Eisner Award winner Mark Waid is by far one of the greatest comic book writers working today. Regardless of whether you look back at the likes of Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright or more recent work like Daredevil and his projects with Peter Krause at Thrillbent, his résumé is full of critically acclaimed and beloved comics. To mark the release of the first chapter of Insufferable (which is now in its third volume), we were lucky enough to ask Mark some questions via email about the series and a number of other topics such as his time on the Fantastic Four with the late, great Mike Wieringo and his thoughts on everything from Daredevil to The Flash and S.H.I.E.L.D.
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For any of our readers who may not have had chance to pick up the first couple of volumes of Insufferable, could you shed some light on what the series is about for them?
Sure! The basic concept of INSUFFERABLE is, “What if you were a crimefighter and your kid sidekick grew up to be an unbearable, egomaniacal, ungratefull ass?” Nocturnus has enjoyed a long career as the street-level protector of the city of St. Barrington, but a couple of years ago, his sidekick Galahad--a.k.a. his son, Jarod--finally got tired of playing second fiddle to the old man and went his own way, in a very ugly, very public manner. Now, even though they’re father and son, they can’t stand one another--and yet, something is brewing in the city that forces the two of them together for one last adventure.
Does the third season pick up immediately after the last volume's cliffhanger?
Directly--but you'll be surprised at how quickly it changes direction.
Insufferable is obviously distributed in a very unique way through Thrillbent; what could you tell our readers about that service and why it's something they should get involved in?
Thrillbent is a digital comics website and app. We've been running for nearly three years and have published hundreds and hundreds of comics of all genres by some of the most exciting talents in the industry, all designed to be read digitally or on tablets. For $3.99 a month--the cost of one monthly print comic--you can stream it all to your computer or iPad and binge-read our various series and short stories. You can subscribe on Thrillbent.com or through our iPad app.
You've worked with artist Peter Krause a number of times now; how has the collaboration between you evolved over the years?
It develops, as these things do, its own shorthand. I trust Pete to choreograph and storyboard and pace the stories as he sees fit--he's a master of storytelling--and I love talking with him about pacing.
This marks the third time you've provided a new and original take one what could be considered a clichéd comic book trope...do you have an idea for a fourth somewhere down the line?
I do, in fact. I haven't really yet had the chance to say all I can say about what it's like to be a super-speedster. Someday....
Has there been any talk of bringing Insufferable or Irredeemable and Incorruptible to the big or small screen? If so, how involved would you like to be with that?
No talk that I'm aware of, but I'm all in. Dear Hollywood, CALL ME.
Your time working on Fantastic Four with Mike Wieringo is in my opinion the greatest run ever on that series. Would you be interested in returning to those characters somewhere down the line?
Honestly? Not especially. They're awesome characters, but doing them with 'Ringo was such a special time that I can't imagine going on without him.
Your Daredevil relaunch has obviously been a huge success. Could you tell us about what's on the way in the series after Purple Man and also your thoughts on the upcoming Netflix series?
I think the Netflix series looks awesome. Tonally, it's apparently a lot closer to Frank Miller than to what we've been doing, but you can't argue with the work of a legend. In our series, after the Purple Man, Daredevil learns that he may not be the only Man Without Fear in San Francisco, which will lead to a big change for him.
You've made it clear that you're a fan of The Flash TV series in your recaps on Playboy.com, but how do you feel about Ezra Miller being cast as a big screen version of that character and the rest of DC's movie slate?
I wish Miller the best of luck, but I really, truly don't understand why you'd have two guys in the same role. That baffles me. I wish DC the best of luck with their movies, but I'm clearly not their audience.
Finally, what should fans expect from your upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. series?
High adventure and one-issue stories drawn by some of the most amazing artists in comics, like Alan Davis, Humberto Ramos, Carlos Pacheco and Chris Sprouse--and that's just our opening line-up!