JIM STARLIN ON THE COMING RANN-THANAGAR WAR – NEWSARAMA
JIM STARLIN ON THE COMING RANN-THANAGAR WAR – NEWSARAMA
I can’t wait!!
? JIM STARLIN ON THE COMING RANN-THANAGAR WAR
by Chris ArrantHave you ever had two friends that just couldn’t get along with each other? That’s what it’s like in the DC Universe with the people of Rann and Thanagar. Lightyears beyond any kind of Hatfield/McCoy comparisons, they’ve got an unholy hatred for one another that’s been going for sometime. Look back the 2005 miniseries Rann-Thanagar War to see how they originally became at odds with one another, and that showdown was only cut off by a larger threat – a fracture in space just like those seen in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Although that threat was eventually neutralized, the Ranns and Thanagarians are far from candidates for a Good Neighbor award.And with the announcement of a new series entitled Rann/Thanagar: Holy War, it looks like a reconciliation between the two races is nowhere to be found. As the solicitations and the title itself suggests, religion sparks this new turn in the tensions between the Rannians and the Thanagarians. For the Thanagarians it’s a “long-forgotten religious cult”, and the people of Rann still worship the deadly Lady Styx. With all the players in motion, it’s no doubt that DC called in two of the foremost experts in outer space sci-fi drama: writer Jim Starlin and artist Ron Lim.
Yeah, they’re no strangers to interstellar adventure.
For more, we talked to Starlin by email from what is, presumably, his earthbound home.
Newsarama: What can I say, Jim… the Rannians and Thanagarians are back at it again. After the events of original Rann/Thanagar War miniseries, we thought maybe some peace could be found. What’s the situation like right now before this new series begins?
Jim Starlin: Well, at the end of the Rann/Thanagar War the Thanagarians sort of had to come to the conclusion that their worship of Onimar Synn, the Soul Eater, was counterproductive; seeing how his leadership pretty well got their world and society trashed. But true believers can’t go too long without finding a replacement deity. In this case the vacuum has been filled by the Eternal Light Corporation from Mystery in Space.
On Rann it’s been pretty much business as usual. They still have crazy Sardath as their leader. The Rannians had a brush, just recently, with their own religious fervor but are now past it, aren’t they?
NRAMA: Some people might wish it so… Signs say that as the series starts, Rann and Thanager are poised to butt heads again – they’ve fell into war just recently, now we see that it’s religion that’s igniting the spark. You’ve got Lady Styxx on the Rann side, and Deacon Dark from Mystery in Space fitting into the Thanagarian faith. Can you describe for us the religious landscape here?
JS: Well, this is a tricky one, seeing as how Countdown to Adventure hasn’t finished its run yet. But there are some things you can assume without being too daring. At the end of their run the Countdown-to-Adventure folks are not going to leave Rann in the grip of the Lady Styx virus. That’s the main thrust of their story, so…
But you can’t go through a serious malady without residual effects. We examine those effects in Holy War.
As I said earlier the Eternal Light Corporation has come to Thanagar and the worship of the Nameless is being cultivated. Two competing worlds with two distinct and high-powered religions: how do you think that’s going to work out? Badly, you say?
NRAMA: There’s a lot of players floating around in this, so many that even I couldn’t keep track. Who are the main players involved in this story?
JS: Adam Strange, Comet, Hawkman, Bizarro, Animal Man, Starfire, Tigor, Chief Justice Max, Tyrone, Starman (Prince Gayvn), Lady Styx, Deacon Dark and two surprise characters. But the big news is that we will be bringing back and revamping a character from the golden age of Greek philosophy. No, don’t ask who. You have to read the series to find out what philosophical oldie we’re reviving.
NRAMA: One guest star I can ask about is your artistic collaborator. In this series you’re teaming with a former collaborator in Ron Lim. Knowing that he’s going to be the one drawing out your scripts, can you tell us of anything specific you put in there that you know Ron would enjoy and do a great job on?
JS: Ron just plain loves the outrageous. If I tell him an idea and it’s greeted by a roar of laughter I know I’m on the right track. But a big plus with Ron is his storytelling ability. He and I may have different drawing styles but we share the same track on storytelling. Some pencilers draw up a page from your script and you have a hard time figuring out what’s happening, don’t recognize your own story. Ron: I sometimes feel adding words to his pages is an exercise in futility. That’s how good his storytelling is. Toss Rob Hunter on the inks and Holy War is going to be one hell of a miniseries.
But to answer your specific question: I threw a dinosaur into the second issue for him. But the truth is any serious work of literature about religion should have at least one Tyrannosaurus Rex in it.
NRAMA: Wow, what Sunday School did you go to? But I’m not complaining….
Jim, ou’ve become the go-to guy for stories of sci-fi and space, having a long track record of bringing the human element into something others might write as cold. At what point in your career did you realize that “hey! This might be my niche”, and did you fight it or go with the flow?
JS: The way this started off was me not wanting to have to drawn horses or cars, so I opted for a locale that had neither. But as time has gone on I’ve discovered that a science fiction setting allows you to do stories that a real-life location would hinder. For me story is king and if I have to create an entirely new world to do the story properly, so be it. This tale requires a Second Coming, which would have a credibility problem if set on Earth, so Rann and Thanagar got drafted.
Praise the profit.
Rann/Thanagar: Holy War #1 (of
is scheduled for release on May 7th, 2008.
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