Arab Americans

Geoff Johns

Growing up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Geoff Johns’ interest in comics began when he found a stash of them in his grandmother’s attic. Johns wrote dozens of books for iconic characters including Superman, The Flash and Aquaman. As chief creative officer of DC Entertainment, Johns created the first Arab American superhero, Simon Baz. Introduced as a Dearborn, Mich. native, the character became a new Green Lantern in 2012. Johns has since expanded DC’s reach into film and television. In 2012, AANM’s Russell J. Ebeid Library & Resource Center established a graphic novel collection in his honor.

In Los Angeles, Johns cold-called the office of director Richard Donner looking for an internship, and while Johns was being transferred to various people, Donner picked up the phone by accident, leading to a conversation and the internship. Johns started off copying scripts, and after about two months, was hired as a production assistant for Donner, whom Johns regards as his mentor.

While working on production of Donner’s 1997 film Conspiracy Theory, Johns visited New York City, where he met DC Comics personnel such as Eddie Berganza, reigniting his childhood interest in comics.

Berganza invited Johns to tour the DC Comics offices, and offered Johns the opportunity to suggest ideas, which led to Johns pitching Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., a series based on the second Star-Spangled Kid and her stepfather, to editor Chuck Kim a year later. Johns expected to write comics “on the side”, until he met David Goyer and James Robinson, who were working on JSA. After looking at Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Robinson offered Johns co-writing duties on JSA in 2000, and Johns credits both him and Mike Carlin with shepherding him into the comics industry. That same year, Johns became the regular writer on The Flash ongoing series. John’s work on The Flash represents one example of his modeling of various elements in his stories after aspects of his birth town, explaining, “When I wrote The Flash, I turned Keystone City into Detroit, made it a car town. I make a lot of my characters from Detroit. I think self-made, blue-collar heroes represent Detroit. Wally West flash was like that. I took the inspiration of the city and the people there and used it in the books.”

He co-wrote a Beast Boy limited series with Ben Raab in 2000 and crafted the “Return to Krypton” story arc in the Superman titles with Pasqual Ferry in 2002.After writing TheAvengers vol. 3 #57-76 (Oct. 2002-Feb. 2004) and Avengers Icons: The Vision #1-4 (Oct. 2002-Jan. 2003) for Marvel Comics, Johns oversaw the re-launch of Hawkman and Teen Titans.

Johns was responsible for the return of Hal Jordan in 2005 as the writer of the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series and subsequent Green Lantern ongoing title. Johns was the writer of the Infinite Crisis crossover limited series (Dec. 2005- June 2006), a sequel to 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. Following this, Johns was one of four writers, with Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Greg Rucka, on the 2006-2007 weekly series 52.

Johns holding up a Funko vinyl figure of Aquaman, one of the titles he wrote as part of The New 52.

In 2006, Johns and Kurt Busiek co-wrote the “Up, Up and Away!” story arc in Superman and Action Comics. He then reunited with Richard Donner on the “Last Son” storyline in Action Comics with Donner co-plotting the series with his former assistant. The Justice Society of America series by Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham began in February 2007 and six months later, he and Jeff Katz launched the newBooster Gold series. That same year, Johns helmed the critically acclaimed “Sinestro Corps War” storyline in the Green Lanterntitles. He wrote the “Final Crisis” one-shot Rage of the Red Lanterns with artist Shane Davis and collaborated with Gary Frank on Action Comics. Johns and Frank produced the “Brainiac” storyline in which Superman’s adopted father Jonathan Kent was killed and retold Superman’s origin story in 2009’s Superman: Secret Origin. Also in 2009, Johns teamed with artist Ethan Van Sciver on The Flash: Rebirth miniseries, which centered on the return of Barry Allen as the Flash and wrote the Blackest Night limited series. Commenting on Johns’ creation of such concepts as the Blue Lantern Corps, the Red Lantern Corps, and the Indigo Tribe, DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz noted in 2010 that “One of Johns’ sharpest additions to DC mythology is the notion that the Green Lanterns are but one color within a rainbow spectrum, and that the other hues have their own champions. Folding in old concepts and inventing new ones, Johns has established limitless story possibilities.

Johns was named DC Comics’ new Chief Creative Officer on February 18, 2010 by DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson, a position that Johns stated will not affect his writing. He then co-wrote the Brightest Day series with Peter Tomasi.

In a 2010 interview, Johns named Steve McNiven as an artist he hasn’t yet worked with who he’d like to do so, J. Michael Straczynski’s run on Thor as his then-favorite ongoing comic book, and The Flash as his favorite of all time, as he owns every issue of it. He credits reading James Robinson’s The Golden Age as the book responsible for his love for the characters in that book, and for his decision to accept writing duties on JSA.

In September 2011, following the conclusion of Johns’ mini series, Flashpoint, and the crossover storyline of the same name, DC Comics instituted a program called The New 52, in which the publisher cancelled all of its superhero titles and relaunched 52 new series with #1 issues, wiping out most of the then-current continuity. Johns and artist Jim Lee, DC Comics’ Co-Publisher, launched the line with a new Justice League series, written and illustrated by Johns and Lee, respectively. The series’ first story arc was a new origin of the Justice League, which depicted the return of DC’s primary superheroes to the team. Johns’ contributions to The New 52 includes an ongoing Shazam! backup feature in Justice League that began with issue #7, as well as the relaunched Aquaman and Green Lantern monthly titles. Johns and Gary Frank collaborated on the Batman: Earth Onegraphic novel, an out of continuity story, released in mid-2012,^[ which served as the first in a series of graphic novels intended to redefine Batman. In 2013, after writing Green Lantern for nine years, Johns ended his run with issue 20 of the New 52 series, which was released May 22, 2013. DC Comics’ All Access webcast announced on February 4, 2014 that Johns would be writing the Superman series which would be drawn by John Romita Jr.

In 2006, Johns co-wrote the story for the Justice League Unlimited episode “Ancient History”, which starred Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Vixen, Shadow Thief and the Green Lantern John Stewart.

Johns and David S. Goyer co-wrote the pilot for the Spike TV drama Blade: The Series, which premiered in June 2006. Johns served as one of the writing staff on the television show. Later that year, Johns teamed up with Matthew Senreich of Robot Chicken fame to write the screenplay for a holiday family-friendly movie titled Naughty or Nice for Dimension Films. Johns and Senreich are billed as directors of the movie, with actor/producer Seth Green set to provide a lead voice as well as serving as voice director on the film. This association led to Johns contributing material to the fourth season of Robot Chicken.

Johns served as a co-producer and creative consultant for the 2011 Green Lantern film directed by Martin Campbell and starring Ryan Reynolds.

Johns is collaborating with Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan on a live-action digital Static Shock series from DC and Warner Bros. Blue Ribbon division.

He was an executive producer on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck. In May 2016, it was announced that Johns and Jon Berg will co-run the DC Extended Universe and also serve as co-producers for the Justice League films, with Ben Affleck, along with the future DC films. As of mid-2015, Johns and Ben Affleck are co-writing the screenplay for a standalone Batman film, directed by and starring Affleck, set in the DC Extended Universe.

On July 30, 2013, it was announced at the summer TCA tour that Johns and Arrow co-creators Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti would be introducing Barry Allen in the second season of the show, with the potential of a spin-off for the character with the 20th episode acting as a backdoor pilot. CW executives were so pleased with the handling of the character that they forewent the backdoor pilot, in favor of a full-fledged version. In May 2014, The Flash was picked up to series, to premiere later that year. Johns serves as co-developer and executive producer. He co-wrote, with Kai Yu Wu, the episodes “Going Rogue”, which introduces the villain Leonard Snart/Captain Cold to the series, and “Revenge of the Rogues”, which brought the rogue Heat Wave to the series fully after being introduced off screen in “Going Rogue