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Geoff Johns talks the end of the Glowing Woman arc in GEIGER, where the Northerner is going next after REDCOAT, the return of ROOK:EXODUS and all things Ghost Machine
GEIGER #15 hits stores next Wednesday and wraps up The Glowing Woman arc featuring Ashley Arden. Although she and Geiger share a lot of similarities, they are also very different. Was it always the plan to make them two sides of the same coin?
GEOFF JOHNS: One of the biggest differences between them is that Tariq remembers the world before the war, before the bombs dropped. He remembers his family and the world as it was before he became The Glowing Man. Ashley was born into the post-war world after it became desolated, desperate, and unforgiving. That distinction in their history gives them unique perspective and motivations.
REDCOAT #13 is out in July and features Part 3 of The Northerner arc. How important a character will The Northerner be in the world of The Unnamed going forward, and where will he show up next?
JOHNS: The last few pages of REDCOAT #13 will reveal that in some ways, though his story is only beginning. He’s an important character in the adventure we’re telling and ties in directly to the timeline found in all THE UNNAMED titles.
The Matinee Monster’s debut in HYDE STREET #4 quickly sold out, and fans really love that character. Did you know he was something special when writing him?
JOHNS: When [artist and co-creator] Ivan [Reis] and I first began developing HYDE STREET, The Matinee Monster always felt special to us. He was born in the Golden Age of Hollywood, but embodies the desperate nature of those in it. He’s an actor, who only wants to be validated. And now he’s stuck, recast in a role that will lead him down an even darker path than the one he’s on. In issue #5 and #6, the great Francis Portela stepped in on the art, where we focus on the aerobics instructor from ’83 -- Miss Goodbody -- from the DEVOUR one-shot who will continue to play a major role in the series. In HYDE STREET #7, we get back to Pranky and his hunt of The Matinee Monster… with Mr. X-Ray always there, always planning… but not always prepared the way Pranky might be.
ROOK: EXODUS by you and Jason Fabok is coming back in the fall. Any update on what we can expect and when?
JOHNS: The second arc of stories begin in October with ROOK: EXODUS #7. We know a lot of readers wanted it sooner, but Jay and I always agreed that we’d only put out ROOK when the next story was ready to come out on a monthly cadence. We could re-number this, but we don’t want to do a series of mini-series, we’ll be telling it in chapters. Five-to-six issues at a time. It’s a special book both because it’s a character Jay has literally been drawing and conceptualizing since he was a teenager, and because – quite honestly – the complexity of the characters, design, world and mythology makes it take longer to write, draw, color, and even letter than anything else at Ghost Machine. We hope all of you who have been patient with us will feel rewarded this October—new wardens, new threats, new secrets revealed about the world of Exodus and the people that protect it. It’s a very, very special title.
Last question: everyone as a favorite Ghost Machine book, what’s your favorite?
JOHNS: Don’t ask me that! [Laughs] Of the books I work on, honestly, it’s whichever one I’m writing that day. GEIGER is always going to be special to me because it’s—in many ways—where Ghost Machine started with me and Gary [Frank]. When Bryan [Hitch] and I talk our REDCOAT issues, there’s a life that erupts, as Simon speaks to both of us, taking us on journeys – some of which we couldn’t predict. Writing Simon Pure is just fun, rollicking through American History. ROOK is big, expansive sci-fi. Anytime Jay [Fabok] and I work together, we both feel like we need to think bigger with every panel, page, and issue. And HYDE STREET gives me the chance to play with character-centered horror and mystery with one of the greatest illustrators on the planet. [Artist and co-creator] Ivan [Reis] fills every resident with a fair amount of visual empathy. It’s unleashing my love of Twlight Zone, Tales From The Crypt, the classic monsters, and my favorite horror in all media and literature, with its own twist. But, what’s really fun for me is reading THE ROCKETFELLERS and HORNSBY & HALO. Every step of the way from the scripting coming in to first proofs to final printed issue is a blast to watch those titles come together. I love the family dynamic Pete [Tomasi] and Francis [Manapul] are building in THE ROCKETFELLERS, and Pete and Peter Snejbjerg’s H&H is an absolute joy to read – two kids at the center of a war between heaven and hell. It new. And unpredictable. That’s one of the many reasons I’m proud of what we’re all doing. |
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