Originally posted by bluewaterriderMight be a good idea to post one of Loeb's interviews here.
They are, unfortunately, very hard to find now.
I'll likely post the text after this message.For now, though, here's a URL to one of the more famous ones I remember:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&old=1&id=4651
Jeph Loeb On His Plans For The Summer Debuting "Supergirl" Series
(Part 3 of 3)
Loeb's been instrumental in bringing back a number of characters from the Superman family archives, such as Supergirl and Krypto, and when asked if he plans on reintroducing more from the pantheon he joked, "You mean where'd you hide the Beppo the Monkey story, Loeb?" That being said, he's enjoyed the role he's played in adding to the Superman legacy.
"It's funny, I know I've 'reintroduced' a lot of those elements (Bizarro #1 too!), but it's always been done with a difference," explained Loeb. "First of all, nobody in the DCU remembers any of these characters so they are meeting them for the first time (just like any reader prior to 1986 which is nearly twenty years ago!). Krypto doesn't have thought balloons, can't understand everything you say to him. He's a dog with Superman's powers. That's an incredibly dangerous idea. He has no idea why anyone would be up with him tearing off Mongul's arm when he attacked Lois. Or that he hates Kara simply because he feels like she doesn't belong in the Fortress! And even Kara -- she's not the same girl who was in awe of her cousin as her Silver Age counter part was. This girl has some real issues with being Supergirl and we'll see how those play out."
While Loeb may be the main arbiter of Supergirl's future for the moment, he's more than happy to share the character with his fellow DC writers.
"Part of what makes working at DC so great right now is that we have these lines of communication between Dan Didio, myself, Geoff, Brad, Judd Winnick and Greg Rucka," said Loeb. "I mean, between that crew, we cover most of the bigs -- and if we'll bring anybody in, it'll make the story better. I'd no sooner tell a Green Lantern story without talking to Geoff and while I don't have any real control over what everyone else does in the DCU, usually Dan will give me a call or Eddie Berganza to say so-and-so is planning on using Kara and here's the idea. It's more about whether or not that's going to bump into anything I have planned and I can always change my plans for someone else's better story! So, hell yes, I hope she shows up all over the place -- 'cause she's going to be showing up all over the DCU in the first year! Wouldn't it be cool if she turned to be like Wolverine and was in about 40 comics a month?! (laughs)"
Joining Loeb on "Supergirl" is his old "Cable" and "Coven" pal Ian Churchil who Loeb says "is just pouring his heart into every page. All I can say is if you enjoyed what Mike Turner was doing -- you're going to love what Ian has in store. Ian's enthusiasm alone is a great reason for me doing the book. We've wanted to get back together for years and this couldn't be a better project for it!"
Finally, Loeb closed out out chat by talking about what makes Supergirl a compelling character for him to write.
"I love that she has all this power and has to learn what it is to be a superhero in the DCU," said Loeb. "It's one thing to try that with Manhunter (which is terrific), but when you have an icon like Supergirl trying to find her way and, at the same time, at a power level that we haven't even begun to explore ... it should make for a (very) good time."
Special thanks to Stephen Gerding of 4 Color Review for his help with this story.
