Geoffrey Thorne knows a thing or two about your favorite franchises. Be it comics or novels, he’s written Star Trek, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Green Lantern (for the ongoing Future State initiative), and event Knight Rider. (Fun fact: Thorne is also a screenwriter, having penned episodes of Ben 10 and Law and Order, a true standout on any resume).
But this week, he launches a project focused on a more unsung hero: Vixen. The story, the first of three 99-cent weekly offerings, is part of DC’s new Truth and Justice project, a digital-first anthology “exploring the length and breadth of [our] rich character history.” Thorne is joined by artists ChrisCross and Jordi Tarragona for the story (with colors by Will Quintana), which finds Vixen grappling with a hugely powerful threat possibly connected to her abilities.
Chapter one debuts this Friday, January 8, and the entire printed collection will drop February 16. In the meantime, we caught up with Thorne to talk about the series, his past writing experiences, where he’s taking Vixen, and much more.
AIPT: What was your connection to DC and Vixen specifically before you wrote Truth and Justice (and other Future State work)?
Geoffrey Thorne: LOL. My “connection.” Hm. Well, technically I was plotting the John Stewart story that’s about to debut in Green Lantern #1. But this had nothing to do with that. This was so random I can’t even believe it actually happened.
Courtesy of DC.
AIPT: Were you a long-time fan of the character?
GT: I always liked Mari but I never felt the company ever really put its foot down on how to handle her.
AIPT: You’ve got both acting and non-comics writing experience.
GT: You caught me! Yes, twenty years ago, I was an actor!
AIPT: How do these “skills” help shape or influence how you then approach writing comics?
GT: I’m told I’m good at dialogue, and that my characters always sound like “real people.” Is it true? How can I know? To me, writing’s writing. I don’t really draw a line according to the medium. Every yarn has different needs, right? So does every character. So, I just go in and do my best for them.
AIPT: You’re perhaps best known for a whole suite of Marvel projects. What do you see as the difference between DC and Marvel as you start tackling more DC titles/projects?
GT: For me? No real differences. I know I’m supposed to treat them like different countries or something but, really, it’s about which character I’m focused on, not which company’s universe I’m in. I tell the kind of stories I know how to tell. Let’s say they’re all secretly Milestone stories (LOL). They’re not but that’ll get folks talking.
AIPT: What do you hope to do with Vixen as a character, and how do you think that ties into the larger scope or objectives for Truth and Justice?
GT: Honestly, I’d love for her to get her own series and for us to write and draw and color it for everybody. Writing this really lit a Vixen fire under me. For the second part of the question… This story definitely unearths some hidden truths that haven’t been revealed about Mari and, of course, a lot of big questions about her place in the DCU.
Courtesy of DC.
AIPT: There’s a great sense of worldliness built into Vixen, and you play that up right away. Would you say this feels like a kind of super spy thriller of sorts more than your “average” superhero story?
GT: This story is definitely a superhero story but it debuts a new version of the Global Guardians and defines their mission in a new way that puts them into a more Mission: Impossible space. But the DCU version. So we’d like to put Mari into that space and let her run.
AIPT: As a writer, does it make a difference that you’re working on a digital-first book? Or do stories remain the same regardless?
GT: No difference.
AIPT: What was it like working with both ChrisCross and Jordi Tarragona?
GT: They are amazing. I get a giant grin on my face when Cross’s line art comes through and I’m running around, screaming when Jordi [correction, Will Quintana colored this one] puts in the color magic.
AIPT: What’s the one thing you hope readers can take away from your Vixen story and/or the series at large?
GT: I hope everyone loves Mari and the world we’re building around her so we can do more of it.
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