Generations of John Byrne

[DRA]

BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
_____________________________________________

For several years, John L. Byrne has been exploring the history of Superman and Batman in a series of Elseworlds called "Generations." The latest addition to the saga is a 12 part maxi-series that will span several generations, crossover with numerous established comics characters, and alter the course of comics history - at least in this version of things. Kamandi, Jonah Hex, and Saturn Girl are just a few of the characters from the DC stable we can expect to see before everything's said and done. The monthly tale is written and illustrated by Byrne. We caught up with him to talk comics and the future.



THE PULSE: If someone's missed the previous Generations saga, what is this Elseworld's series about?

JOHN L. BYRNE: The premise is very simple: suppose the characters of the DC Universe had aged in real time since they were introduced. This means we get to see them grow older, marry, have kids, etc. Since some of them are immortals, it also means I get to cover a very long timeline.

THE PULSE: What do you like the best about taking Superman and Batman and examining them from a different angle and with different ideas? How does this spark your creative energies?



BYRNE: These are characters with boundless potential. As long as one remains relatively sane, there is almost no way to do them "wrong". Since GENERATIONS addresses each decade with an eye to the "tone" of the publishing history of the character, I am allowed to look at every iteration -- from the grim, murderous characters they were at the very beginning, through the goofy stuff of the '50s, and so on. Endless potential.

THE PULSE: The prior Generations sagas were done in a prestige format, why do this newest version as a 12 part maxi-series done pamphlet style?

BYRNE: Mike Carlin's assistant, Ivan Cohen, suggested I take the newest GENERATIONS series forward, all the way to the time of the Legion of Superheroes. I had trouble coming up with even "jumps" between chapters, so Mike suggested an 11 part maxi-series. I liked that, then pointed out that I could do one "two-part" story in the middle, and we would have a full 12 issues.

THE PULSE: What are some of the toughest challenges to working on this project? How hard is it to be responsible for the words and artwork on a mainstream comic with tight schedules and deadlines?



BYRNE: Not hard at all. It's what I have been doing all my professional life. People who can't hit deadlines are either doing it wrong, or are in the wrong business.

THE PULSE: Do you ever miss the Pre-Crisis world where we had multiple earths and when comics seemed to be a little less dark ... ? Why or why not?

BYRNE: Since the present DCU seems even more confusing, yes, I would have to say I sometimes "miss" the Pre-CRISIS version.

THE PULSE: World's Finest used to do a lot of Superman Jr. and Batman Jr. imaginary tales, did you like those? Why do you think so many creators would imagine families for those two characters?

BYRNE: The "Super Family" stories were done at a time when I was not paying much attention to what was happening with Superman and Batman. The real inspiration for GENERATIONS is the "imaginary stories" supposedly written by Alfred, in the early '60s. As to the appeal -- it's natural, I think. We do not (indeed, should not) see these characters age in their own titles, so it is fun to speculate on what might happen if they did.

THE PULSE: How many generations will Superman & Batman: Generations III span in the twelve issues?

BYRNE: 1000 years are covered, starting in 1925. Although, since this is in part a time travel story, plotting the precise "generations" is a little tricky!!



THE PULSE: I know you don't like to give things away, because interested parties should read the book, but a blurb in PREVIEWS has me curious. It mentioned appearances by Kamandi, Saturn Girl, Jonah Hex, & more! What did you like about including those three characters?

BYRNE: Moving forward, as this series does, meant I had to seek out characters who have been established as part of DC's "future". That led immediately to Kamandi, and of course the "end" of the series is in the time of the Legion and Saturn Girl. I got to Jonah Hex when I did the math, and realized that Pa Kent would have been born around 1845, and that he would have most likely fought in the Civil War and even crossed paths with Hex.

THE PULSE: How has response to the first issue been? What kind of feedback are you receiving?

BYRNE: Setting aside the small slice of fandom who must find fault simply because I did it, I would say the response has been close to universally positive. And the sales, while not so spectacular as once we might have expected, were good for the current market. On a par with the last GENERATIONS series -- which, given the decline of the last couple of years, could be considered very good indeed!



THE PULSE: What do you like about working in the Elseworld's setting?

BYRNE: The chance to explore concepts and scenarios which would be impossible or unwise in the regular continuity.

THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on?

BYRNE: I'm doing some covers and interior illustrations for a series of Batman books to be published by Scholastic Books -- but beyond G3, that's it. Unless something turns up soon, around June of this year I will be unemployed.

[Insurrecto]

A mi salvo lo que hizo en WonderWoman me encanta lo que escribe, y el como dibuja es obviamente una respuesta afirmativa, porque el tipo es una masa!

Solo pensar que el chabon hizo OMAC, hizo NextMen e hizo un laburo de la puta madre en cosas mas mainstream como Man of Steel o Jack Kirby´s Fourth World o Fantastic Four me dan a entender que el tipo es un groso (deci que tambien se manda sus moquitos como WonderWoman, Genesis, etc. pero bueno, es comprensible)

Un saludo.

Guy.

[DRA]

Que tiene de malo su trabajo en Wonder Woman ? :angustiad

[Insurrecto]

Publicado por DRA
Que tiene de malo su trabajo en Wonder Woman ? :angustiad

TODO!!!!!

Hizo crosta al personaje!!!!!

Hizo mierda a Donna Troi!!!!

Hizo caca a todos los miembros del panteon de Zeus!!!!


(necesitas que siga?)


Saludos.

Guy.

[DRA]

Publicado por GuyWarrior
Hizo mierda a Donna Troi!!!!

El origen que le dio esta barbaro
Y despues la manoseo por donde quiso, pero bue ... de una forma habia que explicar toooooodos los origenes que tenia

A mi me gusto

[Iñaki Aragón]

lo que hizo con WW es una real mierda!!!!!! peor ]Omac!!!!! que groso eso!!!!! Nextmen que la tengo completa!!!!!!! es una masa!!!!!! que dibujos ensima!!!!!!! es un gran autor!!!!!!

[Zoid]

Para mí, la tiene clara.

[Obsidian]

A mi lo de Wonder Woman, me sorprendio a mi mismo. Antes de leerlo puteba y decia: que hijo de puta, hizo mierda el personaje, arruino a Demon, a Troia, matio a Hipolyta en la Society.
Despues lo lei y dije: La puta madre detesto todos los cambios que hizo, pero que bien escrito que esta, que hijo de puta!!
Es decir el barbeta es un maestro y aunque haga cambios que no me gustan los narra de tal forma que te terminan pareciendo copados. Bueno nada mas, lean el especial de Oni-Press de Quien Mato a Madman? y despue me cuentan.

Live Long and Prosper

[zebazPXS]

nu se k le ven de grosso a byrne.

en su momento, sí, onda me re cabe lo viejo, FF, superman, Hulk (pintaba buena la historia), x men...

pero... a ver, leyeron spiderman (blerghhhhhhhhhhh adios tarta de zapallitos de hoy a la noche)?

ASCO!

y pra mi, el nivel de lo k dibuja esta re por el piso. Byrne no es un dibujante del carajo, y ahora k esta viejo y se cree k dibuja de takito y ya está. mucho menos.


stay bardero!

[Zoid]

Publicado por ZebazPXS
y pra mi, el nivel de lo k dibuja esta re por el piso. Byrne no es un dibujante del carajo, y ahora k esta viejo y se cree k dibuja de takito y ya está. mucho menos.

a mi criterio no es EL dibujante.... pero me parece que la tiene clara con la forma de narrar y con su guión, lo que lo haría un buen historietista


al menos creo que tiene un buen balance