The Big Question with Devin Grayson
Interview with: Troy Brownfield

Welcome to the first installment of The Big Question. The idea behind TBQ is that we take professionals from comics, music, TV, or any form of entertainment media, and simply ask them ONE question that is pertinent to their place in the field. The first person I tried just happened to agree . . . and her name is Devin Grayson!

That name should be very familiar to comic fans by now. This extremely talented writer’s first pro work was in Batman Chronicles #7. She followed that with such highlights as the Nightwing/Huntress mini-series, the Arsenal mini-series and, with Phil Jimenez, the amazing JLA/Titans mini-series. Ms. Grayson currently entertains us monthly with The Titans and Catwoman. She has also contributed a story arc to the large No Man’s Land event in the Batman titles; it can be found in stores now. Coming soon is a Black Widow mini-series under the Marvel Knights aegis. Later on, look for a special No Man’s Land one-shot. And at the end of this year, there will be two Grayson-owned DC projects, The Weinbergs and the Vertigo Prestiege Format three-parter User.

And now, without further exposition, Shotgun Reviews proudly presents our first Big Question.

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. You’ve stated previously in interviews that music plays a large part in your writing process. For example, you’ve noted that you tend to construct 90-minute tapes to use as “soundtracks” for particular assignments. In addition, fans often select certain music themselves to play while reading comics in order to get that “soundtrack” feel. The fans would like to know . . . what songs constitute your personal “Titans” soundtrack, and what recommendations do you have for listening choices while reading other DC titles?

A1. I know that a lot of people like to work in silence, but I’ve always found music to be a wonderful compliment to writing. In addition to being mood-enhancing and lyrically supportive, music allows me to suspend what is sometimes called the “critical” or “editor” mind — in a sense, I deliberately distract parts of my consciousness in the hopes of encouraging various subconscious streams to run more freely.

As noted, one of my favorite parts of getting a new writing assignment is sitting down to work up a “soundtrack” for the project. I go through my music collection and put together songs that support the temperament, theme, and rhythm of what I’m hoping to write. As you’ll notice, though, the selection won’t necessarily fit on to one ninety-minute cassette - since I have the luxury of redoing them constantly, I haven’t held myself accountable to length, and just add things as they occur to me, or as new themes in the book emerge. Not to mention that sometimes I hear a song, like it, realize it “fits” and then find out it’s by a band I normally wouldn’t admit to liking in public, in which case I feel compelled to offer a few other choices. I’ve been very honest here, though.

Here, for example, is the “soundtrack” to the first six months of The Titans:

“Graduate” - Third Eye Blind
“Old Before I Die” - Robbie Williams
“Avenging Angels” - Space
“Push It” - Garbage
“Little Bit” - Gina G
“Temptation” - Heaven 17
“Never Say Goodbye” - PM Dawn
“Sheila” - Smashing Pumpkins
“Family” - Dar Williams
“Come Together” - Primal Scream
“D’you know what I mean” — Oasis
“A Different Beat” - Boyzone
“Sunchyme” - Dario G
“The Fear” - Pulp
“So much for the Afterglow” - Everclear
“Good Day to Die” - Travis
“Not Like” - Boss Hog
“Feeling So Real” — Moby
“Argue” - Matchbox 20
“First Cool HIVE” — Moby
“Apples & Oranges” - Smashing Pumpkins
“Kind and Generous” - Natalie Merchant
“As long as you love me” - Backstreet Boys
“Wanted” - Refreshments
“Glory Days” — Pulp

Certain songs only apply to certain characters (for example “Wanted,” is one of Grant’s theme songs, and “Not Like” applies to Donna in Issue three). Some compilations, like the one I made for the Nightwing/Huntress mini, concentrate on evoking a mood…:

Nightwing/Huntress:

“Slid” - Fluke
“Wake Up” - Stereo MC’s
“Gone” - David Holmes with Sarah Cracknell
“The Perfect Crime” - Faith No More
“Angels of the Silences” - Counting Crows
“Drop Dead Gorgeous” - Republica
“Don’t Lose your Head” - Inxs
“Criminal” - Fiona Apple
“Long Day” - Matchbox 20
“Matters” - Ricki Lee Jones
“Outta Me, Onto You” - Ani diFranco
“Bring back my happiness” - Moby
“Disappointed” - Electronic
“Shake the Tree” - Inxs
“Don’t Be” - Astropuppees
“Would you?” - Touch and Go
“Let’s all go together” - Marion
“Sugar Ray” - The Jesus and Mary Chain
“Downtown” - Lloyd Cole
“Please” - U2
“Going Down” - Ani diFranco
“Jump in the River” - Sinead O’Conner
“I’m Just a Man” — Inxs

…while others, such as the one for Catwoman, are more theme-based — the lyrics count most:

Catwoman:

“Ready to Go” - Republica
“Weak’”- Skunk Anansie
“Vow” - Garbage
“Just a Girl” - No Doubt
“Shitlist” - L7
“Supervixen” - Garbage
“No Government” - Nicolette
“I think I’m paranoid” — Garbage
“Weep” - Skunk Anansie
“No Cheap Thrill” - Suzanne Vega
“More Than I Can” - Jane Jensen
“I’m Insane” - Star 69
“Only Happy When it Rains” - Garbage
“Knock Me Out” - Linda Perry featuring Grace Slick
“Fuel” - Ani diFranco
“Temptation Waits” - Garbage
“Evil” - Eartha Kitt
“6 Underground” - Sneaker Pimps
“Queer” - Garbage
“God is a Bullet” - Concrete Blonde
“Peek A Boo” - Siouxsie and the Banshees
“Love Voodoo” - Duran Duran
“Not My Idea” - Garbage
“Broken” - Belly
“Hit So Hard” — Hole
“Spit” - N.Y. Loose
“She’s Your Cocaine” - Tori Amos
“Legend in my Living Room” - Annie Lennox
“Been Caught Stealing” - Jane’s Addiction
“Face to Face” - Siouxsie
“Off the Wagon” - L7
“Coming Up” - Ani diFranco
“Bright Red” - Laurie Anderson
“Wicked Ways” - Garbage
“Outta Me, Onto You” - Ani DiFranco
“Can You Feel it” - The Tampered Feat. Maya
“The Last Time I Saw Sadie” - Emma Townshead
“Liquid Diamonds” - Tori Amos
“Hunter” — Bjork
“I’m no Heroine” - Ani DiFranco
“No Yawk” - Cocktallica

My favorite one so far — the one which most immediately puts me in mindset of the characters and their predicament — is actually the one for The Weinbergs. I wonder if listening to it now might give you a sense of the book?

The Weinbergs:

“Tied to the Nineties” - Travis
“Today” - Poe
“Sucker” - Lincoln
“Real World” - Matchbox 20
“Hitchin’ a ride” - Green Day
“Kids in America” - The Muffs
“Change” - Lightning Seeds
“What God Said” — The Uninvited
“Mall Rats” — Wax
“Wannabe” - The Spice Girls
“Suburban Life” - Kottonmouth Kings
“Bittersweet Symphony” — The Verve
“Better Day” - Ocean Colour Scene
“Pigeons and Crumbs” - Natalie Imbruglia
“Novocaine for the Soul” - Eels
“Another Brick in the Wall, part 1″ - Pink Floyd
“Run Away” - Camus
“Back 2 Good” - Matchbox 20
“Fall Together” - Aerosmith
“One Angry Dwarf” - Ben Fold Five
“Tub Thumping” - Chumbawamba
“Gel” — Collective Soul
“Bitch” - Republica
“Where’d you go?” - Might Mighty Bosstones
“Strawberry” — Everclear
“So Sorry” — Garbage
“All I Wanna Do” - Dannii
“I don’t know” - The Replacements
“Alright” - Supergrass
“Free” - The Martinis
“Outsider” — Chumbawamba
“Trash” — Suede
“Everything to Everyone” — Everclear
“Can you Love Me?” — Morrissey
“Ray of Light” - Madonna
“As Is” - Ani diFranco
“Blue Skies” - BT featuring Tori Amos

I don’t want to presume to offer suggestions for other books, though I think it would be a fun exercise to pick a favorite comic and make your own soundtrack for it, and I encourage readers of the above books to take the soundtracks and make them their own. I actually don’t listen to music while I’m reading — unless you know in advance that what you’re playing can enhance and sustain the universe of the story, you run the risk of not listening carefully enough to the story itself, or being subconsciously influenced by the music in ways which are inauthentic to the world of the story.

I wanted to get DC to run these “soundtracks” in the letter columns of the books, but there seem to be legal problems with that plan, alas. In the end, I suppose they’re just for me anyway, but I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing them.

Q2. The Titans have held a long and loyal following. Their place in the DC mythology was highly honored in Kingdom Come, when it was demonstrated that the majority of the Titans were still active and had become parents to a new generation of heroes. Also, the Young Justice title clearly demonstrates the Titans are far from being kids anymore. My question, then, is hypothetical. Let’s say you write the Titans for 100 issues. Where would you like to take them on that journey, and do you ever see them taking over for the JLA as the premier heroes of the DC Universe?

A2. This is a tricky question, because you’re asking as a fan and a lover of continuity, and I have to answer as a representative of DC and a lover of “once upon a times.” Basically, for however many issue I write The Titans, the journey I’d want to take them on would always be towards a healthier, better balanced, complex and well-expressed internal life. It’s the part of the characters that interest me the most, and I think if anything, that’s the quintessential strength of the team — that they help each other become better people, as opposed to a team like the JLA, where the focus is on being a better hero.

As for the second part of your question, do I ever see the Titans taking over for the JLA as the premier heroes of the DC Universe — yes. And no. I think, as characters, that would be a natural progression for many of them — we’ve already seen it in Wally, for example, and I think his decision to be on both teams is the best clue currently out there that the teams really serve fundamentally different functions in their member’s lives. Let me say that again — it’s not that the teams aren’t equal in facing external threats, it’s that they mean different things to the lives of their members. It FEELS different to be in the Titans than it feels to be in the JLA. Personally, I think it would be even more extraordinary if, instead of growing up and “supplanting” the JLA, the Titans grew up and realized they were happier being the Titans, and that they didn’t need the external validation of stepping into another team. If all of the Titans ascend to and fill up the JLA, aren’t they really still, in some fundamental way, the Titans? But being at peace with one’s self and one’s place in the world doesn’t always make for good dramatic stories, so I’m willing to see the Titans become the JLA someday — in a futuristic story. A fan asked me once if I’d like to see Dick, for example, take over as Batman. Well…maybe…except for the part about Bruce Wayne no longer being Batman. I don’t want to have children someday and have them never know that Bruce Wayne is Batman — I mean, I’m thrilled that Dick is Nightwing now, it’s so much fun to play with and it’s a good, healthy progression for him, but it also kind of makes me sad when a ten-year-old refers confidently to Robin as “Tim Drake,” with only the vaguest sense that this was ever not the case. I’m not proposing that the DC Universe stay utterly static, but just that we find ways to tell stories that advance the characters we know and love without taking anything away from future generations. I think the Titans are extraordinary and deserve just about every honor we can bestow upon them. But honestly, I feel the same way about the JLA. In the realm of fiction, it probably is best to have them take over someday — that’s the way of mythology. But in the real world, why not enjoy all of the characters in their best possible light and richest conflicts? That’s the way of marketing. ;-)

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We would like to thank Devin Grayson for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions. AND be sure to check out Devin Grayson’s website: 2KComics.com.

If you have a suggestion for a Big Question guest, or if you’re a pro yourself and would like to drop by, contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com.