(JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1 cover by Ryan Sook)
From DC The Source Blog:
What do The Enchantress, Shade the Changing Man, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Zatanna and John Constantine all have in common? This September, they’ll join forces for JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, written by Peter Milligan and featuring art by Mikel Janin, who took the time out to let us peer inside the series.
THE SOURCE: What about DC’s new 52 titles excites you the most?
MIKEL JANIN: The whole idea of the relaunch is way exciting for me. I’ve been out of comics for a while, but I love them and I especially love DC characters. So for me as a reader, this is the best thing DC could do. I’m in for a bunch of titles. And of course, being part of this is just a dream coming true. A few months ago, I was on the other side trying to break into the comic book industry. I never dreamed I could be part of such a thing! And teaming up with Peter Milligan! What more I can say? I’m the most excited guy in the world!
How and why are you shaking up the series’ status quo?
Well, it’s a new series, so the status quo is new for all the characters. They’re characters within the DC Universe but the approach to them is something different. Peter is really seeking deeply inside these characters. And John Constantine being part of a Justice League, even if it’s a Dark one, is something worth seeing!
What new characters will debut in the series?
Mindwarp! He’s a new character created by Peter. Actually, he appears in FLASHPOINT, but he is new for the readers. JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK is a good place to have him.
Will we see new character designs?
Sure! Some like Deadman or Constantine are very similar to what’s already out there, but others like Zatanna or the Enchantress have a brand new look. We have been working for a while on all the characters’ designs and we are all happy with their final looks.
What’s the first line of dialogue in the first issue?
“My name is Madame Xanadu. I have looked into the future.”
What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had working on this character/book?
It’s plenty of surprises, but the Enchantress is the biggest one.
What secret has been the hardest to keep?
That I’m drawing a Peter Milligan book!
What were your thoughts about the day-and-date digital announcement?
I think it’s the future and I’m 100% for it. I live in Spain and to buy comics is a bit more complicated than in the USA, so digital and trade paperback are my best choices as a reader.
Skitch Commentary: I typically love Peter Milligan (his work on X-Force/X-Statix and Human Target are among my favorite comics) , and this book sounds like a great mix of characters. I especially love Mikel Janin’s excitement at achieving his dream. Good for him :) My sole concern about this book is that Flashpoint: Secret Seven issue 1 just was really hard to follow. I hope a lot of that is resolved when Milligan takes on Justice League Dark. The Justice League name is gonna bring in a lot of readers who might normally ignore this type of book.
