Wed Jun 11, 2008 — by Jami Philbrick
Interview: Geoff Johns on the Return of Brainiac in Action Comics
The superstar writer talks about Brainiac's return to the DCU and all things Superman
Writer Geoff Johns is best known for re-imagining some of the most beloved heroes in the history of the DCU.
With his work on such books as Infinite Crisis, 52, Green Lantern, Booster Gold, Teen Titans and Justice Society Of America, Johns has “re-booted” some of DC’s most beloved classic heroes, including Hal Jordan, Booster Gold, Power Girl, The Teen Titans and The JSA.
But Johns’ ability to restore characters to their original glory does not stop with DC’s greatest heroes. No, he has left his mark on the villains as well, creating and revamping some of the scariest villains in DC’s arsenal. From his work on The Sinestro Corps War, and his run on The Flash he has placed Sinestro, Superboy-Prime, Cyborg Superman and The Rogue's Gallery of The Flash back atop DC’s roster of its most dangerous bad guys.
Now Johns is reintroducing the most evil super computer of all, Brainiac, in the pages of Action Comics. Along with artist Gary Frank, the new arc, entitled “Brainiac” begins in Action Comics #866, in stores today.
First appearing in Action Comics #242 as a bald, green-skinned humanoid, Brainiac is the machine responsible for destroying Krypton and shrinking the city of Kandor down to bottle size. This five-issue arc will attempt to reintroduce the character who is arguably one of Superman’s most dangerous enemies back into the DCU.
I had a chance to speak to Geoff Johns about the new arc in Action Comics and the experience of working with his mentor, Richard Donner.
CMix: You started off in the business as Richard Donner’s assistant and eventually co-wrote an arc of Action Comics with him. Could you tell us what that experience was like and a little bit about your relationship with him now?
GJ: He’s been a big part of my life for a long time now. He taught me a lot of things about writing, production and life in general when I worked for him. We grew really close and obviously he’s my mentor. I started writing comics when I was working for him, and he loves comics, so he would see the stuff that I was working on. It was funny because he would see Alan Scott and say, “Oh, Green Lantern.” He knew the old guys, the really old guys, because he read that stuff when he was young. That was really fun to see.
So working with him was just a pleasure because I got to take everything that I learned from working for him, and from writing comics over the last several years, and then work with him on something. It was a real personal experience for me on a lot of levels. It’s a dream come true to get to work with him. Superman: The Movie is my favorite movie ever! Dick is one of my favorite directors of all time! And to be able to work in tandem with him on something like Superman is cool. When that hardcover comes out, that’s going to be the thing that I give to anybody who asks me what I do. I’m really proud of that book.
CMix: Did you ever have a Twilight Zone type moment, when you realized that you were writing about Superman and General Zod with Richard Donner? Was it kind of surreal?
GJ: Yeah, I have a lot of those moments, because I really do have one of the greatest jobs in the universe. And to get to do that with a guy like Adam Kubert and then Richard Donner, it was just pretty amazing. I’m very, very fortunate.
CMix: As a fan of Superman yourself, what direction would you like to see the Superman film franchise start to go in?
GJ: I would love to see Superman go up against Brainiac. It’s that simple. There’s stuff in this “Brainiac” arc that I would love to see on the screen. But I’d love to see a real, emotionally charged epic where he can actually go up against a villain who can hold his own against him and actually make Superman look weak. I want someone who can scare Superman and really is a threat to him. The only (movie) villain that he ever fought that really came close is Zod. Since then, on screen, he’s never really battled somebody who could go toe-to-toe with Superman. That’s what I want to see and I want Superman to overcome that challenge.
But I also want to see Superman fight someone that’s going to mean something to him. I don’t know how much Doomsday means to him on a personal level. So I’d like to see it be somebody who has a personal connection to him, so that Superman has a stake in it. I want to see a great Superman movie that still has the warmth and the heart that the original one has. That’s what I would like to see.
There are a lot of things that I like about all of the Superman films, but I do miss having him go head-to-head with a guy. I don’t know when the last time we saw two guys who can fly or take a punch that could send them through a few buildings, really going at it. It would just be cool to see that. But I’d love to see Brainiac, definitely Brainiac.