The following is an interview with writer Christof Bogacs (Under Kingdom) regarding the upcoming release of the graphic novel, Lex Luthor: Diabolical Genius, with DC Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Bogacs about the shared creative process of working with artist Valerio Chiola to bring the story and characters to life on the page, what young readers may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Lex Luthor: Diabolical Genius! What can you share with us about the premise of this new installment in the mythos of Lex Luther?
Christof Bogacs: Lex Luthor: Diabolical Genius follows a 12-year-old Lex Luthor just after his dad gets thrown in jail, thanks to Superman. With the family business almost bankrupt, it’s up to Lex to save the day… and he has the perfect plan: He’s going to kidnap Lois Lane!
Of course, things do not go as planned when Batman shows up to rescue Lois. What follows is essentially Die Hard for kids, as Batman declares a one-man war on LuthorCorp Tower. Throw in a pinch of James Bond, a dash of Dexter’s Laboratory, and a helping of Scooby-Doo, and that’s our book.
When I was chatting to DC about a potential project, I pitched Diabolical Genius as ‘Artemis Fowl, but it’s Lex Luthor, and instead of fairies, it’s capes’. The best I could, I really tried to stick to that mission statement. Like those books, this book is about a very gifted, privileged, and extremely arrogant kid taking on the world.
The other element of the book I’m really passionate about is Lex Luthor versus Batman. It’s wild to me that this match-up doesn’t occur more often. To me, Lex and Bruce are just different sides of the same coin. Sure, Lex uses his vast resources for personal gain, while Batman uses them for the common good, but they both have massive egos and a certain pragmatic coldness to them. Oh, plus the billions of dollars.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Valerio Chiola to bring this story and its characters to life on the page?
CB: As soon as I saw Valerio’s early character designs for Lex and co, I knew that I wanted to work with him forever.
If I had to sum up my relationship with Valerio, it would be that he’s a constant miracle worker. I threw him some extremely challenging pages, and he always came through. There’s a 6-page sequence where Lex and Lena walk through LuthorCorp Tower toward the start of the book. Valerio joked at the end of that sequence that he deserved an Eisner, and honestly, I very much agree.
Not only has he rendered some extremely complex sequences here, but he’s made them accessible and easy to read. I think anyone can pick up this book, regardless of whether they’ve read comics before or not, and immediately understand what’s going on.
In terms of our working relationship, it felt like improv; Valerio was always yes-and-ing me. He was incredibly faithful to my original script, while enhancing it with his own ideas.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Valerio’s talent for nailing comedy beats. He had a way of bringing my ideas for a joke to the page and making them way funnier than I could have ever imagined.
BD: In addition, what did you find to be most rewarding/challenging about working with such a well-known character (albeit a much younger version)?
CB: All the DC Young Readers stuff is non-canon, which makes it incredibly freeing. For the most part, I was able to carve out my own little corner of the DCU for me and Valerio to play in.
We were able to keep things simple, really go back to basics, since we didn’t have to consider current story arcs or changes to the status quo. We had a wide array of choice over what characters, as well as elements of those characters, we used. For some reason, DC was totally fine with me making Slade Wilson a huge anime fan. (I mean, he uses a katana, so clearly he’s a weeb, right?)
In terms of what was challenging, I think everyone feels a huge sense of ‘oh man, I don’t want to screw this up’ when handling such big characters. I mean, I’ve done licensed stuff before, but this is easily the most time I have spent with characters this iconic.
Sure, like I said above, there was a lot of freedom, but what’s critical is that you get the core of these characters right. You can change whatever you want on the surface and exaggerate certain elements, but if you get the heart of the character wrong, or worse, interpret it in a boring way, fans are going to notice. So, it all becomes a grand balancing act of putting our spin on things, without going too far out in any direction.
For example, our take on a teenage Superman is that he’s a tad neurotic, stemming from the fact that he cares a lot and wants to do right by people. That is who Supes is at his centre; we just pulled at a certain strand of it.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various media. How do you feel that Diabolical Genius’ themes may connect with young readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that they may initiate?
CB: First and foremost, I hope it gets kids thinking about wealth, privilege, and how their actions affect the people around them. This really is a story about two very privileged characters (Lex and Batman/Bruce Wayne) clashing and the damage that conflict does to those who care about them … as well as LuthorCorp Tower!
Also, as weird as it sounds, I hope kids see some of themselves in Lex. I know I do. Like all humans, he’s a mix of good and bad, something we all need to come to terms with. Same with Batman and Superman, honestly. Even the most well-intentioned humans are flawed, and the older we get, the more we have to come to terms with the shades of grey that exist in everyone.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
CB: Ha, always.
As well as Lex, I have another middle-grade graphic novel out this year, Earth to Chris Cleevy, written by me and drawn by fantastic artists Sammy Savos and Hannah Krieger. It’s out from HarperCollins on August 25, and follows 11-year-old Chris, who is convinced his Mom’s new boyfriend is actually an evil alien.
It’s an emotional story that fictionalizes my childhood experiences with OCD and growing up in a single-parent home. It’s super personal, but also it’s fun, I promise!
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Lex Luthor: Diabolical Genius and your other work?
CB: So, apart from Lex, if you are a fan of Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, Superman, or Batman, I think you are going to find a lot to love in the pages of Diabolical Genius. I couldn’t be prouder of the book that Valerio and I made. Seriously, I think it’s some of the best writing of my career. So please, take a chance on us!
