Paperback Reader: Its been a while since fans have seen new work from you. What's kept you out of the eyes of your fans?

Ben Raab: Timing, basically. All of the projects I’ve been working on since I finished GREEN LANTERN have just taken longer to produce than the other books I’ve written in the past. But as a result, I think the quality level is that much higher. So they’re well worth the wait.

PBR: What can you tell us about HUMAN RACE?

BR: I can tell you EVERYTHING about it. But that would spoil the story. So I’ll just give you the basic overview. THE HUMAN RACE is a 7-issue miniseries created and written by yours truly with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong published by DC Comics and on sale now at a comic store near you! This is the story of Ulysses Adams, a kid who wakes up on the day of his high school graduation and discovers he’s been transformed by a sentient alien parasite into the potential next phase of our evolution. With the fate of all humanity literally residing in his infected genes, Ulysses becomes the pivotal figure in the battle between the two secrets organizations who knew this was coming centuries ago…

PBR: Has this been one of those projects you've been longing to do, or was it something that's only recently been developed?

BR: THE HUMAN RACE is something I’ve been looking forward to ever since I started writing comics. It’s this weird, mutant hybrid of all the things I enjoy most about the medium and is inspired by everything from super hero team books to Science Fiction literature to Anime… And besides, how cool is it to be credited as having “Created” the human race?

PBR: The solicitation talks about a super-powered fraternity called Delta Chi Delta. What can you tell readers about Delta Chi Delta or will that ruin part of the story? Who is a part of this fraternity?

BR: In the 4th century, the last oracle of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece, beheld a vision of the DCU as it exists today. She saw an age of heroes; men of steel, dark knights and wondrous women whose presence on earth would herald a great and terrible change in the future of our species. During this age, mankind would undergo an irreversible transformation into monsters. To prevent the extinction of the human race, she founded the fraternal order, DELTA CHI DELTA.

Over the past millennia and a half, there have been thirteen incarnations of this secret society. The current group includes: DELPHI, the team leader with the A.I. brain… SENSEI, a 300-year old samurai with the 21-year old body who has mastered the power of his ‘qi’… And finally, NYMPH, an empath with the ability to manipulate the hearts and minds of anyone she meets.

PBR: There seems to be quiet a bit of Greek mythology referenced into the backstory of this series, how did the creation of Delta Chi Delta come about for you?

BR: Because the Delphic oracle was an actual part of ancient Greek life and culture, technically, Delta Chi Delta’s origins are more historical than mythological. It’s the DCU connection that gives it a mythic quality, albeit a modern one.

As for how it came about… While a student at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), I became a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. It was around that time that I developed a fascination with secret societies like the Templars, the Freemason and the Illuminati… Partly because of the mystery surrounding them, but also because a lot of the symbolism Sigma Nu used to distinguish itself from the other houses on campus came from those very same ancient organizations. So that was an unlikely source of inspiration…

The less esoteric influence, however, came from the super hero team books I grew up reading. X-Men… Justice League of America… Teen Titans… Avengers… Alpha Flight… And in recent years, the ultimate secret society/team book: Planetary. To quote Sir Isaac Newton, “If I can see further than anyone else, it is only because I am standing on the shoulders of giants.” (Though I would never presume to count my creations in such auspicious company…)

PBR: HUMAN RACE looks to be tied into the DC Universe, is this true? Does the story ripple out into the rest of the DC Universe?

BR: Yes, this is definitely a DCU book. Ulysses’s hometown, Shuster’s Glen, is a suburb of Metropolis. How much the events of this storyline will ripple across the other books remains to be seen. But I recommend readers keep reading and find out!

PBR: While this is a 7-issue miniseries, there's always room for something more. Are there plans to continue this story or do something else with some of the characters? Or is this an open and shut story?

BR: This arc has a definite beginning, middle and end. But that doesn’t mean the adventure is over. At least, not for some of the characters…

PBR: The preview art over at DC's web site showcases Justiniano's art on the book. Its really quiet good. How much influence did you have on the design of the characters?

BR: Josue and I hashed out the general concepts at the beginning, but he basically took what I suggested and put his own unique and inimitable spin on them. He truly brought them to life in ways I never could’ve imagined. He did an awesome job.

PBR: You and Justiniano have worked together in the past. Did that help in the development of this series, or was it something you both had to work at in order to really get things to where you both were happy with the final result?

BR: I can’t speak for him on that, but I will say that having worked together definitely helped. When I started writing, I did so with the confidence that he would deliver the goods. And he knew he’d have the freedom to be as inventive or experimental as he wanted. It’s been a great partnership so far and I look forward to working with him again in the future.

PBR: What else do you have in the works and when should fans be looking out for them?

BR: Got me a whole bunch o’ books coming out this year. Down the rack from THE HUMAN RACE right now readers can find the 2-part VAMPI VICIOUS: RAMPAGE mini from Harris. Next month will see the release of the TEEN TITANS: BEAST BOYS & GIRLS trade paperback which collects the Beast Boy miniseries I co-wrote with Geoff Johns, drawn by Justiniano. Then, this summer I’ve got the VAMPI VICIOUS: GEMINI EFFECT mini (again, from Harris) and THE PHANTOM: THE AVIATRIX 2-parter from Moonstone Books.

ComiCon 2005 will see the debut of LIVING IN INFAMY, a 4-issue, full color miniseries I created for new publisher LUDOVICO TECHNIQUE (www.ludovicotechnique.com) with my screenwriting partner, DERIC A. HUGHES… On the surface, it’s about a Federal Witness Protection Program for reformed super-villains, but really it’s a series about the secrets people hide from their friends and families and how those secrets can come back to haunt you when you least expect it… In Hollywood terms, it’s “Desperate” Super-Villains. Sure, there are super-powered beings in it, but we’re playing it very much like a TV drama.

Finally, by year’s end we should see the release of THE PHANTOM: LEGACY, a 96-page special re-chronicling the origin of the Ghost Who Walks.

And that doesn’t include all the other projects I’m working on for 2006! So stay tuned!