by MikeSpins

Marc Guggenheim is a successful television writer who has recently returned to the realm of comics (he was once an intern at Marvel) with projects at both Marvel and DC. YMB's MikeSpins spoke to him about his work on Blade and Flash: The Fastest Man Alive (the latest issue of Flash, #12, is in stores Wednesday).

You are a writer for television as well as video games. What's the allure for you in giving comic books a try?

I was a comic book fan long before I was a fan of anything, including TV and certainly video games. So the allure was always there in the form of pure wish fulfillment. The trick was breaking in and it turned out it was easier to break into television than comics.

What was your experience like working on Wolverine?

It was a dream, actually. It should have been a nightmare -- a high profile gig, company-wide crossover, a character of Wolverine's stature... But the series wrote like butter and dealing with Axel Alonso and Humberto Ramos was the least stressful thing I could imagine.

Was it intimidating taking on such a popular character, especially considering your run was tied into Civil War?

It should have been, but to be honest it was far more intimidating living up to the trust Axel placed in me by giving me the book for seven issues. He was going very far out on a very fragile limb and I didn't want him to look like an idiot.

Were there any editorial complexities you experienced working on such a large event?

Not as many as you'd think. Axel was great in terms of keeping me in the loop on everything that was planned vis a vis the event. I was also lucky insofar as my pitch accidentally had Wolverine off on his own for 99% of the arc, so there was very little interaction with the "complexities" of a company-wide event. I think the only thing I had to service was getting Namor into the story but out by Part 4. That was the only trick -- and even that turned out to be fairly easy. If Axel hadn't been so accommodating with my crazy ideas, it might have been a different story -- literally -- but it was all very painless.

Are you happy with how your Wolverine run turned out?

I'm extremely happy with it. In fact, as I write my second Wolverine arc now, I find myself stretching to top myself. That first arc was one of those happy accidents where everything falls into place.

Anything you would have done differently in retrospect?

Burned off even more of Logan's flesh. Kidding. Seriously though, it's a good question, but I can't think of anything specifically. After I complete a project, I tend to move on to other things. I don't look backwards and I definitely, DEFINITELY don't re-read my stuff.

Your next big project was relaunching Blade. Why do you think the character does well as a movie property but has had trouble catching on in comic form?

I think it has a lot to do with the genre Blade operates in. Blade is, fundamentally, a horror character. I can pair him with Wolverine or Spider-Man, but he's basically a horror guy. The horror genre has historically done extremely well in movies and is less commercially successful in comics. I think it comes down to that.

How would you describe your run on Blade for people not familiar with it?

In a single word, I hope, "fun." I'm just trying to make Blade an enjoyable and accessible read each month. Towards that end, each issue tells two self-contained stories -- one set in the present and the other in Blade's past. But there's an over-arching mythology built into the series to reward regular and repeat readings.

Howard Chaykin is the artist on Blade. What's it like having him on the book?

It's like having Elvis sing my songs -- if I were a songwriter. The guy's a legend and is every bit as good today as he was twenty years ago -- if not better. Plus, he's a total gentleman and a consummate professional. His pages come in brilliant and they come in like clockwork. Our first twelve issues will come out in the span of 12 months and be produced by the exact same creative team. That's a rare accomplishment these days and it could only have been achieved through the involvement of an artist of Howard's artistic and professional calibre.

Ok, I have to ask this. What exactly is a "gunarm" and why is Blade getting one?

Heh. Technically, we've been calling it a "gunhand." This was the brainchild of Blade editor Aubrey Sitterson. I think he suggested it because he thought I wouldn't be crazy enough to do it. Basically, it's a prosthetic that fits on to the stump of Blade's left wrist and allows him to shoot at people. What happened to Blade's left hand? He bit it off. No, really.

What else can we look forward to on the title?

Lots of stuff: A reunion with Spider-Man, a guest appearance by Union Jack, the return of Hannibal King and the payoff of all the little plot threads I've been weaving into the book since issue 1.

You've also written a title for Marvel, Hyperion vs. Nighthawk. Why did you decide to set the series in Darfur?

One of my goals is to try to tell stories that could only be told with the characters I'm writing for. In this case, Marvel asked me to do a Hyperion vs. Nighthawk mini and I started with thinking about what is important to each of those characters. What do they care about? What do they care about enough to fight over? And it occurred to me that Nighthawk's primary motivation is race and racial issues. What's the ultimate racial issue on the planet right now? If you ask me, it's the genocide -- even President Bush has called it genocide -- going on in Darfur right now.

Let's move on to your newest project, The Flash for D.C. You're a longtime fan of the character right?

Yes. Very longtime. I grew up reading the Cary Bates and Carmine Infantino issues...

You've only been on the book for a short while. What's fan reaction been like so far?

It's been overwhelmingly positive, which is wonderful. The Flash fans are especially passionate and loyal and they deserve to be happy about the Flash. I don't write to pander, but I am gratified that people seem to like what I'm doing.

The Flash is one of handful of "legacy" characters that seem to "pass on the mantle" every now and then. What is it about the concept of the Flash that makes it able to survive multiple characters under the mask?

Good question. My initial reaction is that the answer has less to do with the Flash concept than it has to do with the characters who have inherited the mantle. I think if you look at legacy characters, the ones that work are the ones with compelling characters taking up the mantle. Wally West and -- and I know I might be in the minority here, but I believe that's a temporary thing -- Bart Allen certainly fit that bill.

Your Flash is Bart Allen. How does it feel to be writing the start of Bart's career as one of comics more legendary characters?

It feels great. There's a sense that there are a lot of stories to be told, new ground to travel. After writing "ageless" characters like Blade and Wolverine, I really like taking on someone who's a rookie.

Following up on that, what do you see in Bart that's different from Wally and Barry? What sets him apart within the legacy?

Well, the rookie thing, for sure. He's also a very different person from Wally and Barry. He's got his own personality, for better or worse. Bart is a lot more, ahem, impulsive than Barry or even Wally was. Plus, he's got more of a sense of humor. He grew up in virtual reality -- which is a difference right there -- and there's a part of him that still considers everything in life to be one big videogame.

What can you tell us about your run?

Essentially, it's Bart's trial by fire. By my first issue he's come to terms with the fact that he's gonna be the Flash and my first arc deals with the repercussions of that decision. Since this is the Flash, that has to include throwing down with the Rogues. It's a rite of passage for any Flash and I'm throwing Bart into the deep end of the pool immediately -- perhaps before he's truly ready.

We're hearing something really big happens in issue #13. Anything you can tease us with?

How about some dialogue: "I. Am. The. Flash!!!"

If you were able to write any former Flash which one would you choose and why?

Good question. I'd have to say Wally because I love what Mike Baron and Mark Waid did with the character. That having been said, I want to say -- for the upteenth time on the Internet -- that I am not bringing Wally back during my run.

Are you still working in television these days?

Absolutely. I just finished the first season of Brothers & Sisters and recently found out that my pilot, Eli Stone, was picked up to series, so I'll be focusing on that, TV-wise, next season.

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