Unless your hometown has been shrunken to minuscule proportions by Brainiac and stored in a makeshift terrarium, you must be aware that “Trinity War”, DC’s epic summer slufgest featuring all three Justice League teams, kicks off in earnest this coming Wednesday with part 1 in Justice League #22. We’ve already spoken with writers Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire about what to expect, and artist Doug Mahnke about bringing it to life, and now we’re talking to artist extraordinaire Ivan Reis about taking the colossal comic from concept to reality.

Nerdist: You had a dynamite run on Aquaman, then moved to a larger team book like Justice League. How did that compare? Was it more challenging?

Ivan Reis: Thanks. It’s always a bigger challenge when you take over a group book, especially if the group is formed by the Earth’s coolest heroes. I think that the biggest challenge, though, is to handle the pressure to make them work together, visually speaking, and keep the book as popular as it’s always been.

N: Did your work on Justice League prepare you for a massive crossover event like “Trinity War”?

IR: Well, all of us, the whole art team (me, Joe Prado and Rod Reis) started out on Justice League on a big crossover, not as big as Trinity War, but big and important. It was a great warm-up for all of us.

N: That giant 3-team spread you did for the “Trinity War” teasers is magnificent. Tell us about your process when tackling a massive piece like that.

IR: Thanks a lot! It was really fun and gratifying to work on that triple-cover. My biggest concern and challenge was to find the right layout for it to work as a whole, as well as 3 separated covers, each one focusing on the main characters of each of the 3 Justice League books. The outcome was amazing, and Joe (Prado) and Rod (Reis) helped a LOT.

N: Tell us a bit about “Trinity War” and what we can expect. Did you have a favorite fight or character pairing to draw? 

IR: SHAZAM vs. SUPERMAN! This is one of the fights that I loved to draw the most EVER! The first chapter of “Trinity War” is very intense and full of special moments, but, hey! You’ll have to read the book to find out the specifics!

N: Ugh, but we want to know now! Many of our readers are aspiring artists themselves. What’s something that you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?

IR: Work in comics is no easy task, and demands a LOT of your time and dedication. A whole life worth of learning. But the secret is to draw like a professional, but enjoy the whole thing as a FAN!

N: What comics are you reading an enjoying right now?

IR: Ah! Time is short for me these days! I’m totally dedicated to Justice League and Trinity War, but always a manage to find a little time to catch-up on my reading pile, but more as a study form, you know?

—

“Trinity War” kicks off in earnest with Part 1 in Wednesday’s Ivan Reis-illustrated Justice League #22. Keep up with all the mayhem on DC’s handy checklist and let us know in the comments below