Check out an exclusive preview of DC Comics' Human Target #1, on stands Nov. 2.
WriterTom Kingand artist Greg Smallwood’s newHuman Targetcomic book series started as a Twitter joke seriously.
In March 2020, a fan told King he should write a story about Human Target, a.k.a.
‘Human Target’.DC Comics
As always, King replied with a self-deprecating joke about what that hypothetical story would look like.
“And a DC editor texted me and was like, ‘Hey, I saw your tweets.
You want to really write Human Target?’
‘Human Target’.DC Comics
I thought he was joking.”
“It started with being so stupid.
It became something so transcendent.
‘Human Target’.DC Comics
It’s crazy.”
EW is debuting an exclusive preview ofHuman Target#1, which hits stands Nov. 2.
The limited series follows Chance after he takes a job protecting the notorious Lex Luthor.
‘Human Target’.DC Comics
DeMatteis, and Kevin Macguire in the ’80s.
“Booster Gold’s the most fun character to write because he’s such a goofball.
I think issue 2 is the most beautifully drawn comic you’ll ever seen in your life.”
‘The Human Target - Book One’.DC Comics
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Greg, how did you come to join the project?
And then I read Tom’s pitch for it and I didn’t really know much about Human Target.
I knew the basics, but that pitch sold me.
‘Human Target’.DC Comics
It’s probably one of the best pitches I’ve ever read.
What was it about the pitch that sold you?
SMALLWOOD:Well, it’s got a good hook.
‘Human Target’.DC Comics
It’s high concept.
It reminded me ofD.O.A., which is a classic film.
TOM KING:It reminded you of it because I stole directly from it.
But there’s a core concept there that it’s reminiscent of the film.
I could get a vibe and a tone from [the pitch].
How would you describe that tone?
SMALLWOOD:Well, it evolved.
I took the approach of a ’40s noir.
So it’d be like neo-noir.
I like that there is a contrast between this cynicism and then optimism.
KING:I think what you’re seeing is [some of your influence].
Which is funny because he’s had two TV shows.
It’s been a fairly successful property.
It changed the entire tone of what I thought the book could be.
Then suddenly I could see your art in the pages, and then I was all about it.
I was like, “Okay, now I’ve got something where I could get aMister MiracleorVision.”
Tom, what did you find most interesting about Christopher Chance as you started diving into the story?
At that moment [when I was writing], we were in max COVID, locked down.
Since I’d been in the war it sounds stupid I haven’t felt that close to death.
What do you become obsessed with?
How do you occupy yourself and what makes life worth living?
And that along with it, it became a very romantic book.
That was the secondary theme that developed.
What is the romance element of the book?
Her and Human Target have a spark is the way to put it.
It’s just a gorgeous story between two people…
This was Bogart and Bacall, and it was incredibly fun and rewarding to see it come to life.
What inspired you to bring the Justice League International into the story?
KING:Well, this story starts off funny and then gets fed up.
My youngest son, who’s 7 now, his favorite superhero is Ice.
I don’t know why he settled on that, but that was just from watching the cartoons.
Every night at dinner, I talk about my stupid job and my stupid job is playing with toys.
My son’s like, “Well, when are you going to play with Ice?”
So I literally pitched it to get my son to stop nagging me at the table.
It’s a book for adults about adult relationships.
I hadn’t really factored in the more poppy side.
Although, I guess that’s what Tom saw.
How do you convey those two things?
How do you confirm it’s Human Target without including the JLI?
Greg, how familiar with the JLI and Human Target were you coming into this?
Did you pull anything from older Human Target or Justice League International stories?
I could see where a lot of that levity was coming from.
And that got me started on like, “Okay, he’s going to like old stuff.”
I started introducing more and more mid-century aesthetics and little knick-knacks in the comic.
How did you approach that psychological aspect of the character and the toll it must take on him?
That’s such a good writer idea that Peter Milligan already did it.
And then looking back at his origin story.
And so he literally sees his father do what he’s doing get killed on behalf of somebody else.
So it built from there.
Then you start, he’s already looking at window with the rain.
So I just got to see what it looks like when he turns around.
SMALLWOOD:That was actually something that informed his personality.
I remember having this idea that he would be more comfortable talking to people with a mask on.
He’s secure in himself, but he just doesn’t like people.
Human Targethits stands Nov. 2.
