Change is an essential part of a character like Metamorpho. Or… Is it? A brand new comic coming in December from DC Comics, Metamorpho: The Element Man, written by Al Ewing with art by Steve Lieber, presents a surprisingly backwards-looking take on the classic superhero, bringing the swingin’ ’60s into the modern day.
“On the one hand, there is that dichotomy with Rex,” Ewing told Comic Book Club over Zoom. “Where he’s like a very straight up guy, but also very wild and weird and wacky. You can kind of extend that out to his entire history and then bring it all back into some kind of platonic Metamorpho comic, this ideal Metamorpho comic for people to read.”
In the book, Metamorpho is back to basics, working for businessman Simon Stagg, romancing his celebrity girlfriend Sapphire, and sparring with Stagg’s right-hand-caveman, Java. Enter into the mix a mysterious new villain organization, and Urania Blackwell, aka Element Woman, and you have the potential for a totally non-groovy situation for Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho.
But don’t worry, there are plenty of wild adventures in store. To find out more about the book, Ewing’s take on earnest comedy, and how this ties into Metamorpho’s appearance in the upcoming Superman movie (it doesn’t), read on.
Comic Book Club: Metamorpho, and I say this complimentarily, is a weird character. Or at least he has weird powers and a weird look, but is otherwise kind of a pretty straight up guy. So I’m curious what draws you to him, in particular, given this mix of things.
Al Ewing: I’m a big fan of the original run of him from from the ’60s… There’s something about that kind of Bob Haney, Ramona Fradon team-up, that really brought this crackling energy. [It] was a little bit influenced by the rising nature of camp at the time. But also very much your ideal superhero comics in that DC way, in that Metamorpho way, at the very least, teaching you what elements are in the human body, and also changing into all kinds of crazy shapes.
There’s that, and there’s the original starting point where it just emerges full blown in the ’60s as this ideal sitcom setup, this wonderful cast of characters. When I first encountered it as a kid, I was getting into American comics in the ’80s. So I was reading stuff like Outsiders and Justice League Europe. In both cases, those original ’60s comics created this firm foundation to build on. Everything that was done with the character sense is built on that idea of Rex Mason is just a sort of groovy guy. Very, very relatable, very fun to be around, and also kind of weird, kind of strange, gets into these strange escapades. All of the ways people have used them since have been building on one or other of those ingredients to the character.
Circling right back to that original setup where it’s Rex, and this wonderful sitcom of of wild characters, we also get to do that from a perspective of, Rex has been all around the house since, and has done so many different things and been treated in so many different ways. We get bits and pieces of that and sort of sprinkle them in when we feel like it.
So yeah, on the one hand, there is that dichotomy with Rex. Where he’s like a very straight up guy, but also very wild and weird and wacky. You can kind of extend that out to his entire history and then bring it all back into some kind of platonic Metamorpho comic, this ideal Metamorpho comic for people to read.
I was kind of surprised, without getting into spoilers, about the tone of the book, because as you’re saying it does channel that platonic ideal of the very 1960s Metamorpho. But I’m certainly used to more deconstruction in your work. I’m thinking of the Immortal Thor issue which had the 1960s tone, but was commenting on modern things [Editor’s Note: Roxxin Presents: Thor #1]. Is that something you’re going for here and I’m missing, or is it really just trying to channel the 1960s?
I really like that tone. I really like exploring that pastiche, but also inhabiting it. I really get a kick out of it. And I do use that sometimes as a base for building absurdist comedy on, and yeah, that Thor issue was an example of me doing that. But also when I do comedy, I do tend to go for a deadpan way of doing it.
I’m a big fan of deadpan humor and sincere humor. So not looking at the audience and asking them to laugh. I prefer to present a funny thing. And never have the characters be in on their own joke. Never have the characters turn to the audience and wink… And then in issue one, Metamorpho does wink at the audience, but in a very sincere way, he’s got a sincere relationship with the reader in that moment. So I guess people do expect me to be taking the mickey out of the that ’60s voice, but I do have a very, very sincere love of it and what can be done with it. Hopefully that comes through in this.
Because, yeah, it is, it is a comedy book. It’s a fun time. It’s quite light hearted. A lot of people were expecting me to go into body horror. But I have my DC book that I’m doing that is a horror book, which is the Green Lantern one [Editor’s Note: Absolute Green Lantern], and this is pitched as something you can pick up and lose your troubles for a minute, open it up, have a wonderful time with this beloved cast of characters. Enjoy the gags and the comedy and the sincerity of it, and that’ll give you 20 minutes off, or longer, if you want to enjoy the amazing art. It’ll give you a little break from your troubles. That’s what we’re selling here.
Well, let’s talk about the art for a second. You’ve got Steve Lieber, who I really think of as the comedy artist right now, in terms of comics, he just absolutely crushes that. So having him on board, how does that impact your scripts?
It impacts in two ways. First of all, I love him. I love working with him. Absolutely wonderful. Getting those pages in the inbox, it pushes me to do a very structured script, to have the whole thing in place and as polished and complete as I can make it before he before he gets it, and also to work out bits and beats that I know he will really enjoy and do well.
There’s a particular layout in three that I did a lot of work on, and you’ll know when you see it. But I did a lot of work on it, and I sent it through going, “Listen, Steve, feel free to tell me to jump in the lake.” Steve was like, “No, no, no, I love it.” And that was so wonderful. But the other thing Steve does is he puts in all sorts of little details that are a wonderful surprise when I see the artwork. That’s always fantastic as well. It’s almost that Mad Magazine thing of tiny little details that, when you’re rereading the book, when you’re reading it a third time, these little things you don’t notice the first time will jump out at you and give you an extra little chuckle. I love that he does that. I love that I’m looking back at the pages when they come through on the email. And generally, my only note is, “yeah, it’s great.” When I come to do the dialogue, I’m going through this big PDF of it all, and I get to spot all these beautiful little goofs that he does.
And, oh, his command of expressions, everybody’s expression, is just the perfect amount of comedy for the scene. Steve knows exactly when to bring the acting up, exactly when to kind of bring it down a little. It’s like getting to work with the most accomplished comic actors, but it’s all Steve.
This seems very purposefully not connected to the uber story of DC All In. Will this tie in later? Or is it very much its own thing?
More and more, the longer we go on, the more it’ll tie in… So we drop that issue one as kind of a complete: here is Metamorpho. Here it is. Are you picking this up for the first time? Do you know nothing about the character? Here are the basics. But also, there are Metamorpho fans of long standing who’ve been following those stories in the ’80s and The Terrifics, which we have not forgotten and do not want to forget. I’m a big Jeff Lemire fan.
But as we go, we’re having our cake and eating a little bit. Those who pick up issue one and go, “Oh, I was hoping they’d address some of the older Metamorpho stories… We will get there. I’m working up a second arc now, which ideally we should get to. And that’ll be when we really address this stuff. So at first, we get into the fun, we bring all the new readers in, we show them what we’re about, and then, over time, we’ll start calling back to the outer DC Universe and the history and all of this other stuff. So if that’s what you’re into, have patience. We will get to you.
Since he is the Element Man, do you have a periodic table next to you, or chemistry book you’re referring to?
Not a full periodic table, because Metamorpho can only become elements that are in the human body. But that includes trace elements, so I do have a couple of articles in my internet bookmarks, which are basically like, “Oh, here’s all the main elements of the human body, and here’s a whole bunch of the trace elements.” But he can’t become some incredibly radioactive thing, or something you can only make in a lab for one 10th of a second. My mind’s immediately going to Americium or something like that. One of these things way down at the bottom of the periodic table in in a sort of separate section.
But I do get to have fun with compounds as well, because monomode can become compounds. To my knowledge, it doesn’t have to be just the pure element, which means he could totally become steel. He can become a few things. That does come up in the second issue, how easy is it for him to make compounds? And some are easier than others. But if you’re a fan of little subtle explanations of powers interweaved with the comedy, we have that for you as well.
You’ve got a great supporting cast, and they’ve all got their little quirks. I will say my favorite is Java, the very earnest caveman. What is it like writing him?
I love Java. Java is the one who has most been adapted into the modern world. Because if you go back and read the’ 60s, he’s just a dummy. I’m very influenced by Jeff’s take on him, and also Mark Russell’s take on him, in that I try and bring him a lot of sadness. He’s been defrosted in this future by this guy who he doesn’t like much… He he doesn’t like Simon Stagg at all, but he does owe Simon Stagg a debt. Simon Stagg effectively saved Java’s life. So Java owes him a debt, and unfortunately for Java, he can’t pay it off, so he’s reduced to this man servant role. They bicker a lot, like the Odd Couple, constantly at each other’s throats.
And obviously, Java really hates Rex, which we play for laughs a lot. I’m hoping readers will have a lot of sympathy for him, this kind of sad sack. I’ve slightly changed his relationship with Sapphire a little bit as well. It’s less pining and more, he’s a super fan, but the effect is much the same. He, he doesn’t think Rex is good enough for Sapphire. He doesn’t like Rex for a lot of other reasons. Rex is a treasure hunter… Java doesn’t like that at all. And, yeah, a lot of the stuff from the recent Mark Waid work right into the recent World’s Finest appearances. We’ve kept that entirely intact.
I have one last one for you. I think I know the answer to this, but I need to ask it anyway. So Metamorpho is going to be showing up in James Gunn’s Superman movie played by Anthony Carrigan. Is there any tip of the hand to how that is going to pop up in the movie, in terms of thinking about Anthony Carrigan, or is it just having a Metamorpho book on the stands around the same time?
I’m not really in the loop with any movies of any description. I’m the ultimate Hollywood outsider. So I have no idea. But I’ll tell you what, I did love him in Barry, and I would love to see his take on the — because Metamorpho’s got a bit of ring-a-ding-ding Rat Pack to him. He’s very groovy. He’s got a certain way of talking, which we we play up a lot. And I would love to see Anthony Carrigan take that on. I think he’d do a really cool job with it. So I have hopes more than knowledge. I will know when I’m sitting down in the cinema with my popcorn. Then I’ll find out how he plays Metamorpho, and not until then.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Metamorpho: The Element Man #1 hits stores on December 25, 2024.
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