If you saw one of Dan DiDio’s “Crisis Counseling” panels at any of the various conventions over the past year you know what’s coming. Handling questions about the build-up to the miniseries, the original Crisis, as well as Infinite Crisis itself, DiDio hit questions, concerns, and outright accusations with answers, teases, and quite often, a Cheshire Cat grin.

As previously announced, the DC Vice President and Executive Editor has agreed to handle questions about Infinite Crisis monthly, on the Wednesday during the miniseries run, a continuation of his “Crisis Counseling” sessions. While future installments will take selected questions from readers, for the inaugural session, DiDio handled questions from Newsarama.

One last thing before we start – images included in this article are from issue #1 of Infinite Crisis. The first few have already been seen, though the page with Superboy has not been seen previously. Likewise, and here’s the important part – the full sized cover to Infinite Crisis #2 (linked to via the previously-seen thumbnail below) is the full sized, actual version of Infinite Crisis #2, which can now be shown. Again – a major, major, major spoiler warning – the different cover has a spoiler to Infinite Crisis #1, so, if you don’t want to know about it, don’t click the Power Girl cover. Got it?

Onward.

Newsarama: Today is the culmination of years’ worth of work for you and the creators. Before we get into more nuts and bolts of the Counseling, take us back to the first seeds of Infinite Crisis. Where did it come from? Did it start off as something as simple as “Hey, in x years, it’s going to be the anniversary of Crisis” or what?

Dan DiDio: Even before I joined DC there was some discussion as to do an event tied into the 20^th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths.  But as to what that the story would be was completely open. Then as we developed and planned the direction for the DCU, the story began to crystallize.  One thing we knew for sure was that we needed to create a story and event that could carry on the name and tradition of the original maxi series.

NRAMA: Four (or five if you count Donna Troy) miniseries leading up to it, tens of individual issues linking or leading to it all prior to this week’s issue #1. Did you, in those early days of starting things, figure it would get this big?

DD: In creating a sequel to Crisis, we knew there would be certain fan expectations for the size and epic scope of the series and we knew we would settle for nothing less.  As a matter of fact, we pitched a couple of ideas to our Publisher Paul Levitz early on, all of which were rejected.  Paul kept us honest and made sure this story would be the best it could be.

NRAMA: Given that, among other things, IC is a huge shakeup for the heroes, changing some, and killing others, what, in your view was, for lack of a better word, wrong, or making the entire DCU in need of such a shakeup?

DD: It was Julie Schwartz that said to me that every ten years or so the universe needs to be shaken up and restarted.  And while we might not be restarting things, we are certainly shaking them up.   It gives you a chance to refocus the characters and their motivations while also realigning the continuity. 

NRAMA: That said, the “shaking up” indicates change is coming. Was something, in your view, missing from the DCU?

DD: One of the big things was that over the years we have lost the whole purpose of secret identities.  Starting with the big three, Bruce Wayne became a minor player in the Bat Books, Superman’s marriage to Lois rendered Clark Kent moot and Diana Prince was retconned out of existence.   Throughout the DCU, in my opinion, you would be hard pressed to find a character whose personal life varied greatly from his or hers costumed identity.  I think that’s a shame because the whole concept of the secret identity is something that all super heroes are built in.

NRAMA: As things were building, and we’ve talked about this before, what were some of the earlier points where things began to really coalesce? As you’ve said on numerous occasions, this ball was rolling before Identity Crisis came along, correct?

DD: We had a direction set for the DCU in regards to tone and personal stakes, and while we knew we would like to build to a Crisis style event, Identity Crisis was already in production when the plans for Infinite Crisis first came together.    

NRAMA: If there had not been an Identity Crisis, would you have had to “invent” one, for lack of a better word?

DD: Identity Crisis came along at the right time and really captured the tone and direction I was hoping to establish in the DCU.  Other stories were being planned at that time, but they would have been hard pressed to match the impact of that series.

NRAMA: The last looking back question – what, for you was the point of no return? Was there an issue or a storyline where it was clear that, for better or worse, you had to go all the way with this story?

DD: That’s pretty hard to say, there was so much discussion on all this, hours spent with the creators and editors, but the defining moment from me was when we got a big thumbs up from Paul Levitz on the Identity Crisis mini series.  Paul’s approval and support was the greatest motivator any of us could get.

NRAMA: Before we start the full court press for teases for issue #1, let’s hit the miniseries – early on, when speaking about the four Countdown miniseries, you’d said that each was meant to look at a different part of the DCU – to show what it was like to be a magic user, a hero, a villain, and be in space. That approach held throughout all 24 respective issues?

DD: Pretty much. Every mini series had a starting and end point, and the characters were discussed, apart from that, these series took on a life of their own.  Of the three, OMAC Project ran closest to plan, but that had more to do with the fact that one of the architects of the DCU, Greg Rucka, was the one who was also writing that series.

NRAMA: Likewise in that regard, The Return of Donna Troy came to be a lynchpin in the whole buildup as well, with the reveal at the end that Donna now knows about the multiverse that existed previously. Was this planned from the very start, that Donna would be such an important player, or did that come in after the ball was rolling?

DD: At the time of her death we knew she would return, so we wanted to tie her comeback to the biggest event we had planned.

NRAMA: So the death of Donna Troy in Graduation Day was planned as part of this all along?

DD: Yes.  The reason we kept her final scene obtuse was, at the time, we were unclear of the visual threat she would face when we started Infinite Crisis.

NRAMA: Taking that answer and expanding, how much of the buildup here was in concrete and stayed in from the start to finish, and how much of the buildup was in flux up until the minute - in some cases - it went to Quebecor?

DD: I’ll tell you what, I have all the posted pages from our first meeting outlining the plans for Crisis.  When it’s all said and done we can go back and compare what was planned to what was published, and we can cover it then. I think it will be pretty surprising.

NRAMA: Moving on to other lead-ins…one of the very first mentions of the word “Crisis” came form Luthor at the end of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness’ first Superman/Batman arc. Was Infinite Crisis what he was referring to all along?

DD: Referring back to your last question, that line was one of our last minute changes.

NRAMA: In that vein, can you point to something that wasn’t necessarily planned as a lead-in, or tie-in to Crisis that just happened fortuitously regardless? Something say, that someone looked back on and thought, “Hey, this meant this when it first came out, but it could also mean this as it relates to Crisis”?

DD: That’s hard to say since we’ve been talking about all this for a couple of years.  But if I had to pick one, it would probably be the Lee/Azzarello Superman run, Brian was talking about using OMAC before we thought through The OMAC Project, but as both stories came together we saw the potential ways they could link.

NRAMA: Is there anything out there that is related that in your view, people haven’t really picked up on yet? A clue that was missed, perhaps? C’mon – the issue is coming out today…any pointers? 

DD: Magic Eight Ball says, “Sorry, try again later.”

NRAMA: On to Infinite Crisis itself – in a nutshell, and with the amount of buildups, this seems somewhat justified – there’s concern about the accessibility of Infinite Crisis #1. How would you describe the story to a guy on the street who hasn’t read comics in years?

DD: If someone is familiar with Crisis on Infinite Earths then this story will accessible to them.

NRAMA: That said, what’s the absolute minimum people need to know going in to Infinite Crisis #1? The JLA’s Watchtower blew up?

DD: Geoff Johns has gone to great lengths to explain important story points as the series progresses, hopefully this will make the story easier to follow with the more casual DC reader.  That being said, knowing what a multiverse is, would be very, very helpful…

NRAMA: Is that a hint?

DD: “Sorry, try again later.”

NRAMA: In the preview pages that have been released, there’s been one apparent casualty already, and with the villains shown, a safe assumption to think that there will be more. Are there any sacred cows in Infinite Crisis?

DD: There are no cows, sacred or other wise appearing in this story, of course, knowing the level of detail Phil Jimenez is putting in the art, one can never be sure.

NRAMA: Uh, in meaning of the question?

DD: Issue #1 will answer that, I think.

NRAMA: Well, it’s obvious from the build up, that there will be a pretty high death count in IC. What was that process like between you, Geoff and the other writers? Marv Wolfman has said that for the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, he was given a list of people he could kill…was it something along those lines this time out, or was it more of a trial and error? Float a test death balloon up and see if anyone in the office screams?

DD: You’d be surprised, but everyone has a list of characters they would like to see killed and as to who dies, let me say that the topic has been discussed… well, to death. 

NRAMA: In that regard, and with issue #1 coming out today – anyone we shouldn’t get too fond of?

DD: If we do our job right, you will be fond of them all… up to their final moment.

NRAMA: The nature of the threat in Infinite Crisis – in Crisis on Infinite Earths it was the Anti-Monitor. In this Crisis – is there a single threat? A puppeteer pulling the strings, or just that this is the convergence of four or five really, really bad things all happening at the same time?

DD: Nice try.  Ask me after issue seven.

NRAMA: Fair enough. Back towards the build-up a little - a seed that has been sown and is fully bearing fruit now – when Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman aren’t on the same page…can you explain a little of the ripple effects and resultant instability of the DCU? Are there specific events that can be pointed to because the three weren’t standing strong, that allowed the villains of Infinite Crisis to gain a foothold where they wouldn’t have had one, previously?

DD: That’s a big “wait and see” since it’s a big part of the story.

NRAMA: Do the three realize that they are the root of the current instability?

DD: At the start of the story, no. They do not realize how much their problems are affecting the heroes around them.

NRAMA: Likewise, can the particular bell that split them be unrung, to mix metaphors? Wonder Woman can’t “un-kill” Max, even with the Purple Ray set on high…

DD: Well… if they all survive, I can only hope they can overcome their differences.

NRAMA: Take away your fancy-schmancy title, and you’re just a big fanboy like many of the readers, with the difference being, when you say, “They should put X in there” there’s a better than average chance of it happening. That said, did you ask Geoff to include anything or any characters in IC – either to kill or to highlight?

DD: Honestly, all I would have asked for is that every major character in the DCU to appear in this story but Geoff and Phil were way ahead of me and already putting them all in.

NRAMA: All of them?

DD: Trust me.

NRAMA: Let’s wrap up with some rapid fire topics…

Is the Legion of Super-Heroes involved in Infinite Crisis?

DD: Not really.

NRAMA: Where’s J’onn?

DD: Somewhere.

NRAMA: How many characters die in the first issue?

DD: Just enough to show we mean business.

NRAMA: Will all the members of the Flash family see issue #7?

DD: I’m always surprised to see who shows up at funerals.

NRAMA: Er, will any of them see issue #7 in a casket?

DD: “Sorry, try again later.”

NRAMA: Where’s the Spectre by the time issuer #1 shows up?

DD: Still causing serious trouble in Gotham.

NRAMA: Your favorite moment in issue #1?

DD: “The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead.”

NRAMA: Page that you think will catch most people off guard in issue #1?

DD: The one that will make people say, “Well I’ll be damned… it really is a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths.” 

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