DF Interview: Daniel H. Wilson talks future of Earth 2: Worlds End

By Byron Brewer

Come with us on a journey which delves into the world of Earth 2 as New York Times best-selling author Daniel H. Wilson leads us into the start of a new weekly DC series that will see the origins of a world much like the New 52 Earth, yet so different.

Earth 2 is a world that saw its greatest heroes die – and new ones take their places. A world where Superman became its greatest villain, and a man named Zod seeks to save it, along with Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash and other heroes. A world they can only save from the forces of Apokolips through great personal sacrifice.

Before the death and the destruction, Dynamite Forces caught up with Wilson and asked the hard questions so you will be ready for one dangerous ride!

Dynamic Forces: Earth 2: Worlds End spins out of Earth 2 and is a weekly running from October through March. Tell us about how the project came about.

Daniel H. Wilson: Last year I got a phone call from Mike Cotton, an editor at DC. He explained the project and asked if I’d be interested in joining the team. I immediately said “Hell, yes!” I had never written comics, much less a weekly series, but I’m a big fan of walking through open doors — and this was an amazing opportunity.

DF: How did you become involved with this unique assignment, Daniel? Is this something you pitched?

Daniel H. Wilson: My job from the beginning was to write a large portion of each issue and to break the overall story. So, as the writing team was being assembled, I was given the task of writing a “bible” for the project. I went about it in exactly the wrong way. My novels (e.g., Robopocalypse) require intricate outlining — a level of detail that is inappropriate for comics. I learned my lesson quick, and loosened the reins.

DF: Tell us about more about your role here. You are not so much writing as working WITH the writers? How does that work?

Daniel H. Wilson: On a weekly basis, I break story for the next two issues (writing a document that briefly describes what will happen on each page of the comic). Then I assign those pages to either myself, Marguerite Bennet, or Mike Johnson. We submit our scripts to the editors, who coordinate artwork and lettering. Eventually, we writers do a final lettering proof and deal with any issues that crop up between script and art. At this point, we are working on the final few issues … a well-oiled machine!

DF: We have been reading since the New 52 reboot about Apokolips invading Earth 2. Is this what happened, or is this in “current” time?

Daniel H. Wilson: Earth 2: World’s End does nothing fancy with the timeline — it is a straight continuation of the Earth 2 monthly story. In fact, issue number one of our weekly is double-sized (for the same price!) so that it can summarize events so far and keep everybody on the same page.

DF: Who are our protagonists and are they all from Earth 2?

Daniel H. Wilson: Most of our protagonists are from Earth 2, including Green Lantern, Power Girl, Huntress, Val-Zod, Red Tornado, Flash, Hawkgirl, Doctor Fate, Queen Marella and the rest of the World Army supers. The New Gods are singular, including Darkseid, Mister Miracle, Fury, Barda, and the Court of Apokolips. And finally, Michael Holt (aka Mister Terrific) has been kidnapped from Earth Prime by a mysterious Terry Sloan who is from who-knows-where!

DF: Darkseid? Reportedly Darkseid does not appear, I heard. So who are our big-bad(s)?

Daniel H. Wilson: Wait, Darkseid wasn’t supposed to appear? Uh-oh. Aside from the big man, we have quite a few awesome new baddies. The Court of Apokolips is violent and strange, including new characters Paternus, Lowest, Rectifier, and Arcanis. And my favorite new villains are the Four Furies of Apokolips, roughly known as War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. There are no shortage of battles to be had.

DF: Phil Jimenez has done some brilliant character designs for this weekly. Tell us a little about them.

Daniel H. Wilson: Phil cooked up an awesome new Court of Apokolips as well as the Four Furies, based on the scripts. This was one of my favorite parts of the process — sending Phil screen captures from The Neverending Story and Dark Crystal to help inspire these characters. All the writers especially love the “little girl” Fury of War. Such a great design, and a character who merited further exploration in the upcoming Earth 2 monthly (written by Marguerite Bennet and Tom Taylor).

DF: So, Daniel, where is this adventure headed? Something hopeful or ominous?

Daniel H. Wilson: Look, the story is called World’s End. There will be a lot of loss. But I think that the more we lose, the more we understand what is really important in life. And when you come to understand and appreciate what matters — even as the world falls apart — perhaps you’ve gained something.

Dynamic Forces would like to thank Daniel H. Wilson for taking time from his busy schedule to answer our questions. Earth 2: Worlds End #1 hits stores today, October 8^th!

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