Wait, did Lucasfilm reveal former plans for a standalone Star Wars movie about Tatooine’s Mos Eisley?
Yes. And now it may never see the light of day.
According to Slash Film, Solo production designer Neil Lamont confirms there was a Tatooine-centric film in the works.
“We were just starting our work on another Star Wars spin-off and yeah,” he says. “We were actually just making our mark on Tatooine — which would have been interesting and some other new galaxies.
Just think; we could have seen a Star Wars film about the seedy and dangerous types that frequent the Tatooine spaceport. Or we might have seen Tatooine be the focus of an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie. Both the former and latter in-development projects have been often confused with each other.
While the Tatooine film is on hold, Lamont reveals there is still interest in revisiting that material. “So hopefully, if that comes back, we’ll get the chance to be able to do that further,” he says.
One of most famous part of Tatooine is the Mos Eisley Cantina. This is where Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan would meet Han Solo and Chewbacca. It is also the spot where bounty hunter Greedo would make the fatal mistake of blackmailing Han.
Who knows? We may very well see more of the wretched hive of scum and villainy. Maybe not in a solo movie, but Tatooine might appear again on the big screen someday.
FXX dropped the trailer for the 13th season of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Wednesday afternoon.
Will Dennis (Glenn Howerton) come back????
About Season 13: Drink up, jabronis! The gang returns, mostly, in the next season of FXX’s comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The gang has its hands full as Charlie hopes to have a child, Mac explores his sexuality, Dee takes feminism to new heights, and Frank tries to experience the greatest moment in Philadelphia sports history.
Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito return to push the envelope on comedy.
The gang returns to FXX on September 5.
Are you still watching It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, what’s your favorite episode? Comment below with your thoughts.
Elizabeth Banks gives you a behind the scenes conversation about THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS.
About the film: No Sesame. All Street. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS is a filthy comedy set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans coexist. Two clashing detectives with a shared secret, one human (Melissa McCarthy) and one puppet, are forced to work together again to solve the brutal murders of the former cast of a beloved classic puppet television show.
The film is directed by Brian Henson from a screenplay by Todd Berger and stars Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale and Elizabeth Banks.
The most recent adventure of Wonder Woman looks beautiful but will leave readers confused.
Wonder Woman has teamed up with a new hero and an old rival for this arc. After the new Aztek approaches Diana about a vision of an Amazon, they agree to work together to find her. The Amazon, Atalanta, disappeared to fight an evil entity centuries ago. Atalanta was also worshipped by another tribe of amazons, which the Outlaw, Artemis, was a part of. Despite their intense rivalry, Artemis agrees to assist Wonder Woman in this pursuit. The trio finds themselves heading to Central America to locate Atalanta, searching for a pyramid. They find a technologically advanced pyramid and deduce she is within, as well as the dark entity. What will our heroes face in the darkness?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
When Wonder Woman, Aztek, and Artemis find Atalanta, the portal to another world is left wide open. Diana, understanding the thread this poses, leads the group through, finding the plane of Thirteen Heavens. As they travel through this realm, fighting along the way, they learn of its plight at the hands of Tezcatlipoca, a shadow god. He has captured all of the Sky Lords so he and his forces can take over Earth. Wonder Woman, Artemis, and Aztek finally set aside their differences and take on the God.
The biggest problem I have with this issue is an obvious one: the dialogue. Many times throughout the issue left me scratching my head in confusion. Steve Orlando seems to want to build an interesting mythos surrounding the villain. While an interesting idea, it would only work if it was spread out over the arc. The heroes defeat the god and leave in this issue. Throughout the issue, we are just expected to know all of the Mesoamerican references that are used in the journey. These references, in the dialogue between two characters, felt inorganic and just flat out odd. The plot is perfectly fine; it’s just this dull dialogue that causes the issue to fall.
Art:
The art is, unfortunately, a mixed bag this time around, but the good parts do go above and beyond. The illustrations of Aco are fantastic, especially in designing Tezcatlipoca’s forces. They had the look of natives but mixed with technology reminiscent of New Genesis. Add that along to the overall look of the book; it could be hung up on a wall.
Unfortunately, there are downsides to this art as well. Just like the previous issue, the layouts hold the story back. While the dialogue has its problems, the layout furthers the confusion with strange looks. I had to take a few minutes to figure out where the two-page spreads began and ended due to this. Art is supposed to help enhance a comic reading experience, but sadly, this does the opposite.
Conclusion:
This was a rough read to get through. There are pieces to a good story arc here. The stiff dialogue and strange layouts sadly hold the entire thing back. While I hope these will smooth out in time, I can’t recommend this book.
While the newest Superman adventure is intriguing, it’s lacking something else.
There is a threat brewing on the streets of Metropolis. While Superman is distracted by the significant incidents that plague the City, a group of street-level criminals unites to work under his nose. This Invisible Mafia begins setting fires to distract the Man of Steel and goes as far as to get blame pushed on him. Unfortunately for them, the truth comes out, and Superman begins to investigate. With the eyes of Superman heading towards them, the leader of the Mafia, Mr. Strong, punishes the fire-starter. He has his metahuman crony, Red Cloud, murder the rogue mafia member in front of the others to set an example. How far will this group go to hide from the Man of Steel?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
After the body of the murdered Invisible Mafia member is dropped in midtown, reporter Melody Goode prepares a story that would blame Superman. Perry White, the determined editor for the Daily Planet, knows the story is false and has Clark investigate. Clark learns that the gangster was a member of this Mafia and agrees to follow the trail further. Meanwhile, Mr. Strong speaks with his inside reporter at the Daily Planet about taking down Superman. Melody believes she has a plan for that and has a request: she needs Kryptonite.
This investigation is pretty intriguing. Seeing Clark go out of his element to learn about the Mafia has its good points. We get to see Superman be a reporter, which to be honest, doesn’t happen as often as one would think. It’s a nice grounded part of the narrative that I appreciate.
That being said, that’s all it has storywise. This is supposed to be the more action-packed of the two Superman titles, and there is none in this issue. We get the investigation, but it needs more than that. The closest thing to action we get is Superman flying into the asteroid belt to let off some steam by punching them. Usually, the more grounded stories are left to the Superman series, but there are plenty of times Action Comics merged action with grounded moments. Comics don’t need to be full of action, but if this arc doesn’t pick up, more people might end up skipping it.
Art:
While I could go on and on about the story, I should mention the phenomenal art. There is something different about Patrick Gleason’s art this time around, but it’s still excellent. At first, it seemed as if Gleason was trying to go for a more subtle approach for this story. The style certainly captures the world of Superman, as it has in the past, and can still be considered more grounded. It becomes clear that Alejandro Sanchez’ colors are the factor responsible. His subtle shades keep the world real enough to be intriguing. All the factors considered, this team knocks it right out of the park.
Conclusion:
This opening arc to the Bendis-era of Action Comics needs more than what it is putting out. While the art and investigation hook the reader, it doesn’t do enough to keep them. The coming issues need more than just Superman following clues, but with the cliffhanger at the end, I feel we might just get that.
COLD SPOTS #1 from Image Comics hits your local comic book store as Cullen Bunn and Mark Torres open this eerie, bitter, tale with something supernatural and otherworldly surrounding the main character Dan Kerr and the individuals he’s tasked with finding, but there appears to be more than meets the eye in this dark and cold mystery.
COLD SPOTS #1 WRITTEN BY: Cullen Bunn ART BY: Mark Torres LETTERS: Simon Bowland
COLD SPOTS #1 SPOILERS AHEAD!
Summary
The story begins with Mr. Kerr driving to a meeting to meet Mr. Warren about a job. Readers find out that Mr. Kerr hasn’t seen Mr. Warren for over eight years. It turns out, Kerr was hired to find two missing people; Alyssa and her daughter Grace. After searching Grace’s room, the Butler finally caved and gave Mr. Kerr a hint as to where he thinks the ladies may have run off too: Ferry Landing.
Once Kerr arrives in town, he begins to ask questions that lead him to a motel for the night. After realizing that there is something odd about the cold weather in the area, Mr. Kerr pops back in the motel to find the store clerk frozen and broken in two.
The Goods
Cullen Bunn and Mark Torres are fantastic at showing readers the tension between Mr. Warren and Mr. Kerr. From the time Mr. Kerr drives to the mansion and even throughout the meeting, Bunn and Torres depict hate, hostility, and regret between these two characters through a mix of art, conversation, and situational writing.
Readers see the fear that Bunn was able to portray with simple discourse and well-placed panel layouts. For example, the Butler’s reaction to the dead hamsters and realizing his mistakes by not mentioning Alyssa’s online friends was worked in nicely by Bunn with little dialogue and designed so clearly. Bunn knows how to say just enough to leave fans curious while Torres helps add that extra layer of fear to set the mood and scene perfectly.
Now, my favorite part was the ending of the issue. It’s implied that these “specters” possess the ability to freeze people. Somehow the cold is so overwhelming that the store clerk turned to ice and broke. I want to see more of this! Are these ghosts the individuals from their past or is this some demonic spirit that takes the form of their lost loved ones? Also, does Alyssa or even Grace somehow control these specters? These are just a few questions that I left the issue with and I can’t wait to see where Bunn and Torres go from here.
The Art
The style that Torres uses sets the mood of the book immediately. The colors are dark, and the supernatural beings are drawn in such a frightening way. Simon Bowland’s letters are placed perfectly, his pacing and rhythm are spot on, and he never draws attention away from the art or story. The story’s progression is easy to follow, and I love quick and easy reads.
However, I enjoy more crispy and vivid art. That said, Torres’ art isn’t as detailed and dynamic as I would like but the art doesn’t take me out of the book. Again, it sets the mood, but I feel like it’s missing something. I enjoy seeing discernible facial expressions and details of characters, especially when they are front and center on the page.
Torres puts too many dark shadows around the characters faces, which took so much precision away from the issue. I understand the style choice, and I agree that the shadows helped add the eerie feeling that I loved, but I wish a happy medium could be found between the mood and the detail.
Should you buy this issue?
Bunn and Torres do a phenomenal job putting readers into a dark, ominous, and creepy environment from the start. Bunn doesn’t clue the reader into much in the beginning, BUT he implies ideas and situations that are going on while Torres sets the tone beautifully. If you like bone-chilling tales, this is for you. Get COLD SPOTS #1!
Should you add this to your pull list?
Definitely! If you like suspenseful, spine-chilling tales, Bunn’s COLD SPOT #1 is for you. By the end of the issue, readers are led to believe something unexplainable and supernatural is happening, AND it appears to be connected to Alyssa and Grace.
What did you guys think of COLD SPOTS #1? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
Cinemax released the first teaser trailer for Warrior, the series based on an original idea by Bruce Lee. There’s not much to the tease but a good kung fu series is a welcomed sight to the crowded landscape of television.
“WARRIOR 101”: Andrew Koji (Credit: Graham Bartholomew)
The 10 episode series stars Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, Jason Tobin, Dianne Doan, Kieran Bew, Dean S. Jagger, Joanna Vanderham, Tom Weston-Jones, Hoon Lee, Joe Taslim, Langley Kirkwood, Christian McKay, Perry Yung, Arthur Falko, Rich Ting, and Dustin Nguyen.
About Warrior: Inspired by an idea from martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, this gritty, action-packed crime drama is set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. Filming in Cape Town, South Africa, it follows a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful organized crime families.
Award-winning sound designer Jacob Ribicoff loves to knead sound like bread, and he’s baked delicious sonic-loafs for films that include The Vietnam War, Fahrenheit 451 (2018), and The First Purge.
We started with The First Purge. “It was an awesome experience. One of the things I loved about working on that, aside from the action and jump scares, because, what sound designer doesn’t want to sink his teeth into that? But one of the things I loved about this film was that director Gerard McMurray, he really wanted the sound to sing. He wanted the film to sound vibrant and visceral.”
How does the process of making sound vibrant or muted begin for Jacob? “Every movie has a personality. So, like an actor, I think to myself ‘what’s my motivation?’”
“You could not have two diametrically
opposed kind of philosophies …”
A big part of any motivation in a film comes from its director and as we all know “Directors have wildly different approaches.”
Jacob’s worked with a lot of great ones over the years “Two films I worked on around the same time were The Darjeeling Limited from Wes Anderson and The Wrestler with Daren Aronofsky. You could not have two diametrically opposed kind of philosophies … You see a Wes Anderson movie, and it’s visually lush and amazingly composed, and the colors are vibrant. I had the intuitive impulse to create a reflection of that, equally vibrant. But Wes didn’t want that at all. He wanted a lo-fi approach. He wanted the sound to be a foil and not compete with the film. With Darren, it was the opposite. ‘I want this to be realism.’ Hyper-realism.”
“But when it came time to actually watch
the movie with those sounds in it things changed.”
Jacob discusses another nuanced type of director “… on Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl, that was a movie where we sat down to spot the movie. The director [Alfonso Gomez-Rejon] had all these ideas about the sound. I executed the ideas. But when it came time to actually watch the movie with those sounds in it things changed. They wanted more sparse-ness, but they needed to hear it first with sort of ‘extra sounds’ to really understand what they wanted. That happens a lot too.”
Jacob worked on the remarkable documentary series from 2017 The Vietnam War. So, what’s the connective tissue between all these different projects? “It’s about storytelling and appreciating … the aesthetic of how the story is being told.” He continues the actor analogy “… like an actor, I don’t want to be pigeonholed into one kind of thing. I love doing movies like The First Purge but also quieter films.
“It’s tactile.”
Passion rises “I love working with sound. It’s almost like sinking your hand into dough while making bread. It’s tactile. And it’s stimulating and challenging to work with directors who want to sink deep into that.”
As an example of how deep the filmmaking process can go “In Manchester by the Sea, there was a moment where a ping-pong ball is being hit. I listened to five different recordings of a ping-pong ball, and there was one that I said ‘that’s the essence of a ping-pong ball. That’s the one.’ I showed it to [director] Kenneth Lonergan, and he said ‘no, that’s not a ping-pong ball.’ So, I let him listen to the other recordings, and there was one that made him say ‘that’s it.’ So, I say it’s so important to find out what kind of story the director is telling.”
Readers, if you’re wondering “There is no right or wrong.” Or there is right and wrong at the same time.
“… and it gave me nightmares.”
Jacob talks about an early influence “Kubrick was a huge influence for me as a kid. My father was a distant relative of Kubrick and actually babysat him as a kid.”
Side Note: A cartoon about babysitters being forced to perform for a baby Stanley Kubrick sounds AMAZING.
Jacob continues “Every time a new Kubrick movie would come out we’d rush out to see it. Except for Clockwork Orange, I was a little too young for that. They took me to see 2001 when I was maybe five, and it gave me nightmares.”
“He has a way to make a sound soft
and powerful at the same time.”
The sound design industry is rich with talented people like Jacob. Who’s work does he admire? “I really like Craig Henighan, he works with Darren Aronofsky. I saw Mother! for example, a difficult movie to watch, but sonically it’s amazing. He does the sound for Stranger Things. He has a way to make a sound soft and powerful at the same time.”
So, what’s coming next from Jacob? “Wildlife, Paul Dano the director, Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ed Oxenbould. And then, Private Life with Tamara Jenkins.”
Check out The First Purge and The Vietnam War now.
Thanks to Jacob Ribicoff and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
Batman battles his entire Rogues gallery at Arkham Asylum in BATMAN KINGS OF FEAR #1 as Scott Peterson and Kelley Jones kick off their spectacular run with the Dark Knight and some of his most twisted villains. Let’s jump in!
STORY BY: Scott Peterson and Kelley Jones
COLORS: Michelle Madson
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Batman Kings of Fear SPOILERS TOO!
Take a look at some of the links from other Batman reviews and articles I’ve written below.
Summary
Somehow, the Joker has escaped Arkham and is hiding out in what appears to be an old box factory. After the Joker slices a guy’s throat, Batman jumps in and takes him down. The Caped Crusader ties up the Clown Prince of Comedy, throws him in the Batmobile, and personal checks him back into Arkham Asylum.
While Batman talks with the Doctor at Arkham, Joker frees all of the Caped Crusader’s worst villains, and a fight ensues. The Dark Knight turns out the lights and quickly takes care of Bane, Poison Ivy, Penguin, Joker, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, and Killer Croc. However, Scarecrow manages to escape with some hostages. As Batman goes to chase down Dr. Crane, the Caped Crusader gets sprayed with Scarecrows fear toxin. Who knows what nightmares are in store for our Dark Knight.
Peterson’s Way with Words
Scott Peterson moved this story along quickly, fluently, and effortlessly. Readers may find themselves reading the issue in under 10 minutes flat. To anyone interested in checking this out, it honestly will take no time at all. That said, the issue ironically excels through its dialogue. Peterson knows exactly what to say, how to say it, and doesn’t saturate a page with words. Every word is used well and appears to have a purpose. Additionally, Rob Leigh did an excellent job strategically placing the lettering throughout the pages to make the transitions appear polished.
Furthermore, Peterson slyly implies that the Joker may know that Batman is Bruce Wayne. He says things throughout the issue like ”between the cushions of Bruce Wayne’s couch” or ”mansion of a psyche.” Later, Joker also conjectures that he knows what it’s like to wake up and not know ”who you’ll be that day.” These words very well may just be Peterson showing irony, or maybe it’s something more.
Where do you Stand?
Peterson also gets readers to think about their thoughts on Batman, what he stands for, the Dark Knights purpose, and his effects on the criminals he brings in. The Doctor at Arkham references the fact that Batman can just walk right into the Asylum, but she needed background checks to get in. This was an excellent point.
Furthermore, the Doctor follows it up with a statement many fans have had for years;” maybe you aren’t responsible for the Jokers action… but you have to know you bear more than a little culpability.” These statements are profound arguments that fans, artists, and writers have probably gotten into vicious disagreements over throughout the years and bring up thought-provoking questions that I hope Peterson weighs in on during his run.
I have personally seen individuals get heated over their opinions of the Dark Knight and if he is doing more harm than good for these villains. Heck, after Joker releases almost all of the Batman Rogues and the Caped Crusader beats them all up again, the Arkham Doctor spits out another valid point. She states how Batman continues to prove to these insane villains that violence is legitimate. Peterson is stirring the pot of Batman opinions and beliefs to kick off his story. He’s hitting on touchy topics that will genrate a wide spectrum of opinions. Where do you land on the spectrum?
Kelley Jones Art
I respect the nostalgic and eccentric style of Kelley Jones’ art, but it’s not my personal favorite. Jones draws in a way that has too many shadows with thick dark lines. However, when given the opportunity to draw detailed faces, Jones dazzles fans, especially the close-up panels of Jokers face and eyes.
Also, I feel like Jones forgot to draw the Batmobile on page 11. The panel has a giant car shaped white spot where the Batmobile should be. Now, maybe Jones tried this on purpose to add his artistic flair to the issue. If so, I didn’t get it, but in Jones’ defense, I don’t get a lot of things. Moreover, if readers can overlook Jones’ abnormal style, the last page where it looks like Batman is falling, his legs look twisted and out of proportion. Regardless of style, misproportions and misplaced limbs still shouldn’t happen.
Finally, Jones’ background seemed boxy and cubical with too many sharp and jagged edges. Nothing seemed smooth throughout the issue. Furthermore, Batman’s mask appeared to be flat without a nose and his ears were overextended, which I understand is Jones’ bizarre and peculiar style, but it’s just not for me.
Should you buy this issue and/or add it to your pull list?
BATMAN KINGS OF FEAR is an interesting and unique read while Jones’ art is an acquired taste. If you can get move past Jones’ style, I would give the series a try. Peterson’s dialogue was well written, the story was full of action, and the issue developed intelligent debates. There is potential throughout these pages making this comic worth a test drive. Pick this issue up and add it to your pull list for now, especially if Jones’ style is for you.
What did you guys think of BATMAN KINGS OF FEAR #1? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
Luke Cage: Everyman is the latest Digital Original from Marvel Comics, and we got to chat with writer Anthony Del Col about the series, giving Luke CTE, writing for Marvel, and more.
Del Col works on the series with Jahnoy Lindsay (art), Ian Herring (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters). You can read our review of the first issue here.
Anthony, thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
It’s great to be here! I’m a fan of the site and the reviews you post.
Luke Cage is your first Marvel title; how does it feel to be writing for the House of Ideas? Were you a Marvel kid growing up?
In some respects, it feels like I’ve finally been called up into the big leagues. I mean, I’ve worked with a lot of top publishers, especially having just released my first graphic novel with Image Comics, but having a Marvel credit really makes the average person take a little bit notice. I mean, Marvel is one of the top entertainment brands worldwide so those that don’t know anything about comics suddenly are reaching out to me to congratulate me and express interest in the book.
The very first comic book I remember buying was an issue of Alpha Flight (Issue #17). I didn’t know anything about Wolverine but as a Canadian I loved the fact that a guy dressed up in a Canadian flag was beating him up.
What kind of learning curve was there going from creator-owned and independent comics to one of the Big Two?
I was actually surprised at the steep learning curve when it comes to writing superhero comics. When I do my own work (say Son of Hitler at Image or Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie) I’m given a lot of freedom regarding pace and what to include in an issue. For something like Luke Cage, it took me an issue or two to really get into the flow of including a lot more of story.
I was pretty fortunate, though – I have some great editors at Marvel. Alanna Smith, Jake Thomas and Mark Basso did a great job pushing me as a writer and as a result I think it’s some of the best stuff I’ve written thus far, a good combination of action and emotion.
Is Luke a dream character for you to write? What draws you to him, both as a fan and a writer?
Though Luke Cage is a superhero with unbreakable skin, what I’ve really liked about him is that he’s a very down-to-earth person. He’s not rich, he’s not an alien trying to save our entire planet. – he’s a guy that wants to have a nice, simple life and help out his local neighborhood.
But more than that, he’s a sensitive guy. What I think they’ve done really well in the comics is have him become a husband and a father. These things have grounded him even further and play to what’s most important to him – exceling at these two things. This is what I really wanted to dive into deeper in my series.
Where did the idea to give Luke CTE come from?
Luke Cage is a man with bulletproof skin, meaning he’s almost indestructible from external forces. But what about internal threats? Something that attacks him beyond his unbreakable skin?
It was when I was thinking about Luke and this weakness that it dawned on me: what if he starts to experience what a lot of soldiers end up experiencing? I had already done a lot of reading about the topic through sports reporters but it gave me an opportunity to dive deeper into the topic and speak with specialists. And it made me realize this was a really interesting thing for a superhero to go through.
Was Spike Lee/Do The Right Thing an influence for the heat wave in Luke Cage, or was I totally off-base in my review?
No, you’re actually quite smart in spotting that. I’m originally from Northern Canada and when my wife and I moved to New York a few years ago one of the biggest changes was to go through a New York heatwave. Man, those are tough! Everyone starts to get uncomfortable in their own skin and increases tensions throughout.
So when I was thinking about that and how to incorporate it into this story, Do the Right Thing was one of the first images that came to my head. Another was another Spike Lee joint: Summer of Sam. What Lee does so well is make the heatwave into a character, and that’s what I’m aiming to do with this story.
What is your writing process, and how does it change depending on if you’re writing a sequential story like Luke Cage or an OGN likeSon of Hitler?
The process for each has a lot of similarities, and some differences. The first similarity is the ending: I always need to know what the ending will be before I begin writing. It’s not necessary to know everything about the ending but the key elements (character arc, etc.).
The major difference, though, is that for a serialized tale like LUKE CAGE: EVERYMAN I only write an issue at a time and some things will change along the way. A plot point (or cliffhanger) that I originally had mapped out for the end of Issue #4 suddenly became the cliffhanger at the end of #3. Small things like that. The ending will still be the same but the process will be different.
When I wrote Son of Hitler (with co-creators Jeff McComsey and Geoff Moore) I knew every single page before I sat down to write them. Not only was the ending in place but the sequence. Of course, that changed as well, inspired by the riots in Charlottesville last year, but everything else leading up to that stayed exactly the same.
Do you approach writing a Digital Original series differently than you would a print comic? Do you keep things like “guided view” in mind?
For the most part, I try to keep the writing the same. I know that the series will eventually be released as a physical trade paperback so I want the experience to be similar in either format.
However, the big difference is that I’ve tried to avoid crafting any elaborate panel designs. Most times I like to do a page or two in every issue with unorthodox action (a medley of images, an out-there splash page) but because I know it doesn’t come across effectively digitally I abstained for the most part.
Luke Cage is a character that can deliver not only big superhero action, but also important messages about society, inequality, morality, etc. What do you hope people take away from your series?
First off, I hope that they’re entertained. In terms of action, it’s a fun story of Luke hunting down a serial killer in the midst of a heat wave.
But of course, in a series in which the main character is diagnosed with CTE, I hope to shed some light into this syndrome. Most people perceive it to be a “football” ailment (and many don’t believe in it at all…) but a lot of our country’s soldiers are affected by it. Luke will go through all the stages of grieving as the series goes on. And adding to that, I’ve laced in some small insights into the state of healthcare in this country.
Are you working on anything else currently that we can look forward to?
At the moment I’m quite busy promoting Luke Cage and Son of Hitler (and my new Assassin’s Creed: Origins trade out in the fall), but I’ve just signed a deal to create a follow-up audio drama series to my #1 Audible hit last year, UNHEARD: THE STORY OF ANNA WINSLOW. I love the storytelling format and actually have two new audio projects I’m about to dive into. They probably won’t be released until next year but it’s going to make for a LOT of fun writing in the coming months!
Luke Cage: Everyman #1 is available now on ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited.
