FARMHAND #14, available in comic book stores on Wednesday, March 4th, answers a question that’s been on fans’ minds: How was the Jedediah Seed created? Writer and creator Rob Guillory takes readers on flashbacks to Katrina 2, a horrific natural disaster that destroyed Freetown twenty years earlier. It is here Monica Thorne experiences a vision of a mysterious being claiming to be “God.” And it’s ready to alter the course of events in Freetown forever.
Story
In the present, widespread panic spreads throughout Freetown. The Jed Seed’s effects have been showing up in the townsfolk, even if they didn’t receive transplants.
Zeke and company conduct separate investigations throughout town, learning just how far the adverse effects have reached. People and animals are becoming more plant-like. Zeke and the group soon find that Thorne, manipulating Jeb, is behind it all. And Jeb is not happy.
Guillory’s writing plays out like the beautifully constructed sci-fi horror comic that it is. One thinks of cult classics such as The Happeningin its ability to show what our world would look like of our ecosystems started fighting back.
Artwork
Guillory’s penciling and ink work is just as engaging as his writing. The blending of human anatomy with green plant-like appendages gives this issue an unsettling surrealness. Rico Renzi’s coloring helps create this effect by contrasting the “unnatural” colors of artificial items throughout the town with the earthy colors of those affected by the Seed.
Kody Chamberlain’s lettering fits wonderfully with the horror theme, employing erratic, red fonts when used for the demonic speech of the “God” figure.
Comic Cover
Guillory and Taylor Wells’s cover artwork features Thorne examining an eyeball growing from a mysterious plant, showing readers how integral she is to the Seed pandemic.
Conclusion
FARMHAND #14 reveals more about the Seed’s history than ever before, showing how involved Thorne was with it from the very beginning. The engaging narrative, digging deeper into the earth of Guillory’s imagination, keeps us coming back for more.
Do you think the Seed’s effects will spread to the rest of the country? Let us know in the comments below!
JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #19, available in stores on Wednesday, March 4th, dives deeper into the mind of Epoch, the mysterious “Lord of Time.” Apparently, he’s a person of interest to Darkseid and his forces, meaning the League members could find some pertinent information. But in a race against the clock, what could the master of time unveil to combat the coming threat?
Story
The League members, along with Gamma Knife and Orion, met Epoch last issue after exploring Darkseid’s vessel. They learned that he was human who could manipulate time as he willed it. But with so much data and contraptions procured by the man, we still don’t know what his intentions are. One might reasonably wonder if he’s planning to take on the villain’s approaching kill team all by himself.
Earlier on in this storyline, Cruz saw her close friend and fellow Justice League member Cyborg fall prey to Darkseid’s control. But now it appears the evil overlord has overtaken Starfire, the sister of Blackfire and beloved Titans member.
The team must now decide how to alleviate the threat: should they attempt to subdue their mind-controlled friend without killing her, or would it be best to wipe her out completely? Ironically, Blackfire, in a true example of compartmentalization, calls for the latter. Her reasoning? Epoch can rewrite time/history and erase Darkseid and his evil influence plaguing the universe, saving her sister. And indeed, this method is the one Epoch proposes.
Dan Abnett’s writing asked a a hard-hitting philosophical question at the core of any person who’s serious thought about the evil in this world: What would the world look like if we could edit out all the bad parts of life? Unfortunately, our heroes may soon learn the ramifications of such a circumstance.
Artwork
Cliff Richards’s penciling and ink work, Rain Beredo’s coloring, and Andworld Design’s lettering come together beautifully in this issue. The sleek designs of Darkseid’s heralds have multiple variations of black armored suits that fit each character’s color palette. In addition, the letter boxes pace well with the action, increasing and decreasing in spacing depending on how quickly the scene is moving.
Comic Book Covers
Main Cover
José Ladrönn’s main cover gives readers a look at the Darkseid-controlled Starfire, showing us how far one of DC’s beloved heroes has fallen.
Variant Cover
Skan’s variant cover features Darkheid and his newly recruited minions, including Cyborg and Starfire. This shows readers just how complex the army our heroes are facing has become.
Conclusion
JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #19 ramps up the stakes ten-fold by revealing Epoch’s plan. Only time will tell (no pun intended) if he will be able to pull it off, and what it will mean for history itself.
Do you think Epoch’s plan will come to fruition? Let us know in the comments below!
The fourth issue of historical crime-thriller “The Butcher of Paris” is here, and it once again provides intrigue and tension in spades. Stephanie Phillips’ scripts continue to be the perfect meld of WWII character commentary and sharp detective storytelling. This fact coupled with the artwork of Dean Kotz and Jason Wordie makes this another stellar chapter in a fantastic series.
“Paris has been liberated, but as the citizens rejoice, the killer’s wave of terror begins to fade from the public eye–which means he has an opportunity to escape!
Meanwhile, the French police begin to strive to oust the remaining Nazis inhabiting the city. Could there be one hiding in their own ranks?”
Writing & Plot
The biggest strength of “The Butcher of Paris” in terms of storytelling is its consistently sharp plotting despite handling so many subjects at once. This issue’s tackling of the liberation of France from Nazi occupation is riveting, but so is the underlying main plot of Detective Massau’s hunt for the Butcher. The way these two overlap while maintaining the gravity of both is what keeps this story so compelling from month to month. The dialogue as well is intelligent and naturalistic, making the narration-free read a smooth page-turner of an experience. Phillips‘ juggling of the winding plot is the work of an expert, and makes this series one of the most well-written in recent memory.
Art Direction
Artist Dean Kotz strikes again in “Butcher of Paris” #4 with his brand of unique character art and sense of visual direction. The panels for this series continue to give the essence of watching a well-directed thriller. Kotz’s unmistakable pencils provide the aesthetic of a European graphic novel, further entrenching the setting in the eyes of the reader. Jason Wordie‘s colors provide deep hues of red and rusty browns that sell the idea that there is a gross threat still at large in the midst of the Parisian population’s victory over the Nazis. An unsung hero of the visual direction of this comic is the wholly unique lettering of Tror Peteri. The fonts he uses look as though they were etched into the page by a crude ink quill, and they create a looming sense of atmospheric foreboding in the reading experience. This fourth chapter is yet again a triumph of visual storytelling in tandem with a phenomenal script.
“The Butcher of Paris” #4 is an excellent chapter near the end of this series. Stephanie Phillips’ airtight script and control of the plot balances the conspiratorial elements of the French victory over the Nazis with the thriller aspects at the comic’s core. The visual work by Dean Kotz and Jason Wordie maintains the comic’s unique vision and stands out as some of the most interesting work in the medium. Be sure to grab a copy on 3/4!
Doctor Who 13th Doctor Year 2 #3 Credit: TITAN Comics
Two Doctors and two alien threats mean four times the fun in Titan ComicsDoctor Who The 13th Doctor Year 2. The third issue is released this week and the inevitable happens as the 10th Doctor meets his future. Or the 13th meets her past, depending on how you look at it.
It is a complicated story with a lot of back and forth but the writer Jody Houser has got Doctor Who under her skin. All of the elements of a classic duel Doctor story-line are here with the added bonus of two of the best foes of any era. As the action builds can the creators keep up?
Doctor Who 13th Doctor Year 2 #3 Credit: TITAN Comics
Adventures in Time
The 10th Doctor and his future ‘fam’ have come, literally, face to face with a Weeping Angel. Meanwhile the 13th Doctor and Martha take flight from an army of Auton. All in all, the Doctor is having a busy day.
This issue sees the pace increase dramatically from previous issues. This is a standard turnaround for this type of Doctor Who story where the tension is slowly built to introduce the villains. Then comes the running, the shouting, and finally the reveal of the villains goal. It’s a classic four part Doctor Who story structure, although there is no motive in this issue. That has been left for future chapters.
Houser has a firm grip on the different characters from each of the time periods. The interactions between old and new are perfectly balanced although the 13th Doctor has an energy more akin to her past counterpart. It’s as if she is feeding off the vitality of her youth while maintaining the characteristics that she has developed. People will still recognise Jodie Whitaker in the speech that Houser scripts but the story is definitely more 10th Doctor.
The highlight of this issue involves the 10th Doctor’s discovery of the TARDIS, which is clearly a future version. The child like excitement of the character is reminiscent of Sarah Jane Smiths’ encounter with the time ship in School Reunion. There is a sense of awe, of wonder, and of longing.
Unfortunately this whole scene overshadows the Fam’s escape from the Weeping Angel and reduces the scary threat to something more comical. The intimidation of the Angels comes across much better later in the issue but surprisingly the Auton threat seems greater.
Doctor Who 13th Doctor Year 2 #3 Credit: TITAN Comics
Drawing the Cast Together
There is a simplicity of form to much of the art work, with only a few backgrounds containing complex detail. This is because Roberta Ingranata is able to represent the characters with a minimum number of lines, almost like a caricature but without the comical exaggeration. She captures the essence of the character and relays this to the reader, rendering each cast member in a unique way. The general shapes of the cast are enough to identify who is depicted.
This simplicity makes the comic easier to read. The audience is able to immediately identify who is in each panel and is therefore not wasting time trying to work out which character they are following. This became a problem with some of BOOM! StudiosBuffy comics last year where big reveals were dampened by lack of immediate identification. That is not a problem here. Ingranata’s character work is perfect.
There is also a certain dynamism to the pages. Not necessarily with the depiction of movement but just in the presence of the characters. The Doctor specifically holds the attention on the page, giving the reader a focus with which to follow the story. Each page of the comic has one aspect of the famous Time Lord and it is this figure that leads the directional reading.
Design and Color
The design of the page is such that the reader zones in on the Doctor in the opening panel and then weaves their way through the page, jumping from panel to panel in a search for the Gallifreyan. The placement of the speech by letterers Richard Starkings and Sarah Hedrick facilitate this movement. There is an easy to follow flow in this comic which helps to build the pace of the story.
The colorist, Enrica Eren Angiolini, picks out each iteration of the Time Lord and represents them through alternating color palettes. Each page that is dominated by one Doctor or the other has a theme that matches their general appearance.
The 10th Doctor is quite subdued with muted hues. There are a number of browns and deep blues with a serious, dark purple color flowing through his backgrounds. The 13th Doctor has much more color and vibrancy. Backgrounds feature an array of color, a range across the spectrum, much like the Doctor’s own clothes. It’s as if the very environment that the Doctor enters twists to fit them and their personality.
Doctor Who 13th Doctor Year 2 #3 Credit: TITAN Comics
Conclusion
With the final episode on the most recent series now out in the world, almost any story is going to have difficulty following in the wake. Luckily for readers of the Titan Comic, Jody Houser is exceptional at writing Doctor Who. She captures the characteristics and mannerisms of the TARDIS crew but more importantly she brings the tone of the series to the pages of the comic.
With wonderfully fun and entertaining art work, this second comic season of the 13th Doctor is a great read for any fan. Not everything quite fits together yet but there is no indication that it won’t in the end: there is a definite feeling that this is heading somewhere fantastic.
Quantum & Woody #3 doesn’t hit your local comic book shop until March 25, but thanks to Valiant Entertainment, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page first look with commentary from series writer Christopher Hastings.
The four-issue mini-series is written by Hastings, with pencils & inks by Ryan Browne, Ruth Redmond handles colors, and you will read Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou letters (just not today).
About the Quantum & Woody: Quantum & Woody — the worst superhero duo in the world — are Earth’s LAST hope against stopping a coalition of mad scientists from destroying the planet!
Ejoy the Preview – Page One
Quantum and Woody are two superhero brothers (one of whom is adopted, hence the difference in melanin across the two) who just do not get along. Unfortunately, their superpowers come paired with individual bracelets that will disintegrate the boys to nothing if not touched together every 24 hours. So they’re stuck with each other.
When telling a story about mismatched superhero brothers, you’re going to have to go back to their shared past from time to time, so here we show off a moment in their youth when Woody was bullied, Eric (Quantum) tried to help out, and it didn’t go great. – Hastings
Page Two
Moving on to the present, at that very same locker room, a couple of teens sneak off to vape some kind of cool flavored nicotine product, but are interrupted by A SPOOKY GHOST. Quantum and Woody’s old high school is h-h-h-aunted! – Hastings
Page Three
And just in case you skipped my first paragraph here, page three features our little recap/comic book theme song that tells you everything you need to know about Quantum and Woody (once it’s lettered). We’re big on doing self-contained, episodic stories that anybody can pick up, whether they’ve read previous installments or not, and this segment does most of the heavy lifting on the necessary continuity. – Hastings
Page Four
And here’s Quantum! Lately, his slacker brother Woody has been showing off some mysterious new powers, so the much more disciplined (and jealous) Quantum is training hard to achieve the same super-powered growth. Right now, he’s trying to maintain his quantum energy shields under the tremendous heat and pressure under the Earth’s crust.
Will such training help at all while going undercover as substitute teachers at the old high school? Is there some sort of terrible link from that moment in Quantum and Woody’s past and the mystery of the present? Yes! Obviously! Read the book to find out what, please! – Hastings
What have you thought of the series so far? Comment below with your thoughts.
Strap on your detective boots and put on your spider suit as the crimebusting, Private Eye Spider-Man of Earth-90214 returns this Wednesday in Marvel Comics’ five-issue mini-series, Spider-Man Noir #1.
Spider-Man Noir #1 Origin/Title page
Before joining Spider-Man Noir of Earth-90214 on his detective case, a little backstory is needed. The title page (seen above) does give you some info, yet not all. During 2018’s Spider-Geddon Spider-Man Noir was killed by Morlun. Alas, you can’t keep a good spider down as he was resurrected in Feburaury’s Spider-Verse #5. While you’re picking up Spider-Man Noir #1 at your LCS, make sure you pick up those titles to learn more.
Death and resurrections in comics, you got to love them, huh?
SPIDER-MAN NOIR IS ON THE CASE
For the first issue in the series, Margaret Stohl brings the reader right into the action with her writing. Instead of taking time to explain everything about Spider-Man Noir, she uses the above title page to explain all that’s needed. This effectively gives her the full page count to tell the story she wants, instead of catching readers up. This works out for the better as all the reader really needs to know is Spider-Man Noir is a Private Eye that’s not afraid of using a gun. Plus, within the first page, she can set the state of the world with a radio broadcast.
One massive factor of Spider-Man Noir that should stick out is the speech pattern. Detective/noir stories usually have a specific jargon, that people recognize. Stohl perfectly understands this lingo and the rhythm that the dialogue needs. Stohl’s dialogue has a music-like ebb and flow between characters that read smoothly. While reading Spider-Man Noir #1, you’ll be reminded of old Detective movies, for all of the best reasons. Furthermore, there is one story beat that was equally hilarious and well done containing an egg.
During the first page, Spider-Man Noir is peeling an egg but receives the call of action. Pocketing the egg, he takes on a few speed happy robbers. Once finished, he remarks that keeping the neighborhood friendly “ain’t over easy,” then proceeds to eat the over-easy egg in the next panel. This dry humor is fantastic and seen throughout. Yet the joke is amplified by Juan Ferreyra’s visuals.
Art by Juan Ferreyra. Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham
A BUSY AND DANGEROUS CITY
If anyone was tasked with the art department for Spider-Man Noir #1, it had to be Ferreyra. Ferreyra’s art has fluid movement to it that never feels like too much or little. Instead, it helps pace the story along while you turn the page.
Nonetheless, that isn’t the only reason his art makes perfect sense for the series. His lines are solid, helping the characters pop off from the busy background, which Spider-Man Noir #1 has a bit of. Furthermore, each action scene is fluid, lively, and moves along amazingly, whereas the backgrounds can be explained the same. Ferreyra adds the right amount of details to make the world feel alive, while not to busy.
Keeping the noir trend, Ferreyra colors Spider-Man Noir #1 with heavy blacks and whites compared to other colors. This expands to the usual white-colored panel lines. Instead, Ferreyra uses a pure black to keep the noir trend. Not all objects are colored as such, though. When he wants to highlight a person or object, he adds a bright color that stands out. This can be seen with Mary Jane, Aunt May, the dead victim, and his spider-sense, to name a few. Like all other Spider-Men and women, this version has a spider-sense. It’s used once, yet, Ferreyra colors it red and has it surround his face. It may sound simple, but he makes it gorgeous.
Art by Juan Ferreyra. Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham
WORDS OF MYSTERY
As with most Detective tales, Spider-Man Noir #1 has a bit more dialogue. Furthermore, the darker shades of colors Ferreyra uses means the usage of pure white bubbles may look weird. Luckily VC’s Travis Lanham combats both of these in his lettering. During the heavier bits, he is able to flex the lettering around while putting indents in some to make others fit. For the color aspect, Lanham changes the bubbles inside color to a grey shade that matches the ton of art. The same can be said for the various sound effects seen throughout.
A GLOBETROTTING CASE
Spider-Man Noir’s first issue starts Spider-Man of Earth-90214’s newest case on a great foot. It’s a fastpaced story as the team goes straight into the globetrotting tale. Even if this is your first time reading a Spider-Man Noir story, you won’t be confused, and you’ll find why people love the character.
Memorable Quote: “Sometimes it’s not your mind that changes. Sometimes the world changes around you.” – Huma Bergmann
I’ve never heard that one, yet it has a simple beauty to it.
Sydney Duncan and Natalie Barahona’s Civil-War era revenge series “Kill Whitey Donovan” nears its end with issue #4, and its approach is one of foreboding. This is an issue rife with internal character tension and more close escapes, all the while mounting towards an ending paved with mythic references. Duncan’s writing hits new poetic heights while Barahona’s stellar work maintains its gorgeous and moody aesthetic for yet another engrossing chapter of this series.
“The mysterious Oracle Jones, an Underground Railroad ”conductor,” claims to know the whereabouts of Hattie’s mother, whom he helped escape years ago after she was sold off by Old Man Donovan–and he says he can help Hattie find her.
But the women are close to Atlanta, and Anna can almost taste her revenge. Will this new revelation cause the unlikely pair to split for good, and if so, can Anna possibly kill her fiance without Hattie’s help?”
Writing & Plot
Sydney Duncan‘s writing on “Kill Whitey Donovan” #4 takes the artful yet naturalistic style of her work on this series and adds a layer of mythical foreshadowing to the plot. This issue includes intriguing character conversations and revelations that will no doubt keep the reader engaged while also including yet another intense and stressful escape sequence. The inclusion of a one-eyed newcomer with some much-needed knowledge for one of our two lead characters offers more of that grim foreshadowing that’s been discussed, while also giving the pair a much needed helping hand. Duncan’s usual excellent pacing of dialogue and silence adds a certain poeticism to the mix for this issue, as the series draws closer to its finale. The final page here offers a warning to our tired and battle-hardened leads, and makes the wait for the finale a punishing one.
Art Direction
The stunning and dark artwork of Natalie Barahona has maintained the atmospheric vision of “Kill Whitey Donovan” beautifully for its entire length, and this fourth chapter keeps this trend going. The sharp character detail paints suspicion, determination, panic, and every emotion in-between on the cast in this tension-filled comic. The crisp linework and darkened color choice create stunning and professional-looking work that oozes with atmosphere. The lettering from Troy Peteri comes in a more standard font, but it’s easy to read and has careful bold points that make the processing of the dialogue an easy task. Once again, excellent visual direction to be found in this issue of “Kill Whitey Donovan.”
“Kill Whitey Donovan” #4 is a tense issue that looms the promise of the threat to come in its dark and poetic words. Duncan’s script mixes her artful writing with her knowledge of when to let the art and setting do the talking. Barahona’s artistic vision once again creates a gorgeous and atmospheric world that pulls the reader into its swamps and humidity. Wih only one more issue to go, be sure not to miss out on this excellent series when issue #4 hits shelves on 3/4!
Tom Bilyeu, the founder Impact Theory, which has expanded into comic book publishing was at C2E2 this past weekend and talked with Monkeys Fighting Robots about recruiting talent and the company’s next series Hexagon.
Hexagon is a five-issue mini-series written by Michael Moreci, with art by Jheremy Raapack, and Jorge Corona worked on the cover. Dutch DJ and record producer Don Diablo collaborated on the project with Moreci. The first issue hits your local comic book store on March 18.
About Hexagon: It’s the 1980s, and all twelve-year-old Don wants to do is play video games at the local arcade. Don’s father, however, refuses to let him play. Egged on by his friends and trying to impress a girl, Don sneaks out to join an all-night game-a-thon. Defying the odds (and on his first-quarter ever!), Don beats Crucible, a game long considered unbeatable. In an instant, his world is turned upside down when his victory triggers an alien invasion and sucks him into an intergalactic battle that has been raging for years, a battle his father was desperately trying to protect him from!
Enjoy the interview below
MFR: How did you find Michael Moreci for Hexagon?
Tom Bilyeu:I found Michael Moreci’s other comics like Wasted Space, and I just had to recruit him. I stalked him, begged, even borrowed favors just to get him on.
[Laughs]
MFR: How exactly does Impact Theory recruit new talents?
Tom Bilyeu:Mostly through networking. Having the right kind of portfolio helps a lot. But so does knowing the right people. Like when I want to have certain people for projects, I tell everyone about it. So whenever I’m doing something else a friend can tell me of a good time to speak with certain talents.
MFR: For Hexagon, was the team aware of the possibility of drawing parallels to 80s settings like in Stranger Things?
TB:Absolutely, drawing parallels is a good way to get a story out there for people to pay attention. If we can advertise this as “Stranger Things meets Star Wars” fans can be like “oh I like this” and jump onto the story.
MFR:Talk about the makeup of the creative team of Hexagon?
TB:Well like you said at first, everybody has a role to play. Don is obviously the heart and soul of this project. Michael, here is the writer. As for me, I barely do anything because I’m just the f***ing publisher. It is all just a matter of finding people to work with and finding how they create something good into something better.
MFR: Thank you for your time and best of luck with Hexagon!
Do you plan on picking up a copy of Hexagon #1? Comment below with your thoughts.
Panda Mony’s company president Ryan Magnon was at C2E2 this past weekend and he talked with Monkeys Fighting Robots about its toy franchise Alter Nation and unique style of marketing.
Panda Mony is an up-and-coming toy company looking to entertain kids through a new franchise, Alter Nation. To get the word out Magnon entertains a few techniques including a partnership with Dark Horse Entertainment. The preview issue is available in select comic stores or with online vendors like Comixology. Detailing the adventures of a military group of genetically altered soldiers chasing cryptids and conspiracies; Magnon hopes to make his franchise equivalent to ones like G.I. Joe and TMNT. But Coppa has been cracking down on websites that use cookies to collect kid’s data. Not to mention the main demographic of comic stores are over the age of 18. So how does Panda Mony go about this? At C2E2 I ask Magnon that.
Enjoy the interview below
MFR: On Panda Mony’s website your motto is to give the kids of today equivalents of the figure lines of decades prior. What are your strategies to reach them? Given the stricter control on social media including but not limited to Coppa.
Magnon:Coppa doesn’t have regulations on typical forms of advertising like book fairs or US mail. We can still provide content on YouTube just not collect their information. Also, we try to spread to retailers by getting the word out through cons like this and previously mentioned.
MFR: Bouncing off of that, how does Panda Mony plan to spread its brands to the general public if the availability is in very limited areas like select stores in states? I for one only found Alter Nation by chance twofold. The preview comic from Comixology and word of mouth from my friend who collects figures.
Magnon:Those stores on the website don’t necessarily mean all of the stores we have on call. Like I said before we try to spread the word out like our partnership through Dark Horse, which will be releasing a graphic novel. While kids don’t necessarily go to comic book stores, they do still visit book stores like Barnes and Nobles and book fairs. We also have our webisodes on our website and YouTube channel, which again we can still have despite the Coppa laws. We’re also in talks with animation and production studios for an all-ages TV series to reach the public.
MFR: A friend of mine likes the quality of Panda Mony’s figures. Who judges the designs and personalities that go into the figures?
Magnon:I do actually while Curtis and the rest of the team play their parts. We interview kids through surveys on subjects like what’s their favorite animal and what kind of characters they like. Afterward, we use their feedback to make characters those kids and others would like.
MFR: In the exclusive comic preview of Alter Nation, I could not help but notice the similarities between franchises like GI Joe, TMNT, and X-Men. With those franchises having such large followings that continue today; how do you plan to make Alter Nation stand out?
Magnon:All series and franchises actually have some similarities. Star Wars, for example, was inspired by Flash Gordon and I’m sure Flash Gordon had other inspirations. As for Alter Nation, while it kind of is X-Files with superpowers, we try to give it an angle that those series never tried before. In Alter Nation while we do have similarities with TMNT and X-Men we have a real focus on conspiracy theories.
MFR: With everyone on screens just about anyone can join in on that front.
Magnon:That’s true.
MFR: Do you and the Panda Mony team have favorite characters?
Magnon:Curtis likes Sabotage since he came up with the villain. As for me, I like them all but I hold a special place for Albert VII with all the accessories he can come with.
MFR: Ryan, thank you for your time and best of luck with Alter Nation!
About Alter Nation: The Mystery of Whining Winny: The GK Delta team is the only line of defense against threats that normal humans can’t stop. Join the team as they’re dispatched to Nevada where it’s rumored that a monster is menacing locals and this monster may be the newest member of the team. If not, GK Delta will be trapped between this new monster and the townspeople they need to save. Written by Tim Seeley (Grayson, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero), illustrated by Mike Norton (Battlepug), colored by Allen Passalaqua (Battlepug), and lettered by Crank!
The Alter Nation: The Mystery of Whining Winny original graphic novel will hit your local comic book store this fall.
Cullen Bunn was at C2E2 in Chicago this past weekend, and Monkeys Fighting Robots got a chance to speak with him about Shadowman and his writing process. Shadowman hits your local comic book store on May 20.
Bunn is known for indie work on Harrow County and The Sixth Gun, but the writer has a history with voodoo with titles like Punk Mambo and Bone Parish.
Enjoy the interview below
MFR: You’ve written about voodoo in Bone Parish and Punk Mambo, will these books influence Shadowman?
Bunn:Voodoo has always been something I’ve been interested in. The magic system is unique, and I thought it would be good to implement. But the voodoo you find in Valiant isn’t the traditional kind, just the Valiant variant. As for leading into Shadowman, Punk Mambo at least will lead into some events in Shadowman.
MFR: You seem to employ the deeper meanings behind mythical and religious teachings. How much research goes into these series and is there a method in how you apply them?
Bunn:I do enough research to be dangerous. I like to make the research feel real to the readers. But I don’t spend weeks and weeks doing my research, just enough to feel immersive.
MFR: Critics love your work in horror and fantasy, but you don’t shy away from other genres. How do you approach working in different genres?
Bunn:Yes, whenever I work on a different genre and series I always want to be able to bring something only I can do to each of them.
MFR: On that note, have any characters from your previous works influenced how you develop other series?
Bunn:Every character I work with has in some way influenced me and my series. However, it’s never as big or as overt. Sometimes even I don’t notice how much influence comes in.
MFR: What else are you working on?
Bunn:I do have titles coming from Valiant and creator-owned titles that I am working on, but I’m not at liberty to discuss them at this time.
MFR: Thank you for your time Cullen!
About Shadowman: A BRAND-NEW HORROR SERIES! From the bestselling master of horror Cullen Bunn (Venom) and bone-chilling artist Jon Davis-Hunt (Clean Room) comes a shocking supernatural odyssey. The forces of darkness are awakening, and they are hungry for life. Will Jack Boniface, feared by the forces of evil as the protector Shadowman be able to save us all?
Are you looking forward to Shadowman? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
