by Russell Burlingame
Dynamo 5 #0
Russell Burlingame on the issue
Jay Faerber's Dynamo 5 released an 18-page "zero issue" for only 99 cents this week. One of the best critically-received books in Image's line, Dynamo 5 follows the adventures of the children of Captain Dynamo, a superhero whose death spurred the formation of a team of heroes to fill his void. From the creator of the fan-favorite Image series Noble Causes, Dynamo 5 is one of the best new spins on the superhero comic on the market.
Comic Related: Obviously, Noble Causes is one of those books that started out with fantastic buzz and a lot of mainstream attention-I seem to remember there being talks of a TV show at one point?-but hasn't sustained that kind of attention. What do you think is the greatest challenge as an independent creator trying to keep people not just buying the books month in and month out, but ACTUALLY excited by them?
Jay Faerber: If I knew the answer to that question, I'd be Robert Kirkman! But seriously, it's very hard to maintain a level of excitement in creator-owned comics. I mean, look at what Marvel and DC do to jumpstart a book's buzz -- they change up the creative team. That's the number one, easiest, most tried and true method. And it's the method least available in creator-owned comics, since the creators are the ones who own the books. Sure, sometimes creators farm out their titles, but that's not the norm. So the longer a book is around, the harder it is to maintain any sort of excitement about it. Erik Larsen faces that all the time with Savage Dragon, because he can't even get a new penciller. But he's succeeding by doing a "back to basics" approach not available to a lot of creator-owned comics, because they haven't been around long enough for there to be any basics to get back to.
CR: How hard is it to have a recap/clip show/zero issue and still feel like you're writing the book as best you can, as opposed to just treading water to benefit new readers? Did you do anything particular in #0 to make it indispensable to those who have been around a while?
JF: I chose not to go the "clip show" route with issue #0, simply because I don't think that's particularly engaging for new readers. Sure, it would fill them in on the backstory, but would it actually entertain them? I doubt it. So I chose to do a "typical" issue of Dynamo 5 -- something that hits all the right notes in ten pages. A little character interplay, some action, and the teaser / introduction of a new villain that will be appearing this summer. So there's definitely stuff there for longtime readers.
CR: Were you aware there used to be a chick called Myriad who could copy people's powers? She was a Superman villain just after the whole Death and Return thing!
JF: That's news to me. But there are so many comic book characters out there that it's tough to come up with names that are 100% new.
CR: OK...so for the uninitiated, let's just ask this one. Dynamo 5 is the story of
these five superheroes who come together because they're the bastard children of Captain Dynamo, the world's greatest superhero, right? Have we seen any badguys yet with that same parentage?
JF: Yes. We've seen that Captain Dynamo fathered a daughter with one of his enemies, and that daughter possesses ALL of Captain Dynamo's powers (as opposed to the Dynamo 5 kids, who each possess ONE of his powers). The daughter's name is Synergy, and she'll be returning this summer, as well.
CR: What is it that drives you to work with the family dynamic in this way? Obviously there are a couple of mainstream superhero books that have a more "family" feel or even call themselves "families," like The Fantastic Four does. But between this and Noble Causes, you're really exploring the dysfunctional, superhuman family dynamic.
JF: I really never set out to have two books about "families." It just sort of worked out that way. Both books have different feels and explore different territories. But I don't want to get pigeon-holed as "the family guy," so I've made it a point in future projects NOT to have a strong family component, simply to force myself to branch out.
CR: Where did the decision come from to have a two-page, all-prose page that looked like a letter column to tell the backstory instead of one of those splash-page spreads that you so often see to serve that same purpose?
JF: Well, the text piece conveyed a hell of a lot more information than a 2-page spread could. The text piece basically recaps the ENTIRE series so far, in a fair amount of detail. It's designed to bring new readers up to speed, after they've hopefully been intrigued by the 10-page primer story.
CR: Can you explain the basic premise of the series? I know that the heroes are all the children of Captain Dynamo, but I don't know anything else much-or even who Dynamo is.
JF: Dynamo 5 is a team comprised of the illegitimate sons and daughters of Captain Dynamo, a recently deceased super-hero. After his death, Cap's widow, Maddie Warner -- a retired secret agent -- found his "little black book" and learned that he'd been unfaithful to her. As his enemies descend on his unprotected city, Maddie does some research and discovers that Cap had at least five kids. So she rounds them up and exposes them to the same radiation that gave Cap his powers. This awakens powers in each of them, and she whips them into shape as a super-hero team.
CR: Have longtime readers seen the two characters on the last couple of pages before?
JF: Father Gideon is new, but the young woman he's talking to is not. That's Synergy, the evil sibling I mentioned earlier.
CR: How independent are these projects-is it likely we'll ever see these guys cross over with the Nobles?
JF: The books are fairly independent, but they do take place in the same little corner of the Image universe. Noble Causes is coming to an end next month with issue #40, so there won't be any true crossovers. But the Nobles have showed up in Dynamo 5 in the past, and they may do so in the future. My goal is to make sure each book stands alone, though. I don't want anyone to ever feel like they HAVE to read one book to understand another.
Take A Look Inside
The Official Word
story JAY FAERBER, art & cover MAHMUD A. ASRAR & RON RILEY
A "day in the life" of Dynamo 5. It's the perfect jumping-on point at the perfect price -- only 99 cents! Featuring a text page that recaps the entire series so far, this issue lays the groundwork for this summer's game-changing 25th issue!
16 PAGES, FC, 99 cents
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