Paperback Reader: First off, the question everyone's probably asking or has asked you already---Why G.I. JOE? Are these characters that you have wanted to work with in the past, or is it that you just have something new to inject into the mythos?

Joe Casey: I was presented with the opportunity, and when I thought about it, I discovered I actually had a take, I had some stories to tell with these characters. That's what sealed the deal for me. I wouldn't have taken it just for the paycheck. That's not how I work.

PBR: You have worked with a variety of team books in the past. Do you like working with a smaller group of lead characters or do you think having a larger number of lead characters provides you with more of a challenge?

JC: A smaller group is more manageable, sure, but that wasn't the criteria. I wanted a team dynamic that allowed for the most interesting character interactions. That's basically how we chose this cast. It wasn't based on size.

PBR: In getting ready to work on this new series, how did you prepare yourself? Was there a lot of reading or have you pretty much kept up with Devil's Due's run on the series?

JC: DDP sent me their entire run to read. Took me a few days, but once I'd torn through them I figured I knew where the series had been...and where it needed to go.

PBR: How is the support from everyone in Devil's Due's office about your plans for the series? Any big ideas you thought wouldn't make it through editorial that got approved, or are they trusting you in your direction for the characters?

JC: Pretty much everything I pitched got approved. Then again, I wouldn't have taken the gig if my vision for the book hadn't matched what they were willing to do with it.

PBR: How much input did you have on the G.I. JOE team members that you would be able to use in this series? Or did you get a list of character that would be surviving the "Dawn of the Red Shadows" story arc?

JC: Josh Blaylock and I basically came to a quick consensus on who the primary cast should be. It wasn't a difficult process. As far as I'm concerned, it's pretty obvious who the stars of the series should be.

PBR: Getting into the upcoming series and especially the upcoming #0 issue, it's probably a good bet that there will be a much larger number of people who have not tried out G.I. JOE before checking this issue out since it's only a quarter. What do you do with this kind of opportunity to pull in new readers and keep them on board to buy the next issue?

JC: The same thing I try to do with every comicbook I write...to give readers something that compels them to pick up the next issue. The #0 issue, the low price, all that is just marketing. That's not my business. My concern is writing good comic books. Having seen the finished #0, I'm pretty psyched with how it came out. I hope the diehard JOE fans feel the same way.

PBR: From the way the previews look and the solicitations are reading, Chicago is going to go through a very horrific event. In planning this issue, and this event, were there any concerns about doing something like this in an issue like this?

JC: None whatsoever, and Chicago's not the only target hit in the opening storyline.

PBR: Is there a need to bring this series and these characters into more realistic settings and events to make the readers care more about these characters? Or is this the natural progression of the series?

JC: It's just the way I write, I guess. I try to look for the humanity, the emotional truth in any character I'm writing, no matter how fantastic. Since G.I. JOE is more of a military action book, that's the circumstance that grounds these people, and that's where any reality has to spring from. G.I. JOE has a built-in fanbase so I see my job as writing these characters in a way that fans feel justifies in their attachment to them.

PBR: Would it be fair to say that America's Elite is a grittier G.I. JOE series than the previous ones by either Devil's Due or Marvel?

JC: All I'd feel qualified to say about that is that I want this version of the book to feel completely modern. I think each incarnation of the series has been of its time and hopefully this one will be no different. That's what we're striving for, anyway...

PBR: There is a lot of talk about the new Joe leader. I know you're not going to give it away right here, but are there any Joe's that are out of consideration (minus Lady Jaye, of course)?
Part of the fun of a relaunch like this is that anything is possible.

PBR: How close are you and Stefano Caselli working together on this series as far as how the art portrays the story you're telling.

JC: I made sure that Stefano and I talked about the book before I took the gig. Thankfully, we were on the same page so the collaboration has been pretty good so far. Thanks to the miracle of the Internet, we can be in touch pretty much whenever we want.

PBR: What can you say about Caselli's work on the book so far?

JC: In my humble opinion, I think he's doing the best work of his career so far. And I can tell it's only going to get better with every issue. I hope he sticks around for the long haul.

PBR: How far along are you two on the series? How many issues are in the queue?

JC: I'm four scripts deep and I think two issues have been drawn.

PBR: While it may be really too early to ask about how long you two plan on staying on the series, how far ahead are you as far as planning on what's to come?

JC: I've got the first year mapped out. Beyond that, it's really up to fans' opinion on whether or not I'm doing a good job writing their favorite characters.

PBR: Any clues for readers on what they can expect to see (or who they'll see) in this series within the first year?

JC: Nothing they expect.