DS: Hey SoldierHawk! I heard a fangirlish squeal of joy all the way in Canada. What’s that all about?
SH: Hey DS! That would have been me, reading that the new Batwoman monthly series–which I have been not-so-patiently waiting for since Rucka and Williams’ run on Detective Comics ended–finally has a release date! According to DC, issue #1 will be on shelves in February. Additionally, they will be releasing a zero issue in November. *SQUEEEE!!!* 😀 Now I have to say DS…I heard *you* hollering for joy as well, all the way down here in SoCal. Care to share the source of your happiness with the rest of us?
DS: OK. I can totally buy that you’d be happy about Batwoman. Rucka and Williams have done some amazing work on her. Her long absence from the monthlies has *got* to mean that they’re planning to do this series right. My shout for joy (a much more masculine one btw) was on seeing the ads for the new John Carter series by Dynamite, called Warlord of Mars. I am a total Edgar Rice Burroughs fan, and just at the time I started collecting comics and discovering bargain bins, I’d picked up a couple of issues on Marvel’s old run, which (a) got me completely hooked and (b) pointed me in the direction of Warlord of Mars, the first novel I ever bought, maybe the second I ever read. The art (internal and cover) looks amazing, and Dynamite has a real track record for taking classic and public domain characters (Princess of Mars is public domain) and turning them into original serial adventures. But let me put this to you: There are some amazing comics out there right now, some of which you review every month. Why the big deal about Batwoman?
SH: I’m a huge fan of the Barsoom series myself! (Specifically the novels…I’ve never had the pleasure of reading the old comics.) But to answer your question about Batwoman, I love the books she’s been in; and I am ridiculously excited about the monthly to come–because of Kate Kane herself. I love the fact that, although she has the requisite tragic past that all superheroes (and more specifically, all members of the Bat-family) must possess, it is not exclusively the memory of this tragedy that drives her. Her goal in life had been to become a soldier, but that dream dies for her after being kicked out of West Point. In spite of this she still feels compelled to serve and protect, and she turns to nightly crime fighting as a way to fulfill this need. I find the “superheroism as a substitute for military service” angle fascinating, and I think it gives Kate a very unique perspective and motivation that not many other heroes have. I also very much enjoy the way her relationship with her friends and family is portrayed; the Detective Comics storylines did a better job than any comic I’ve read to date of balancing the hero’s real-life concerns and relationships with their superheroic activities. Now, my question for you: what was it about John Carter and his stories grabbed your attention so thoroughly when you first discovered them?
DS: Tough question! What is cool about John Carter? I wanted to be John Carter! He’s like this superb soldier for every time and every fight. He’s got samurai-like honor and is incredibly courageous and loyal to his friends and even to strangers who need him. He hangs in his battles even after hours of fighting when he’s left standing on the piles of his dead enemies. Now, that could be any number of heroes on Earth, but Burroughs’ genius was putting this on the drying, dying planet of Mars. There, Burroughs created a world of super-technology of navies of the air, a culture of war and honor and religion, and peopled it with giant four-armed white apes, the four-armed green-skinned Martians and a host of other weird and surprising dangers. The sense of wonder was always there and anything could happen. Nowadays in comics, we’ve got a super-power for every occasion and pun. John Carter’s only super power (having an Earthman’s strength on Mars) was all Burroughs needed to make the wildest adventures. Speaking of wild adventures, what would be the coolest storyline for you in the new Batwoman series?
SH: Wow, speaking of tough questions…since the possibilities for both Batwoman and Kate Kane are so wide open right now, I’m nearly paralyzed by all the possibilities! On the one hand, I want to see more of Alice. Not only is she a fantastic villain both in concept and in execution, her ties to the Kane family give any fight Batwoman has with her an extra emotional punch. I’m not sure if I’m ready for more Alice RIGHT out of the gate as Rucka devoted an entire storyline to her in Detective Comics, but I definitely want to see her make a return at some point. As for original stories…. Hmmm. This may be a bit out of left field, but I would quite enjoy seeing Batwoman establish *some* kind of rapport or partnership with the military. Batman is a detective; he works with the police. His female counterpart is an (ex)-soldier; I think it would be very interesting–an in character for Kate–to seek out a relationship for her alter-ego with the institution she loves and respects the most. Her father certainly has the rank and connections to make such a story possible. Now, on the topic of original stories…I understand that Warlords of Mars is to be an “enhancement” of the original Barsoom novel “Princess of Mars.” Are there any elements of the novel you’re hoping the pay special attention to? (Or any elements of the novel you’re hoping they gloss over or leave out entirely?)
DS: Odd that you should say that, because there is one thing I’m mildly worried about and that’s how quickly they get John Carter to Mars. I loved Princess of Mars and we need to see John Carter, ex-cavarly officer on Earth to understand him, but the story comes alive when he gets to Mars. Everything before that is really just a western adventure and it mildly distressed me that Dynamite’s description for issue #2 talked about Carter still prospecting in Arizona. Given how slowly some stories (*cough* Brightest Day *cough*) roll out, I’m a little sensitive to stories that are paced a little slower. That being said, if Tars Tarkas (my good and great friend) is in issue #1, then I’m all over it. Nothing says badass like a fifteen-foot tall, four-armed, blood-thirsty green Martian Jed. I will make one more point before signing off to count the days to comic book day: If one of you, readers out there haven’t read “A Princess of Mars,” you’re on bad crack. Get the good stuff, and at the same time, give your head a shake and go here, and download yourself an e-copy to read (it’s legal because the book predates the American copyright act). Read it on your portable whatever device. Or, if you’re super-lazy, or don’t like reading electronic text, download the audio-book (also legal and free) here and play it on your mp3 player on the way to work, school, whatever. Oh, and stop doing crack. It’s getting in the way of your reading the classics of sci-fi!
SH: Hooray for public domain! You can bet I’ll be checking those out ASAP! And, if I may similarly point out that for those interested in the new Batwoman series, the first hardcover trade of her run in Detective Comics is now available for a very reasonable price at Amazon. I doubt it will be absolutely necessary to jumping on to the new ongoing, but only a fool would pass up a comic of this quality. Besides, a little extra background and continuity never hurt anyone!