Mark Waid: Getting to the Crux of the Matter

By Mike Jozic

Over the course of his 17 year career Mark Waid has had a hand in writing some of the industry's greatest heroes. Originally on staff at DC as an editor, Mark moved into the ranks as a freelance writer and rejuvenated both The Flash for DC, and Captain America for Marvel throughout the '90s, and co-created the award-winning Kingdom Come with fan-favourite artist, Alex Ross.

Now Mark, like many other creators in the industry these days, has moved to Tampa, and joined Mark Alessi's CrossGen group of writers and artists. This April, Waid, with artist Steve Epting, will launch CrossGen's sixth monthly title, Crux, which promises to answer the question, "How does Earth relate to the CrossGen Universe?"

And not one to rest on his laurels, Mark will also be taking over the writing chores on Sigil with the twelfth issue to coincide with Barbara Kesel's departure from the series, and will be introducing yet another title to the CrossGen universe, a mysterious series titled, The Path.

Mike Jozic: How will Crux fit into the rest of the CrossGen universe?

Mark Waid: Now, see, that would be telling. But we don't call the book Crux just 'cause it sounds good. All I can tell you at this stage is that at least one of the players within will someday be one of the most important and key characters in the CrossGen Universe.

MJ: Why was the choice made to finally introduce Earth into the CrossGen universe instead of using another fictional world like Delassia or Avalon?

MW: Because (a) alien worlds are just fine, but we felt it was time to give the readers something a little more "identifiable" in terms of locale to make the book more accessible, and (b) that's where Plato said Atlantis was.

MJ: As everybody has probably heard by now, the book has been expanded to 28 pages from its planned number of 22. What sort of problems were you facing trying to squeeze the story into the 22-page format? What elements would have been cut?

MW: The biggest cut would have been to Steve's sanity in having to cram 14 panels on every page. It really is a pretty tight issue with very little "wiggle room" for cutting; each scene is necessary, particularly for a first issue, for plot setup or character definition.

MJ: Speaking of Steve, did you have any say in his selection as artist on Crux?

MW: No, and that's good, because not knowing he was in the wings I might have suggested someone else for the book, and that would have been one of my biggest mistakes in recent years. Steve's doing phenomenal work and I'm lucky to be associated with him.

MJ: Now, you're also going to be writing CrossGen's eighth title, The Path, on top of your current assignments on Crux and Sigil. Can you reveal anything at all about your intentions for that book?

MW: Not at this time.

MJ: I know you've written multiple titles in a shared universe before, but do you find it any easier to write three books in a shared universe like CrossGen's, where there are only seven or eight books to go around?

MW: God, yes, if only because I get no phone calls telling me that the Joker has to show up in issue seven no matter what I might have previously planned.

MJ: What sorts of plans do you have for your upcoming run on Sigil? How will they be different from what Barbara has been doing with the book?

MW: As it was with Wally (Flash) West nine years ago - and it worked there - the plan is to figure out just exactly what part of me Samandahl Rey has inside him and then write stories to define and amplify that so we can work out our problems together. I know that sounds weird, but it's the only way I know how to guarantee an emotional core to the stories - by having Sam address matters of self that I can relate to. To that end, we'll be dealing a lot more with Sam's lone-wolf nature and showing him the cost and sacrifices that sort of lifestyle eventually demands. Like it or not, Sam's going to have to find a sense of family with someone, and soon, because he's got too much responsibility to be reasonably contained by just one good man.

MJ: Is it different for you to be writing for books that are primarily sci-fi and fantasy, or is it closer to the super-hero stuff than one might think?

MW: It's a little closer - mostly in that it all boils down to tales of heroic action-adventure. Really, honestly, I concern myself with characters first and genre second--give me an interesting enough cast of players and I could write them in cavemen times.

MJ: How do you respond to some of the angry fan responses to your leaving JLA over at DC so soon after taking it over?

MW: Mostly by trying to point out that an eighteen-issue run that takes us all the way through calendar year 2001 hardly makes me a lame-duck writer. Look, leaving the JLA and the DCU behind was without a doubt the hardest, most wrenching decision that came with the CrossGen job, and I'll miss those characters way, way more than you could in your wildest dreams imagine - but right this second, I feel it's my responsibility to lend whatever experience I have towards the broader cause of making sure the industry finds its upswing in this rickety market, and CrossGen's more the place for that. In the meantime, believe me, anyone who thinks I'm "slacking" on JLA because I'm now at CrossGen or that my heart isn't in it has no clue as to how deeply I love these characters, how much I respect them and how protective I feel towards them.

MJ: Was your time on JLA an unhappy experience for you?

MW: Not at all. I'm sad the burden of the storytelling has fallen so heavily on the shoulders of a shocking number of fill-in artists, but they're all doing their best to cover for Bryan. It would have been nice to tell at least one story-arc with one and only one artist, but the fans seem to understand that I'm doing my best nonetheless.

MJ: Had you done all you could at DC and it found that it was just time to move on?

MW: Have I written Superman yet?


MJ: What do you think CrossGen, as a company and a line, can offer the comic book industry?

MW: First and foremost, variety; it's nice to see a company enjoy some success not only with a stable of non-superhero books but with a line-wide backstory that's complex without being intrusive--meaning that all the CrossGen books stand alone and you can read any of them without a Ph.D. in CrossGenia--though that's what you'll earn if you do read all the books.

As a company, I think CrossGen is poised to be a major force in tackling the problems of being a niche market that plague comics today. In the months to come, we hope to make several very important announcements regarding these very things.

MJ: What sort of influence or powers for change do you think CrossGen has over the industry?

MW: Time will tell; right now, even if it's just the power to make some of the other companies re-evaluate their own business practices, that's pretty damn impressive right there.

MJ: What do you think will be your contribution, or what will you bring that is uniquely yours, to the CrossGen line?

MW: Again, I'm really not the best guy to answer that question since there's no good way to do so without sounding egotistical. Let's just leave it at this: all I can bring to the table is what I've learned having made my job the center of my entire life for the past 17 years. Let's hope that means something.

	Mike Jozic has spent the last several years interviewing comic book creators and other entertainment related personalities for various publications. He has been published both online and in print, with his work appearing in The Comics Journal, FearsMag.com and Silver Bullet Comicbooks. He currently serves as the Features Editor for SBC.

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