DC New Talent Showcase #1: Erica Schultz Talks Hawkgirl

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gmanfromheck

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Edited By gmanfromheck

DC Comics recently launched a New Talent Development department in order to find and nurture new creators. Two workshops have taken place with Scott Snyder leading the classes for writers and Klaus Janson and Jim Lee met with artists.

This week, DC is releasing New Talent Showcase #1, an oversized one-shot with nine stories. Erica Schultz is writing a Hawkgirl story with art by Sonny Liew. We spoke with Erica to find out about her story.

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Comic Vine: Did you get to choose which character to write?

Erica Schultz: I did. I had narrowed it down to a few other characters, but Shayera/Hawkgirl was the one I enjoy writing the most.

How do you see Shayera? What does the character mean to you?

Throughout the years, Shayera has had several origins, but I’m fond of the “alien cop/soldier from another planet” (not the resurrection story with Kendra) and the spin that the Justice League TV show had built on.

What are her greatest strengths or weaknesses?

Overall, her greatest strength is her determination and tenacity. If she has an idea in her head, she’ll relentlessly pursue it. That can be exploited, however, as we’ll see in this story. I’d also say that her arrogance toward humans is a weakness, as well. She underestimates us.

What's the set up for your story?

This is the set up for the longer miniseries I wrote during the workshop: Having escaped a Thanagarian outpost just before its destruction, Shayera is discovered floating in space by a S.T.A.R. Labs satellite. She’s brought to Earth to be studied, but breaks out of the observation room to make a dramatic getaway. While in Chicago to lie low and get her bearings, she stumbles on a weapons smuggling ring that provides Thanagarian weaponry to several gang factions in the city.

What made Chicago the perfect setting for the story?

There are a few reasons why I chose Chicago. It’s not New York, Metropolis, or Gotham (though there’s references Gotham as Shayera is posing as a detective on loan from the GCPD). It can have the same grittiness as Gotham, but without the extra baggage of a million heroes already populating the city. Lastly, the Hawks, especially Katar Hol/Hawkman, have had stories set in Chicago, so I thought it was a nice homage to that.

Will we see any other familiar faces besides Hawkgirl?

If you read The New 52 Savage Hawkman, you’ll see one of the Great Old Ones from Thanagar. Later in the miniseries (not yet published), GCPD’s Harvey Bullock makes an appearance.

Be sure to check out New Talent Showcase #1, on sale Wednesday, November 30.

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dernman

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Oh god that art. :/

I can just feel the interest draining away from me.

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BH6ShouldHavehadSilverSamurai

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Not a huge hawk fan, but the hawkgirl story seems ok to me. I'm usually not a fan of the sketchier dirtier linework style shown here, but I think it could work in a story like this. My only real issue is that the faces look a bit on the odd side, especially the big grey guy in the first panel.

I'm still not really sure about this new talent showcase though.

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Aros001

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This makes me happy for two reasons:

1. It's my understanding that it's really hard to new writers and artists to get a break into comics no matter how good they are simply because they're not as well known (classic catch-22, companies prefer to hire people with more experience but most writers and artists can't get experience because no one will hire them). So I'm glad DC is giving them a chance to shine and put some titles on their resumes.

2. Glad Hawkgirl is getting some stories because she really has been used much on her own for the past few years to my knowledge. I get her story is directly tied with Hawkman's but it'll be nice to she her get some development on her own. In my opinion it's better to expand more on the characters you already have instead of just re-branding them to replace another, bigger character.

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galacticshrub

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#4  Edited By galacticshrub

@dernman said:

Oh god that art. :/

I can just feel the interest draining away from me.

I've gotta say, I'm usually pretty forgiving with art but I agree with you here. I guess props to DC for trying to bring in different styles, but this definitely looks like something from a quirky indie comic, not a superhero book.

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Mfundroid

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#5  Edited By Mfundroid

I'm sorry but the art is killing me.

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Thatlyn Yoaeg'ill'rymmin

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Good Character that is not one of the Big Ones of the DC?

New Artist with a new artistic vibe?

Good, I'm in!

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Eto

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#7  Edited By Eto

8 euros....

For real?

I get that there a 9 stories, but I bet every story will be like 10 pages instead of 20

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Doc-Holiday

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@dernman said:

Oh god that art. :/

I can just feel the interest draining away from me.

^ This

I am not saying all comic art needs to be perfect but this looks like garbage. What happened to the visceral detail?

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NightFang3

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The art is fine. Some of you are just too picky.

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righteous300

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Like the art, looking forward to this story.

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Eto

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@nightfang3: nah the art is just awful

Even RomitaJr art is better lol

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lagozzino

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But why is Sonny Liew taking part in a new talent showcase? He's been working in the biz for years and has already worked for DC multiple times

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BlueHope

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#13  Edited By BlueHope

Dont like the art but I love hawkgirl so i Will give it a chance.

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superior_prime_maybe

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I like the idea of new talent showcase but only if they get artists who have never worked for any of the major companies.

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pikahyper

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#15 pikahyper  Moderator

But why is Sonny Liew taking part in a new talent showcase? He's been working in the biz for years and has already worked for DC multiple times

I was confused about this as well, out of the 18+ creators working on the book only two didn't have CV pages o.o? they were both female writers.

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senglord

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New writers and artists usually have to work indie for a decade.

By the time they get to a big company, they cannot be taught how to work the more professional environment.

This is a great way to get the new talent taught with a best practices framework.

For new work from new graduates, it is good.

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NightFang3

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#17  Edited By NightFang3

@eto said:

@nightfang3: nah the art is just awful

Even RomitaJr art is better lol

No, that's just your negative opinion that you can keep to yourself.

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laabitres

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not a fan of the art for her....worked for Dr Fate but doesnt seem to agree with Hawkgirl

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harlequinreala

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@eto said:

@nightfang3: nah the art is just awful

Even RomitaJr art is better lol

No, that's just your negative opinion that you can keep to yourself.

Can only share opinion if its one you agree with? C'mon now.

I also agree. Not that it's bad, but it doesn't fit. Not a fan.

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lagoonman

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Good Ol' Shayera is back? great! the new 52 Shayera was terrible.

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HolySerpent

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@eto said:

@nightfang3: nah the art is just awful

Even RomitaJr art is better lol

lol

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apg103

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Terrible Art. I have to look away

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DeathandGrim

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What in God's name is that art? Good lord.

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NightFang3

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#24  Edited By NightFang3

@koujimoreno said:

@nightfang3 said:

@eto said:

@nightfang3: nah the art is just awful

Even RomitaJr art is better lol

No, that's just your negative opinion that you can keep to yourself.

Can only share opinion if its one you agree with? C'mon now.

I also agree. Not that it's bad, but it doesn't fit. Not a fan.

What? I said it's a opinion and that I didn't agree with it and somehow that makes me hypocritical? Get real now.

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ILostTheKey

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#26  Edited By ILostTheKey

The art is fine. Some of you are just too picky.

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ILostTheKey

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@eto said:

@nightfang3: nah the art is just awful

Even RomitaJr art is better lol

No, that's just your negative opinion that you can keep to yourself.

All opinions are valid, art is subjective so you can't expect everyone to unilaterally praise everything. The forum's for commenting and discussing, telling people to be quiet just because they don't share a similar opinion is wrong.

That being said, I do personally like the art. I think Sonny's art was the best part of the very mediocre Doctor Fate comic.

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The_Greatest_Username

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I'm glad to see classic Shayera is back in some fashion.

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kidchipotle

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The Thanagarian origin is the WORST and LEAST original origin. The resurrection origin is actually really cool and unique. The fact DC went back to Katar and Shayera totally sucks.

No to mention this Hawkgirl/Shayera is drawn like Kendra. Get your damn continuity together.

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ScouterV

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No thanks, fam. I'll stick with Earth-2 Hawkgirl. At least til they switch that art up. Shiz makes my eyes hurt.

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MattyDaveHalPeo

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Wait, is this meant to be a previously unseen Hawkgirl that is unrelated to previous versions, or is this actually a continuation of a previously seen Hawkgirl? Obviously it's not Earth-2 Hawkgirl, but with Rebirth coming in, this could be any one of the many Prime Earth/New Earth/Earth 1 Hawkgirls we've seen along the years.