The Titans special comes as the ongoing series switches its numbering system to mini-series. After the end of the "Olympus" story arc in the ongoing series (in which Wonder Woman was introduced to the Smallville universe), the Smallville comic will pick up with a new #1 issue and new story arc titled Smallville: Aliens.
Newsarama talked to Miller about the Titans special and the future of the Smallville comic.
Newsarama: Bryan, how has it been overall to expand the Smallville universe through comics, and why was the switch made to mini-series and specials instead of the ongoing?
Bryan Q. Miller: To the best of my knowledge, we shifted gears a bit in presentation to help lower the intimidation factor for new and potential readers. If you're on the digital store, and you see "Smallville Season 11: Chapter 70," that's kind of two sets of qualifiers that shout "You're really behind on your reading!" So rolling back to #1 with each new arc lessens that.
Nrama: What was the motivation for the Titans special?
Miller: Aside from me wanting to play with a version of the Teen Titans? Superboy. We've been doing "parallel" stories that are shorter than the main arcs and sort of run along side them, from a narrative standpoint. We had some staggering craziness happening as we transitioned from our previous main Supergirl arc ("Argo") into our current Wonder Woman arc ("Olympus") that dictated we start the next side story before "Olympus" finished. So we had to get a new smaller story started, with someone related to the show but not involved in all the madness in Washington D.C. in the main arc… and since we mentioned that Conner (who we first met in Season 10) was at a school for the "gifted" in San Francisco during "Olympus"… you can see where we're going.
Nrama: Besides Conner, what other characters will we see in the issue?
Miller: Jaime Reyes! Megan Morse! Mia Dearden! Zan and Jayna Whatever Their Last Names Are! And their mentor/teacher, Jay Garrick! As well as a villain we haven't met, but who has ties to some bits and pieces of Season 10.
Nrama: You've described where Conner is, but can you describe the status of some of the key Titans characters as they start this story?
Miller: I certainly can, but then that gets into some of the reveals as to why they've come to Garrick's school in the first place, which we reveal as the four-week story unfolds.
Nrama; What are some of the more interesting relationships you're getting to portray?
Miller: There's tension between Jay and Conner, for sure. Conner's got an "S" on his chest, and all the perceived responsibility that comes along with that. And Jay's seen "little punks" come and go his entire life. "Scion" in Season 10 was about Conner struggling against his Luthor and Kent genetics. Titans sees him trying to figure out how to not let those base instincts rule in either direction, and be his own man. And, to the delight of some Young Justice fans, there's a good chance Conner and Megan might get some alone time.
Nrama: Is it a side story, or does it further the themes / evolution of the characters you've been exploring in the ongoing?
Miller: It's a side story, but ties in with the very last moments of "Olympus" — though the reader will get to read the end of "Olympus" first.
Nrama: What can you tell us about the art for the four-week story?
Miller: Cat Staggs, who does our covers and did full interiors on one of our previous side stories, "Valkyrie," returns with a vengeance for Titans!
Nrama: What's coming next for the Smallville comic, as the ongoing series switches to mini-series?
Miller: Smallville: Alien — our over-arching story for the year involves a race of inter-dimensional beings called Monitors. They destroyed Earth 2, and our heroes know that something called "The Crisis" is coming. In Alien, a Monitor literally falls to Earth in Russia. Superman and Lex both know how valuable it is to get face time with one, and it turns into a bit of a race, with some secret identity complications.
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