Line #36 Creator/GeoffJohns


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5	[[quoteright:280: https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GeoffJohns0.jpg]]
6	[[caption-width-right:280:''"Good. Good. Everything is going as I have foreseen."'']]
7
8	->''"I don't believe in throwing stuff away, I just believe in putting as many toys on the shelf and letting creators and other people get in there and tell great stories and add to the mythos. We should march this universe forward."''
9
10	Formerly the assistant of film director Creator/RichardDonner, Geoff Johns (born January 25, 1973) broke into comic books in 1999. He worked freelance for about four years before signing an exclusive contract with Creator/DCComics, where he's been a major figure ever since. He writes an average of four comics a month, so he's responsible for a large percentage of DC's total monthly output.
11
12	Johns is also good friends with fellow DC exclusive writer Creator/GrantMorrison, and the two of them co-wrote the ''DC Universe #0'' one-shot as well as the best-selling weekly DC series ''52''.
13
14	Johns is largely considered to be the Mr. Fixit of comics, largely on the back of his restoration of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern. His specialty is revamping characters, especially villains, [[VillainDecay who have lost their way]] ([[HarmlessVillain or were always lame]]) into something more compelling. He's also the go-to guy for untangling a ContinuitySnarl, though he sometimes has to take [[{{Retcon}} a sword]] [[CuttingTheKnot to the Gordian Knot]].
15
16	In February 2010 he was named DC's Chief Creative Officer which basically makes him the No. 3 guy at the company after co-publishers Creator/DanDiDio and Creator/JimLee. In August 2016, following the success of ''DC Rebirth'', he was promoted to President of DC Comics in addition to his role as Chief Creative Officer. In June 2018, he stepped back down to just a writing role with Lee assuming both positions. In 2021, he and longtime collaborator Gary Frank launched ''Geiger'', the first in a new line of books for Creator/ImageComics produced by his studio, Mad Ghost.
17
18	He has also served as a producer, consultant and occasional writer for DC television and film adaptations. In May 2016, he was named co-chairman of the newly created [[Creator/DCStudios DC Films]] division of Creator/WarnerBrothers together with studio executive Jon Berg. He was replaced by Walter Hamada in late 2017 after Berg became a producer for WB, at which point he mostly went back to working on television and comics instead of movies.
19
20	It was announced at the New York Comic Con in October 2023 that Johns had parted ways with DC Comics and co-founded Ghost Machine, a cooperative entertainment company that will publish creator-owned comics through Creator/ImageComics. Other founders include Gary Franks, with whom Johns will continue making comics set in ''ComicBook/TheUnnamed'', the shared universe of ''Geiger'' and ''Junkyard Joe'', as well as Francis Manapul, Ivan Reis and Creator/PeterTomasi.
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22	Fun fact: he used to be a roommate with Marvel's Creator/KevinFeige. While the irony is not lost on him, the two are still good friends. Also, both have worked one way or another for (and admire) Creator/RichardDonner.
23	----
24	!!DC properties Johns has worked on include:
25	[[index]]
26	* ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'': co-written with Creator/GrantMorrison, Creator/GregRucka, and Creator/MarkWaid.
27	* ''ComicBook/AquamanNew52'':
28	** ''ComicBook/ThroneOfAtlantis''
29	* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
30	** ''ComicBook/BatmanEarthOne''
31	** ''ComicBook/BatmanThreeJokers''
32	* ''ComicBook/BoosterGold''
33	* ''ComicBook/DCRebirth''
34	** ''ComicBook/DoomsdayClock''
35	* ''ComicBook/TheFlash''
36	** ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis: Rogues' Revenge''
37	** ''ComicBook/BlackestNight: The Flash''
38	** ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint\|DCComics}}''
39	** ''ComicBook/FlashpointBeyond''
40	* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'':
41	** ''ComicBook/GreenLanternRebirth''
42	** ''ComicBook/GreenLantern2005''
43	** ''ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar'': co-written with Dave Gibbons.
44	** ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''
45	** ''ComicBook/BrightestDay'': co-written with Creator/PeterTomasi.
46	** ''ComicBook/WarOfTheGreenLanterns''
47	** ''ComicBook/RiseOfTheThirdArmy''
48	** ''ComicBook/WrathOfTheFirstLantern''
49	* ''ComicBook/{{Hawkman}}''
50	* ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis''
51	* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague2011''
52	** ''ComicBook/TrinityWar'': co-written with Jeff Lemire.
53	** ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013''
54	* ''[[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica JSA]]'' and ''Justice Society of America'': partly co-written with James Robinson and David S. Goyer.
55	** ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica2022''
56	* ''ComicBook/JSAClassified''
57	* ''ComicBook/{{Shazam}}''
58	** ''ComicBook/Shazam2012''
59	** ''ComicBook/Shazam2018''
60	* ''ComicBook/StarsAndSTRIPE''
61	* ''ComicBook/StargirlTheLostChildren''
62	* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}''
63	** ''ComicBook/PowerTrip2005''
64	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}''
65	** ''ComicBook/NewKrypton''
66	** ''ComicBook/SupermanSecretOrigin''
67	** ''ComicBook/SupermanBrainiac''
68	** ''ComicBook/SupermanUpUpAndAway'' (co-written with Kurt Busiek)
69	** ''ComicBook/Superman2011''
70	* ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes''
71	** ''ComicBook/TheLightningSaga''
72	** ''ComicBook/SupermanAndTheLegionOfSuperHeroes''
73	** ''ComicBook/LegionOfThreeWorlds''
74	** ''ComicBook/AdventureComics''
75	* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''
76	** ''ComicBook/TeenTitans2003''
77
78	!!Creator/MarvelComics properties Johns has worked on include:
79	* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers''
80	* ''ComicBook/TheThing''
81	* ''[[ComicBook/XMen The Morlocks]]''
82
83	!!Properties that Johns co-created and co-own include:
84	* ''ComicBook/{{Olympus}}''
85	* ''ComicBook/ThePossessed''
86	* ''ComicBook/TheUnnamed''
87	** ''Geiger''
88	** ''Junkyard Joe''
89	[[/index]]
90	!!Television shows that Johns has written episodes for include:
91	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''
92	* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken''
93	* ''Series/{{Smallville}}''
94	* ''WesternAnimation/TitanMaximum''
95	* ''Series/BladeTheSeries''
96	* ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}''
97	** ''Series/{{Arrow}}''
98	** ''Series/TheFlash2014''
99
100	!!Television shows that Johns has co-produced include:
101	* ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}''
102	** ''Series/TheFlash2014''
103	** ''Series/Supergirl2015''
104	** ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''
105	* Creator/DCUniverse / Creator/HBOMax
106	** ''Series/Titans2018''
107	** ''Series/DoomPatrol2019''
108	** ''Series/SwampThing2019''
109	** ''Series/Stargirl2020''
110	** ''Series/SupermanAndLois''
111
112	!!Movies that Johns has been involved in include:
113	* ''Film/GreenLantern2011'': story consultant.
114	* ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'':
115	** ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'': executive producer.
116	** ''Film/{{Suicide Squad\|2016}}'': executive producer; did uncredited rewrites.
117	** ''Film/{{Wonder Woman\|2017}}'' : executive producer; did uncredited rewrites.
118	** ''Film/{{Justice League\|2017}}'': also a co-writer.[[note]]Rewrote the screenplay with Zack Snyder and Chris Terrio at the request of Warner Bros. executives, mostly to lighten up the tone of the film. Johns also had a hand in revising the screenplay for what was proposed as a two-part movie to a movie that would start a potential trilogy, a compromise that Snyder agreed with since most of what was in the first part of the intended two-parter still made it into the revised script. While some of his script revisions are included in the theatrical release, he was not involved with Creator/JossWhedon's rewrites of the film, as he had left to work on an abundance of other DC projects.[[/note]]
119	*** ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'': uncredited executive producer.[[note]]While Johns was involved with the initial production that a vast majority of the [[ReCut Directors Cut]]'s footage is from, he opted not to have a credit on the project as a symbolic show of support for Creator/ZackSnyder's creative vision for the revised version of the movie. Johns had no involvement whatsoever with the additional photography done for the film after Creator/HBOMax formally picked the film up. He was, however, credited under the "Special Thanks" section for his work being a point of reference for the characters.[[/note]]
120	** ''Film/{{Aquaman\|2018}}'': co-writer.
121	** ''[[Film/Shazam2019 SHAZAM!]]'': executive producer.
122	** ''[[Film/BirdsOfPrey2020 Birds of Prey]]'': executive producer.
123	** ''Film/WonderWoman1984'': co-writer.
124	** ''Film/BlackAdam2022'': executive producer.
125	** ''Film/ShazamFuryOfTheGods'': executive producer.
126	----
127	!!Tropes associated with Geoff Johns:
128	* AuthorAppeal:
129	** Johns is a self-confessed Silver Age Fanboy. Naturally this played a role in his writing of ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and the revivals of [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]], [[ComicBook/TheFlash Barry Allen]], and [[ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} Arthur Curry]]. It's also why the [[ComicBook/TheFlash Wally West]] version of the Flash, during the height of DarkerAndEdgier, remained lighthearted and easygoing.
130	** Another thing that's become the target of both criticism and jokes over the years is his love of graphic dismemberment and/or arm trauma.
131	* ArcWelding
132	* ArmedWithCanon: The fact remains he has the largest listing on this page for a single creator.
133	* BatFamilyCrossover: He's done ''Black Reign'' for the JSA family, ''Sinestro Corps'' for the Green Lantern Family, and ''ComicBook/NewKrypton'' for the Super family.
134	* BloodierAndGorier: Another common lament about Johns' work. Hey, kids, who's getting which body part ripped clean off in ''this'' issue?
135	* BunnyEarsLawyer: Rumors abound of him being a very...unusual...person in real life. A hint of this is the [[https://data.archive.moe/board/co/image/1349/35/1349350862111.png Cereal Adventure]].
136	* {{Continuity}}: He's a master of this, which makes him a {{Fanboy}} favorite. Generally, if you think you've caught a continuity error in one of his stories it will turn out to be a plot point.
137	** Example, long time fans were scratching their heads when Barry started talking about his father being framed for the murder of his mother as his motivation for becoming a police scientist (as he had a good relationship with both of his parents up to the point of his death in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''). This could have been HandWaved as being the byproduct of any of three major {{Cosmic Retcon}}s that had taken place since his death but it turned out it was Professor Zoom using TimeTravel to screw up his past.
138	* CrisisCrossover: ''Day of Judgement'', ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', and ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
139	* DarkerAndEdgier: A lot of his writing, especially post-ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis.
140	* ElephantInTheLivingRoom: Subverted, as the usual superhero-comic "Why does everyone ''stay'' in a supervillain-plagued city?" question has been dealt with a few times:
141	** The twin cities of the Flash (Keystone and Central) are home to important industries--heavy industry and electronics, respectively--that probably wouldn't be available in many other places. In addition, the Flash rogues are not as deadly as, say, Batman's.
142	** Coast City ''was'' almost completely abandoned until recently, simply because the Green Lantern RoguesGallery often showed up there and ''the fact that Mongul and Cyborg-Superman had blown it up awhile back'' was hanging over their heads. In fact, the situation in Coast is a recurring motif of Johns' run.
143	** And it even got a reversal in the ''ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar''. The Sinestros intended to wreck Coast City yet ''again'' to trigger a DespairEventHorizon, but the inhabitants' refusal to evacuate gave the city a reputation so badass that people started moving ''in'' in droves. They even decided to follow Green Lantern's example by nicknaming their home "The City Without Fear".
144	* LegacyCharacter: Likes working with these (ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, ComicBook/{{Superboy}}...) and has created a number of them (ComicBook/{{Stargirl}}, [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter Miss Martian]], [[ComicBook/BlueBeetle Jaime Reyes]]...)
145	* PassingTheTorch: A theme in many of his books like ''JSA'' and ''Teen Titans''.
146	* {{Retcon}}: When the ComicBook/PostCrisis Superboy was revealed to be a modified clone of the director of the Cadmus Project, a young Geoff wrote in to the comic complaining that it would have been better if he'd been a combined clone of Superman and Lex Luthor. Years later, Geoff established this as Superboy's origin.
147	* RoguesGalleryShowcase: His major arcs on any series tend to build towards stories featuring multiple factions of established villains duking it out or forced into an EnemyMine situation with the heroes.
148	* ShownTheirWork: He brings back characters that haven't been used in over 30 years and gives them a good reason for being there.
149	* TakeThat:
150	** Possibly gave one to infamous ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' showrunner Marc Guggenheim. While interviewed about DC Rebirth in 2016, Johns made comments about the show which could be very easily interpreted as displeasure with the direction the show had taken in its [[SeasonalRot fourth season]].
151	--->'''Geoff Johns:''' Let's say you've been given the position of writing Green Arrow from scratch. Clean slate. You might say, 'Okay, I'm going to write this new character,' and when someone says, ‘Well, what about Black Canary,’ you might say...'nope.' That means you completely misunderstand these characters.
152	** Geoff Johns has had a habit since his days on ''Flash'' of setting Batman up as a punching bag for other heroes, what with the "you only touch me because I let you touch me" speech from ''Flash'' #217, the ''Forever Evil'' "I'm in charge" scene, ''Green Lantern: Rebirth'', the "why don't you do more as Bruce Wayne" speech Clark gave him in ''Superman'' #189... Johns has given some comic fans the impression that he is not a Batman fan. However, in ''ComicBook/DoomsdayClock'', Batman has an important role, being treated seriously and with respect, and ''ComicBook/BatmanThreeJokers'' portrays the Caped Crusader in his traditional role of world's greatest detective without a hint of derision. It seems less that he dislikes Batman as much as he dislikes the idea of Batman being infallible, and likes to have characters put him in his place once in awhile.
153	* WriterOnBoard: His DC work is an example that [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools this can be a good thing]].
154	* WritingForTheTrade: Refused to do it early in his career at Marvel, but now tends to follow the six-part storyline himself, albeit whilst developing and carrying on larger plots.

Context Creator / GeoffJohns