Let’s talk about Rogol Zaar and the processing of building that character. He’s first seen in Action Comics #1000, and his motivations are much more fleshed out in Man of Steel #1. How did that character develop, want made you curious to go back to Superman’s earliest origins and the destruction of Krypton?

A-number-one, you’re faced with a bench of outstanding villains, but a surprisingly slight bench in comparison to like Spider-Man or Batman. Superman has really good villains, but not as many of them. I had a similar frustration with Iron Man — there are a few good villains, but boy, he needs more. There’s a lot more to be built here. So I made that note. And also, I see the same villains being used over and over and over again, and I thought maybe the audience would appreciate some different flavor. Though those stories are excellent, sometimes the mixture is what you really need.

Then I started my deep re-read — this deep, deep, deep, 80-year-plus, radio shows, TV and serials — as you go, ideas start popping in your head. I would call over to DC, not with full pitches, just with a, “Hey, here’s an idea in my head, is there a reason I should let this idea go?” — because if you have an idea in your head and you can’t let it go, it’s sometimes very difficult. So I call up [DC Co-Publisher] Dan [DiDio] and go, “So I have this idea — have you guys ever done a story about what really happened on Krypton?” And he goes, “What really happened on Krypton?” And I knew from the sound of that voice that we were going to have a very good time together, because that’s a guy who wants to hear a story.

So we started digging in. It was all in purpose of creating a villain that would get under Clark’s skin like no one else has ever gotten under his skin. From there, we started building. I told Jim Lee the ideas, and he started cooking all these designs, and it really started coming together in a beautiful way.

And then I named him after the doctor who saved my life. Because I think that’s what you’re supposed to do.

Man of Steel #1 interior art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado

There’s a lot to explore with Superman himself, but his relationship with other superheroes has always been a big part of the character, Supergirl was in the Action #1000 story, and she’s on the cover of Man of Steel #6 —

She’ll be, going forward [past issue #1], in every issue of Man of Steel.

How much are you looking to explore Superman’s relationship with the many other DC heroes he’s had long-term partnerships with over the years?