Steve Orlando is a writer on the rise at DC; recently inked to an exclusive contract, Steve is co-writing the upcoming Bat-family crossover “Night of the Monster Men,” was just announced as the writer of next year’s “Justice League of America,” and – most relevant to our interests at the moment – is writing “Supergirl.”
The fact that Kara Zor-El hasn’t had a monthly comic since the show started is a bit nuts, but Orlando, along with artist Brian Ching, is doing his best to make up for lost time. “Supergirl: Rebirth” #1, illustrated by Emanuela Lupacchino, set lot in motion, and quickly established Kara’s world around her. We talked to Steve about writing Kara, her place in the Super-family, and what it is that makes her special.
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Supergirl is a character that while simple in theory – she’s Superman’s cousin – has had a ton of different iterations over her history. Is there one that particular speaks to you, Steve?
Steve Orlando: I think all of Kara’s iterations are valid – what speaks to me are the overwhelming traits she’s embodied across the decades: compassion, strength, unwavering optimism. It doesn’t mean she’s perfect, she’s a teenager, but in all her iterations she’s come to Earth and cast a lens on us that shows us who we are, shows us the best in us, even when we refuse to see it ourselves. No matter how she gets here, how she gets into the costume, it’s always been about the message behind the “S” symbol. She’s been a ray shining in the DC Universe – coming here as an outsider and seeing us, and other heroes, for what we are. Calling us, inspiring us to be better.
The CBS/CW show was obviously a success, and we see aspects of the show come to life in the first few issues of the comic. While obviously not going a perfect match, how important is it, for you, to have the book and the show somewhat sync up, tone wise?
SO: TONE wise, I think it’s very important to sync up with the show, but also that’s a bit of a trick question, because the show has done so well for the very reason that it truly understands the tone of the best Supergirl comics. So it’s a bit of a circle: hope, positivity, inspiration. These things run through the show, fuel the tone, but they’re right from the comics. Individual details may vary. Characters may vary. But the heart of the show is the heart of the comics, it’s what makes Supergirl unique, and getting that right is our obligation across all mediums.
Kara’s New 52 iteration spent a lot of time off-world, and somewhat isolated from the rest of the DCU for much of the run. Will this book see her more integrated into the overall DC landscape?
SO: I would say yes, because there is a ton of interesting interactions waiting in the DC Universe – BUT that doesn’t mean we’ll be downsliding the scale. Comics should always be big. Comics should always be impossibly big, bursting off the page with moments you never imagined, and that part will be there too.
But Kara is definitely part of the DC landscape – being part of the DEO, headed up in National City by DC mainstay and one of my favorite characters, Cameron Chase, will be a gateway to that. And as the series goes on, you’ll see Kara establish and cement relationships in new places, with new faces. She’s a character that inspires, I think, even other DC heroes, and so there is an endless supply of people who I want her to meet, given time.
For this series, you’re working with Brian Ching, and Emanuela Lupacchino drew the ‘Rebirth’ issue. Both have very different visual styles and approaches to their work. When working with different artists, does that change the way that you script? Are you looking to what each of them can/does do well, and going from there, or do you write your script the same way, regardless of who is drawing it?
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SO: It absolutely does – that’s collaboration, after all. If you’re writing a script blind, without knowing who the artist is or thinking about it, the book can work out, sure. But a book works best when you write to an artists strengths and interests, and even more so, write with a mind on keeping THEM excited. And you can see that energy come through on the page. The first audience for a book is the artist, and the rest of the creative and editorial team – and putting that energy and entertainment in the script for them is the best way for it to become aggregate on the page.
What do you see as some of the unique qualities in Brian’s and Emanuela’s art? What image has blown you away from each of them thus far?
SO: For Ema, it’s the energy. The splash from Ema in “Supergirl: Rebirth,” where Supergirl erupts from the sun, and then there are two quick beats – someone, somewhere, saying: “Can anyone hear me?” and Supergirl turning to say “I can.”
When I got my comps in the mail and opened up to that page, I got emotional, no lie. Because that, even though it’s simple, even though it’s very macro, is what the Super characters are all about. We all sometimes feel like we’re alone, like no one can hear us, and we just want that. But Supergirl can hear us – she reminds us we matter. Ema, in those three images, to me, summed up the heart of every Supergirl story ever told.
With Brian, he also has amazing energy to his pages. He’s completely reinvented his style from “Conan” for “Supergirl,” and every page is fresh and exciting. But the images that hit me the most are the emotions. The interplay between Kara and her father, the Cyborg Superman, Zor-El, gets right to our hearts. He captures complex emotions in such an amazing way. Zor-El genuinely thinks he’s doing the right thing, and his shock and heartbreak over the course of the store is riveting, as he slowly realizes not everyone thinks his perfect killer space robot plan is in fact the right thing to do.
To you, what separates Kara from Kal-El? What is a uniquely Supergirl feature (aside from the skirt)?
SO: It’s her experience. Kal-El came to Earth as a baby. The first face he saw was a loving human face – Krypton for him is something that only exists in images and stories, records. For Kara, her experience is much more real. She knew people there. She left memories, real friends, real relationships, as a teenager. And that to me is a much more tangible experience, much more akin to what immigrants go through. But it’s relatable beyond that – we all feel like her, moving to a new job, new town, new social group. And watching her struggle and overcome that, being an outsider, adapting to a new place, I think is key to here even more than Kal-El.
The ‘Rebirth’ issue does a lot in a short space: you re-power Kara, set up her status quo with the DEO, bring back Cyborg Superman, and give her a new (though familiar) secret identity. I’m sure there are other issues where you have 20 pages to fill, and it seems like there is only 10 pages worth of story to tell. How do you deal with those sorts of challenges? Do you work better when having to stretch or having to condense?
SO: I like a challenge! My favorite books are things like “Flex Mentallo,” or “All-Star Superman,” both of which get a lot done in a short space. Same with “The Fourth World” or “Kamandi.” So I always like to find a way to pack as many ideas into a book as possible every time. The balance is weighing the ideas against the character. That’s the real challenge. I’m always working to find that balance better and better.
The Super-line has a ton of really interesting stuff happening in it right now – how integrated is “Supergirl” going to be with the rest of the line? Will that happen right away, or will we see the book establish its own tone for a bit first?
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SO: The quick answer is – it’s all happening in the same world. It’s all connected. But the main thing, as you said, is to establish Kara’s world in National City. To establish the pillars of her story. Because I am always hesitant to lean into Superman too soon – in my mind, and I say it all the time, if Kal-El never landed on Earth, Kara would STILL become Supergirl. She would still learn from her experience coming to Earth and want to pay that forward on her own grand scale. So I want that to be more clear than ever.
And once we’ve done that, as I said, there are a TON of fascinating meetings out there. What about Superwoman? What about the new person in the Superman suit? And what about her first cousin once removed, who she’s never met – the new Superboy, Jon Kent?
If you could recommend one Supergirl book (besides your own) for our readers to go back and read this month, what would you recommend? Is there a sneaky good Supergirl book we’ve all forgotten about?
SO: My top recommendation is the Supergirl work of Sterling Gates – both his amazing run with Jamal Igle on “Supergirl,” and his “Adventures of Supergirl” book taking place in the show universe that is running on digital. So much of what I’m picking up on with Kara, Sterling set the table, point of view and tone wise. It’s a very rewarding run.
