Hi! I remember a while back when someone asked about the likelihood of a New52 Secret Six that you said Catman was not able to be used unless it was someone new altogether so I was wondering, how hard was it for you to get Catman off the bench?

Okay, going off of my memory and not much sleep…

Here’s what happened. I wanted to bring Catman back, into the new52. I wasn’t trying to get a new Secret Six book going, I was trying to bring him back in Batgirl.

But the editor said I could only bring him back if he was a completely new character, completely different from Thomas Blake whom we had just revamped, in line with the edicts of the new52. 

I did not have a problem with this, it’s the editor’s prerogative to make those kinds of mandates. But thinking about it, I  had just spent a LOT of time and effort re-envisioning Thomas Blake into the Catman we knew in Secret Six and I just felt that if he was going to be re-created, it would be better if someone else did it.

It wasn’t contentious or anything and I understood the thinking. But I just thought about it and I didn’t want to remake him so soon after remaking him once, at least not and have him be so unrecognizable.

Again, it’s perfectly within editorial’s rights to ask. But I just didn’t want to be the one to do it. I would have been fine with someone else doing a cool new take.

As it turned out, the doors opened, Dan DiDio personally asked if I would bring back Secret Six and I think we all immediately felt that it wouldn’t be the Six without Catman.

This version is still different, but it’s still Thomas Blake, and I am having a blast.