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@’s by ACTION COMICS writer
Paul Cornell!
Hey folks, Ambush Bug here with another interview I took at this years Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) with ACTION COMICS writer Paul Cornell. I had a chance to catch up with Mr. Cornell amd chat about writing Lex Luthor, Superman, and the upcoming 900th issue. We’ve even got preview pages below of the monumental issue. Here’s what Paul had to say…AMBUSH BUG (BUG): Paul, you’ve done a ton of books that I have read, so I’m really excited to meet you. I have never met you before, so tell me a little bit about what you are doing at DC.
PAUL CORNELL (PC): Well right now the biggest thing is ACTION #900, which finishes Lex Luthor’s story and starts Superman’s part of “Reign of Doomsday” and it’s the same story. It’s a 50 page lead story, which puts those two things together and does them in one. How rarely in comics do you get to say, “It’s a proper ending” and it really is?
BUG: So are you going to be on the book for a while after that or is that your last issue?
PC: I’ve just delivered #901.
BUG: Great, okay. So with it reaching 900, that’s a pretty giant milestone. I don’t think there are any other comics out there that have 900 issues. Is that right?PC: Absolutely.
BUG: That’s pretty amazing. So was that intimidating for you to take that on?
PC: It is a little. Writing for Superman himself is kind of the intimidating thing, but you can’t let yourself be intimidated by it, because otherwise you will do a halfhearted job. It’s been excellent to do Lex and then Superman, because it’s like we’ve had ten issues of getting a different perspective, so it’s going to be really difficult for Superman to get his book back. It’s an interesting thing.
BUG: Is that a temptation for you? To keep on having it be about Lex Luther the whole time?
PC: (Laughs) I think if I tried, DC would probably stop me. One of the joys of the Lex story is that it does come to an end. We knew what the ending was going to be and we got there. Again, you don’t do many contained stories in comics.BUG: And Lex is such an awesome character. He’s one of the best villains in comics. How do you think you approached him differently for this release?
PC: Well I think he changed just a little bit before I got him and the Orange Lantern thing had done something profound to him and this is kind of the story of that change and what results from it and you know it’s one move in his character. I think he is fascinating, because he could so easily be a hero. Him and Tony Stark are one molecule apart, but in that little gap is everything. If ever there was a DC-Marvel cross ever again, I would so want to do Lex and Tony.
BUG: That would be a great team up. So are you exclusive with DC right now?
PC: I am for the next 18 months.BUG: Great, so what else are you going to be doing with them? I know you have KNIGHT AND SQUIRE. Can you talk a bit about that?
PC: Yeah, that’s just come to an end. There are wonderful large amounts of stuff in the KNIGHT AND SQUIRE trade. We’ve got about twelve pages of extra stuff with designs and things like that. It’s a labor of love, like the series has been. I’ve been so lucky to have a team who were so committed to that and that’s actually my favorite thing I’ve done in comics. It’s really personal for me. I think Jimmy Broxton is just amazing.
BUG: This is kind of with BATMAN AND ROBIN and with KNIGHT AND SQUIRE, first Grant Morrison introduced something and then you are keeping the ball rolling or taking it into new areas. What’s it like having that after Grant Morrison?
PC: Again, you can’t really think about it. He did send me some really useful notes about KNIGHT AND SQUIRE, the main one of which was “Let’s not make this all about magic.” So it’s a different kind of DC Britain.BUG: Even going back to your Marvel work where you did the Pete Winston stuff, which I love… He’s such a great character. You are from England, aren’t you?
PC: Yes.
BUG: (Laughs) Okay, I just didn’t want to assume, but do you prefer to write knowing that land?
PC: I think to be honest I’ve now kind of exhausted that. I don’t want to be “That British Guy” anymore, so I’m trying really hard now to take some projects, which don’t have a British element to them, because I think that’s the next thing. Britain really fascinates me and its there in my other work a lot as well.
BUG: It’s got such a rich history, so much longer than America.
PC: Well I wasn’t going to mention it. You needn’t feel defensive about it I feel, you’ve done really well for a young country.
[Both Laugh]BUG: What’s it like writing over there and then coming over here? Do you live over here now?
PC: Oh no, I’ve just popped in for the show. I live in Oxford, so… I’m actually a great fan of American culture and you know it’s nice to be able to do a bit of both.
BUG: So what else do you have coming up?
PC: I can’t tell you. Actually there are loads of lovely DC things, but really it’s impossible for me to say right now without breaking all of my agreements and being banned.
BUG: Well we don’t want that to happen. So you said something about your other works?
PC: Yes, I have a novel coming out in both the States and Britain at the same time next year, an urban fantasy novel.
BUG: What’s the difference between writing a novel and comics? Other than describing the panels, that is.
PC: Many, many differences. In novels you are in charge of everything and in comics you have to be really specific about describing various things in particular ways. I could write a book about the differences between the two.BUG: Maybe you should.
PC: Maybe I should.
BUG: So is there anything else you might want to tell the readers at Ain’t It Cool?
PC: I think that’s about it. Thank you so much for coming to find me.
BUG: Thank you, Paul. Look for ACTION COMICS #900 in stores tomorrow!
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, original @$$Hole/wordslinger/reviewer/co-editor of AICN Comics for over nine years. Support a Bug by checking out his comics (click on the covers to purchase)!
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Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
