An interview with
Fabian Nicieza
Conducted by Highfather Izaya
August 6, 2010

Thank you for taking the time for this interview. How have you been recently?

Fabian: Hectic, but good hectic. A lot of work for the DC October Bat-family Bruce Wayne: The Road Home in a compressed period of time, and a lot of my usual non-comics work that keeps me a busy beaver.



How did you get started working in comics? Was it something you had always wanted to pursue?

Fabian: I always wanted to write and I always loved comics, I just understood how hard it was to break in as a writer. I tried to get a job at Marvel and DC right out of college in 1983 and interviewed for positions at both companies, but didn't land the jobs because I lacked the experience. Two years later, as is the norm in the world of publishing, a friend of a friend had a sister looking to hire an assistant in the book department at Marvel. That was children's coloring books, sticker books, etc. back then. I got the job and started at Marvel in August of 1985. Four months later, I switched to a position in Marvel's promotions department, which was my preference and what I went to college for. I was Marvel's Advertising Manager responsible for all their promotional posters, sell sheets, house ads in the comics, retail and promotional giveaways -- a huge amount of work. During this time, in 1987 I sold my first script that was published, which was Psi-Force #9. And just kept working on staff and writing from there.



What has been your most unusual or off the wall comic project?

Fabian: Wow. I don't know. I've worked on some funky one page adverts for the books, movie adaptations, licensed comics and of course there's NFL SuperPro. Probably the fact I was editing Barbie comics at the same time I was editing Hellstorm, Prince of Lies and writing Nomad and X-Men -- just the sheer daily diversity -- was among the most unusual periods for me.



What do you make of the digital age of comic?

Fabian: I think it's just another form of distribution. I think any way to get product into the hands of consumers is fine with me, as long as the creators are properly compensated for the revenue generated by the publishers. So far, it seems DC and Marvel are approaching this distribution platform very smartly.



Does death play an important role in comics anymore?

Fabian: It always has, even if it ends up being a "cheat," the idea is that you are supposed to be entertained by that specific unit of content in which the death takes place, not worrying about what will or won't happen 6 months down the road. And it is incumbent on writers and editors to choose their deaths and their returns wisely. I certainly can be accused of overplaying the card, especially when I wrote Thunderbolts, but all of that was very specifically planned, both the reasons for the deaths, the number of them and the characters' expected return. I do think too many writers trot out "cannon fodder" just for the sake of killing them, and that ends up cheapening the entire fun for the people who take their deaths and resurrections seriously. :-)



Have you been deluged with "who should beat/meet who" emails from fans?

Fabian: Always, not so much emails, but on message boards. I never thought that way as a reader growing up, so I never got too into it as a writer. The truth is, anyone will beat anyone depending on what the writer and editor want out of a story, whose book it's being published in and how smartly the story is told. I had the Thunderbolts beat the Hulk in my very first issue I wrote and I didn't receive a single complaint about it from Hulk fans, I think because of the way the story was told.


What does it take to make a truly successful "comic book film" staying true to continuity or must take some liberties?

Fabian: Both. Simple as that. :-)



You are one the co-writers for "The 99" what is like writing for an "Islamic-based comic book" any particular guidelines you have to follow?

Fabian: There were a lot of guidelines regarding cultural standards that the characters and the story have to reflect, but nothing negative or impossible to work around. As the property evolved, we understood we were working on an "all-ages" property and approached it that way.



Sometimes theology in comics is considered a bit controversial. Do you believe writers should have a political objective or take a side in a debate and voice it in a comic?

Fabian: I think that is for each writer to determine on their own. I've often infused my own beliefs into my work, but I've also written contrary to my beliefs, it's always about what the characters think, not so much what I think. If a character believes A and I believe B, then I have to respect that, maybe present a story that makes the character consider and think about B while remaining true to A, or vice versa. Does that make sense?


Did you enjoy your time at Acclaim Comics? The "VH2" revamp you oversaw why did you feel the need to revamp the universe?

Fabian: That was a very long time ago and not worth discussing in detail as to publishing specifics. I gained incredible experience, made friendships and built relationships during that time that last to this day.



You worked on some Batman characters in the 2000s who did you enjoy writing more Nightwing or Robin?

Fabian: Hard to say since I've written Tim Drake more than Dick Grayson. I enjoy them both a lot for different reasons, but Dick Grayson has probably been my secret man-crush, bromance favorite character since I was like 6 years old, so any time I get to write him, it's special.


What did you love about writing Nightwing?

Fabian: His personality, his experience, his style, his standing in the DCU, his importance and iconic status in popular culture as the first "sidekick," the list of what makes him a great character just goes on and on.


What were you thoughts on Dick becoming Batman in "Batman R.I.P." arc?

Fabian: I thought it was a totally cool idea that I wish I'd been able to write. It's also been very well played throughout the Bat-family titles for the last year and I wish I'd been able to write all those, too. :-)


How do you plan fleshing out this new "Red Robin" from others in the past?

Fabian: It's just another step in the maturation of Tim Drake. To me, it makes no difference if he retained the name Robin, called himself Redbird, Red Knight, Banana Man or Red Robin. It's the story of Tim Drake that I'm privileged to unfold on a monthly basis.


Dick Grayson & Tim Wayne stories sort parallel each other in both them leaving on their own journey, how will Tim journey different?

Fabian: In the ways that Tim is a different character than Dick. Tim is a lot more uptight, a lot more controlling, a lot more contemplative. He is less prone to reflexive reaction, a lot less worried about tonight's mission within the context of a much larger, overall plan to combat crime, not just in Gotham, but worldwide.


What are some of the things fans can look forward to with Red Robin?

Fabian: Complex stories that twist and turn, difficult decisions that readers may not always agree with, continuing to build a very cool rogue gallery that Tim can call his own, an expansion of Tim's supporting cast, more international adventures to go along with his work in Gotham City, lots of fun, unexpected DCU touches... basically, as long as I'm writing the book, all you have to look forward to is a fun, entertaining comic book each and every month. Sorry, that's the burden you'll have to accept. :-)


Which characters are you most enjoying exploring, and why?

Fabian: All the characters in the Bat-family have been a blast to write. And not to sound frivolous, but "why" is so inherently answered by the very nature of the characters, their conflicts, their personalities and their environment. I love writing Dick, Tim and Damian together, and not to sound too modest, but I think it shows on the printed page. I love their dynamic together and I think I capture it well.


Any books you would like to promote?

Fabian: Red Robin. Red Robin. Red Robin. And Red Robin. Also, Bruce Wayne: The Road Home month of one-shots, which I think will surprise a lot of people because it's as much a character study of Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale as it is a story of how Bruce measures the changes to individual characters since he was gone. The JLA/99 miniseries ia real fun, slam-bang "all-ages" adventure that features the breadth and width of the DCU along with the very interesting, human young characters of the 99.


Gotta ask, if only to stir up some stuff: Batman(Bruce) vs. Nightwing(Dick) - who would win?

Fabian: Bruce would win because he'd probably cheat. :-)


Finally, any words of wisdom to pass down to your fans?

Fabian: Don't be hating on NFL Superpro. That gig got my editor ticket to a Super Bowl and it got me tickets to a Jets game that they lost by 40 points. So, uhm... win/win...