Ever since the late Michael Turner first spearheaded the company nearly ten years ago, Aspen Comics has seen a lot of success with their FATHOM series of titles. The fantastical underwater stories which are always gorgeously illustrated have seen plenty of success, which is why we were excited to hear that the publisher would be launching a new Fathom book starting in March, 2012 titled FATHOM: KIANI.
Issue zero and the launch of the second volume of FATHOM: KIANI will hit store shelves on March 7th, 2012 with the series' #1 issue is set to hit stores in April. The series will be released by the publisher on a monthly basis. For those unfamiliar, Kiani was a member of the Elite Blue, before she died in the third volume of FATHOM -- a beautiful woman and a powerful warrior, the series' writer Vince Hernandez plans to delve deeper into Kiani's story. We caught up with Hernandez to find out what he has planned for the upcoming second volume of FATHOM: KIANI.
Comic Vine: One of the biggest Aspen properties is Fathom, so what is it like for you to write the second volume of FATHOM: KIANI? What was it like for you working on this series, and what is it about Kiani that drew you to her character?
Vince Hernandez: It’s a big thrill for me to be working on a Fathom book, and especially one centered on Kiani, who is one of our most popular characters and just an overall kick ass warrior. A lot of people don’t know this, but the original first volume of Fathom that was released way back in 1998 directly coincides with my start in comics. That was the first book that ever had my name in it, which was a cheap thrill for a teenager at the time, so I feel like I’ve always been linked with my career to this series in some way. Also, I became very close friends over the years with Michael Turner, the creator of Fathom and founder of Aspen Comics and have edited more Fathom comic books than anyone, so I feel very strongly connected to Fathom on all fronts. And if that weren’t enough reason, the original first volume of Fathom: Kiani was the first comic book mini-series I ever wrote, so I feel like in addition to having a close bond with Fathom, I’ve had the pleasure of shaping Kiani’s path as a character, which is something I take great pride in. Kiani is a wonderfully profound character with many layers to her psyche, and she isn’t always on the right—or good rather—side of the coin depending on how you look at it. Those types of personalities are just more fun to write I feel.
== TEASER ==CV: What is the difference between FATHOM: KIANI and Aspen Matthews, the central character in the Fathom series?
VH: They are intrinsically different on the surface in personality and appearance, but are actually far closer in motivation and destiny than might be expected. Aspen Matthews is obviously a morally grounded marine biologist who simply wants to do right by both of her heritages—the human world she grew up in, and the underwater race known as the Blue that she also belongs to. While Kiani is very much more driven to force action through means that Aspen would consider wrong—such as violence and dissent. However, both women have basically been driven by dominating forces outside of their control to get to where they are now: Aspen was manipulated by the power-hungry dissident Killian in the first volume, and later almost influenced by her father, Rahger, under the surface in volumes two and three. On the flip side of the coin, Kiani was forced into war against the human race because she believed she had no family or history that mattered, and later when she discovered that Killian is actually her father, her life has been in a tailspin ever since. So, while both women are very much different at their core, their paths are very similar because at some point they have lacked control to control their own fates.
CV: At the end of FATHOM: Volume 3, Aspen Matthews buried Kiani. How much of the third volume is necessary for us to have read in order to understand this series?
VH: New readers will be able to jump into Kiani: Volume Two without having to go back and read about what happened in Fathom: Volume 3. I aimed to make this a self-contained story that fit into the greater scheme of Fathom, but could also be read without knowing any of the previous mythology. Kiani’s reasons for revenge and what she does will be made clear from the start. There’s also a host of new characters to the Fathom universe so I think it’s very reader-friendly for fans looking to jump on now, but of course, longtime Fathom fans will also find many ties to previous Fathom titles included.
CV: In the first volume of FATHOM: KIANI we saw Kiani do a lot of soul searching into who she is as a person, where she came from and who her parents are. What are some of the themes present in the second volume of FATHOM: KIANI?
VH: Great question! You’re correct the first volume of Kiani was all about her finding out her identity, and who she was. This second volume deals with the fallout from her knowing EXACTLY who she is! She is a powerful type of Blue called an Elite Blue, which we’ve only briefly explored before in other previous series. In this volume, we’ll begin to see how frighteningly dominant those powers can be. Also, because of the Humans’ attacks on the Blue’s underwater cities, she will now be seen more as a martyr to their cause in a way to the disillusioned. The more her own kind attempt to stop her, the more legendary her actions become, so now she will be taking on more of a role of a would-be patriot to her people. This series will present themes of war and sacrifice, and rebellion and occupation. These days, I think this story is very relevant to what’s going on in our own news.
CV: What is Kiani's relationship to Aspen Matthews and how much of a presence will she have in the second volume of FATHOM: KIANI?
VH: Well, naturally they hate each other, haha! Aspen doesn’t care for Kiani because she murdered her dear friend and longtime Blue mentor Cannon Hawke at the end of Fathom Volume 3. Kiani, meanwhile, has no love for Aspen due to the fact that she has in effect turned her own people against her to form a pact with the Human race, and also of course because Aspen murdered her!
CV: If you could describe Kiani in three words, what would they be?
VH: Independent. Striking. Misunderstood. These three attributes sum up her character the best, in my opinion.
CV: What was your interaction with the artist on this book? How much input did they have?
VH: Oliver Nome and the colorist John Starr are always in constant communication with me. I worked together with Oliver on Executive Assistant: Lotus and he’s a joy to work with. He really understands what I’m going for in any particular scene, and perhaps more importantly, he loves Fathom. He had mentioned to me before even starting work with Aspen that he would like to work on a Fathom title, so this was an easy choice when it came time to decide who would draw the second volume of Kiani. Plus, Oliver just brings it with detail and background on the page. A book like Fathom requires this level of quality because of all the striking landscapes and character designs throughout. John Starr was also a very easy choice because he’s worked on Fathom before and understands the look and feel we’re going for better than most. Just like Oliver, he’s adding his own little touches here and there that really make this book feel special. I hope fans will agree.
What do you think of FATHOM: KIANI? Are you looking forward to the upcoming series?
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