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“All-Star Section 8” Writer Garth Ennis on Returning to the “Hitman” World [Interview]

By and | June 16th, 2015
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

“Hitman” was one of DC Comics’ most critically acclaimed comic books in the 90’s. I can’t fully explain but just know that one story arc was titled “Zombie Night at the Gotham Aquarium” and this was its cover. Now you’re caught up. We talked to Garth Ennis about diving back into The Cauldron for “All-Star Section 8”, navigating the new DC Universe, and whether Dogwelder can escape his past. Note there are some mild spoilers of the first issue below!

Hitman played with of the other DC heroes in its time – any potential crossovers in this miniseries that you can tease?

Garth Ennis: Batman in issue one, then Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman… a tour of DC’s mystical realms in issue five, with a rather unexpected guide… and a special surprise guest star in issue six.

Which Section 8 character is your favorite to write?

GE: Probably Sixpack himself, just because he has the most going on- much of it in his own head. They’re all pretty entertaining, though, I never get tired of writing Bueno and Dogwelder. And Baytor too, come to think of it. As for John, I bet he finds drawing Guts a right pain in the arse.

How does it feel to return to these characters after a decade?

GE: Fantastic, lots of fun. It’s a story that’s been cooking away for some time, really. And like all the greats, once you start writing them you keep having ideas for more.

Has there ever been an itch to go back to The Cauldron or did you feel that you were finished with the Hitman characters?

GE: Only to do this story. You will see a couple of the original Noonan’s cast- one of them even joins Section Eight- but otherwise no. I always felt that the Hitman story was well and truly over, and much of its power was derived from that finality.

How has your work in comics over the past decade influenced your work on “All-Star Section 8”?

GE: Don’t know about my work, but getting older has certainly had an influence. There’s some pretty ribald humour in this series, but when it comes to the team interacting with actual DC characters the comedy comes more from incongruity than anything else. So where once I would have found it funny to have Batman bend Robin over the Batmobile and give him one, the first issue of Section Eight actually features the Dark Knight Detective in an embarrassing altercation over a parking ticket. One mellows with age, I suppose.

So how does this series in particular work? Are the Hitman characters still alive or are Bueno Excellente and Sixpack the only heroes left?

GE: Baytor is drafted in to make up the numbers, and there’s a new Dogwelder- whose past will catch up with him in the worst possible way. Sixpack recruits three other no-hopers, Guts (a set of internal organs existing outside a human body and the team’s only female member), Powertool (a guy with a drill sticking out of his head) and the Grapplah! (a complete arsehole). But that’s only seven, so Sixpack finds himself wandering the DCU trying to find a real superhero to be number eight. Several established characters are given offers they’re only too happy to refuse.

Hitman, more than possibly any other DC property, has been pretty much left well alone all these years. Were there ever rumblings for other creators to bring back that book without either of you on board?

GE: If there were, I’m not aware of them. There’s not a lot you can do with the cast outside their own weird world where their own weird rules apply. And if you don’t have the particular knack for getting the most of them, there’s really nothing that special about the characters. Tommy Monaghan in particular is just a bloke with guns, and we’re not exactly short of characters like that.

Is there anything that you were surprised made it past the editors, or did you keep the humor safer than you would have liked?
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GE: I’ve actually found there to be a good deal of leeway, perhaps to my surprise. Any notes that there’ve been so far haven’t involved the Section Eight characters, or- crucially- their interaction with the DCU superheroes. Dan DiDio told me that they (meaning DC) have to be able to laugh at themselves, something with which I’m all too ready to help.

In “Punisher MAX” it’s implied that you brought back Kathryn McAllister as Kathryn O’Brien. Was there ever any other temptations for the both of you to bring sneak in Hitman characters into your other works?

GE: I think that was a one-off as far as Hitman was concerned, but I have done it from time to time with other characters. Kev Hawkins gets the occasional mention, and if you look carefully you’ll see Billy Butcher in conversation with a certain Irish ex-vampire.

That’s all we’ve got for today but be sure to check out “All-Star Section 8” and our review of the first issue. And of course, thanks to Garth Ennis for taking the time to chat with us!


Vince Ostrowski

Dr. Steve Brule once called him "A typical hunk who thinks he knows everything about comics." Twitter: @VJ_Ostrowski

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James Johnston

James Johnston is a grizzled post-millenial. Follow him on Twitter to challenge him to a fight.

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