EXCLUSIVE: Jim Zubkavich Takes On "Birds Of Prey"

[Robotman4]

Ok, just read the whole theat. Huge sigh of relief Starling is still on the team!

[Zub]

Ok, just read the whole theat. Huge sigh of relief Starling is still on the team!

She's still around and has an integral role to play. :)

[Lemurion]

Personally, I'd love to see Helena Wayne interact with more characters in the DCU, but I don't see it happening soon.

[DarkKnghtJared]

Personally, I'd love to see Helena Wayne interact with more characters in the DCU, but I don't see it happening soon.

Yeah, it would be kinda cool to have Babs, Dinah, and A Helena again, if only for an arc.

[Power Torch]

She's still around and has an integral role to play. :)

Sweet! Can't wait to see what you have planned for her too!

Maybe you can answer this, maybe you can't, but you said Ivy will return, can you say if she is joining the team again? Or just doing to be a bad guy for an arc? Any Ivy is a good amount of Ivy, but I did like it when she was on the team, but a bad guy is ok too.

Thanks!

[RoughNTumble]

Thanks for stopping by, Jim. It's always great when creators pop in.

Current birds of prey isn't really my thing so I'll definitely check this out.

[AlfredIslas]

Loving Jim's thoughts on this series and what needs to be changed. BoP was good but it definitely needs a new direction.

[Babos]

I'll miss Duane. He's also doing some amazing work on Bloodshot for Valiant.

[Power Torch]

I'll miss Duane. He's also doing some amazing work on Bloodshot for Valiant.

Ya I know! Thats one of my favorite comics! Great work on that book!

[Zub]

Sweet! Can't wait to see what you have planned for her too!

Maybe you can answer this, maybe you can't, but you said Ivy will return, can you say if she is joining the team again? Or just doing to be a bad guy for an arc?

Ivy will be returning at some point, but I don't want to tip my hand too much at this point in terms of how that will happen and what the results will be.

I'll miss Duane. He's also doing some amazing work on Bloodshot for Valiant.

I'm really enjoying Bloodshot as well. It's a really compelling series with great writing and artwork.

[DebkoX]

Boo! I loved Duanes work.

[DonC]

I couldn't really get into Skullkickers (I'm just not a big fan of traditional fantasy in general), but the man's saying all the right things. I'm looking forward to it. :)

I didn't think Skullkickers was traditional fantasy. I've enjoyed what I've read, so far. (The first trade, but I have the next two.) It wasn't the most serious comic on the planet, but that's what I liked about it. It was fun. Maybe I'll bust out the other two volumes and check them out this weekend.

Anyway, having enjoyed Skullkickers, I'll give Zub's BoP a shot.

[batGRRRl4ever]

I forgot to state earlier that I was happy to read that it appears now that there will be at least an ounce of crossover synergy between what happens in Batgirl and Birds Of Prey. The issue to this point is that it seemed like two different characters.

And with that, here's a question for Jim:

Are you planning to at least occasionally coordinate with Batgirl writer Gail Simone since Batgirl will be in these two books simultaneously? Maybe even a two-parter where Batgirl and some of the team appear in your book and the Batgirl book to tell one complete story?

[Zub]

Boo! I loved Duanes work.

I hope you'll give my first few issues a shot and see if I can fill Duane's shoes for you, DebkoX.

Are you planning to at least occasionally coordinate with Batgirl writer Gail Simone since Batgirl will be in these two books simultaneously? Maybe even a two-parter where Batgirl and some of the team appear in your book and the Batgirl book to tell one complete story?

I don't know about actual back-and-forth crossover stories between the two series, but there should be more synergy/coordination, yes.

[Desaad]

Zub, can you speak a little bit to the concept of compression/decompression? I've noticed Skullkickers gives quite a bit bang for one's buck -- each issue covers a lot of ground, with the characters overcoming a full obstacle over its course, usually only to be confronted with an escalated issue as the cliffhanger. That strikes me as a great 'formula', so to speak, but in an era which values decompression - writing for the trade - a rare one.

Will you be taking a similar approach to Birds?

And speaking tonally for a moment, will this be of a similar lightness to the work you're doing on Skullkickers, a bit more serious, or much more serious? More in keeping with what Duane has done with this volume, or the kind of tongue in cheek attitude that characterized Simone's run on the title?

Finally, are we looking at something fundamentally grounded in street level superheroics and martial arts, or are you going to look to dip into different genres (sci fi, fantasy, etc) in any serious way?

Thanks!