I come bearing one of TWO upcoming new interviews. Isn't that just the way? You wait ages for your next bus and then two come along at once.
None other than Fred Van Lente, the man I interviewed first, has come back to talk our faces off with some exciting comics talk, as well as the next big event he is working on.
First I'd like to thank him a great deal for coming back, and secondly, you, for reading.
Let us get right into it!
The Mast Meets: Fred Van Lente (Pt. 2).
The Mast: Before we get onto the big issue, I want ton say congrats on the Taskmaster mini-series! I'm glad someone with a sense of lethality and humour took him under their wing. You write a pretty humourous Deadpool and I am thrilled you're doing Tasky's mini. Is that something that came out of the blue, or did you want to handle the character for some time?
F.V.L: Thanks so much! I haven't, it's something editrix Lauren Sankovitch brought to me, just to do something with Taskmaster. At first I didn't quite see the appeal but the idea lodged in my brain in the idea of doing a story about a guy with a super-memory that erases his recollections of his own past seemed really cool to me, and Jefte Palo's art is just killing on it.
The Mast: For the uninitatied people who sadly don't keep up with comic books, specifically the Marvel Universe (Squares, as they're called), how would you describe Chaos War?
F.V.L: Chaos War is a big-budget disaster movie on a super hero scale. While super heroes aren't much impressed by towering infernos or Armaggeddon-size asteroids, in Chaos War they face a threat on the scale of which they've never seen before. The Chaos King is all that existed in the multiverse before there was a multiverse, and he seeks to destroy all of reality to make himself the only thing in existence once more. The last stand is -- where else? -- Earth and his heroes, which Chaos King has attacked with his army of slave gods. He's not just knocking over buildings, he's destroyed reality piecemeal -- the Land of Dreams and the Underworld are among his targets. So our heroes have to contend not just with collateral damage on Earth but in the psychic and metaphysical realms as well. Like I said: A disaster movie beyond all imagining!
The Mast: With all that's going on in the M.U. right now, what would you say is its (Chaos War's) relation to the current Marvel status quo and why it's something people should be reading?
F.V.L: Not only is it crucial to the direction of the current Marvel Universe (With serious ramifications for one hero team in particular), it may actually be physically painful for you not to read it, not solely because I will send guys to your house.
The Mast: You seem to have a bit of a knack for writing these godly characters! The Incredible Hercules, as I'm sure I've said, was really good and I love your work on Amadeus Cho. Is there anyone specifically you had/have a blast writing in this book that you hadn't written for before, or one you loved returning to?
F.V.L: I have always been a huge Sersi fan from when she was an Avengers mainstay, and it was great to bring her back to a kick-ass heroic role as the resident wise-ass on the God Squad, the ultra-powerful team Hercules assembles to stop the Chaos King.
The Mast: Something I'm quite excited for is the Chaos War: Alpha Flight #1 one-shot. I always liked them and kind of thought it was a bit of a throwaway death when they got wiped out by The Collective. DID they get wiped out by The Collective, or did something more complicated happen? Is it a "Read and find out" scenario?
F.V.L: If you'll look on the beautiful Salva Espin cover, the floating heads were killed by The Collective (Well, except Marinna, who bought it during Dark Reign), but they have a second chance at life thanks to the, er, chaos of the Chaos War! Whether or not that becomes permanent is a true "Wait and see" scenario.
The Mast: Without revealing too much, obviously, are there any installments or parts of Chaos War that you got abnormally excited about, or are particularly excited to see reactions to?
F.V.L: It's had for me to say and sound sincere, but I keep reading the lettering proofs and keep getting surprised myself just how far Greg and Khoi and I are going with bringing the "shock and awe" of super hero event comics to this book. This is bigger than you think. It redefines big. It makes Blackest Night look like Slightly Cloudy. It makes Civil War look like Friendly Disagreement. Be prepared to scrape your brains off the walls at the end of #1, because your mind will be blown.
The Mast: Thanks for your time once more Fred. I really appreciate it!
F.V.L: My pleasure. Thanks for asking.
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So, there you have it! If you needed any more reason to pick up issue #1 of Chaos War, there are plenty there! Deaths, fighting, excitement and a sincere threat from Van Lente that he will send guys to your house. You know what to do!
If you still haven't bought Fred Van Lente's Action Philosophers in trade paperback, you're a bad human.
On Wednesday I guest on Direct Edition, after that comes Thursday's Comics (It does look like a fairly awesome week), then on the Saturday I will be posting an interview with someone I've wanted to chat to for a LONG time now. That someone is Mr. Dan Abnett, Marvel's supreme cosmic scribe! Be sure to check back as we talk about lots of things past, present and spacey.
Until next time, peace.
-The Mast
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