Johns, Geoff 1973-

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JOHNS, Geoff 1973-

PERSONAL:

Born January 25, 1973, in Detroit, MI; married; wife's name Anissa. Education: Graduate of Michigan State University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—California. Agent—c/o Author Mail, DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019.

CAREER:

Writer of graphic novels and producer. Worked as assistant to film director Richard Donner on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4, 1996-2001; consulting producer for Bloodstone pilot for Sci-Fi network.

WRITINGS:

GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Flash: Iron Heights, art by Ethan Van Sciver, Prentis Rollins, John Costanza, and Chris Chuckry, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2001.

The Flash: Blood Will Run, art by Scott Kolins, Doug Haselwood and Joseé Marzán Jr., and others, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2002.

(With others) Hawkman: Endless Flight, Warner Bros., 2003.

(With David S. Goyer) JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice, art by Carlos Pacheco and Jesús Meriño, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2003.

(With others) JSA: Fair Play, Warner Bros., 2003.

(With David S. Goyer, James Robinson, and others) The Justice Society Returns, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2003.

Wrote story for A Burning Hate (drawings without text), with David S. Goyer, 2001; also author of Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.S., DC Comics.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Teen Titans with Mike McKone; Thing, a miniseries with artist Scott Kolins; The Morlocks, a miniseries with artist Shaw Martinbrough; The Possessed, for Wildstorm; and The Avengers, for Marvel.

SIDELIGHTS:

Geoff Johns writes comics and works in the film and television industry. Several of his titles feature well-known superheroes, such as the Flash and members of the Justice Society of America (JSA) and Justice League of America (JLA). Some of these characters have been known to readers since the 1940s, and Johns is noted for his ability to cast them in contemporary stories while remaining true to their established traits.

When Johns created the trade paperback The Flash: Blood Will Run, he inherited a character that had started as the teen superhero Kid Flash and done some misbehaving as a young adult before becoming a dependable figure in the mythical city of Keystone. Innovations by Johns include the creation of the prison Iron Heights and developing characters within the police department. The main storyline has Flash trying to solve a series of murders where all of the victims have one thing in common: the superhero once saved their life. In a review for Shaking Through, "The Gentleman" reflected that this was "a rather gruesome tale for a mainstream superhero comic," but he nevertheless said the book's strengths made it "a satisfying and promising foundation for future stories and mark Johns as a writer to watch." ShotgunReviews critic Troy Brownfield admired the author's "uncanny ability to pump limitless energy into the minutiae of the Flash's world" and noted that "talents like Johns and [penciller] Kolins prove that the superhero is still a viable form." Another Flash title by Johns is The Flash: Iron Heights.

The superhero Hawkman was introduced in 1940, but as seen in recent comics, appeared to be dead before Johns resurrected his character in Hawkman: Endless Flight. Working with David Goyer, Johns began a new series about archaeologist Carter Hall (Hawkman), who is a reincarnated Egyptian prince. Hall remembers his past lives, while his reincarnated girl friend Kendra (Hawkgirl) does not. They work for the Stonechat Museum in a New Orleans-like town, but also are trying to discover who murdered Kendra's parents. Steve Raiteri reviewed the book for Library Journal, where he called it "an above-average superhero book."

The star-studded cast of JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice, drew attention to this hardcover special. Captain Marvel, Dr. Mid-Nite, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and other classic superheroes populate this story of how the JLA and JSA join to create an unbelievably powerful team for fighting evil. But when an alien attacker transforms some of the heroes, turning them into embodiments of the seven deadly sins, they find themselves fighting against each other. Writing for The Fourth Rail, Randy Lander enthused, "This is a rollercoaster ride, an old-fashioned super-hero crossover that is better than the old school because it is self-contained and it has a point, rather than existing strictly to sell lower selling books." A Publishers Weekly reviewer understood the appeal of seeing all of these characters together, but judged that "the story feels stale."

Other JSA books by Johns are The Justice Society Returns and JSA: Fair Play. In the first volume, the author worked with James Robinson and David Goyer to give the 1940s-era heroes contemporary problems and preoccupations. In a review for Publishers Weekly, a writer said, "This attempt at retrofitting today's jaded view of war and justice onto full-color heroes falls short." JSA: Fair Play is the fourth book in the revived DC Comics series. It contains multiple episodes, including one about a villain called Roulette; others were given awards by the readers of the Comics Buyers Guide and by Wizard magazine. According to Steve Raiteri in Library Journal, they were "satisfying stories that focus as much on the relationships among team members as on their encounters with evil." In an interview with DC Comics, Johns voiced his preference for writing the JSA series: "I enjoy the JSA more myself obviously because I'm so involved with these characters. I also am very into the history and lineage of the heroes, as well as seeing them actually grow and learn."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, May, 2003, Steve Raiteri, review of Hawkman: Endless Flight, p. 98; July, 2003, Steve Raiteri, review of JSA: Fair Play, p. 68.

Publishers Weekly, April 28, 2003, review of JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice, p. 51; January 26, 2004, review of The Justice Society Returns, p. 233.