Geoff Johns

Early career

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.[7][13]

While working on the 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.[7]

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,[14] 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,[15] and Johns credits both him and Mike Carlin with shepherding him into the comics industry. He also credits reading James Robinson's The Golden Age as the book responsible for his love of the characters featured in the book, and for his decision to accept writing duties on JSA.[7]

That same year, Johns became the regular writer on The Flash ongoing series with issue 164. Johns' 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's Flash was like that. I took the inspiration of the city and the people there and used it in the books."[11] Johns' Flash run concluded with #225.[16]

He co-wrote a Beast Boy limited series with Ben Raab in 2000[17] and crafted the "Return to Krypton" story arc in the Superman titles with Pasqual Ferry in 2002.[18] After writing The Avengers vol. 3 #57–76 (Oct. 2002–Feb. 2004) and Avengers Icons: The Vision #1–4 (Oct. 2002–Jan. 2003) for Marvel Comics,[19] Johns oversaw the re-launch of Hawkman and Teen Titans.[20]

Johns was responsible for the return of Hal Jordan in 2005 as the writer of the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series[21] and subsequent Green Lantern ongoing title.[22] Johns was the writer of the Infinite Crisis crossover limited series (December 2005 – June 2006), a sequel to 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths.[23] Following this, Johns was one of four writers, with Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Greg Rucka, on the 2006–2007 weekly series 52.[24]

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.[19] The Justice Society of America series by Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham began in February 2007[25] and six months later, he and Jeff Katz launched the new Booster Gold series. That same year, Johns helmed the critically acclaimed[26][27][28][29][30] "Sinestro Corps War" storyline in the Green Lantern titles.[31] He wrote the "Final Crisis" one-shot Rage of the Red Lanterns with artist Shane Davis[32] and collaborated with Gary Frank on Action Comics.[33] Johns and Frank produced the "Brainiac" storyline in which Superman's adopted father Jonathan Kent was killed[34] and retold Superman's origin story in 2009's Superman: Secret Origin.[35]

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[36][37] and wrote the Blackest Night limited series.[38] Commenting on Johns's 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."[39]

President and CCO of DC Entertainment

On February 18, 2010, Johns was named the Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment, which was established to expand the DC Comics brand across other media platforms.[40][41] Johns stated that the position would not affect his writing.[42] He then co-wrote the Brightest Day series with Peter Tomasi.[43] He and Marv Wolfman were the principal writers of DC Universe Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in 2011.[44][45]

In September 2011, following the conclusion of Johns's mini series, Flashpoint, and the crossover storyline of the same name, DC Comics instituted an initiative 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.[46] Johns's contributions to The New 52 include a serialized Shazam! (Captain Marvel) backup feature in Justice League that began with issue #7, as well as the relaunched Aquaman and Green Lantern monthly titles.[47][48][49]

Johns and Gary Frank collaborated on the Batman: Earth One graphic novel, an out of continuity story, released in mid-2012,[50][51] which served as the first in a series of graphic novels intended to redefine Batman.[52] In 2013, after writing Green Lantern for nine years, Johns ended his run with issue 20 of the New 52 series,[53] which was released May 22, 2013.[54] 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.[55][56] The Johns/Romita Jr. team was joined by inker Klaus Janson.[57] In May 2016, Johns was promoted to President and Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment and reported to Diane Nelson, the President of DC Entertainment.[58][59]

Johns and Gary Frank collaborated on Doomsday Clock, a limited series featuring Superman and Doctor Manhattan.[60][61] Johns and Richard Donner co-wrote "The Car" chapter in Action Comics #1000 (June 2018) which was drawn by Olivier Coipel.[62]

In June 2018, Johns stepped down from his executive role at DC Entertainment and entered into a writer and producer deal with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. He opened Mad Ghost Productions, a production company that works on film, television and comic books based on DC Comics properties.[63]

After DC Entertainment

At San Diego Comic-Con in 2018, DC announced a new "pop-up" imprint, The Killing Zone, to be curated by Johns.[64][65] It was initially set to begin publishing in May 2019.[66] In May 2020, Johns confirmed that the imprint was in development.[67]

In November 2020, it was announced that Johns would launch a new creator-owned series from Image Comics titled Geiger with long-time collaborator Gary Frank, to debut in April 2021. The series would be his first independent comics series in more than ten years.[68] In September 2021 it was reported that Johns and Frank would expand "The Unnamed Universe" of Geiger, starting with Junkyard Joe in October 2022.[69][70]

On October 12, 2023, Johns and a group of colleagues announced at the New York Comic Con that they were forming a cooperative media company called Ghost Machine, which would publish creator-owned comics, and allow the participating creators to benefit from the development of their intellectual properties. The company publishes its books through Image Comics, and its other founders includes Brad Meltzer, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Francis Manapul, and Peter J. Tomasi, all of whom would produce comics work exclusively through that company.[71][72] Johns' inaugural work for the company was writing Geiger: Ground Zero, a two-issue series drawing by Frank that serves as a prequel to their 2021 miniseries of the same name.[73] Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the book centers upon a man named Tariq Geiger[74][75] who lost his family and his humanity in a nuclear war, when he was transformed into the Glowing Man, a being who can absorb radiation but struggles to contain it.[74] Ground Zero would be followed by an ongoing Geiger series.[71][73]

Film

Johns served as a co-producer and creative consultant for the 2011 Green Lantern film directed by Martin Campbell and starring Ryan Reynolds.[76]

Johns was an executive producer on the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[77] Following negative critical reception to the film, Johns and Jon Berg were named to jointly run the DC Extended Universe and a newly established Warner Bros. division, DC Films, in May 2016.[78] They served as producers on the 2017 film Justice League.[79] Johns also co-wrote the story for Aquaman with James Wan and Will Beall, co-wrote the story for then planned Green Lantern Corps with David S. Goyer and co-wrote Wonder Woman 1984 with Patty Jenkins and David Callaham.[80][81][82] In January 2018, after Justice League underperformed at the box office, Jon Berg was replaced by Walter Hamada as the head of DC Films, with Johns still working "closely" with Hamada on future productions.[83][84][85]

Television

"Recruit", a 2005 episode of the Superman prequel series Smallville, on which Johns's studio mate Jeph Loeb was a writer–producer, featured a villain by the name of Geoff Johns. In 2008, Johns wrote "Legion", the eleventh episode of the eighth season, in which he introduced the three core members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.[86] At the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, he announced that he was writing another Smallville episode, titled "Society", based on the Justice Society of America. The success of his first episode and the ambitious nature of his follow-up episode enabled the producers to transform it into a two-part story, which subsequently aired as a feature-length episode titled "Absolute Justice".[87]

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

Johns and David S. Goyer co-wrote the pilot for the Spike TV drama Blade, 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.[88]

In 2012, Johns joined The CW's Green Arrow origin series Arrow, as a writer. He first contributed to the first-season episode "Muse of Fire", which served as the introduction of The Huntress, the teleplay for which he co-wrote with executive producer Marc Guggenheim from a story by co-creator Andrew Kreisberg. Later in the season, Johns wrote the sixteenth episode, "Dead to Rights". The episode was directed by frequent Johns collaborator Glen Winter.[89]

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.[90] CW executives were so pleased with the handling of the character that they forwent the backdoor pilot, in favor of a full-fledged version.[91] In May 2014, The Flash was picked up to series, to premiere later that year.[92] 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".

In a July 2015 interview, Johns said he was collaborating with Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan on a live-action digital Static series from DC and Warner Bros. Blue Ribbon division.[93]

Kreisberg, a producer on the TV series Supergirl, credits Johns with the idea that Hank Henshaw was really Martian Manhunter during production of that series' pilot in 2015.[94]

In July 2018, Johns announced that he would be writing and executive-producing a DC Universe television series about Courtney Whitmore, a character that he created, titled Stargirl.[95] The series premiered in May 2020.[96]

In April 2020, it was reported that Johns is to produce a series based on Green Lantern for HBO Max.[97]

In October 2022, it was announced that Paramount Television Studios would develop a TV adaptation of Geiger from Johns and Justin Simien, with Johns writing the pilot, serving as showrunner, and executive producing along with Jamie Iracleanos for Mad Ghost Productions, and Gary Frank.[98]

Films

Television