Nancy Collins, writer of Red Sonja: Vultures Circle #5, talks with writer Mark Waid about Justice Inc.: The Avenger #1, both on sale June 3rd!
NANCY COLLINS: Justice Inc: The Avenger #1 appears to open at the climax of an on-going story. Is this series a spin-off?
MARK WAID: Nope! All-new! I just wanted to get all the characters on stage as soon as possible and introduce them and their personalities and gimmicks -- The Avenger and his aides -- through action rather than talky-talk. Ronilson pulled it off with flair!
NC: How closely do you work with your artist, Ronilson Freire?
MW: Due to time zone and language barriers, we communicate only electronically, but I’ve told him I’m a fan -- and that he’s more than welcome to adapt/tweak/fuss with my art direction as much as he’d like if he has a better idea with which to frame a story beat!
NC: The Avenger’s pedigree dates back to the glory days of the Pulp Era. Does he actually have special abilities (I won’t call them superpowers) like the Shadow, or is he more along the line of Doc Savage—a man of iron will and infinite wealth out to fight crime?
MW: He has one special ability: the skin of his face is dead and lifeless and can be molded like putty. This makes Benson a true master of disguise. With the aid of a make-up kit and colored contact lenses, he can become whoever he wishes to become as a matter of espionage.
NC: Were you a fan of the original Avenger pulp stories before you took on the writing chores for the comic book?
MW: I was a gargantuan fan of the pulp stories. I read my first one, a paperback reissue, in the mid-1970s and was riveted immediately. Being able to write the Avenger brings that full-circle and is a joy.
NC: Can you tell us who the various members of The Avenger’s entourage are and why they are so devoted to him?
MW: For various individual reasons, they all have a preternatural zeal for justice -- some because they were framed for crimes they didn’t commit, some because they’ve endured hellish personal losses. But each of the Justice Inc. crew brings something to the table that Benson himself can’t duplicate, be it sheer brute strength or chemical wizardry or foreign language skills.
NC: What can readers look forward to in the series?
MW: The adventures of a hero who swears he doesn’t have a death wish and yet seems to leap headlong into traps he knows full well are deathtraps. Why is that? What makes a man like that tick? Come find out!
JUSTICE INC: THE AVENGER #1 is now on sale!
