On August 4, Roger Stern (The Avengers) is teaming up with artists Ron Frenz (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Sal Buscema (Captain America) for The Heroes Union #1. It's the first of several planned releases to be made available as a modernized, Binge Book edition, and looks absolutely epic.
Created by veteran TV writer Darin Henry (Futurama), Binge Books are tailored for today’s audiences used to "bingeing" their favourite content. At 68 pages, The Heroes Union #1 will be longer than the average comic, allowing for the complete, family-friendly adventure to be released all at once.
The Heroes Union #1 will be the first comic in over a decade to feature the official Comics Code Authority Seal. Each copy will also be uniquely numbered for collectors, with some of the numbered variants potentially opening the door to future, yet to be revealed, perks (we'll keep you updated).
Recently, we have the privilege of talking with Ron to discuss his work on this comic book, and even got to pick his brains about some of his most iconic work on Amazing Spider-Man. The insights Ron shares into his work are fascinating, and it's clear he's excited to share this comic with fans.
Needless to say, we want to extend a huge thank you to Ron, and you can check out what he told us about the live-action potential of Spider-Girl (a character he created with Tom DeFalco) here.
How did you come to be involved with The Heroes Union and, as an artist, what excited you most about exploring this story?
Darin [Henry] originally approached Mr. Buscema about designing and penciling the world of the Blue Baron. Having pretty much retired from facing the blank page of comics story-telling, Mr.Buscema suggested me as an alternative penciler and he would stay on as inker.
Based on what’s been revealed thus far, it looks like there are some incredible characters in the title, but which of them did you most enjoy designing and bringing to life on the page?
The Blue Baron and Startup are early favorites and I breathlessly await along with the fans the origin and/or backstory of Bull.
Sal Buscema has been a longtime collaborator of yours, so how did it feel to have him back by your side for The Heroes Union?
As stated above Mr.Buscema brought ME into this endeavor. It is one of the true honors of my so-called career to be in any way professionally linked to Sal Buscema.
Can you talk us through the collaborative process you have with both Sal and Roger Stern?
Actually in every case working with Mr. Stern, he plots it and I draw it. We've never actually conceived anything together from the ground up. Working on a Roger Stern story is always a pleasure as they are never less than fantastic stories to help tell. Working with Mr.Buscema is very "hand-in-glove" as I have learned much of my visual language from him and his brother John Buscema.
I’m a massive Spider-Man fan, and I’d say his adventures in the 1980s probably resonate with me most (despite being born in 1990); having worked on the character during that period, why do you think that era was particularly special for the character?
I believe it was because very talented writers were very concerned with maintaining the voice of the character and the consistency of his world from the early, classic tales.
You were part of some landmark stories, including the iconic Amazing Spider-Man #252 with the debut of Peter’s black suit in that series. How did it feel to work on the title with Spidey in that costume rather than the iconic red and blue and did you ever imagine that alien suit would take off the way it did?
As a devout Spidey fan it was actually frustrating to finally be awarded the opportunity to draw The Amazing Spider-Man and NOT have him in his red-and-blues. There was no way at the time to anticipate the future of the Legendary Tom DeFalco's concept of the symbiote and what Mr. Dave Michelinie would do with it.
Going back to this title, the artwork in The Heroes Union looks phenomenal; how long did it take you to work on the comic, especially with its longer-than-normal page count?
The Heroes Union was my chance to get back in harness and produce something close to my old monthly schedule. I hope to get more in tune with that rhythm as we proceed.
So much of your work will forever be remembered in comic book history. As you add The Heroes Union to that incredible legacy, what do you hope fans take from this story?
That's very kind of you to say. My hope for Heroes Union is the same for every story I've helped to tell: I hope the reader has FUN!