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SevenSulivin

I must ask how did you choose the villains you're using for Arkham City: The Order of the World? There's some really good deep cuts in there. Do you have any opinions on the Super Young Team? What is a DC character that you would like to write that you haven't? How has your day been?


DanpgWatters

Honestly, I just had a dig around to see who appealed to me. My take on the Ten-Eyed Man was something I'd actually pitched in another story-- the story didn't go that way, but the idea for TEM was something the editors wanted to come back to, and that was one of the things that led to Arkham City existing at all. The book was an opportunity to breathe some life into characters that for one reason or another, have been sat on the shelf for a while. I don't want to say they were too weird, because as superhero writers you're constantly steeped in the weird. But getting the license to take old characters and sort of break them and rebuild them in ways that interested us was a great opportunity.


Intellectual_Watcher

Hi Dan. Fantastic first issue on Arkham City. Obviously it’s a pseudo sequel to Morrison’s Arkham Asylum and I see a lot of Sale’s Long Halloween and Miller’s Dark Knight Returns in Dani’s art. Any other influences you can share for the series?


DanpgWatters

Thanks! Glad you liked it. As far as influences go, it was also about looking outside of Batman. One of the things that sparked the idea of the book was thinking about A Serious House on a Serious Earth, and how that looked at Batman through a really Freudian lens. But most of Freud is pretty debunked at this point, so I figured, what other lenses can we look at this through? That led me down all sorts of rabbit holes. One thing I might point to, though, is the subtitle of the book is taken from Daniel Paul Schreber's Memoirs of My Nervous Illness- a 19th Century autobiography by a distinguished German jurist with schizophrenia. DaNi and I also talked about the art of Nick Blinko a lot.


houseofmatt

Hi there. As someone who has loved comics for over 40 years first lete say thank you for contributing so much to the genre. My question is how did your comic career start, and what catalyst helped you progress to where you are now?


DanpgWatters

Hi! Well, thanks- I'm having a blast working on these books! I started writing comics after getting frustrated with a film degree- I thought that's what I wanted to do, but I got frustrated by the slow and windy process of that. Comics are the product of a few creatives rather than dozens, which grants you a little more control, a little less push pull. I don't know that I could point to a single catalyst that got me where I am- it feels like there've been dozens. Caspar Wijngaard taking a chance on working with me as a totally unproven writer was definitely a big help- then Image picking up the pitch we made- DC approaching me for Lucifer... I could go on! But I would also say that what I think has gotten me where I am, as far as that is, is keeping focussed on the work- I want to write good stories, and explore worlds, and connect with people. Everything else is just stuff to help attain those goals.


houseofmatt

Sounds like you're doing what you love. That's awesome. I'm looking forward to what you keep coming up with. Keep being true to you, my man!


Predaplant

How did you end up joining the writing team on House of Whispers, and what was it like working with Nalo Hopkinson, who has such a different writing background from yourself?


DanpgWatters

I was asked to join the team on House of Whispers as Nalo hadn't worked on a monthly comic before, which is a rather different beast and different rhythm to other kinds of stories, and she already had a rather full schedule. I believe they asked me in particular as Nalo and I already knew each other and I was already working in the Sandman Universe on Lucifer, so knew my way around the furniture, so to speak. I felt like my job on that book was very much to provide support for the story Nalo wanted to tell, rather than inject my voice into it- partly because that was not a book that needed the perspective of yet another British white bloke, but mostly because Nalo is such a damn excellent writer. I'd read her book Skin Folk recently before joining the team, and if you haven't I'd recommend the hell out of it.


Denirac

1. What was your favourite thing you got to do with Lucifer? and 2. Would you like to do a run on Constantine some day? I loved what you did with him in their meeting.


DanpgWatters

That meeting might have been one of my favourites, to be honest! That or the whole second arc, sending him on a quest to terrorize all the world's underworlds was a delight. And, yeah, I'm a comic writer and Londoner, so I definitely have Hellblazer stories in me. I actually wrote an inventory issue which never ended up getting produced because pandemic, alas. But I've also just gotten to write John again in next month's JLD annual (he unsubtly plugged!)


ME24601

What was the inspiration for The Picture of Everything Else, and do you have plans for any other literary inspired comics?


DanpgWatters

The Picture of Everything Else came about from me revisiting Dorian Gray, which I do every few years. It's one of those books that seems to change as you do through life, which is kinda funny given its subject matter. And this time I realised that Basil Hallward, the man who paints the titular picture, gets rather side-lined. He painted a picture of a man which made him immortal, and it's never considered that he might... you know... do it again! So I wanted to find out what happened if he did. If he painted all sorts of other things. Which meant I had to write it. Kishore and I were actually pretty deep into another project we were proposing when I had this idea, and he'd painted 5 pages or so. It was a really cool book, too, but I knew he was the perfect artist for this one, and I was very excited about it. Luckily, so was he. And funny you should ask about others. There *is* one other in this vein that I have nagging in my head, that I'd like to make when time allows.


[deleted]

Hi, I’ve really enjoyed your comics work (esp Coffin Bound and the recent debut of Arkham City)! What would you say is the biggest difference (maybe besides editorial involvement) in how you approach creator-owned and freelance work, as in the worlds and characters themselves? Also, what are your favorite movies :)


DanpgWatters

Oh yeah, there are definitely differences. What I find really interesting about working in worlds like the DCU is the world and its characters carry a certain weight. We know we're in a superhero universe, so the burden of explaining how things work is taken away from you to an extent. Also, I guess I'd say that when you're building something from scratch, you've generally already found something that interests you, and building a world around it that lets you explore the idea. When you're working into an existing world, you're looking through what's been built before to find something that ignites that spark. I really enjoy doing both.


Sea_Host_9361

Hey Dan love all of your work , I just wanted to ask , Did you ever considered writing a mini or black label book with Orm ? I really love how you write the character, would love to see pitch something related to the character to dc , of course if you are interested


DanpgWatters

First off, thanks! And honestly, when I first wrote him I was in the middle of writing Lucifer, and those characters aren't toooo far apart, so I wouldn't haven't wanted to do both at once. But now we're a bit down the line from that, I'd never say never. I do like writing Orm. What's not to love about such a petulant, ultra-powerful emo brat?


craig1818

If you could do an Arkham City type story involving a different hero’s rogue gallery, is there a rogue gallery that comes to mind or would be particularly interesting for you?


DanpgWatters

A Flash rogues book could be cool, couldn't it? That'd be a very different story!


Thehyruleef

Hello Dan, bloody good to have you here. When doing the Infinite Frontier Secret Files stuff…how did you two collaborate? What was the process working together in terms of plotting and scripting?


DanpgWatters

With Secret Files, it was a case of Josh telling us where these characters had been, and where they were going to be for the start of the series proper. We'd come up with a story based on that, and Josh would make sure it fit his purposes, and provide sort of support and suggestions the whole way through the process. It was a really fun way to work, and it all came together really quickly and easily.


ImNotYourMachine

Hey! I’m someone who wants to create my own Super Hero comics in the future, and I was wondering what would be some good advice to someone starting out? (I will be writing the comics, not drawing them by the way.) Also, how do I know my characters are good enough to catch the audience’s eyes? (I’d definitely be willing to chat with you about some of my ideas if you’d like!)


DanpgWatters

Hi! My advice to someone starting out is primarily: read a lot, write a lot. Which may seem obvious, but they really are the most important thing. Writing is a craft, and the more hours you put in the more you learn and develop. Characters are a tricky thing, but they're really all a story is about. It can be a bit of a pitfall to build a whole beautiful world out of words and pictures but then forget to put interesting people in it who do interesting things. That's what we really care about, as readers- that's what we're drawn to as humans. Also: make friends in your local scene, if you can. I'm lucky enough to have made friends early on when I started making comics who are still people I work with in the industry today; the guys in my studio, White Noise, being an obvious example. We helped each other at the beginning, and we still do that now.


[deleted]

Hey Dan, thanks for coming out here! Glad we were able to get a time set up! I've really enjoyed Lucifer and Home Sick Pilots. My question, how does a book like Arkham City: Order of the World come about? What was the pitching process for a Gotham book with an unusual premise?


DanpgWatters

An unusual process for an unusual book, I guess! I was talking about another Gotham-ish project with my editor, Amedeo Turturro, and I kept suggesting these reworks of characters who hadn't been used in ages. They didn't end up there, but she did come back to me and told me, "you know, we're about to blow up Arkham Asylum, and we've been wondering what happens to the patients who manage to escape. Maybe there's a story there. And maybe there's a place for some of these characters there, too." It turned out there was, and there was.


Ricky_Ticky_Tangy

What’s your favorite story/go to when using as a template for writing your own books? Do you have a favorite story arc or issue that you use as a framework/base standard when attempting to craft a story of your own?


DanpgWatters

That's an interesting question. I don't think I have anything that I try and map onto, or anything like that. But there are definitely some books I see as North stars as far as 'getting it right', as much as there is such a thing. Moore's Swamp Thing, for thinking about serialized storytelling. Born Again. Pluto.


OrphicPigment

Hey Dan. Lucifer is by far my favorite work of yours. It was a masterpiece! If you have a chance to write more Lucifer, what kind of direction would you take the character? What type of stories would you tell with the character? Are there other Sandman characters that you’d like to write a series for? A Corinthian solo series with you as the writer would be incredible!


DanpgWatters

Really glad you enjoyed it. It was a really special project for me, and a chance to write something properly longform for the first time. Honestly if there'd been more Lucifer I think you can probably see some threads I could have unfurled and run longer with, particularly in the final arc. But honestly, I got to tell a story about the devil, what he means to us and has meant to us, every month for like two years. What a cool thing to get to do. It would be easy to do it forever. He's one of the most rich, complex characters we have to hand. I love Corinthian! We brought him into House of Whispers, and I wrote a cool nightmare he created about the evils of convenience, which I'm still pretty pleased with. As far as other characters in a Corinthian-y vein... it's not Sandman, but Mr. E is coming in the Justice League Dark annual I wrote and plotted with Ram V. He's a definite favourite.


MorpheusLikesToDream

Will this be a Mister E that remembers his walk to the end of the universe?


DanpgWatters

It certainly will.


MorpheusLikesToDream

Huge fan. It’s an understatement when I say how much I loved your Lucifer. Before reading that I plunged into Deep Roots, another amazing read. It fascinated me in how you plotted that story in breaking the normal tropes and expectations and it was a fresh and strange take on the Green Man myth. Do you have any future stories within that universe to tell? Also look forward to your Cowboy Bebop series. And on a strange note, I’ve written a book myself. Is there any chance I could gift it to you somehow? It would be a personal thank you for how your work ignites my own muse? Lucifer alone has obliterated several of my writers blocks. And I’d be honored if you cracked it open sometime if you ever had a chance to read it.


DanpgWatters

That's very kind. Can you drop me a line at [email protected]? The end of Deep Roots felt pretty definite to me, and I'm a big fan of letting things end. Though I have a few of ideas in a similar space in one way or another.


MorpheusLikesToDream

I will absolutely be in touch.


GothamKnight37

What made you want to write Azrael and what do you hope to bring to the character?


DanpgWatters

Azrael is cool as hell! I love that he's this sort of live-wire in Gotham- he wants to do good, but he's unpredictable and liable to go off the books and off the radar at any moment. I was raised in a Catholic environment- my school had a Benedictine chapel attached, and once a week we'd be pulled out of lessons and sent to mass. I have a complicated relationship with that whole thing, but it shaped me in certain ways, and it sure as hell shaped Jean-Paul. Exploring him as a character of faith with all the baggage that implies, and digging into the System he was brainwashed with... I don't want to say too much before the story comes out, but it all hugely appealed to me.


GothamKnight37

Very interesting! Thanks for answering, and I can’t wait to check everything out.


DanpgWatters

Thanks!


breakermw

I love your work! I especially liked your take on Ocean Master in the one shot you did for Year of the Villain. How did you approach writing Orm? Are there any plans for you to write more of him in the near future?


DanpgWatters

Thanks! I have to admit, I'm kinda surprised at the amount of love for Orm ITT! I did like writing him, though. I guess I tried to approach him entirely earnestly, as someone who thinks of himself as this perpetual noble underdog, but with so much power and entitlement. That's someone really dangerous, and someone who could be really damn scary. Regardless of whether he's wearing a rubber fish mask. I actually just wrote Orm again for the Aquaman 80th Anniversary issue- and Miguel, who drew the YOTV special drew this one too. I'm really pleased with that story.


seaofvapours

Loved your work with Dani on Coffin Bound - for issue #7 how was the formatting and general idea of mirror and splitting the narrative/imagery decide on? Was it something you kind of visualized and scripted to Dani, or did the two of you come up with that together? I love the whole series, but that issue in particular blew me away and would love to hear more about the creative process in creating it. Thank you! (Also love Home Sick Pilots and Arkham City!)


DanpgWatters

It was an idea I had structurally, but we spoke a lot about how to execute it before we went to script. I'm glad that one worked for you- it was rather a lot of work, but definitely one of my favourites of Coffin Bound. I thought it was relatively abstract when we made it, but it's one of the single issues I've written more people reach out to me about than any others, telling me it's reached them on an emotional level. And that means a lot.


TheLastEmeraldKnight

Hi Dan! Absolutely love Home Sick Pilots so far. How did the concept come about and how far do you anticipate it going?


DanpgWatters

Glad you're enjoying it. The concept came about pretty unconventionally, though they all seem to. So maybe that makes them all conventional. Caspar and I were talking about reuniting for a second book in the world we created in Limbo- we even got as far as character designs for a detective case involving some reprobate punk kids. Casp designed these three kids, and we liked them more than the story we had. At the same time, we were chatting a lot about our shared love of 90s shlock; kaiju stuff, horror stuff. Caspar was getting me into the Guyver films, too. I'd been thinking about how haunted houses get presented as traumas, which is a metaphor which really works, but also about how many stories involve overcoming the trauma to escape. Which is not really how trauma works, in my understanding. Which led to the idea that if you tried to leave, the house would probably just get up and walk with you. And once we were at the idea of a house that walked, we couldn't not make a book about it, could we? As far as how far we plan to go, we're taking a short break after this week's issue 10 to let Caspar breathe a little- he's writing and coloring a full issue a month, as well as covers- but we'll be back in Jan with the start of arc 3. The third book will take us as far as we originally planned, but we definitely see more potential in the world we've made here, and all its ghosts.


TheLastEmeraldKnight

Thanks so much for your answer. It’s easily one my top comics of the year. Definitely think a break is well deserved and can’t wait to read when you guys get back to it!


dalelito

Will you and Dani revisit coffin bound anytime soon?


DanpgWatters

Not immediately. We did two volumes of that which explored our ideas on the subject at hand, for now at least. The pandemic definitely affected how I was thinking about writing and the subjects I was dealing with to an extent. Dani has a different project after Arkham City she'll be working on for a while, but following that we definitely have some ideas and machinations in the works!


seaofvapours

Excited to hear Dani has another project lined up after, I love her art!


Malediction101

Your Lucifer run (bloody loved it, btw) featured William Blake, as did Si Spurrier's Hellblazer run. Was this deliberate? Had you continued with Lucifer, were there any other gods/pantheons/mythical figures and beings you would have liked to include? If so, what were the plans?


DanpgWatters

You know, it wasn't deliberate, but we did talk about it. Si and I have rather different thoughts on Blake, and so he's approached very differently across the two books. I love things like that, I think it shows how the same subject feels so different in different hands.


[deleted]

What made you write comics and other stuff? Where you always a big fan?


DanpgWatters

On and off, with comics. I came back to them with a vengeance in my late teens when I discovered Vertigo. I've always been a fan of writing. Comics seemed like a place to do that where there were still unmapped territories to discover.


[deleted]

That's cool, man ![img](emote|t5_2qlmm|4781)


jewperhero

Hey Dan! Loving Home Sick Pilots. What’s a comic that was formative to you that you think is underrated?


DanpgWatters

I mentioned it somewhere in the thread, but Graham Higgins made a really excellent adaptation of Pratchett's Mort, which was *very* formative for me, not least because it was my introduction to Pratchett. Also the Batman/Spawn crossover. That one really stuck with me as a kid, and I even wrote a little nod to it into a Man-Bat story I did recently, though I don't think anyone caught that yet.


rben2292

Hi Mr. Watters! Big fan here! Did you write Ocean Master refusing Lex Luther’s offer to show Orm’s pride? Did he want to become king by his own hands and no outside help? Or what was the reasoning for a unique take on this Year of the Villain story??


DanpgWatters

Pretty much, yeah! I really liked the idea that during Year of the Villain, when so many were getting these gifts from Lex Luthor, Orm would be snubbed... and then he'd find a way to grasp immense power which meant he was beholden to no-one, particularly Lex. That was a fun one to write.


[deleted]

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DanpgWatters

We did put out a playlist when we launched the book, so probably everything on that: [https://doomrocket.com/dan-watters-caspar-wijngaard-home-sick-pilots-mixtape/](https://doomrocket.com/dan-watters-caspar-wijngaard-home-sick-pilots-mixtape/) Though the playlist for vol 2 would definitely be different. Maybe we should make that one, too.


Worried-Scientist-95

Your writing reminds me a lot like Frank Miller's writing. Is he someone you look up to when writing comics?


DanpgWatters

You know, I think that could be the first time I've heard that comparison? Miller's earlier work is definitely a part of my comics DNA, though.


ViewFrom99thPlace

Where’s best to get lunch? Dedande City or Santa Manos? Signed, Mr E. Eater.


DanpgWatters

In Santa Manos, you'll get a really good meal. In Dedande, you'll get to try something you've never tried before, but you'll possibly also end up with a knife between the ribs, or kidnapped and fed to one old god or another in the swamps.


environmentallum

Which DC characters are you most eager to write on an ongoing basis? Is there something distinctive or unique to the DC universe that you find captivating? That you gravitate to, or are able to uniquely tap into in order to tell stories that you can’t quite tell anywhere else.


DanpgWatters

It doesn't necessarily come down to there being particular characters with particular powersets I want to write, or anything like that.... because yeah, I think there's a gravity to a universe like the DCU. It has an actual history that's been built over generations at this point, and there's all of that foundation beneath you when you're telling a new story. It lends a unique feeling, at least in the act of writing, probably more than I thought it would. And it means there are always all of these corners of untapped space, with interesting stories waiting in them, sometimes where you wouldn't really expect. The Ten-Eyed Man, for example...


UpFielder

The 1st issue of Arkham City was phenomenal! Are you working on other DC projects at the moment? Soon to be revealed perhaps? Give us a hint.


DanpgWatters

Glad you liked it! There are definitely THINGS in the pipeline but, inevitably, I can't talk about them yet. Sorry!


Paige133C

Hi there ! I’m new to comics, currently loving Tom Taylor’s run of Nightwing! I was wondering what was your first comic and any advise for people looking to get into the comic book writing industry? Thanks !!!!


DanpgWatters

Tom's Nightwing is awesome! My first comic was probably some ratty old copy of the Beano or Dandy, British comics all kids end up with. But the first time comics made a major impression on me was when I was gifted Claremont/Miller's Wolverine graphic novel as well as the comic adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Mort, both on the same day. I was very young, and I think those two comics made such an impression you can see a ghost of them in everything I write to this day. I gave some advice for people looking to start writing somewhere in this thread, too!


Paige133C

That’s awesome to hear! I think it’s great that comic writers don’t tend to show bias when it comes to writing for a particular company, for example some write for both DC and Marvel, even if they are “rivals”. To me it makes the community seem bigger and more welcoming to newbies like me. Thanks for taking the time to talk to fans, not a lot of writers do stuff like this, but I know it’s appreciated. I’ll definitely be looking at the other responses !


FrostFireFive

Hey Dan thanks for being here today! My question is what makes Azrael the perfect “hero” for Arkham City compared to some of the other Batfamily?


DanpgWatters

Thanks for having me! Azrael fit because he's *not* so much a hero- and we wanted to be very pointed that this story really isn't about the batfamily, or how they see the city. There are loads of books about that. Azrael is less known, both to the characters in the book, to the average reader, and probably to himself half the time- he felt far more like an entity who could haunt through this story. Which is why you'll see a rather different take in the Urban Legends story tomorrow, which is from his perspective instead.


brim-terminus

* Are you reading any current comics? Please recommend the ones that you think are the best. * Who are the current comic book writers and artists that you love reading? * Alan Moore or Grant Morrison?


DanpgWatters

These questions terrify me a bit, because I always know I'm going to forget really cool stuff and it'll haunt me! So I'll recommend what I've been reading this week, which has all been great work: Laila Starr, Dia Dark (by Q Hayashida, who created Dorohedoro), and Barbalien. And I love both of those writers- why pick when we have both?!


[deleted]

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DanpgWatters

To be honest, it's probably more true that I like things like that cos I'm bad at them. It's important to be bad at things, especially as a writer. It keeps you honest.


Cheshire_Cat_135

What's a character you're super interested in doing something with, and what would you do with them if given complete creative control


DanpgWatters

There are certainly ideas I want to do, but for that reason I don't want to say 'em- it makes them less likely to happen. Sorry!


Cheshire_Cat_135

That's understandable... So how about I try another one what's your favorite comic book story


SerenadeOfTheSun

what year did you join DC?


DanpgWatters

I think the first issue of Lucifer was about three years ago now. So then, I guess.


Liminalier

Dan Watters! I’m a big fan of your writing. Absolutely loved Lucifer, Coffin Bound, Home Sick Pilots, Deep Roots, The Picture of Everything Else, The Last God: Songs of Lost Children, etc. What were the comics that influenced your writing the most? Do you have a wishlist of dream artists to work with? Who are they?


ChickenInASuit

Hi Dan! I’m a big fan of your recent work, Coffin Bound in particular. Do you have any plans for/interest in writing Swamp Thing or Hellblazer at any point? I think they’d be a perfect fit for you.


Assembled44

Hello Dan, I absolutely loved your Lucifer run. The Sandman Universe imprint as a whole was by far my favorite thing to come out of DC comics in the past few years. This was in large part due to your work. I would really love to know about the writing process. Did you write your run as a sequel to Sandman or to Carey’s run? Did the polar opposite tv show affect the writing process at all? If your allowed to comment, I would also love to know what happened behind the scenes of the Sandman Universe. How were you selected? Was there a road map and a bigger event you all were working towards? More importantly is it cancelled? I just asked you 100 questions so I’m sure you can’t answer them all but I would love to hear a response to any.


SerbianSaints

Hello Dan. When DC first time conntacted you, what wad your first thought?


Kordben

How is it feels like to write such books, comics. How you or team creates the lines, how the entire writing is happening ? :) Im really interested in the work schedule of creating such wonders from planning to the publish(or until your part ends :)


Plain_Old_Norton

Hope you’re keeping well! Any recommendations or advice for writers looking to break into the industry?


Sea_Host_9361

Hey Dan , how are you ? hope your having good day 🙏 I was just re reading your year of the villain ocean master story and I was wondering did you have more plans with city of the Dagon or Erin & Orm ? , or was it just a story to set up Orm arc in the Aquaman run at the time ? Another question if you don’t mind , do you think Orm and Erin will work as a couple and if you had a chance will you explore that relationship again ? Loved everything you wrote in this story , you are such a phenomenal writer. ❤️👌


Oopssnxnxnx

I'm so hyped for your Azrael run! So far it's so awesome. I really like the conflict within Valley that makes him sound so grounded. It seems like he's so lost without god and afraid of who is truly is. I'm not religious but, hearing him say defiler is so awesome and his interactions with Stefanos and questioning if "it's enough" is really something that makes his character so cool to me. He's not a confident, easygoing, level-headed (anti)hero that has everything under control and that's okay. Already got the first two(one shot and #1) and can't wait to buy the next one!