by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

Marvel Comics continues their ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT launch with the release of a new series: Starbrand & Nightmask! This new ongoing comic is being brought to us by Greg Weisman, best known for his work on Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice, and Star Wars Rebels. Greg was kind enough to speak with us about his upcoming Marvel project, his personal approach to writing for comics and television, and the role that these characters play in the Marvel Universe.

CO: What attracted you to writing these two characters specifically?

GW: They’re kinda right in my sweet spot. Two guys (best friends) in their late teens with a lot of power and almost zero life experience, trying to find their place  in a very real world (in this case college) while simultaneously battling large scale menace. It’s the same kind of themes that interested me in The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice. Plus I’ve always been a big proponent for diversity, which is why I wanted to make Nightmask a lead in the series on an equal  footing with Starbrand, and not just a sidekick.

CO: Were you a fan of the original New Universe books in the 1980s? 

GW: I was actually working in Editorial at DC Comics when New Universe launched, so I was able to read all those books for free, as back then the two  companies had a gentleman’s agreement to exchange comics. So it was fascinating to watch this grand experiment.

CO: What does the New Universe legacy mean to you?

GW: Well, much in the way that Cary Bates and I tried to honor the Charlton Captain Atom comics when we wrote the character for DC (around that same  time),  Domo, Katie, Alanna and I are trying to honor the New Universe stuff here in ways big and small. But in the end, we have to make sure that (a) we’re  firmly in the Marvel Universe now and (b) that these new versions of the characters can really stand on their own, um, four feet.

CO: In terms of backstory, are you starting these characters off with a clean slate, or are you tying back into the events from Hickman’s reintroduction of the characters in Avengers?

GW: We’re VERY much tying into Hickman’s work on these characters. It’s eight months later, but everything that happened to them in the Avengers titles still happened to them, up to and including their deaths. I’m really diving into the minutia of what Jonathan did with Starbrand and Nightmask, picking up lose threads and trying to weave a tapestry that expands on his work. That’s the real legacy here, I think.

CO: Do you have plans for any additional New Universe characters to make the jump to your series? 

GW: C’mon, Matt, you know me better than that: NO SPOILERS! (But I promise the book will be interesting to fans old and new.)

CO: How does your approach differ when writing for a comic book as compared with writing for an animated TV series?

GW: It really doesn’t differ at all actually. A single issue of a comic is about the equivalent (from the standpoint of content destiny) to a single act of a three-act episode of a television series. But my method is exactly the same. I go through tons of multi-colored index cards to track the series long term. Then I use more index cards to break down each issue or episode. Very low tech, but it works for me. Always has, going as far back as Gargoyles.

CO: Aside from developing this book, are there any other projects that you are currently working on?

GW: Well, I’m finishing up my run on Star Wars Kanan.  And I’m almost done with the post-production on the Rain of the Ghosts AudioPlay, which is the full-cast, unabridged adaptation of my novel of the same name.  I’m also on staff at Nick Jr. on the second season of the pre-school series Shimmer and Shine, plus there are a couple of other projects that it’s too soon to talk about.

CO: Lastly, if you were given the opportunity to bring back either Young Justice or The Spectacular Spider-Man for one additional season, which would it be and why? Keep in mind, you can only choose one. 

GW: Gargoyles 🙂

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Special thanks to Greg for the interview.

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline.com for more updates on all of Greg’s projects, along with more interviews, reviews, and everything geek pop culture!