"Blackest Night: Titans" #1 on sale now

J.T. Krul, who served as the production coordinator on "Seinfeld" in its final season before moving full-time into writing comics, has arrived. And that's not to slight Krul's efforts to date. He's been writing a majority of the books in Aspen MLT's "Fathom" franchise for years, and the fact the title is being prepped as a movie project for Megan Fox clearly demonstrates Krul and his publisher have what it takes to deliver epic storytelling. But after contributing a single-issue story in "Titans" #15 last month, the 36-year old Michigander is now writing "Blackest Night: Titans," a three-issue miniseries that ties directly into the Geoff Johns-driven blockbuster event from DC Comics, "Blackest Night."Couple with that with the fact Krul has been announced as the writer for the November issues of both "Titans" and "Teen Titans," his star at DC Comics is clearly on the rise. Krul told CBR News that "Titans" is one of the major DC properties, but the real reason the title ties-in so perfectly with "Blackest Night" is because, he said, "in doing a story about the death of heroes and their horrific return to haunt the living, there is no shortage of dead Titans."The story that is being explored in "Blackest Night: Titans" spins directly out of a scene from "Blackest Night" #1, confirmed the writer. "As the Titans take some much deserved and needed downtime from their usual adventures, they experience a homecoming as fallen Titans literally return to Titans Tower," teased Krul. "That giant T-shaped building perched on the bluff has always been a powerful symbol and it serves as a magnet for trouble. No surprise, the story is about death and loss and the extent to which our heroes are able to cope with their own situations. "From the covers released, you know that Terra is one of the Black Lanterns to return, which digs up all kinds of emotions in Gar. Donna has her lost family to deal with. And, Dawn is caught in the middle as the original Hawk - Hank Hall - returns and is not too happy about seeing someone else wearing his costume. "It's a very dark and violent story as the Titans struggle to understand the chaos that is thrust upon them."

In-progress art from "Blackest Night: Titans" #1

With Krul utilizing cover art as signposts, the one cover that has been haunting fans of the Titans since its release back in May is "Blackest Night: Titans" #1, which features a very gaunt Terra smacking a wet (some would say pustular) one right on Gar's lips. Asked if Terra and Gar's relationship could somehow survive her Nekron-induced zombiefication, Krul offered, "For good or bad, Gar loved Terra. I think we have all fallen for someone in our lives who we knew was trouble, but we fell anyway. Gar's had many crushes and has always been something of a flirt, but in many ways, Terra was his first true love. And, true love can survive just about anything... just about."In "Titans" #15, Krul prominently featured Tempest - the superhero formerly known as Aquaman's sidekick Aqualad - who had been more or less absent from the DC Universe proper since the One Year Later initiative of 2006. But in "Blackest Night" #2, Tempest is killed by Black Lantern Aquaman while visiting his mentor's grave, and was then immediately resurrected as a Black Lantern himself. Krul said he's enjoyed handling Tempest's return and the character will definitely be a part of "Blackest Night" moving forward. Sticking with the Atlanteans for a moment and what with Krul's history writing undersea adventures in "Fathom," CBR News posed the question if he might be writing more Aquaman, perhaps even an ongoing series, coming out of "Blackest Night." Aquaman was a pillar of the DC Universe and a great character. Too bad he's dead," Krul deadpanned.

In-progress art from "Blackest Night: Titans" #1

As part of his work on "Blackest Night: Titans," Krul's had several meetings with Geoff Johns, the architect of the DCU-spanning event series. "In a way, this whole thing, including 'Blackest Night: Titans,' is his baby," explained Krul, who like Johns attended film school at Michigan State. "It all springs out of his main story, and he's been heavily involved in all aspects of the 'Blackest Night' stories. Plus, we've known each other for years now, and this is the first chance we've had to work together. It's made the experience even more special to collaborate with such a good friend."Krul said collaborating with a talent like artist Ed Benes makes the project pretty special too. "As the pages and the layout come in, it's such a great way to start my day," said Krul. "Waking up to an email with another glimpse of what Ed is doing. He's one of the powerhouses in the industry and the pages don't lie. All around, I couldn't ask for a better team to work with for this project."Or a better situation. By writing a miniseries so closely tied to a mega event, there's no doubt readers will be seeing a lot more of Krul in the very near future. "I am talking with DC about other projects, but nothing to announce yet," said Krul. "Hopefully sooner than later, I'll be able to share more.""Blackest Night: Titans" #1 goes on sale August 26 from DC Comics. That same day, Krul will be signing at The Comic Bug from 11:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. and Collector's Paradise from 5:00 to 8:00p.m.