Will a new writer for Superboy also mean a change in identity and occupation?
If you’re up to date with things occurring in the DC Universe then you may know that there is a bit of a Super-writer shake up going on. The recent shuffle of Superman writers has now had a knock on effect to another title in the Super family, that being Superboy.
Starting in September Scott Lobdell will be taking the reins of the Superman title, leaving his lead writing duties on Superboy up for grabs. Step in Tom DeFalco. DeFalco is no stranger to the title, having lent a hand on a few previous issues, and he obviously left a lasting impression.
So far in the New 52 Superboy series all we know of his origin is that he was in a test tube, he was created by a company caller N.O.W.H.E.R.E, he is still a clone that is 50 % Superman, 50% god knows who, he is being trained as a weapon and if you followed Superboy in to the Legion Lost crossover then you will know that a baddie by the name of Harvest is the one pulling the strings as far as the teenagers development goes. So there are some interesting things that we still need to find out that will no doubt shape the boys future and ultimately what path he will take! Exciting times indeed.
Tom DeFalco spoke to the lucky people at Newsarama and is clearly very excited about his plans for the Superboy title. Seemingly he is planning to start his run with Superboy #0, a nice little one shot, before moving on to Superboy #13 to continue the ongoing series. Check out the interview:-
Newsarama: Tom, DC has confirmed that you’ll be continuing as the regular writer on this title. But you’ve been showing up on the credits for a lot of this series’ issues anyway.
Tom DeFalco: I’ve scripted a number of issues. I was originally brought in because Scott Lobdell was juggling so many different assignments that he needed a little assistance in order to catch up. And then I stuck around! I guess I never know when to leave a party.
Nrama: What is it about this Superboy that intrigues you as a writer?
DeFalco: I think Scott and [artist] R.B. [Silva] have crafted a very unique kind of character. Superboy is not your traditional comic book character. He may be the protagonist of the series, but we’re still not sure whether he’s the good guy or the bad guy. Just because he has the “S” on his chest doesn’t mean anything. He did not choose that “S.”
Nrama: With Superboy #0, you get the chance to reveal a few mysteries. What can you tell us about what readers are going to see?
DeFalco: In Superboy, we’ve never actually witnessed his origin, from issue #1 on. Scott Lobdell and R.B. did a terrific job just getting us right into Superboy’s mind and Superboy’s world right away. Since then, we’ve discovered that there was a mastermind behind all of this construction, the character we’ve come to know as Harvest. Some of the things we’ve seen, there was a subtext to it that we were unaware of, because Harvest is always scheming within schemes. So we’re going to find out some of the subtext and some of Harvest’s plans for Superboy in issue #0, because up until now, we haven’t known the details. Up until now, we knew that Superboy was created to be a living weapon, but we didn’t know what the weapon was for. We’re also going to, in the course of this, discover a story of ancient Krypton and how that relates to Superboy, and relates to something a character told him in one of his early issues, which up until now we haven’t understood. Now we’re going to find out what that character was talking about.
Nrama: Can you say what character it is?
DeFalco: No, and I didn’t say the name of the character for a reason, because all of this is going to come back and play havoc in Superboy’s life going forward.
Nrama: So does Superboy #0 affect upcoming stories for Superboy?
DeFalco: It does. All of this is going to come back and play havoc in Superboy’s life going forward. The #0 issue, on the one hand, will be a done-in-one that will be great for people who’ve never read an issue of Superboy before and even for people who haven’t read a DC comic before. You’ll still be able to read Superboy #0 and understand what’s happening. If you haven’t read Superboy before, it will give you greater insights into the character. If you continue reading Superboy after the #0, you’re going to see how this is actually the start of a major epic.
Nrama: Harvest obviously plays a role in that major epic. Or is this possibly the end of his influence and there’s something else on the horizon?
DeFalco: One never knows what’s going to happen. Let’s just say that Harvest has a specific reason for building an army. We’re going to discover a lot of that in Superboy and possibly another title. But I don’t want to say too much about what that is.
Nrama: With Superboy #12, was your intent to tell a more personal story for Superboy?
DeFalco: Yeah, because we’ve not yet seen Superboy interact with “normal” people. This is going to be his first opportunity to interact with normal humans. They’re normal humans of a certain type, but they’re normal humans compared to him. The interaction goes with varying degrees of success.
Nrama: There’s also a tease about a “monster” who shows up in that issue who is called a “she.”
DeFalco: Yes, we’re going to introduce a new character who will be haunting Superboy for a while.
Nrama: That issue takes place in New York. Is that Superboy’s new base of operations?
DeFalco: At least through issue #12.
Nrama: This series has teased that there’s a third donor of DNA for Superboy. Are we going to find out more about that soon?
DeFalco: Yes, we’ll get some more information in the #0 issue.
Nrama: Is it an important clue that he’s not solar-powered?
DeFalco: How do we know he isn’t solar powered?
Nrama: It was implied in a recent issue.
DeFalco: It might have been. But that implication might have been wrong. Keep reading.
Nrama: You talked about there being an ancient story from Krypton in Superboy #0. Is there a concerted effort to make sure this jibes with what they’re doing in the other Super-books?
DeFalco: They’re being united as a family. I’ve had a good time working in conjunction with what’s being done in Supergirl, Superman and Action Comics. But the thing to keep in mind is you’ve already got two heroes with an “S.” The question is, do we really need a third one?
That’s what we’re going to work to answer in this comic, and what Superboy will be deciding.
Source: Newsarama
About Jay Martin
Jay has been nerdy now for a little under 30 years, so it was only natural for him to aide others in their neediness through his writing. A big fan of comics, movies, TV, music, toys and anything else his pay check will stretch too, this Star Wars addict has an impressive collection of lightsabers and is currently working his way through the extended universe novels in order. If you like your reviews with a healthy dose of sarcasm he is the man for you.
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