This week marks the release of perhaps the most highly anticipated comic book series of the year. Living legend comic book scribe, Brian K. Vaughan has returned to comics and has teamed up with the amazing Fiona Staples to create Saga - an Image Comics ongoing series. I had a chance to sit down with them during Image Comics Expo in Oakland, CA and briefly discuss their careers and expectations for the book.

JH: It’s nice to see you both.

BKV: Nice to see you.

FS: Same to you.

JH: So my question is about expectations. What was your expectations when you both were trying to break into comics and now that you are where you’re at, what are your expectations, if you have any, for Saga? 

FS: When I was first trying to break in. I would have been in art college and would have been working in a comic store. I idolized Ashley Wood, Ben Templesmith, and David Mack; a bunch of experimental painterly artists, so I guess I wanted to emulate that and make really artsy comics/indie books. I did not expect to ever make much money doing it; I had never expected to draw a superhero, so yeah with in my first year of doing it my expectations had to shift dramatically because I was drawing superheroes.

JH: Did anyone tell you or did you just figure out what the workload was going to be like? It must have been pretty grueling.

FS: Yeah. I found out when I just jumped in and did my first comic which was a five issue miniseries that I was drawing and coloring myself. So yeah, I learned pretty quickly. I was really fast back then because I was really sloppy and had low standards. I drew twelve pages in a day once. [laughter]

JH: Wow!

FS: I could never do that now.

BKV: Never say never. We might need a twelve page day.

[laughter]

FS: So, in another way my expectations changed as I expected more from myself and raised the bar when it came to the quality of my work.

JH: As far as Saga, do you feel your expectations have changed even more in regards to your heightened profile?

FS: Yeah. I feel a lot more pressure doing this book whether it’s all, you know, internal.

[laughter]

FS: It’s not really pressure from outside, is what I mean. I want this to be the best thing I’ve ever done. Definitely.

JH: As for you, Brian?

BKV: So expectations breaking in? I guess I didn’t expect how hard it was gonna be to break in. At first I got lucky when I was at NYU and I was just in the right place/right time when I met this editor who said they were looking to train new writers and I thought, “This is it! I’m into comics.” I then wrote my first thing for Marvel but I remember just because you get your foot into the door doesn’t mean you get to be in the business. I remember I had already written a couple things for Marvel and was having trouble getting work so I applied for Marvel’s free internship and I got rejected. I thought, “But I’ve WRITTEN books for you and I’m not even fit to intern. This is gonna be f—ing hard, WAY harder then I ever thought it would be.” So now people say, “Oh you’re an overnight success with Y: The Last Man.” But the truth is it was a really long hard time to get to be doing what I wanted to be doing.

JH: To get Y: The Last Man at Vertigo, did you already have an in or did you have to pitch it?

BKV: Oh no, yeah, I had to pitch it. At the time, I really loved Alan Moore as he’s my favorite writer and wanted to do something new, so Vertigo was a dream. But I realized having a couple Marvel books under your belt almost hurt me more then it helped me as it pegged me as just another superhero writer. I sort of had to get the stink of superhero of me to write Swamp Thing at Vertigo which I did for awhile. I ended up tanking that franchise and totally got it canceled. Then I thought, “This is it. I’ve worked so hard to be where I wanted to be and I’ve screwed it up.” I’m very grateful to Vertigo that they thought I would be better off doing my own thing and asked what else I had. That’s when Y happened. That’s when I felt that I had finally made it, but it took a very long time.

JH: You ended up stepping away a bit to do some television work which everyone knows about. I think everyone knew you were coming back, we just didn’t know when. What changed to pursue Saga? Was it an epiphany or a more gradual thing?

BKV: From the second Ex Machina ended, I knew I needed more comic books in my life. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next, but I knew I wanted it to be better then anything I had written before. I didn’t just want to do comics for the sake of doing it. I guess the big thing is is that I had kids, so I sort of took time away to just make babies instead of comics.

[laughter]

BKV: So when it came time to think about what I wanted to write about, I realized I wanted to write about kids. Saga felt like the perfect delivery device for that.

JH: What is your expectation now for the book knowing your profile in comics?

BKV: [laughs] I don’t know.

JH: Do you have any expectations?

BKV: Well, no. I try not to think about the audience. I write for only two people: My artist and myself. If we’re happy with it then I feel like it’s good. It shouldn’t be a practicality of how to trick other people out there to support this. I’ve said with this book from the breastfeeding cover and the swearing on the first page, I sort of always want to be like, “This book might not be for you.” And that’s okay.

BKV: I think the cool thing about comics is that you can afford to have a successful comic with a relatively small amount of people. That’s cool. In film and television it’s about reaching the largest amount of people possible and you really have to care what the audience is gonna think. In comics you don’t really have to think about an audience. You can just do something for yourself and you could probably find enough people to share your weird interests.

JH: Absolutely. That’s what I personally love about comic books. I have several friends working in tv and film as writers and the hoops they have to jump through to get a script into production is much harder. With a comic script it’s very insular: you find an artist, you cultivate that project, and you make it the best you can. I like that you’re not writing for the audience.

BKV: That’s right. No pandering.

JH: Do you know how many issues and story arcs you have planned for the series?

BKV: I just know that if this is successful and if Fiona is up for it, I would like this to be longer than Y or Ex Machina.

JH: That’s awesome.

BKV: Cool. Yeah, so many guys jump back in and do a miniseries. I thought about what I’d like to see from Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman, and I always think how cool it would be if those guys did an ongoing series again. So I feel like I’m a withered old man–

FS: [laughs]

BKV: But maybe if I could find someone who still has some energy and tell them that I can climb this mountain one more time and maybe do another ongoing epic.

JH: Were you shopping the idea around to different publishers?

BKV: No. It was first find an artist and with that artist find the right home for it.

JH: A mutual friend of ours, Steve Niles, told me the story of how you guys linked up. I was telling him how excited I was for Saga and he told me, “Yeah, I hooked that up.”

FS: Yep

BKV: YEAH. It was definitely Steve.

FS: He’s wonderful.

BKV: He’s the best.

JH: Did you see Mystery Society as the first sample of her work?

BKV: Yeah, I think I had seen that. Fortunately, I had seen some of her Wildstorm stuff she did like a random Fringe back up, I think.

FS: Oh really?

BKV: I always go through my DC comp box and other comics and try to collect interesting artists. Fiona’s stuff jumped out at me. When I first thought about Saga, she wasn’t, I have to admit, the first one in mind. It wasn’t until I talked with Steve, he said, “Hey dummy. Take a look at how she can draw absolutely anything.” When I started to hunt down more of her stuff, he was right. There’s no question and if she’d be up for it this was going to be awesome.

JH: The fact that it’s focusing on family, do you feel as a female artist, do any your sensibilities as a woman get factored in when drawing these characters?

FS: [pause]

JH: What I mean to say is that the lead female character appears to be a very strong independent and strong woman.

FS: Yeah. I think it’s good to have stories told through a female perspective. However this book isn’t about one hero, it’s about a couple – Marko and Alana and their baby. So, I feel like we get multiple viewpoints to see the universe through. I guess by the time I get to add my perspective to it, pieces of my world view start to come out through my art.

JH: I think it’s really cool that your own lives influence this work and you’re not just thinking big concepts for the sake of being flashy. I want to thank you guys for taking the time for this brief chat.

BKV: Thank you.

FS: Thanks, you too.

Saga #1 has currently sold out but has gone back to press. A second printing will hit shelves the same day as #2 is released on April 11th.

WRITTEN BY: PALLE SCHMIDT

ART BY: PALLE SCHMIDT

COVER ART: PETER SNEJBJERG

PUBLISHER: IDW PUBLISHING

Creating crime fiction can be a messy affair and I’m not even talking about the high bloodshed pre-requisite. Just like any good story the characters have to be intriguing, but the heart of a great crime tale is a complex and ultimately believable plot that manages to suspend any disbelief in the reader. Now if you can throw in a few witty jokes to grease the wheels, then you’re playing on the fields of Raymond Chandler and Elmore Leonard. Enter Danish comic book superstar Palle Schmidt’s original graphic novel The Devil’s Concubine.

The story revolves around Jean-Luc and Linda, two hit men who accidentally kill their contacts while attempting to deliver a mysterious package for an unknown party. What seems like a straight-forward recover and delivery assignment, quickly spirals out of control as every gangster and crooked cop in a 100 mile radius desperately want what’s in an unmarked and sealed cooler.

The calm and collected Jean-Luc opposite his thrill-seeking assistant, Linda, make for an intriguing odd couple. However different their methods may be, their teamwork ultimately keeps them alive as they shoot their way through the crime underworld on a mission to track down the man that hired them.

Originally released in Denmark, The Devil’s Concubine incorporates a healthy amount of American crime pulp in the vain of 100 Bullets and the witty banter of Get Shorty. What’s more impressive then the story itself are the moments of absolute brilliant comedic timing which really sets this crime story apart. Humor is not easy to write and even more challenging to draw, but Schmidt peppers these moments in like a seasoned chef. He expertly weaves in a healthy mixture of non-fiction and fictional crime elements that demonstrate a keen eye to detail that every great crime writer possesses.

As a one-man comic book creating army, Schmidt also draws and colors the book; his art being cut above the rest. He clearly understands the subtle nuances in engaging storytelling with his dynamic layouts and consistently stylized line work. His colors provide just the right amount of mood and grit that engaging crime comic books are made of.

Oh, and did I mention all of the action-packed explosions and bloodshed? Yeah, there’s plenty of that to satisfy one’s appetite for violence. It’s all grade-A badass and I’m glad that IDW saw a diamond that is Schmidt’s work, amidst the rough and over saturated market of true crime comics. I have a feeling he’s just getting started and if so, consider me a true believer.

Rating: (5/5)

Available through Amazon or your lovely local comic book shop

WRITTEN BY: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON

ART BY: SETH DAMOOSE

COVER ART: DAN DUNCAN

PUBLISHER: IMAGE SHADOWLINE

Do You Believe? These were the three words that ran through my head when I first heard about Image Shadowline’s next ongoing series involving alien abductees. As a huge fan of the X-Files, I was initially concerned that this series was going to involve cliffhanger after cliffhanger void of any substantial scenes involving aliens. I tip my hat to Joshua Williamson for not only avoiding this, but for taking the complete opposite stance by slapping us in the face with a double splash credits page of an alien scene before we even get to page one. This immediately set the tone for what appears to be an extremely fun but quirky look inside people’s fascination with U.F.O.s and other alien phenomena.

The story follows Bob who’s an average-joe that happens to have been abducted by little grey aliens, and the negative repercussions this event has on his family and friends. With nowhere else to turn, he’s advised to attend a meeting for other like-minded individuals who suffer from similar forms of alien encounters.

Meet Joe’s support group: Maven – Ultimate fighter, Junior – a.k.a Sgt. Garfield Rhodes II, Paige – stay-at-home mom, Ginger Glory – punk rock superstar, and Kyle – ???. After a seemingly impossible alien event occurs that makes national headlines, coupled with the group’s counselor suddenly going missing, Bob and the gang find themselves relying on their various alien experiences to attempt to figure what the hell is actually happening.

I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with Seth Damoose’s work and initially did not find his style worth the Image Shadowline price point. BUT, Joshua Williamson’s quirky writing style truly does compliment Damoose’s highly stylized line work and by the middle of issue one, I was hooked. Paul Little’s bold color palette provides a fun and bright contrast to the rather weird and dark humor of the story.

I found the diversity in the ensemble cast of characters to be both fun and engaging. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised to see the story not take a serious tone for one moment. What really caught me about the overall premise isn’t whether you believe aliens exist (because they do!), but rather do you believe your neighbor’s alien story? What could have been a straight forward cat and mouse game between humans and extra-terrestials, has actually turned into a very interesting multiple character study. As complex and foreign as the notion of potential alien life is, Williamson has decided to shift focus on a species equally as complex and foreign – the human individual.

I can’t say that this comic will fill the void that the X-Files left many of us with, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t a bizarre fun take on one of America’s most beloved fascinations. Consider me a believer.

Rating: (4/5)

Hits shelves: Oct. 19th

WRITTEN BY: KURTIS J. WIEBE

ART AND COVERS BY: SCOTT KOWALCHUK

PUBLISHER: IMAGE COMICS

Family dynamics is a very complicated matter. I don’t think anyone can honestly say their relationship with their parents is a perfect and flawless one. But at the same time, it’s the choices of the parents (good or bad) that directly influence choices their children will make as they grow up. Kurtis Wiebe doesn’t stray far from this concept and for very good reason. The Intrepids #5 reveals major plot points that redefine the relationships of the characters that we assumed were established at the very beginning of issue #1.

I have to give major props to Wiebe for his ability to tell an all-aged tale with enough depth and insight that’s also accessible to the exclusively “mature” readership. I’m not going to lie, I LOVE my gritty and graphic comics, so a part of me thought this book wasn’t going to be my cup of tea. By issue #2, I was pleasantly surprised to find how wrong I was in this self-assessment.

I can’t help but enjoy following the misadventures of orphans Crystal, Doyle, Rose, and Chester for several reasons. The most notable being that I happen to be adopted, so the premise had an immediate draw for me, but what’s kept me reading is Wiebe’s ability to keep such a heavy subject somewhat light and entertaining. I have no doubt that he could have easily scripted struggles of adoption with a much darker/dramatic tone (which I know it originally had been), but that would have been too easy.

Queue artist Scott Kowalchuk. Scott’s energetic and fun style truly keeps this story grounded in the best of ways. The often playful banter between the characters is perfectly complimented by Kowalchuk’s minimal but expressive line work. I found my eye bouncing around each and every colorful page thanks to Kowalchuck’s simple but effective layouts that don’t try to detour the reader’s attention from the story. Consistency in the art is crucial in order to preserve a well constructed story and The Intrepids is the real deal.

Intrepids #5 delivers in a big way overall for this Image Comics miniseries. After enjoying re-reading this issue half a dozen times, Wiebe & Kowalchuk remind me that the hardest truth to parenthood is not realizing how delicate the bond of trust is until it’s been broken. In the end, family isn’t what society defines for us, rather it’s what we create for ourselves. I can’t wait to read next month’s concluding chapter to a story I’ve proudly adopted as one of my guilty pleasures.

SIDE NOTE: I’ve had a lifelong fascination with Giant Squid, so to depict one so creatively in a comic book…o_O *speechless* except to say these guys are awesome!

Rating: (4.5/5)

Hits shelves today!

WRITTEN BY: AARON ALEXOVICH

ART BY: DREW RAUSCH

PUBLISHER: N/A

Can you remember when you were at the age when the world seemed like a big playground? Think real hard now, I know, feels like forever ago doesn’t it? I’d be lying if I said comic books don’t take me back to that moment in my life, because they absolutely do. However, my taste in story, character development, and art style has matured to fit my present sensibilities.

Being a comic book writer myself, I’ve often tried to take a stab at writing a more all-age appropriate story, but have yet to produce anything that a 10 year old would be allowed to read. So imagine my surprise to find a comic that not only captures the kid in all of us, but tells it at the pace of a kid tweaking from an all-night sugar binge. Enter Eldritch #1 – written by Aaron Alexovich and art by Drew Rausch. Originally conceived as a serialized web comic through the late Zuda imprint of DC Comics, it has now been re-collected into serialized self-published issues.

Set in a fictional suburbia, we are introduced to the enigmatic Anya Sobczek, who’s adventurous soul seems to find more trouble than good. When her brother reveals a magic trick that is more supernatural than actual magic, Anya has no choice but to solve what she believes is in fact plaguing her brother. Little does she know that there are bigger mysteries lurking in her neighborhood.

Eldritch’s overall style is a sunday afternoon cartoon directed by Tim Burton. These guys manage to cram A LOT of energy and plot progression into each and every panel. It was a lot of fun to see this rather large ensemble cast of characters with their extreme personalities constantly colliding with each other. As wordy as this script appears to be, these guys certainly know their way around a comic book page.

What I do really like most of all is the creative team’s decision to have a female as the lead character in this story. I personally find rebellious girls to be WAY more interesting than their male counterparts. Don’t ask me why this is. The little gems of 80’s references tucked within this issue certainly increased the overall enjoyability of the issue.

Without a doubt, this comic is worth a read for anyone that misses the quirky adventures of their youth. As much as I almost want to see Eldritch as an animated series on Adult Swim (the stylized art certainly lends itself to the medium), I’m very happy that these guys are taking their digital comic book off the web, and making the necessary arrangements to get it into people’s hands.

Rating: (3/5)

WRITTEN BY: DAVID GALLAHER

ART AND COVERS BY: STEVE ELLIS

PUBLISHER: IMAGE COMICS

Deadlands is a fantasy western that manages to pack some real heart into its characters. Set during the 19th century, the story follows Copernicus Blackburne, an immigrant from Prague looking to better provide for his family. When a wealthy entrepreneur by the name of Tygian, offers him financial support in exchange for his advanced concepts and designs in weaponry; it’s an offer the poor and desperate Corpernicus can’t refuse.

Tygian’s ultimate request is for Copernicus to design and build a gun that can utilize a mysterious element known as ghost rock, in order to successfully shoot the devil dead. Little does he know that Tygian’s request is merely a test to determine his indentured servant’s commitment and true brilliance. In the end, Copernicus’ intelligence at first appears to be his saving grace, but as his story unfolds, eventually becomes his curse.

I really enjoyed David Gallaher’s ability to weave a tale that feels both inventive and timeless at the same time. His exploration into using family as an ultimate motivator for Copernicus, rings true and is familiarly accessible. Tygian’s tyranny is subtle, but believable in the context of the situation. I appreciate Galleher’s restraint from creating an over-the-top villain which would have undermined the delicate sensibility of Copernicus’ struggle and inner turmoil. Galleher’s skills as a writer are evident and clearly shine in this story. I couldn’t help but notice the titles preceding each act (if you will) referencing Tom Waits’ rather extensive catalogue. As a huge Waits fan, I absolutely loved this. I raise my rock glass of whiskey to you, Mr. Gallaher. Well played, good sir, well played.

Steve Ellis’ art is what I love most about reading comic books. His art compliments the characters in a way that I can’t imagine anyone else illustrating Gallaher’s words. I can’t say that this is much of a surprise as their collaboration on the webcomic HIGH MOON yielded a similar response from thousands that got the series to see print. His bold line work and tonal color palette truly brings this story to life in an awesome way. His creative layouts and dramatic lighting look effortless, and certainly all the more eye-catching which results in an extremely enjoyable page turner.

For anyone that has a love for new twists on old subjects, DEADLANDS is a must read. Image was smart to grab these guys and let their work shine under the Image banner. I’m just a bit confused why this story was limited to a one-shot. It’s clear to DC Comics, and the late Zuda imprint that these guys have a fan base, so why didn’t they push for a standard 4-5 issue miniseries? The end of this issue leads me to believe that Gallaher and Ellis are just getting started, I just hope they take us along for the rest of the ride.

Rating: (3.5/5)

On shelves now

WRITTEN BY: KURTIS WIEBE

ART AND COVERS BY: RILEY ROSSMO

PUBLISHER: IMAGE SHADOWLINE COMICS

How often do we experience a significant sense of loss in our lives? Furthermore, how often do we actually try to understand it? Kurtis Wiebe seems to be at complete peace and ease with this very difficult subject matter – a complex exploration that digs even deeper with issue #4.

“I’ve missed you so much Anna, I’d forgotten these moments. Too busy drowning in the pain of losing you.” Wiebe’s words permeate the very core of such a profound human emotion that I can’t help but take a moment to let the beautiful blend of words and art sink in with each page. There is an unimaginable depth to these characters that is gradually revealed to us with each proceeding issue, but issue #4 opens the flood gates in an awesome wave.

A coinciding concept of transformation that has resided in the peripheral of this story, truly takes an identifiable form in this issue. The use of frogs as a mysterious and somewhat ambiguous plot mechanic is slowly explained with each issue, but perhaps the biggest reveal of all is that the dejected inhabitants, themselves, are the catalyst behind the horrific/grotesque transformations occurring in Green Wake. The frogs serve as a constant reminder of the dangers in ignoring this dark cruel fact.

Morley literally embodies heroism as he’s the only one brave enough to not only confront the demons in his heart, but the ones that walk amongst him. His heartbreak and regret that rendered him vulnerable at the beginning of the story, seem to now equip him with an emotional armor. I can only hope it will aid in his escape from the town’s self-perpetuating purgatory.

Rossmo’s art breathes life into this story in the most refreshing way. His style and technique guide us into territory that is equal parts familiar and disturbing. He seems to visually dance with our morbid fascination as each scene plays out in front of our eyes. I want to look away but I just can’t. One of the most brilliant moments in Rossmo’s work, both artistically and technically, is a wholly original lettering design near the end of the issue. It’s haunting in its perfect execution on the page, practically carving its impact deep under the proverbial skin. You’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when you see it.

If I seem to gush about this book with unrelenting support, the reason is quite simple. This is what all comics need to aspire to be – a substantial form of entertainment that connects on multiple levels simultaneously. It’s a tall order and I’m pretty sure Wiebe and Rossmo just wanted to produce a cool comic book. I need to say that they’ve tapped into something much deeper then that.

I’m overwhelmed with joy to know that Image Shadowline saw the brilliance in this book to allow its creators as many issues as they need to tell their story. I just hope people see what I see. What I see is someone dealing with some of the most complex and grittiest parts of life, but on a basic humanistic level. In many ways, Morley is who I want to be when I’m at my weakest. To be able to align with a fictional character in a very non-fictional way is what masterful storytelling is all about. Kurtis Wiebe and Riley Rossmo have clearly proven to be masters of their craft.

Rating: (5/5)

Hits shelves July 6th