J.H. Williams III and I have been working on a creator-owned concept for about a decade. The title was put on hold for a bit while we worked on Batwoman, and sidelined for stretches as one or both of us ended up neck deep in other projects. But over the past many months, we’ve been hard at work on the first arc.
Echolands is a mythic fiction mashup that allows us to combine all of our favorite things — from werewolves and vampires to robots, pirates, and even cowboys. It’s a big, epic story in a world loaded with mystery. But at its heart is our protagonist — a young thief named Hope, who unwittingly steals the key to unlocking her world’s secrets from a tyrannical wizard. Pursued by the wizard’s unstoppable golem assassin, Hope and a small band of rogues explore the far corners of their world — an adventure that culminates in the last battle for Earth… Whew.
No release date yet — we want to have a half-dozen or so issues in the can first — but the initial teaser image revealed at the Image Expo is below.
My current gig with Marvel. Issue 3 comes out this month. Amazing art by Dalibor Talajic, Goran Sudzuka, and Miroslav Mrva, with covers by Francesco Francavilla. Cover gallery below…
This project has been a really incredible challenge — creating a version of Shang-Chi that feels familiar but new; a large cast of characters drawn from all corners of the Marvel Universe; trying to outdo ourselves each issue… So far, the reception has been very positive — hope everyone enjoys the finale.
Been a bit…
The first arc of Elektra – issues 1 through 5 – is now out. Overall, the reception has been overwhelmingly positive and I am again truly humbled by the reaction to the series. I just wanted to give Elektra her due, and hopefully getting into her head a bit and creating a villain that was her equal and, in many ways, her mirror, did just that. But, none of it would have been possible without the incredible work of Mike DelMundo. He’s the real star of the series.
If you haven’t checked it out, all five issues are available in stores or for digital download. And here’s the cover gallery:
Elektra #1
Elektra 2, w/ variant
Elektra #3
Elektra #4
Elektra #5
In other news, Gary Erskine continues to chip away at The Irons. I’m hoping that a new episode will be released on the Madefire platform in the next few weeks. And there’s another project afoot…
I’m really happy to be able to talk about my next comics project — Elektra at Marvel! My introduction to comics came with a copy of Death of Captain Marvel purchased at a mall bookstore when I was a kid. I didn’t know anything about the Marvel universe, but I was fascinated by all of the characters and quickly became a die-hard Marvel fan, consuming Contest of Champions, Secret Wars, and every copy of the Official Marvel Handbook that I could find. As I began to delve into the back-issue bins, I found Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil and was drawn to his unique supporting cast, including Bullseye and Typhoid Mary. But it was Elektra whose tragic death I could never shake. I can’t imagine a better follow-up to Batwoman than this — a book about a morally-complex character who is exploring the rich and diverse Marvel Universe while searching for her place within it.
As usual, I totally lucked into this gig. The ridiculously-talented Zeb Wells was set to write the series, but he’s honoring his commitments in television. As a fan, I was really looking forward to his vision for Elektra; as a writer, I’m humbled by and grateful for the chance to take on the project in his stead and just hope I do the job half as well as he would.
Fortunately, I’m again paired with an incredible collaborator, artist Mike Del Mundo. He’s been doing some great concept work already, and the covers he’s supplied are simultaneously violent and strikingly beautiful, dynamic and haunting. He’s already produced some concept art for a new villain who is going to be a terrifying and formidable adversary for Elektra. You can check out more of his work at his home page. If nothing else, I know the book will look great.
Elektra #1 will be on store shelves in April! You can read a bit more about the project at CBR.
Mike Del Mundo’s amazing cover work for Elektra
Batwoman #23 hits stands on August 21. Jim did an amazing job with the cover, as always. The issue itself features a pretty surreal sequence, and the cover captures that tone perfectly. 
The newest installment of The Irons is available via Madefire, on iOS or through DeviantArt. Detective Leto is hot on the trail of the serial killer known as The Hijacker, who uses teleportation technology to murder his victims — by fusing them together into horrific hybrids. This is the longest installment yet, showing more of the dystopian Irons world and giving us some insight into Leto. Gary Erskine continues to blow me away with the amount of detail he’s cramming into every image; The Irons is coming to life in ways I never imagined.
Darth Vader & The Ghost Prison will be coming out in a hardcover edition on March 27th. To celebrate, Dark Horse has produced a fantastic trailer using the original artwork. Check it out on YouTube .
The hardcover can be pre-ordered from Dark Horse.
A few quick updates:
It’s been a great few weeks for Batwoman. First, the softcover edition of Hydrology, collecting the first Arc and the original Zero issue, came out. We were totally floored when Hydrology hit #1 on the NYT best-sellers list, and are hopeful that more new readers will discover the series through the TPB. The hardcover version of To Drown The World — our second arc — also released. We took some big risks with the story-telling in TDTW, essentially telling six different stories in parallel even though they each kick off at different periods in time. I’m very grateful for all the feedback, and it’s been heartening to hear that many people who are reading the story start-to-finish in HC form are really enjoying it. Meanwhile, Arc 3 (World’s Finest), featuring a team-up with Wonder Woman, continues rolling along. Jim is doing some of his best layout work ever, and I feel like we’ve created a number of very memorable villains and scenes. Issue 15, which was one of my favorites to write, is on stands now. It is told almost entirely from Maggie Sawyer’s point-of-view, and explores a bit of her backstory while also touching on all the crazy going on across Gotham. Issue 16 hits stands this Wednesday, and escalates the story still further, bringing back some old friends and setting up the arc’s finale. Can’t wait to see reactions to one particular two-page spread… You can check out a preview of 16 over at Newsarama.
Issue 15 featuring Maggie Sawyer
Issue 16, on sale 1/23!
And perhaps best of all, we’ve been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award!!! You can check out all the other nominees here; we’re in terrific company. For me personally, I’ve humbled yet very proud by the fact that we’ve received a GLAAD nomination two years running. I’ve always hoped this book would show honest relationships, and I guess we’re doing something right. 🙂
Meanwhile, Episodes 1-3 of The Irons: Hybrids are all available on iTunes through Madefire’s awesome motion comic app. I can’t stop talking about how great this experience has been – writing a very mature, graphic-novel length story; creating content for an emerging medium; getting to work with Gary Erskine, Liam Sharp, Ben Abernathy, and all the other amazing folks at Madefire… If you haven’t checked it out, please download it (it’s free!); if you like The Irons, you’ll love all the other stories available, all of which has been lovingly crafted by the industry’s best talent. I’m still stunned I’m part of such an inspiring crew. You can see more of Ep. 3 here!
Madefire posted the first installment of The Irons: Hybrids today on iOS. Co-created with Gary Erskine, The Irons is a fusion of sci-fi and horror. Blade Runner meets Se7en, set on a quarantined slum planet where everyone dreams of only one thing: escape. The first story, “Hybrids,” focuses on Leto, a cop tracking down a serial killer who commandeers ubiquitous teleportation machines to kidnap and kill his victims in gruesome fashion. Today’s release is the first “episode” of the motion book, introducing our narrator and the killer himself.
The Irons is my first comic book story set in a wholly original universe, and probably the longest self-contained story I’ve written. It’s also among the most rewarding projects I’ve ever worked on, in part because we’re embarking into new territory with motion books and the story-telling possibilities. And, as I’ve found with everything I’ve ever done, this effort has relied on a talented team to bring it to you: aside from the legendary Gary Erskine, we have brilliant colors by Yel Zamor; music by Ali Powers; crack editorial and creative guidance from Liam Sharp; letterers Joe Costello and Kevin Wong patiently handling last-minute script changes; and a group of alchemist engineers at Madefire (Eugene Walden, Ross McFarland, Matthew Chung, and Dan Weeks). Thanks to everyone involved.
Cover to The Irons: Hybrids. Art by Erskine and Zamor.
