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RON MARZ INITIAL ION THOUGHTS
by Jennifer Contino (Pulse)
It ain't easy being green, or creating a new Green Lantern as writer Ron Marz found out when he first introduced Kyle Rayner over a decade ago. Now Marz is coming full circle, in a sense, by returning to scripting Rayner's life and times in the new Ion series. Marz couldn't spoil things about what's coming up, but we've got answers to a few questions that should interest PULSE readers.
THE PULSE: When you first created Kyle Rayner, after so many other Green Lanterns had been in the mix, how did you want this guy to be different from the pack?
RON MARZ: I wanted somebody who was going to be different from the Green Lanterns who had gone before, especially Hal. Since Hal was being taken out of the GL role, so I didn’t see any sense in creating someone just like him to take over. One of the things I really liked about Green Lantern was that the basic concept really allows for anybody to be a Green Lantern. You didn’t have to be the last son a dead world, or a millionaire whose parents were murdered in front of him, or an Amazon princess. You didn't have to be special. So Kyle was really the common man Green Lantern. Geoff Johns and I were having a discussion up in the DC offices, and Geoff made the point that Kyle is one of the few "Marvel-style" characters who has succeeded in the DC Universe. I think that's a pretty apt description. Hal is a pretty quintessential DC hero, while Kyle is cut from the Peter Parker cloth.
Here's an analogy I've made before. Hal is more like James Bond, the guy who can do it all, who's destined to be a hero, who's just better at everything than the rest of us. Kyle is more like the Cary Grant character in "North by Northwest," just a regular guy who gets caught up in situation that's way beyond his experience, and must rise to the occasion. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but as a writer, I tend to prefer ordinary people doing extraordinary things, rather than extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. There's more inherent drama.
THE PULSE: How surprised were you by the extreme reaction of some fans to Kyle's taking over as the Green Lantern? That was one of the first times I can really remember (at least in my generation) people being threatening, starting "clubs," and other things against the young Green Lantern.
MARZ: Obviously I expected a reaction. Change damn near anything in comics, even Superman's haircut, and there's an outcry. But I didn't expect how vociferous the reaction was by some people. I know a segment of fans take this stuff very seriously, and have a real sense of ownership of the characters. But at the end of the day, it's a comic book. It's entertainment.
THE PULSE: What's the craziest thing anyone ever threatened to do to you for making Kyle the new Green Lantern? Was there a lot of insanity directed at you?
MARZ: I know they got some pretty nutty letters up at the DC offices, threatening all manner of hellfire and brimstone. And there was one that was essentially a death threat to the editor, Kevin Dooley, and me. I don't think anyone took it overly seriously, but that one was turned over to the NYPD as a precaution. For the most part, it was a lot of bluster by the same people who then very politely ask you to sign their books at a convention.
THE PULSE: Whose idea was it for his ring not to have that impurity that makes it unable to work against yellow?
MARZ: Mine. The yellow weakness just seemed like an almost arbitrary Achilles heel. Superman had kryptonite, the Martian Manhunter had fire, Green Lantern had yellow. I couldn't make it work for me. Your hero has what's billed as "the most powerful weapon in the universe," but he's gonna get his ass handed to him if he meets a guy with a banana in one hand and a bottle of mustard in the other.
THE PULSE: When you left the series, do you feel you'd accomplished everything you'd wanted to with the character?
MARZ: I left the series because I went to CrossGen, and part of that deal was being exclusive. It was a disappointment, because I was really looking forward to working with Bob Schreck, who had taken over as editor within the previous few months. I had really wanted to continue Kyle's maturation, and one day bring back the Green Lantern Corps., but I had to step aside, before I got to do it. Thankfully, the people who came after me continued it, and now I get a chance to come back and tell the next chapter.
THE PULSE: How did you become a part of the year-jump event?
MARZ: Dan Didio pulled me aside at last year's Wizard World L.A. convention and laid out what they wanted to do with Kyle. I thought it was a logical evolution for the character, so I was really interested in taking it on. And, truth to tell, DC was my home for years, and it's very comfortable for me to be back there.
THE PULSE: How much consideration did you give to returning to Kyle Rayner in Ion before saying "yes"? Was there ever a point when you considered NOT writing this series?
MARZ: When Dan and I sat down to talk about the project, the thing that was most intriguing to me was that Kyle wouldn't be standing still. This isn't a case of just repeating ourselves, so I was pretty much on board from the beginning. There's definitely more of an allure when you're going back to a character you created. It almost feels like one of your children.
THE PULSE: I know you can't spoil things, but what can you tell us about the upcoming Ion series?
MARZ: I really can't say much of anything until the Rann-Thanagar Infinite Crisis Special hits the stands. The real impetus for Kyle's growth into Ion happens there, and as I've said before, it stems from tragedy. Then the first issue of Ion is One Year Later, and Kyle is dealing with the fallout of what happened. He's going to be taking on a new role, but Kyle's not even aware of that initially, so the first story arc unfolds as a bit of a mystery.
The first issue will leave people scratching their heads as to just what's going on, which I hope will be a hook to bring them back every month. As Kyle starts to figure out what's happening to him, so will the reader. We're also going to introduce some new members of the supporting cast, some new villains and some new locales -- both on Earth and in space. We're not starting from scratch, obviously, but in a lot of ways this has the same feel for me as when we initially introduced Kyle more than a decade ago. There's a real sense of going in a new direction.
THE PULSE: Greg Tocchini is an exceptional artist, who has worked on a lot of different projects in recent years. What do you think of his style for this series?
MARZ: I'd better think he's the right guy for the book, because I'm the one who suggested him. A number of artists were discussed for the book, including some guys who have a higher profile than Greg, but I really thought he was the right fit and pushed for him. I first saw Greg's stuff when he did a few projects at CrossGen, and I've been wanting to work with him ever since. Greg is Brazilian, and way too young to be as good as he is. A number of Brazilian artists who worked for CrossGen, including Ivan Reis, Joe Bennett and my Samurai: Heaven and Earth partner Luke Ross, have gone on to really make their mark in the American market. I think Greg is the next one.
If you look at his work from a few years ago, there's a real Carlos Pacheco vibe to it. As Greg's style has evolved, he's retained the grace and fluidity that Pacheco has, and added his own sensibilities. Greg can do the big dramatic stuff -- we've got a couple spreads in issue #1 that are ample evidence of that -- and he can do the smaller character moments as well. He can do Earth and he can do epic outer-space stuff. Balancing all those aspects will be a big part of the book.
THE PULSE: Who else is working on Ion with you?
MARZ: Jeromy Cox is our colorist, and I couldn't be happier because I've been a fan of his stuff for years, but I've never worked with him before. This is assuming, of course, that coloring Infinite Crisis doesn't kill Jeromy first. Eddie Berganza is the editor, ably assisted by Jeanine Schaefer. Ivan Reis, who is penciling the monthly Green Lantern book, is going to be the cover artist, so the Brazilians have me outnumbered.
THE PULSE: What other projects - in or out of comics - are you working on?
MARZ: I'm going into my second year writing Witchblade, for Top Cow, and I'm relaunching Cyberforce with the first issue out in March. I'm also working on a Magdalena mini-series for Top Cow, with Keu Cha painting the whole thing. Luke Ross and I will be doing a Samurai sequel mini for Dark Horse later in the year. And if I can find the time, I've got a couple more creator-owned projects to get up and running.
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