SENYC Report: The Days of High Adventure – An Interview with Tony Bedard

Tony Bedard has been a presence in comics since the early 90s, working for a huge number of publishers in nearly as many roles. Bedard excels at writing clever and engaging comics that often explore the edges of their universes, where his ideas are free to grow.

Bedard currently writes Supergirl for DC and, in reviewing that series, I realized how interesting it would be to talk to him for the site. It took a while to find a time, but I was able to sit down with Tony at Special Edition: NYC to talk about Supergirl, editing, and even superhero movies. I hope you’ll enjoy hearing from him as much as I did.

C.O.W.L. #1 – Review

By: Kyle Higgins & Alec Siegel (story), Rod Reis (art)

The Story: We’re witnessing the end of an era, the only question is: which one?

The Review: I first encountered C.O.W.L. at last year’s New York Comic Con and right away I was kind of hooked. I’ve been waiting all year to get a look at Kyle Higgins’ first creator-owned project but, if you’re like me, the results may still surprise you.

Beautifully illustrated superhero union story is a great elevator pitch but, while C.O.W.L.’s status as a recognized labor union plays a large part in the story, fans of traditional superheroics will not be disappointed. We hear mentions of impending contract negotiations and see the writing on the wall when Grey Raven brags that C.O.W.L. has essentially eliminated supercrime from Chicago, but C.O.W.L. is less an image of a liberal dream or a humorous look at the bureaucracy of unionization than moody superhero period piece.

There’s not one primary character in this story, though some obviously stand out; the union itself is our protagonist. Admittedly, we meet the Tactical Division, the A-Listers to all appearances, the desk jockeys, and the patrolmen on the west side, but as a map at the issue’s start implies, this may be merely a small fraction of the organization. Truly it’s an ensemble cast. Standouts include Geoffrey Warner, the Grey Raven, the manipulative head of C.O.W.L., Kathryn Mitchell, codename Radia, a powerful heroine who’s accomplishments are overshadowed by rumors of her affair with Warner; and John Pierce, a member of the union’s investigations division who resents the political turn heroism has taken. Of course, it’s worth noting that many of the characters don’t get enough time to truly endear themselves to the audience, but at this rate they all could be complex and fascinating characters.

Supergirl #31 – Review

By: Tony Bedard (writer); Emanuela Lupacchino with Ray McCarthy and Guillermo Ortego, Yildiray Cinar, and Cory Smith (art); Hi-Fi and Yildiray Cinar (colors)

The Story: As “Red Daughter of Krypton” barrels on, Kara and the Reds find themselves searching for a new and dangerous Lantern.

The Review: Supergirl’s world is starting to get pretty hectic. As if it weren’t enough to subdue a newly selected Red and protect the planet’s civilians, Atrocitus is there too, looking to add to his collection. The former leader of the Red Lanterns has struggled to find a strength and relevance equal to his original concept ever since he finally found revenge for the wrongs that birthed him and this issue doesn’t solve that. Still, Supergirl and Red Lanterns have both done a good job of building him up as a legitimate threat for Guy’s Reds.

Tony Bedard continues that trend. Dex-Starr’s presence imbues Atrocitus’ scenes with humor and intrigue and even helps the brutal Lantern feel relatively likable. Just because he’s angry doesn’t mean he can’t have a strong boss-worker relationship with his favorite cat. In fact, Bedard proves an expert in providing the same kind of authority and gravitas that draws us to Darth Vader, not only to Atrocitus but to the newly revealed Worldkiller-1.

Meanwhile there’s also movement on Earth. As the Diasporans come looking for a rematch, the intrigue between Siobhan and her treacherous roommate deepens. It’s not clear if playing Ouija was actively part of her plans for the Silver Banshee, but it’s definitely a bad idea, if Blaze’s appearance is anything to go by. I’m thrilled to see Siobhan popping up, even in the middle of Kara’s Red Lantern adventures. I made no secret that Bedard wholly sold me on the character concept back in issue #29 and it’s great that he’s still turning the heat up on that subplot.

Supergirl #30 – Review

By: Tony Bedard (writer), Emanuela Lupacchino with Yildiray Cinar & Diogenes Neves (pencils), Ray McCarthy & Marc Deering (inks), Hi-Fi (colors)

The Story: It’s time to put that anger to good use.

The Review: Tony Bedard continues to propel Supergirl onto the cosmic scene with the second true chapter of “Red Daughter of Krypton”. This issue pits Kara and her Red Lantern comrades against the Diasporans, a particularly awesome looking race of social Darwinists, out to cleanse the universe of weakness.

The Diasporans are not the most original adversaries but they’re a perfect threat for Supergirl. Bedard has previously set Kara up against the last Czarnian and an immigrant girl afraid of her own power, clearly he has a taste for pitting Supergirl against thematic foils and these hellish lizards are par for that course.

The addition of the Red Lanterns places Bedard well within his comfort zone, writing quirky cosmic teams, and it shows. The presence of Skallox and Zilius Zox instantly livens up this issue and allows Bedard’s knack for banter and interplay to come to the fore. Kara is feeling more complete, but she still lags behind the rest of the characters a bit. Her emotions are comparatively simplistic when they’re the center of attention, however there is some good thought behind them and she’s much stronger when engaging with her cohorts.

Supergirl #29 – Review

By: Tony Bedard (writer), Yildiray Cinar (penciler), Ray McCarthy (inker), Dan Brown (colorist)

The Story: It’s up to Kara’s old roommate to stop her reign of terror. Plus she never cleans out the fridge…

The Review: Tony Bedard’s time on Supergirl has been defined by the presence of guest characters and an extremely fed up Kara Zor-El. The combination has not always been kind to our title character and, at its worst, she’s felt like a guest star in an issue of Lobo.

Lagging behind last month’s Green Lantern/Red Lanterns #28, Supergirl remains in no state to better her reputation, still a bestial mess of blood, spit, and napalm. With Lobo dead again, the title turns to the next black & white adversary for Red Lantern Supergirl: the Silver Banshee.

While it’s a shame that Supergirl remains a secondary player in her own title, Bedard’s handle on Siobhan is perhaps the strongest of his run so far. In just a few pages, Bedard is able to give us an understanding of Kara and Siobhan’s friendship. It’s a little broad, but the bond between them is clear enough to touch the heart a little. That’s essential because the entire issue is predicated on our belief that Siobhan loves and is sacrificing for her friend.