I interviewed creator Scott Palochik to uncover what this comic is about. Check out what he said below.
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up" - Thomas Edison
Q. I've read the premise of MARCVS and like Swoldier Publishing's previous comic-book series, Isolation, it sounds mysterious and fascinating. How would you describe this series?
"Thank you for saying that it sounds mysterious and fascinating. I would also insert the word action-packed. Issue one of MARCVS starts with a reporter embedded with troops in Afghanistan that is investigating a mysterious "power figure" in the region. After a failed assassination attempt, he finds himself entangled in a much larger conflict between two immortals. One immortal is looking for atonement, while the other is intent on bringing about the apocalypse using the “Spear of Destiny.”"
Q. What genre would you place this book in?
"MARCVS is written as a mixture of a few different genres. I would classify it as military, high-action, historical/biblical fiction with splashes of mystery."
Q. Your central character, Carmen Gentile, is a reporter. Do you have a journalistic background? What or who proved to be an inspiration for him?
"I don’t have a journalistic background. I was in the military and have friends that also served in Iraq and Afghanistan, so I draw from those experiences. Carmen is a dark-humored character that illustrates what it is to be “Pittsburgh-Tough,” so I hope the audience will connect with him and the overall story. And, yes, I am from Pittsburgh, so I was able to channel a little of myself into the character."
Q. I'm getting somewhat of a Da Vinci Code vibe from the synopsis. Am I far off? What films or TV series would you compare it to?
"Your observation is accurate as the story does possess certain similarities with Dan Brown's mystery/thriller style. Readers will see more of the Da Vinci Code connection in later issues as we get into the immortals’ hunt for the “Spear of Destiny.” Another movie that readily comes to mind is The Old Guard due to the military and immortality tie-in. I hope the combination of mystery, military action, immortality, and Indiana Jones-esqeaction is the perfect recipe."
Q. How did you meet Regie Collects?
"I collected comics when I was younger and, like most people, got away from it when the military, college, marriage, kids … LIFE … got in the way. I got back into the hobby in 2017 and found Regie’s YouTube channel around the same time. Regie’s channel was filled with knowledge for all types of collectors, and I enjoyed how he presented it in an informational way. After watching for a while, I reached out to Regie to thank him for all the fantastic content and to offer my services doing graphic design."
Q. How did you become involved with Swoldier Publishing?
"I worked with Regie for a few years designing different collateral material he was offering to his audience, such as t-shirts, comic storage boxes, trading cards, etc. Regie reached out regarding The Guide to SMART Comic Collecting he and Doug were writing and asked if I wanted to be involved. I worked on designing and printing both volumes of the Guide. Given the success of that project, I was pulled in to work on the pre-production work for ISOLATION.
I approached Regie with the idea of doing MARCVS more than a year ago, and he saw my vision right away and decided that it was a perfect fit for Swoldier Publishing."
Q. Is this your first comic? If not, what came prior to it?
"This is my first REAL comic. In high school, my friend and I worked together on a weekly series that was done on a single sheet of paper. It was a lot of fun and made our accounting class and study halls fly by."
Q. How many issues are you planning to tell this story?
"The MARCVS storyline is planned for six issues."
Q. What initially pulled you into comic books, and how old were you?
"I started reading at an early age, and my grandmother would buy me books to encourage me to read. I remember Christmas when I was eight years old, and she had bought me the (1976) Fantastic Four - Marvel Treasury Edition #11. My younger cousins and I grabbed a stack of cookies and camped out on the landing of the stairs going to the second floor. I read that book cover-to-cover and was in awe of the story and Jack Kirby’s art. After that, it is safe to say that I was hooked."
Q. What would you say influenced MARCVS?
"The inception of MARCVS can be traced back to my childhood when I attended Catholic elementary school as a mischievous kid. When I acted up, the nuns would send me to the church for penance, where I found myself reading the narratives under the stained-glass windows.
The foundation of this storyline was developed after reading DC Comics' 2004 series The Light Brigade. While reading this story, I remembered our priest many years before telling me about Marcus Longinus, and here he was in this comic. After that, I fell down a “rabbit hole,” researching Roman history, collecting information on Marcus Longinus and the myriad of legends surrounding him. My overactive imagination took over after that, and the story really fell into place.
There may or may not be an amazing stained-glass window from my childhood showcased in MARCVS #1."
Q. Who inspired you as a creator?
"I am a big fan of Marvel comics, and the talent of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, John Romita Sr., Steve Ditko, John Buscema, Jim Steranko, and Gene Colan is what lured me into the hobby. Frank Miller’s Daredevil: Born Again storyline, his RONINseries, and Walt Simonson’s run on The Mighty Thor are among my personal favorites.
Creatives who incorporate fresh, original elements into their works are particularly inspiring to me. When James O’Barr created The Crow, he ingeniously embedded song lyrics from bands such as New Order, Joy Division, The Cure, and Big Black, adding a unique depth to the story. Similarly, Rick Remender did the same thing in Deadly Class, creating mixtape playlists that expertly soundtracked the story.
In their 2020 series, We Live, creators Inaki and Roy Miranda took the concept one step further by producing original music and integrating QR codes into their artwork, enabling instant accessibility for the reader. I discussed this innovative idea with Regie several years back, and we incorporated it in The Guide to SMART Comic Collecting. Keeping with this innovative tradition, we are using QR codes in MARCVS, directing the reader to interactive content – be it videos, music, or more – for an enriched reading experience."