" WITH MICHAEL CHIKLIS(IDW), CHRIS WEITZ AND I ARE DEVELOPING A BOOK TOGETHER, A PROJECT CALLED "SAGA" (ARCHAIA) AND THE ASSORTED HAMSTER-IN-A-WHEEL-RUNNING AND HOOP JUMPING IN HOLLYWOOD.

AND I JUST GOT A PUPPY. HE ROCKS.

THANKS, GAIL!

(AND NETFLIX CARRIES "GIRLFRIENDS"? I'M SPEECHLESS.)

[troy2g1]

I could definitely tell that Marc loved Diana when I read her in Manhunter (which, btw, I loved).

I've been wanting a new Sensation Comics series for a while, you would be great on it!! Push for it!!

[Captain Jim]

I'm all for Marc on a new Sensation Comics.

[troy2g1]

Wonder Woman team-up with Obsidian!!

[marc andreyko]

well, let's start a write-in campaign for "Sensation Comics"!:)

[shanejayell]

I really enjoyed WW in Manhunter, I thought they worked well together.

[troy2g1]

well, let's start a write-in campaign for "Sensation Comics"!:)

I'm down! How do we go about it? lol

[ScottyQuick]

Just write in! I'd buy the HELL out of it!

Also, I have such a man-crush (is it still a man-crush if you like men? Whatever you'd call a crush based on personality and awesomesauce of the crushee) on Marc Andreyko it's not even funny.

[BrianT]

SENSATION COMICS with Marc Andreyko writing the Wonder Woman main feature and J. Torres writing a Wonder Girl Second Feature would be awesome.

[CaptainCanada]

Did his capslock break?

Andreyko's Diana guest-shot in Manhunter was easily the best Wondy story written between Rucka's departure and Simone's arrival (okay, not in itself a particularly worthy distinction, but it was a great story; and the artist drew a fantastic Diana).

[marvelboy74]

I agree. Sensation Comics relaunch featuring Diana and extended WW characters like Artemis, Donna and WG. Maybe some WW family team-ups? Even some Golden Age WW stories would be cool, reprints or new stories.

[Captain Jim]

SENSATION COMICS with Marc Andreyko writing the Wonder Woman main feature and J. Torres writing a Wonder Girl Second Feature would be awesome.

I love Wonder Girl, but I can't help but wonder if a second feature outside of the WW family wouldn't increase sales.

Someone suggested Wildcat in another thread, which would be cool since he was in the original SC.

[ScottyQuick]

I love Wonder Girl, but I can't help but wonder if a second feature outside of the WW family wouldn't increase sales.

Someone suggested Wildcat in another thread, which would be cool since he was in the original SC.

That wouldn't make sense. The cofeatures are all related - Batwoman/Question is an OTP, Booster/Beetle have a long friendship history, SoG is about how Batman affects the world around him so therefore a masked vigilante using methods unsanctioned by Batman works, Green Arrow/Black Canary is a nOTP, Ravager was a popular Teen Titan, and I forget what the last one is. We've barely seen Diana/Wildcat interact.

[King Rockwell]

Forgot Doom Patrol/Metal Men and Action Comics/Captain Atom. Both have the distinctions of being co-wrtten by the feature writers (Keith Giffen and Greg Rucka, respectively) though not much else I can think of.