5.2 OR SO ABOUT 52 #51 WITH MICHAEL SIGLAIN
And you thought this issue of 52 was going to jump right into the build-up for the series finale coming in next issue? Well…kinda.
This issue threw a touch of a curveball, in that it served mostly as an epilogue to World War III and the space storyline, all in one. Buddy got home, Adam got eyes, Starfire made it back to earth, heroes met, talked, Bruce Wayne made it back from his cruise of relearning how to be Batman/exorcising his demons/whatever he was doing…
All in all, a relatively quiet issue…oh, until that Booster/Rip/Morrow scene there at the end where we see just where Mr. Mind has been all year.
Eu.
Over to Editor Michael Siglain, then.
Newsarama: Overall, this issue really carried an epilogue feeling with it - WWIII was wrapped, and it was time to reflect and exhale a little - why this route, rather than right into a hard buildup to the final climax?
Michael Siglain: Everyone expects the last issue to wrap everything up, and it does, but if we give the readers the epilogue before the finale, we get to give them one super slam-bang last issue. And we do.
NRAMA: Fair enough. Moving to the Animal Man sequence - Buddy and Ellen - they're one of the most normal couples in the DCU,
aren't they? Being Animal Man is Buddy's "job," and it's just accepted, huh? No room for angst in the Baker house?
MS: Nope. We've got plenty of other couples who are unhappy, miserable, and angst-ridden. It's kinda nice to have one normal, happy, loving couple.
NRAMA: But come on - these appearances beg, beg for a new Animal Man series...any hope on that front?
MS: Is that what the fans really want? Fans? Care to weigh in?
NRAMA: In your words - why is everyone gathering at the Superman/Superboy memorial? Literally, it's what, people showing up at Morrison's grave? (Jim, not Grant - Grant's still alive, right?)
MS: It might've been rough at times, but 52 did not kill Grant Morrison. He is still alive and well...or, at the very least, he’s alive.
As for your main question, people are gathering at the memorial for several reasons. They're there to remember and pay their respects to Conner. They're there to honor the memory of those lost during the Crisis, and they're there to gain a sense of community. What you're looking at is the actual DC Universe. You're seeing all of these characters--all of these regular and extraordinary people--and they're interacting and paying their respects to those who have lost their lives and those who have come before them. As for the Jim Morrison comment, if you look hard enough, you can see The Lizard King in the background. He's a new hero in the DCU. He's got the ability to swim to the moon and climb through the tide.
NRAMA: And to break on through to the other side… In that vein, how do the kids of the DCU see Conner? Is a Jim Morrison comparison apt? James Dean? Kurt Cobain? Why do kids in he DCU identify with him?
MS: You're right on the money with all of them. The children of the DCU do see him as a larger than life figure that was taken way too soon. So, yes, he is Kurt Cobain and John Lennon and Jim Morrison and James Dean. He was the hero that they looked up to, the one they could identify with, and he was taken away from them in the prime of his life.
NRAMA: Cassie said she heard about Ralph from Fire - how did Fire know anything? All she found was a ring, and Ralph's body was sealed in Fate's tower...
MS: Women's intutition. Plus, Fire's pretty damn smart. She can put two and two together.
NRAMA: Speaking of Ralph - c'mon man - give us a glimmer of hope - have we seen the last of Ralph in 52?
MS: Geez, I hope not. We've got one more issue to go, and it's 40 pages. I hope we see at least some of him in there...
NRAMA: Speaking of other characters who’ve possibly shuffled off this mortal coil - is Young Frankenstein really dead? I mean - he only had his arms ripped off...and he's a Frankenstein..and after all, Risk is still alive...
MS: Yep, Young Frankenstein is indeed dead. And you know what that means -- it's time to bring Frankenstein back from the beyond the grave. Some of you may want an Animal Man book, buy my money's on the monster! Villagers, get your torches and pitchforks ready. Who's with me? Anyone? Bueller?
NRAMA: Okay - into Morrow's lab...can you break down what happened between the last time we saw him and now? Rip and Booster explained everything to him, and he was there as bait for "Skeets?"
MS: Actually, you just did a damn fine job of breaking everything down. Rip and Booster knew that Morrow--and the decapitated head of Red Tornado--would be too tempting for Skeets to pass up, so they used the good Professor as bait and caught themselves one mean, mutated Mr. Mind.
NRAMA: Okay, but what have Booster and Rip been doing? Trying to stop what's about to happen in world after world, timestream after timesteeam?
MS: You know, after 51 weeks, you've gotten really, really good at this! Yes, Rip and Booster have been attempting to stop Mr. Mind. They've tried--and failed--51 times so far. See a pattern here?
NRAMA: But if they've been doing this over and over, why does BOoster think that "Skeets" is Skeets?
MS: This is explained next week. I could, of course, tell you now, but I think you guys can hold out for one more week.
NRAMA: Alright. On to something you can discuss - how was this "hatched" version of Mr. Mind designed? What did the script call for, and then, what did Keith and Joe add?
MS: Actually, there wasn't much in the script that described what the new Mr. Mind would look like. In fact, here's how his new look was first described:
"Skeets opens out like a dying flower to reveal a radiant uncoiling form within. Wet butterfly wings unfurl."
"Mr. Mind revealed. Big close up on a butterfly face, (I think he should be wearing glasses but see if it works) filling the whole page."
From those descriptions, the writers went over what they wanted Mr. Mind to be. Would he look more like a worm, or more like a butterfly, or more like a moth? And just how mutated should he be? We kicked around those questions--as well as the question as to whether or not Mr. Mind should be wearing glasses--then I took the answers to Keith Giffen, and he came up with a sketch for the breakdowns. From there, the script, breakdowns, and some additional notes were sent over to artist Joe Bennett, and Joe worked his magic and came up with what is seen in week 51. It was certainly a collaborative effort, and Joe definitely took the ball and ran with it. That's one monstrous Mr. Mind!
NRAMA: But when did Mr. Mind have a chance to get into Skeets? He’s hinting that he’s been in there for a while…
MS: Don't worry. All will be revealed next week. Wait until Wednesday, y'all.
NRAMA: "Not again" from Rip? Have all their previous attempts to grab "Skeets" ended like this? Have they all been identical to this one?
MS: All I can say is that their previous attempts haven't been entirely successful.
NRAMA: Got it. Okay – {sniff} this is the last time we’re going to say this…
MS: Thank God…
NRAMA: What was that?
MS: Nothing, nothing – keep going…
NRAMA: That's what we've got for this ish, so…over to you for the…{sniff} tease….
MS: To quote Bernard Lee in You Only Live Twice, "This is the big one, 007." And to quote Jim Morrison, "This is the end, beautiful friend, this is the end." This is the one you've all been waiting for. This is the end of 52! Everyone has gone along for the ride for 51 fantastic, fun-filled issues, and writers Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid have got one amazing, oversized issue to end this history-making event.
All four writers and breakdown artist Keith Giffen are joined by some of the best artists in the business. Mike McKone, Justiniano, Eddy Barrows, Pat Olliffe, Chris Batista, and Darick Roberston all lend a hand to our grand finale. And let's not forget about the amazing cover team of J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair. Our unbelievable cover artists have given us an unforgettable wraparound cover that echoes our very first issue. Take a look:
(BW: Click for big)
And because it wouldn't be a 5.2 column without getting a gander at some art, here are the first 3 pages of art, courtesy of Mike McKone and Andy Lanning:
The year without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman is coming to a close. It's week 52 on 5/2, gang. Be ready!
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