It’s summertime and the dog days are doggone hotter than ever! If you’re the parent of a young child, you might be seeking out something to entertain your son or daughter while they’re cooped up inside. Well, look no further than writer/artist Rob Justus’ Superman’s Good Guy Gang, its new sequel Superman's Good Guy Gang: Follow the Leader and its companion title Supergirl’s Zoo-per Heroes: Krypto’s Big Break. These 64-page graphic novels present DC’s superhero icons as fun-loving kids, and they’re the perfect gateway to the DC Universe for young readers. To learn more about this expanding new line of kid-focused graphic novels, we recently chatted with Justus about the inspiration behind his fresh, irreverent take on the DCU and what fans can expect next from his pint-sized champions…
So, what set you on the path to becoming a comics creator?
Oh man. Pull up a chair. Let me spin you a yarn.
Growing up, I was a huge comics fan in the ‘90s. I loved anything from Jim Lee, Todd MacFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Erik Larsen and so many more. Giant shoulder pads, excessive pockets and all! I wanted to become a comics artist. I thought I was pretty good at it too.
Superman as drawn by a young Rob Justus (we think he was pretty good at it as well!)
However, my well-meaning parents talked me out of it. So, naturally I pivoted into becoming a statistician and focus group moderator for nearly a decade. Sadly, I had a friend and coworker pass away suddenly. That really made me reflect on how short life is, and I started questioning what I wanted to do with my time on this pale blue dot.
So, I started drawing again, after fourteen years of not drawing anything. Then I made the decision to become a children’s book author and illustrator. I found an awesome agent and put out some super fun picture books. Then one of my author friends, Katherine Battersby, encouraged me to try creating kids graphic novels, and it turns out I was pretty good at making those. My first series Death & Sparkles won an award up here in Canada, and I haven’t really looked back since. Comics are a lot of work to make, but they’re so much fun to create. I have the best job!
How did Superman’s Good Guy Gang come to be?
Sometimes an opportunity falls right in your lap when you least suspect it. A few years ago, DC found out that I loved comics as a kid and reached out to my agent asking if I wanted to help launch DC’s early reader graphic novel line, and I was like, “Heck yeah!”
I never in a million years thought I’d have the chance to draw some of the most iconic characters in modern history, so I jumped at the chance! Thankfully DC liked most of my pitches, and Superman’s Good Guy Gang and Supergirl’s Zoo-per Heroes were greenlit.
I wanted a series that had kid versions of some of DC’s most popular superheroes, and the idea of an imperfect, still learning, eight-year-old Superman with a six-year-old, just-wants-to-be-besties Lex Luthor seemed hilarious to me. From there, the ideas for the series really started flowing. It could feature stories that revolve around silly superhero problems, but also kid-centric issues too.
I feel like I could make Superman’s Good Guy Gang forever. I have so much fun with all these great characters.
What’s your approach to writing and drawing comics for young readers?
My approach is to keep it simple, but most importantly, to make it fun. Books are a form of entertainment, and my main competition is not other comics or graphic novels, but screens.
Books can be intimidating to young readers, especially if they’re not confident in their reading abilities. My goal is to make it worry-free for them and help them gain confidence reading and hopefully make them lifelong comic fans!
It also helps that I have two young boys at home. They are a well of inspiration! From hilarious one-liners to funny situations, they have a big influence on the books I write and draw.
The series takes its roster from James Gunn’s recent Superman movie, but it’s aimed at a younger audience. How did you develop these iterations of Superman, Lex, Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner and Mr. Terrific as children? What inspired them?
When DC approached me a few years ago, they said, “Pitch us whatever you want, Rob. You don’t have to operate in canon. Make it yours.”
That was a big deal for me—to let me play with these iconic characters however I wanted. I knew I wanted to have kid versions and animal versions of DC Super Heroes. Something that young readers could easily relate to. Like I mentioned earlier, having silly imperfect versions of serious characters attracts kids to pick up the books. Kids just want to have fun and laugh, so it made so much sense to create the Gang in that light.
How did this Superman’s catchphrase “Hark!” happen?
In Superman’s Good Guy Gang, eight-year-old Superman is a little nerdy, a little old-fashioned and also naive. I felt like him yelling out “Hark!” at the first sign of danger (or to get away from Lex) was a classic hero thing to say. It just fits his personality! Maybe it’ll make its way into one of Superman’s regular monthly series?
Someone missing from the Gang so far has been Batman. Do you think we’ll ever see the Caped Crusader join them?
Well, I think we all know that Batman is a bit of a lone wolf…when he’s not hangin’ around Robin, or Nightwing, or Red Hood, or Batwoman, or Batgirl, or Bluebird, or Flamebird. That said, Batman also tends to lurk in the shadows and only reveals himself when the time is ready (maybe he’s kinda shy?), so we’ll see if he’s keeping an eye on the Good Guy Gang.
You’re also writing a separate series—Supergirl’s Zoo-per Heroes. The first volume is Krypto’s Big Break. Can you describe your take on Kara, Krypto and the Super-Pets?
First off, these aren’t Super-Pets, these are Zoo-per Heroes! Haha!
Supergirl’s Zoo-per Heroes is essentially about Supergirl trying to clean up Krypto’s big mistake. Even though Krypto is a good boy, he sometimes accidentally ejects the Justice League's dirty laundry into space, which then rains down on earth and some costumes land directly on some silly zoo animals. Oh, and I forgot to mention that all the costumes magically and scientifically gained their owners’ powers while falling through the atmosphere. Y’know, DNA mergin’ and whatnot. So, it’s up to Kara and Krypto to return the Justice League's dirty laundry, but they also decide to let Super-Lion, Bat-Rhino, Wonder Seal and Sloth Flash hang on to their costumes while they help track down the rest.
I actually just finished writing and drawing the second book in the series. I can’t wait for it to hit the shelves in February ’27. It’s such a fun book!
Finally, a very important question! What are Superman, Lex Luthor, Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner and Mr. Terrific’s favorite milkshake flavors?
Excellent question! Hawkgirl’s favorite would definitely be on the fruitier side, probably a mango-kiwi with some sort of protein mixed in. Mr. Terrific is a cookies-and-cream kinda kid, while Guy Gardner likes something a little nutty like himself, so a chocolate peanut butter shake. Now, Lex doesn’t really have a favorite because he really likes experimenting with all the flavors, but a stand-out one for him was a donut bacon matcha avocado shake. And lastly, Superman loves all shakes! Whatever he can get his hands on!
Superman’s Good Guy Gang: Follow the Leader by Rob Justus is now available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers as a hardcover children’s graphic novel.
