Q1. Firstly, now that the new Dr Fate has been revealed, I was wondering how the decision was made to choose Hector Hall as the man behind the mask. Was it a mutual decision? Or had DC already chosen who it would be?
DG: I was the one that decided upon Hector Hall -- I wanted a dead DC character that could come back to life -- someone with a connection to the JSA, but also, potentially, a connection to Egyptian mythology.
Hector's former identity as the Silver Scarab seemed to resonate nicely with Scarab (another character I was interested in using, since, I believe, his mini-series was originally intended to be a Dr. Fate series in the first place). Scarab had also been previously established as existing in the DC universe in the 40s, fighting alongside Dr. Fate.
James agreed with the choice, then DC approved it. They put no restrictions on us in terms of what we wanted to do. This also predated the Hal Jordan as Spectre business. I also wanted Hector in the mix because of what we're doing later on down the line with Hawkman.
Q2. And why was Hector chosen, specifically? I noticed he is now a link between the Hawk legacy, and that of Dr Fate - was this a deliberate move?
See answer to Question 1.
Q3. Thirdly, I noticed in JSA #4 that only a brief mention was made of Hector's time in The Dreaming. So was Hector's time as the second Sandman removed from continuity, or does it still stand?
As for Hector's time as the 2nd Sandman -- I'm not sure if it still stands. The thing is, we have to tread very carefully any time we involve Morpheus. The Vertigo people get very prickly about all that. I thought the mention of the Dreaming was a vague but elegant way to refer to his jumbled history, but not necessarily confirm or invalidate any of it.
Q4. The last two issues of JSA (#7 and #8) seem to have really pleased most fans. Perhaps the most important aspect of these issues has been Obsidian's turn to the 'dark side'. I personally agree with this turn, as it brought the character some much-needed depth, but what were your own reasons for turning him?
The way I see it, most people seem to agree with what we've done with Obsidian. But even those who don't, are talking about it in a big way. This was a third-tier character that a lot of people didn't really care about. And now they're talking about him again. Which is good. As for him going bad, it is completely within his character. It makes sense. That said, Obsidian's story will go beyond the current arc. This is really just the first part.
Q5. What are you hoping to achieve with the new Dr Midnite, character-wise? Will he start to reflect Charles McNider, or will he take on a unique character of his own?
With Mid-Nite, we were going off of Wagner's lead. I had initially read the proposal for this mini-series and thought it sounded stupid, but when I saw the finished book, I loved it. Cross is his own man -- different than McNider. Very capable and confident, without the sociopathic elements that drive Batman. You'll be seeing a lot more of him.
Q6. Where is Starman? I originally heard he would only be absent from JSA for a few issues, but he has yet to return. Will Jack be coming back to the team sometime soon?
Jack will be back for issues #11-15, then gone for good after that.
Q7. In what issue(s) will we be seeing the New Injustice Society? And what clues can you give us about their roster?
The new Injustice Society make an appearance in #10, then a major appearance in #16-19. Their membership will be fluid, with Johnny Sorrow and Icicle being the only constants. Look for some surprises there!
Q8. Wizard magazine recently mentioned that the JSA would have 15 members by #11, I believe. Is that correct? And if so, are you able to provide any hints about the other membership slots we don't know of?
I don't want to give any more hints as to the over-blown membership, except to say that it will be pared down to eight or so full-time members by #16.
Q9. Also in Wizard, mention was made of the team splitting up to deal with two different threats: Extant and Kobra. Are these two villains actually working together, or are the two incidents unrelated? ?
I don't want to say anything more about Kobra and Extant -- the stories are interwoven, though.
Q10. Speaking of Kobra, the previews blurb for JSA #11 implies that he will kill a member of the JSA 'family'. Does that suggest it WON'T be a current team member, but a relation instead? Or a former member, perhaps? Any clues?
No clues as to who Kobra kills. Sorry. There will be MAJOR ramifications from this, though!
Q11. In March and April, the JSA will be making guest appearances in Martian Manhunter and The Flash. How much control do you have over such appearances, and will they tie in to the current story in any way?
The appearance in Manhunter was orchestrated by Peter Tomasi (our editor). We were aware of it, but had no specific involvement. So they don't really tie into our story. That said, Peter made sure there weren't any inconsistencies. The Flash appearance is a kind of Times Past story, I believe. I know that DC is trying to integrate the JSA into the rest of the DC Universe more thoroughly.
Q12. Are there any upcoming JSA crossovers in the works? I heard about one with Stars and STRIPE in the near future, as well as a possible JLA team-up, but are any of these definite?
The JLA/JSA crossover is still in the works. There has been talk of a JSA/DEO one-shot or mini, also.
Q13. Are there any plans for the JSA to have a rotating roster in the future? Or will the lineup continue to slowly expand instead?
The JSA roster will be constantly rotating.
Q14. How long (approx.) till we find out how Fury joined/quit the JSA? Will it be covered in an annual, special, or in the regular series?
Currently, we plan to get to the Fury business around the end of Year Two. We had planned to do it earlier, but changed our minds.
Q15. Speaking of other JSA comics, are there plans for any more JSA-related one-shots, mini-series, Secret Files, or Annuals in the works?
See my earlier comments. We've also been talking about a Hawkgirl one-shot and possibly, another Mid-Nite mini-series. Maybe a Brave & The Bold-type mini with Mid-Nite and Terrific.
Q16. Some people suggest that characters like Captain Marvel belong on the JSA. I personally disagree, but what is your opinion on non-JSA-related characters joining the team?
I see no reason whatsoever for Captain Marvel to be in the JSA. He's never really had any connection with them at all. He might make a guest appearance, though.
Q17. And what about Golden Age characters who worked with the JSA regularly (ala All-Star Squadron) - do they belong on the current day JSA?
Other All-Star Squadron characters might have a place, but again, we've got more than enough members as it is.
Q18. Now that Hal Jordan (former JLA-er) has been revealed as the Spectre (former JSA-er), what do you believe is the Spectre's role on the JSA, if any? Are you pleased with the above choice, or do you feel it takes away from the Spectre's JSA 'heritage'?
The Spectre should be showing up -- but not until Year Three. Personally, though, I was not a big fan of Hal becoming the Spectre.
Q19. Are you pleased with the focus that DC has seemingly given the JSA this time around, as well as the positive reaction from the fans? Did you have any idea what to expect 6 months ago?
I'm very pleased with the reaction to the new book, but I hope we can draw even more new fans. We're still catering primarily to the old ones and we want to widen our fan base.
Q20. What are the main things we can look forward to in the next year of JSA?
As for upcoming stories, I don't want to say much beyond the Previews. Extant will be appearing in #13-15, though.
Many thanks to David Goyer for once again taking part in an interview for "JSA Returns!". Mr Goyer is always helpful with answering such questions, which is greatly appreciated by myself, and (I'm sure) other readers. Thanks.
Petar G
JSA Returns - http://zap.to/jsa