April 18, 2018 - CURSE WORDS #13, POE DAMERON #26, DAREDEVIL #601

It’s a three-book Wednesday for me! Poe Dameron #26, Daredevil #601, and CURSE WORDS #13! I feel like they should declare a national holiday every Wednesday when an issue of Curse Words hits, but apparently not enough people in the executive or legislative branches agree with me. That’s fine, though – we’ve still got the judicial. That’s right… we can sue! Take it all the way to the Supreme Court! The fact that you still have to go to school or work on a day when Curse Words comes out is a national disgrace, a violation of your rights, and I WON’T STAND FOR IT.

So, yeah, uh, stay tuned on that. I’m on it.

But lawsuits take time, so for the moment, let’s just talk about what’s out today. (As always, click on any image in the post to purchase the issue from Midtown Comics, the amazing NYC shop that's been my LCS for ages.) First up, Poe Dameron #26! Written by me, art by the ever-amazing Angel Unzueta, colors by Arif Prianto, letters by Joe Caramagna and this killer cover by Phil Noto:

This issue begins the next story arc in the series, “The Awakening.” While the series so far was set before The Force Awakens, this issue finally moves our book into movie territory. And, actually… past it. A bunch of this arc (which lasts through #31) is actually set after The Last Jedi, and so is our first glimpse at a post-Episode VIII Star Wars Galaxy. I believe this is the first SW-related storytelling to be set after TLJ, and it’s pretty exciting to be the fellow who’s working in that space. There are three primary points to “The Awakening” story: (i) that little glimpse post-VIII (which includes things like Poe, Rey and Finn all hanging out, more Leia, and PORGS), (ii) filling in some holes in the story that The Force Awakens didn’t examine, or looking at them from a new perspective, and (iii) finally answering the question as to what the hell Snap Wexley, Jess Pava, Karé Kun and Suralinda Javos were up to during The Last Jedi.

I was actually pretty shocked when I got the approval for this, because we’re working in an area of Star Wars that’s still the unknown future… but hey, I’m not going to second-guess it. It’s a blast, I’m lucky to be able to do it, and I hope you enjoy!

Now… Daredevil #601! Part One of “Mayor Murdock,” with art by someone I’m so excited to be working with, Mike Henderson. Colors by Matt Milla and letters from Clayton Cowles, both of whom have been with the book since Issue 1 of this run. Cover here by Chris Sprouse.

If you read Daredevil #600 (you read DD #600, right?) you know that Matt Murdock has suddenly and unexpectedly become the mayor of New York after Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, ran into a little trouble in the shape of about a hundred arrows sticking out of him. Matt found out about this after he’d been handcuffed and stashed in the back of a NYPD paddywagon (as Daredevil), as he overhears desperate police radio calls for help due to what seems to be a ninja invasion of New York. Now what?

Well, that’s #601. It’s the start of a five-part story, and the idea is to position Murdock as something like a “wartime mayor” while New York’s under siege. It’s super-fast-paced and intense, and a little strange, in some ways. It pulls on threads laid down from the very start of my run on the title, and I think longtime readers will be pretty excited (short-term readers, too!) The trick with a long run on a book – and Daredevil looks like it’ll be my longest run on anything, surpassing my work on Inhuman-related books as well as Letter 44 – is to keep reinventing the story, flipping it on its ear while making it all seem of a piece, consistent. I spent a while last night working out the details for what I think is the rest of what I’d like to do on the book. It’s a lot, though – never fear. (Just like Daredevil!)

And finally, at long last… CURSE WORDS #13!!! Part three of “The Hole Damned World,” written by me, with art/cover from Ryan Browne, colors by Addison Duke and letters by Chris Crank!

There's an amazing variant cover by Kaijumax's Zander Cannon, too, featuring newly-minted serpentaur Botchko and his hugely discomfited Battle Swine.

The story ramps up to a new level of complensity (that’s a word I created just for you, a portmanteau of “complexity” and “intensity” that means “complex intensity”) here, with our “hero” Wizord and his ex Ruby Stitch dealing with the after-effects of a session of magic-battle-fueled-pickle-slipping, Jacques Zacques continuing his search for his missing sons in the Hole World, and more from everyone’s favorite little talking platypus-who-just-turned-into-a-quokka Margaret. Curse Words issues are always interesting, because they need to work on a number of levels. We need jokes. We need opportunities for Ryan Browne to draw awe-inspiring, strange things and a bunch of visual gags. We need that weird sense of relatable poignancy amid the general insanity and dickish wizards. We need to ensure that the readers feel like the story is building to something in this arc, and we need to ensure that the book feels like it’s building to something as well. I think lucky number #13 is a good example of all of that working like a charm.

By the way, Ryan and I ran the numbers, and as long as things continue as they are, we seem to have our budget for the whole planned run. Now, that does not mean you should trade-wait, or take it off your pull list – we need every copy sold – but it does mean you can invest your time and spirit into Curse Words and know that you’ll get a full story when all is said and done. Let me also note that EVERY ISSUE COMES OUT ON TIME.

That’s it for this week – but a few quick things… first, I’m getting ready to send out my monthly newsletter fairly soon, so sign up for that, if you haven’t (links at the bottom of every page on the site.) Second, next week… man oh man. Huge. The HUNT FOR WOLVERINE begins at last, the $1 Image First version of Curse Words #1 is out (a perfect chance to try the series if you haven’t) and it’s a Vader-palooza, with both Darth Vader #15 out as well as the second trade, collecting issues 7-12 “Legacy’s End.” I’ll be in Austin, TX next Wednesday for a signing at Book People, too… details on the ongoing book tour for my novel The Oracle Year are at the Oracle Year page on the site. See you soon!