COMICS ANONYMOUS TALKS TO PAUL CORNELL

COMICS ANONYMOUS TALKS TO PAUL CORNELL by G-Man

October 4, 2011, 10:25 pm
Filed under: Interviews | Tags: DCNew52, DemonKnights, PaulCornell, Stormwatch

A couple of weeks ago on a blustery day in Glasgow, the Comics Anonymous on-the-road reporter would make his way to Forbidden Planet… not only to try and gather his weekly hit of issue #1s but to take advantage of an appearance of Paul Cornell at the local comic book store. Writing Demon Knights and Stormwatch for the DC new 52 reboot. Where better to try and dig deeper on the goings-on at DC than with an inside man? The impromptu and somewhat ill-prepared interview took place and Mr Cornell, or Paul to his friends, (I can neither confirm nor deny which camp I belong to on that front) was kind enough to respond to the questions that only an amateur band of geeky bloggers could excitedly ask…

You’re writing two very different books as part of the new 52. Did you have any difficulty going between a high-tech futuristic superhero world to a land of fantasy swords and sorcery?

No, it was actually a refreshing change being able to switch between the two and explore the different story-telling styles that the titles demanded.

Demon Knights has been compared to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and I found Stormwatch a little bit like Torchwood. Did you have any influences or reference points when writing each of the comics?

This is no accident in that Russell T Davies was a huge fan of Stormwatch and that it’s more along the lines that Torchwood is like Stormwatch. Even names like Jack Harkness come from this. I know in conversation we’ve had about comics he’s always mentioned the Wildstorm universe and The Authority and the debt is almost being paid back in kind with the similarity between the two.

What other comics in the new 52 have caught your eye? Do you have a favourite already, or are there any you are looking forward to you haven’t read yet?

I really liked Animal Man and Swamp Thing and I like the whole dark edge complex. Having hung out on panels with these guys we’ve come to regard ourselves sort of like a gang. I love anything Gail [Simone] does and I assume that Scott Snyder will be the genius he always is with Batman, he’s something special.

You’ve had a chance to write some of the big DC characters like Superman in Action Comics and Batman and Robin – are there other characters that you would like to write?

Not that there’s a vacancy but I’ve always loved Green Arrow. Always liked to take a go at the Kirby 4^th World stuff, New Gods and the like, and I have messed around with Darkseid and how he talks, although I’m not sure anyone would buy a New Gods comic by me. What I’d like more than anything else would be an issue 16 of any title. Considering that my personal best is 15 issues and an annual – both on Captain Britain & Action Comics – if we ever get to issue #16 of Demon Knights or Stormwatch, which I’m sure we will, I’ve asked both editors and they’ve said yes to giving me a double-sized issue 16 spectacular [much hilarity had by all].

Can you tell us anything about the mysterious purple cloaked character that’s popping up in every DC New 52 number 1?

No, the most I can do is point her out in each of the issues I do. They would have to kill me if I did.

There’s been several mentions online of “big” changes coming to the creative teams behind the DC 52 titles – do you know of any truth in this or will you be affected by it.

We’ve only really heard definitively on a few cases, but I’m staying put. Issue #4 was where all DC writers were encouraged to give their artists a rest and these issues will do that. Demon Knights #4 is a hugely important issue as we get to flashback and flash-forward to fill in a lot of back story in the past/future DC universe. This will be a vital issue in the title’s arc with Mike Choi as guest artist and it could be that through this kind of approach… Chinese whispers are resulting in these types of rumours.

Something we have to ask everyone we talk to – what are your thoughts on the Blue Beetle?

I can honestly say I love Blue Beetle with a passion [although this may have been said to appease Linsay :D]

 

I have to say, as a first interview for the blog goes, I really enjoyed this one. Paul Cornell was a top guy and a big Comics Anonymous HIGH FIVE goes to him for his response to our questions.

He even signed some copies of Demon Knights and Stormwatch for us that we’ll be giving away in a DC new 52 competition to be announced soon on the Comics Anonymous’ Blog/Facebook/Twitter pages… so keep an eye out for that.

Keep reading Demon Knights and Stormwatch and maybe we can help him get to that ellusive issue #16. I’m hoping so anyway.

G-Man @gjwatson85

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