The hearts of DC fanboys when aflutter Saturday at Comic-Con when DC Publisher and President Paul Levitz announced at DC’s One Year Greater panel that DC, Warner Bros. Animation, and Warner Home Video are looking to enter the direct-to-video marketplace with three upcoming animated movies based on popular comic book storylines – Superman/Doomsday, Darwyn Cooke’s The New Frontier, and New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, all overseen by Bruce Timm.
And while DC and Warner have gotten props from fans in the past with animated adaptations that strongly appealed to their sensibilities - Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited - these new projects are intended to be even more faithful adaptations of the original stories - from animation styles inspired by the comics’ artwork, to the original comic book creators being involved in the films’ production.
Marv Wolfman is one such creator. He’s been brought on to co-write (along with producer Tom DeSanto) the animated film version of his own classic, landmark New Teen Titans story, “The Judas Contract”
Originally published during the height of the New Teen Titans popularity [1982-’84] and co-plotted and drawn by George Perez, “The Judas Contract” is the story of the infiltation of the Teen Titans by the new ”hero” Terra [Terra Markov], who was in reality a secret operative of now-classic Titans foe Deathstroke the Terminator, planted within the team to help destroy them from within.
Groundbreaking for its complex plot and Terra’s shocking betrayal (which was neber really betrayal, but her intentions all along) and her ultimate death, among other noteworhty Titans’ historical events during the course of the storyline was Dick Grayson giving up his Robin identity and adopting his current Nightwing persona.
While just in the very early stages of production, Newsarama caught up with Wolfman after the announcement of the animated film to get a few of the writer’s early thoughts…
“The Judas Contract movie will be closer to the original comic than even the show [Teen Titans Go] was, and the show was very faithful to the spirit of the original,” Wolfman told Newsarama, asked how the movie will be different from DC animation series in the past. “I loved what they did but I'm hoping we can be more adult in the handling of this story.
”Whereas the Titans cartoon show was obviously aimed for kids, this is not being aimed at the youngest kids as it will contain mature content. It will be closer to the original comic but hopefully even stronger as we'll have actors, which means we'll be able to do some more subtle material. In comics you have to make readers read the dialogue as you want them to, but of course that's impossible. Here we can have those little verbal moments where a simple ‘grunt’ or ‘sigh’ or sound can replace paragraphs of prose. Because it's a different medium, we alter the way we tell our stories, playing to this medium's strengths as George and I tried to do with the original, playing to the strength of comics.”
“And yes,” Wolfman added, “Tom [DeSanto] and I intend for the ‘nightgown and cigarette" scene to be there.”
Asked to why he feels “The Judas Contract” was chosen to be of this first three films, when DC has decades of stories to choose from, Wolfman said because he feels it’s “the quintessential Titans story”.
”It's a very powerful emotional story that affects the very core of the Titans. Also, at the time it was revolutionary. George [Perez] and I knew we had a really good story here but I think it's safe to say we didn't quite realize how evolutionary or remembered it would be.
Again, touching on how this project will be different from DC animated adaptations of the past, the writer said this new initiative allows him and DeSanto to assume their audience already know who the Titans are, rather than having to spend time establishing the Titans’ world before starting the plot…
”So we don't have to recap all the origins, although some we will - but because of how they affect the storyline,” he said.
And as to how faithful an adaptation of the original story it will be?
”There will be changes to fit not only the time/length of the movie but to make this a relatively stand-alone feature, although it does set up possibilities for sequels. There are plot changes, but none that I can see that change the story in any significant way. This is and always will be a story about a young girl who betrays the Titans. It's a story of the heroes growing up and changing; Kid Flash and Robin leaving the group, the debut of Nightwing, etc.
”The original “Judas Contract” is large and sprawling if you take into account the majority of plot twists and lead ups to the final conflict. In all ways it began with the very first issue of Titans (with the Ravager) and ended sometime after issue #50 with the final confrontation between Changeling and Deathstroke. That's almost five years of stories. To do the full “Judas Contract” would take a four hour-plus movie and we have 70-something minutes. I don't want to give away any details on what changes will be made, however, as a.) we are early in the process and don't have a final treatment, and b.) what we've proposed are not changes that affect in any way what the story is actually about. Action details can be changed. How characters get into and out of scenes can always be altered, but that story wasn't about the fights, it was about the characters.
”By the way, I am being purposely vague because we only handed in the first draft of the treatment and have yet to get notes from Warners. There are still a lot of miles to travel before we get to the script stages, and even after that, to the script the director will work from. But I can promise that Tom and I and Warners - in all our preliminary talks - want to preserve the Terra story. For me it's personal. For them in many ways it's the story that got them into reading comics. Which, though makes me feel very old every time I'm told that, is also wonderfully gratifying to hear.”
Putting him on the spot, we asked Wolfman if he thinks the story hold up after more than two decades?
”I actually do, more than any of Titans major storyline,” he said. “I read it before Tom and I began the treatment and I think it holds up surprisingly well as a story. I cringe at some of my dialogue, but then I always do. But the story remains powerful.”
Wolfman confirmed with us [as did Levitz on Saturday] that George Perez will be involved in the production, but they haven’t worked out in exactly what capacity yet.
”I hope it will be in designs and hopefully more,” he said, as the plan is for the animators to give the film a look reminiscent of the original comic book artwork.
“The Terra storyline was something very special for George and me,” Wolfman began, sharing with us some final thoughts (for now). “We knew what we had when we began it, although we were constantly surprised - and remain so today - at how many people loved Tara Markov despite everything we had her do.
”Even after the more kid-friendly Cartoon Network version I got hundreds of emails from little girls begging me to bring Terra back and to make her good. George and I somehow captured lightning in a bottle with it - and we don't want to mess with that. Because we are so early in the process I can't say what will stay and what will go, but I promise the changes won't affect the story of Terra as George and I told it.”
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