Post by goldenfist on Jan 23, 2009 8:38:03 GMT -5
Brian Bendis was right - some truly unexpected people are becoming Avengers. Of those surprises, Bullseye was certainly a character we never thought would be recruited to serve the public heroically, even if he was under the "control" of Norman Osborn.
With the first issue of Dark Avengers in stores now, it was clear that Andy Diggle's Hawkeye mini-series wasn't going to be about Clint Barton (those honors go to Jim McCann's New Avengers: Reunion mini). We spoke to the writer, and series editor Bill Rosemann, about the latest Bullseye project.
Dark Reign: Hawkeye will be five issues in length, priced at $3.99 each. Tom Raney will be providing art and Clint Langley has provided the first cover.
IGN Comics: I guess the first and most obvious question is, both from a creative and editorial perspective, what spawned the need to generate a mini-series focusing solely on Bullseye/Hawkeye? Andy, what drew you to the character?
Bill Rosemann: As Frank Miller, Warren Ellis and many other creators have shown, Bullseye is one of our most intriguing and frightening characters of all time. With the infamous psychopath now entering center stage of the Dark Reign, now seemed the perfect time to ask Andy Diggle and Tom Raney to chronicle where Bullseye is heading next.
Andy Diggle: I think Bill just nailed the question! I agree, Bullseye is a terrifying and compelling character. The challenge for me is to make sure I capture that nihilistic quality, that complete lack of empathy, conscience or remorse. He should never be some rakish anti-hero that you love to hate; he's pretty much the definition of soulless, nihilistic evil. A pure sociopath.
The intriguing question is, what happens when you hide that behind a hero mask? And what happens when the public is only allowed to see the hero mask, and not the monster behind it?
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377203.html
Issue 1 Cover
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377191.html
Interior Art
IGN Comics: This project is another $3.99 Dark Reign title. Do either of you worry that the price increases the likelihood that people will pass on this mini-series without giving it a chance? Does it add pressure to deliver more somehow despite having the same page count?
Diggle: I always feel pressure to deliver. It's not like I'd just phone it in if the comic was given away free, y'know? If it's got my name on it, you know I'm putting everything I've got into it, every time. All I've got is my reputation, and I want to be the guy that delivers.
IGN Comics: What will this series really explore that Dark Avengers couldn't?
Rosemann: With any team book, you have to strike a balance and give each member a time to shine. With Dark Reign: Hawkeye, we give the floor to the baddest apple in the bushel.
Diggle: That's exactly it; a team book is about the team dynamic, so you don't have as much room to explore a single character in that much detail. A solo book gives us a chance to really get inside Bullseye/Hawkeye's head, see what drives him, and see how he reacts to being put in this very unique situation.
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377193.html
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377195.html
IGN Comics: Let's hit the main premise of this mini-series - what can fans expect? Is this something that will eventually operate away from the Dark Avengers?
Rosemann: How long can the world's most talented and demented killer stay on the leash? How long can he play the role of public hero before he sneaks "off campus" for a little of his own definition of R&R? And if he's caught, what would that mean for Norman Osborn's hand-picked team of Dark Avengers?
Diggle: That's exactly what the first issue's all about - Bullseye/Hawkeye straining at the leash, and heading off on his own tangent. Bullseye has always loved the limelight; think back to his televised battle with Daredevil. So while he loves the public attention that comes with being one of the Avengers, he hates the fact that he can't reveal his true identity and claim the credit for "Hawkeye's" actions. So there's that dynamic tension building within him. He's a pressure cooker, and eventually he's going to blow. Did I say, "eventually"? I meant, "before the end of the first issue"!
IGN Comics: I'm sure there's plenty of material to explore regarding Bullseye attempting to be a hero... will we still see a "traditional" villain (or more than one) clashing with Bullseye during this story?
Rosemann: In some ways, you could say this story is Bullseye vs. himself.
Diggle: Let's just say I think we've found a neat way of balancing out Bullseye/Hawkeye's internal and external conflicts. There's a ton of action, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for the fans.
IGN Comics: Though we've seen Bullseye be somewhat obedient to Kingpin in the past, we never really struck him as a follower type. How much will Norman's so-called leadership come into view during these five issues?
Rosemann: There's nothing "so-called" about it - Norman is an exceptional leader. Through actions and words, anyone on his squad knows you follow the gameplan and achieve the objective... or your time on the team is over.
Norman knows what Bullseye wants, and if Bullseye wants to stay out of prison and live the high life, he'll do what Norman asks of him...until he simply can't.
Diggle: Bullseye isn't a guy who likes following orders, unless he's ordered to do something that he'd want to do anyway. But Norman Osborn is shrewd enough to know that, so he tries to point Bullseye/Hawkeye in the direction he wants to go. Norman just has to make sure those goals coincide with his own. If not, sparks (and blood!) will fly...
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377185.html
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377183.html
IGN Comics: In addition to being a follower, Bullseye is being asked to be a teammate... which strikes us as being completely unlike him. Is he even going to be interested in playing along with Norman's group? Is there any sense of team cohesion?
Rosemann: Don't fall into the trap of thinking that Bullseye is being a follower by choosing to be a Dark Avenger. Norman wants something, and so does Bullseye. Each is manipulating the other in a deadly game of "who will blink first".
Diggle: There are a lot of big egos in the Dark Avengers, and none of them particularly like being told what to do. It takes a master manipulator like Norman Osborn to hold the team together at all. But it's fair to say that Bullseye/Hawkeye couldn't care less about team cohesion. He wants instant gratification, and he doesn't care about consequences. He's driven by the pleasure principle - and what gives him pleasure is killing. As long as he gets to do that, he's just happy as a clam.
IGN Comics: Bullseye also has this tendency to kill... well, anyone and everyone. That seems like it would be a bit of a problem for a team that is the public representation of Norman's reign... correct me if I'm wrong?
Diggle: That's Norman's problem. But he's a pretty shrewd spin-doctor, and it's easier than ever for him to manipulate the media in the H.A.M.M.E.R.-monitored world of Dark Reign. That said, he's going to have a hard time covering up some of the excesses you'll see in this mini-series...
Rosemann: Ah, see now there's the question: How long until the tiger attacks the tamer? Can a killer ever keep their true nature controlled?
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377189.html
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377187.html
IGN Comics: I'm trying to think of an answer for this, but I can't - why did Norman put Bullseye on his very public Avengers team? Wouldn't he be better suited to stay on the covert Thunderbolts team?
Diggle: Bullseye was a covert operative on the Thunderbolts team, and he saved their asses when it all went to hell. Norman recognizes Bullseye's extraordinary skill, and knows he can put it to better use. The public was never told that Bullseye was a Thunderbolt; he had to be kept hidden away, and Bullseye hated that. He wants the world to see he's the best there is at what he does. As a Dark Avenger, he finally gets to step out of the shadows and into the limelight.
Rosemann: Norman's already done the covert-ops route with Bullseye - remember the public never really saw Bullseye cut loose on any Thunderbolt missions - and felt that it worked out rather nicely for both parties. Now Norman wants take the relationship to the next level.
IGN Comics: Tom Raney is tackling the art for this mini - what made him a good fit? What does his style bring to this series?
Rosemann: In Annihilation: Conquest and Secret Invasion: Inhumans, Tom showed how well he delivers intense details and over-the-top action. While he loved his year in space, Tom also had one eye on all the twists and turns the Avengers were taking during Secret Invasion. So when the opportunity arose, we figured it was a win-win situation for everyone. We needed a major talent for a high-profile Avengers story, and Tom was interested. And when Tom turned in his first scene, everyone knew the fit was perfect.
Diggle: Tom's very first page knocked me flat on I disagree. 'Nuff said!
IGN Comics: Anything else either of you would like to add?
Diggle: Sometimes I need to pinch myself. I've been at Marvel less than a year, and I'm writing an Avengers book! Man, I love my job.
Rosemann: Two of the industry's hottest talents unite to unleash comic's most infamous characters during Marvel's next huge event. Sign me up!
With the first issue of Dark Avengers in stores now, it was clear that Andy Diggle's Hawkeye mini-series wasn't going to be about Clint Barton (those honors go to Jim McCann's New Avengers: Reunion mini). We spoke to the writer, and series editor Bill Rosemann, about the latest Bullseye project.
Dark Reign: Hawkeye will be five issues in length, priced at $3.99 each. Tom Raney will be providing art and Clint Langley has provided the first cover.
IGN Comics: I guess the first and most obvious question is, both from a creative and editorial perspective, what spawned the need to generate a mini-series focusing solely on Bullseye/Hawkeye? Andy, what drew you to the character?
Bill Rosemann: As Frank Miller, Warren Ellis and many other creators have shown, Bullseye is one of our most intriguing and frightening characters of all time. With the infamous psychopath now entering center stage of the Dark Reign, now seemed the perfect time to ask Andy Diggle and Tom Raney to chronicle where Bullseye is heading next.
Andy Diggle: I think Bill just nailed the question! I agree, Bullseye is a terrifying and compelling character. The challenge for me is to make sure I capture that nihilistic quality, that complete lack of empathy, conscience or remorse. He should never be some rakish anti-hero that you love to hate; he's pretty much the definition of soulless, nihilistic evil. A pure sociopath.
The intriguing question is, what happens when you hide that behind a hero mask? And what happens when the public is only allowed to see the hero mask, and not the monster behind it?
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377203.html
Issue 1 Cover
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377191.html
Interior Art
IGN Comics: This project is another $3.99 Dark Reign title. Do either of you worry that the price increases the likelihood that people will pass on this mini-series without giving it a chance? Does it add pressure to deliver more somehow despite having the same page count?
Diggle: I always feel pressure to deliver. It's not like I'd just phone it in if the comic was given away free, y'know? If it's got my name on it, you know I'm putting everything I've got into it, every time. All I've got is my reputation, and I want to be the guy that delivers.
IGN Comics: What will this series really explore that Dark Avengers couldn't?
Rosemann: With any team book, you have to strike a balance and give each member a time to shine. With Dark Reign: Hawkeye, we give the floor to the baddest apple in the bushel.
Diggle: That's exactly it; a team book is about the team dynamic, so you don't have as much room to explore a single character in that much detail. A solo book gives us a chance to really get inside Bullseye/Hawkeye's head, see what drives him, and see how he reacts to being put in this very unique situation.
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377193.html
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377195.html
IGN Comics: Let's hit the main premise of this mini-series - what can fans expect? Is this something that will eventually operate away from the Dark Avengers?
Rosemann: How long can the world's most talented and demented killer stay on the leash? How long can he play the role of public hero before he sneaks "off campus" for a little of his own definition of R&R? And if he's caught, what would that mean for Norman Osborn's hand-picked team of Dark Avengers?
Diggle: That's exactly what the first issue's all about - Bullseye/Hawkeye straining at the leash, and heading off on his own tangent. Bullseye has always loved the limelight; think back to his televised battle with Daredevil. So while he loves the public attention that comes with being one of the Avengers, he hates the fact that he can't reveal his true identity and claim the credit for "Hawkeye's" actions. So there's that dynamic tension building within him. He's a pressure cooker, and eventually he's going to blow. Did I say, "eventually"? I meant, "before the end of the first issue"!
IGN Comics: I'm sure there's plenty of material to explore regarding Bullseye attempting to be a hero... will we still see a "traditional" villain (or more than one) clashing with Bullseye during this story?
Rosemann: In some ways, you could say this story is Bullseye vs. himself.
Diggle: Let's just say I think we've found a neat way of balancing out Bullseye/Hawkeye's internal and external conflicts. There's a ton of action, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for the fans.
IGN Comics: Though we've seen Bullseye be somewhat obedient to Kingpin in the past, we never really struck him as a follower type. How much will Norman's so-called leadership come into view during these five issues?
Rosemann: There's nothing "so-called" about it - Norman is an exceptional leader. Through actions and words, anyone on his squad knows you follow the gameplan and achieve the objective... or your time on the team is over.
Norman knows what Bullseye wants, and if Bullseye wants to stay out of prison and live the high life, he'll do what Norman asks of him...until he simply can't.
Diggle: Bullseye isn't a guy who likes following orders, unless he's ordered to do something that he'd want to do anyway. But Norman Osborn is shrewd enough to know that, so he tries to point Bullseye/Hawkeye in the direction he wants to go. Norman just has to make sure those goals coincide with his own. If not, sparks (and blood!) will fly...
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377185.html
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377183.html
IGN Comics: In addition to being a follower, Bullseye is being asked to be a teammate... which strikes us as being completely unlike him. Is he even going to be interested in playing along with Norman's group? Is there any sense of team cohesion?
Rosemann: Don't fall into the trap of thinking that Bullseye is being a follower by choosing to be a Dark Avenger. Norman wants something, and so does Bullseye. Each is manipulating the other in a deadly game of "who will blink first".
Diggle: There are a lot of big egos in the Dark Avengers, and none of them particularly like being told what to do. It takes a master manipulator like Norman Osborn to hold the team together at all. But it's fair to say that Bullseye/Hawkeye couldn't care less about team cohesion. He wants instant gratification, and he doesn't care about consequences. He's driven by the pleasure principle - and what gives him pleasure is killing. As long as he gets to do that, he's just happy as a clam.
IGN Comics: Bullseye also has this tendency to kill... well, anyone and everyone. That seems like it would be a bit of a problem for a team that is the public representation of Norman's reign... correct me if I'm wrong?
Diggle: That's Norman's problem. But he's a pretty shrewd spin-doctor, and it's easier than ever for him to manipulate the media in the H.A.M.M.E.R.-monitored world of Dark Reign. That said, he's going to have a hard time covering up some of the excesses you'll see in this mini-series...
Rosemann: Ah, see now there's the question: How long until the tiger attacks the tamer? Can a killer ever keep their true nature controlled?
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377189.html
media.comics.ign.com/media/143/14316570/img_6377187.html
IGN Comics: I'm trying to think of an answer for this, but I can't - why did Norman put Bullseye on his very public Avengers team? Wouldn't he be better suited to stay on the covert Thunderbolts team?
Diggle: Bullseye was a covert operative on the Thunderbolts team, and he saved their asses when it all went to hell. Norman recognizes Bullseye's extraordinary skill, and knows he can put it to better use. The public was never told that Bullseye was a Thunderbolt; he had to be kept hidden away, and Bullseye hated that. He wants the world to see he's the best there is at what he does. As a Dark Avenger, he finally gets to step out of the shadows and into the limelight.
Rosemann: Norman's already done the covert-ops route with Bullseye - remember the public never really saw Bullseye cut loose on any Thunderbolt missions - and felt that it worked out rather nicely for both parties. Now Norman wants take the relationship to the next level.
IGN Comics: Tom Raney is tackling the art for this mini - what made him a good fit? What does his style bring to this series?
Rosemann: In Annihilation: Conquest and Secret Invasion: Inhumans, Tom showed how well he delivers intense details and over-the-top action. While he loved his year in space, Tom also had one eye on all the twists and turns the Avengers were taking during Secret Invasion. So when the opportunity arose, we figured it was a win-win situation for everyone. We needed a major talent for a high-profile Avengers story, and Tom was interested. And when Tom turned in his first scene, everyone knew the fit was perfect.
Diggle: Tom's very first page knocked me flat on I disagree. 'Nuff said!
IGN Comics: Anything else either of you would like to add?
Diggle: Sometimes I need to pinch myself. I've been at Marvel less than a year, and I'm writing an Avengers book! Man, I love my job.
Rosemann: Two of the industry's hottest talents unite to unleash comic's most infamous characters during Marvel's next huge event. Sign me up!