SLEEPER: AND NOW...SEASON TWO

**MattBrady** · 03-03-2004, 07:59 AM

To sum up the first twelve issues of Sleeper by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is to willingly watch a man sink deeper and deeper into hell. Hell-TV is back on the air starting in June, when Sleeper Season Two starts, continuing the story of (now) former double agent Holden Carver.

And make no mistake - Carver is in deep – a post-human (he feels no physical sensation, his body quickly repairs any injuries be they life threatening or just a paper cut, and he transmits the pain he collects – that is, if he gets shot, he can pass on that physical sensation to the next person he touches, which is often enough to kill a human operative, he’s been working his way into the criminal organization established by the enigmatic artificial lifeform called Tao, short for Tactically Augmented Organism.

The crux of the series is that as far as the operation went, Holden wasn’t supposed to be alone. His handler, John Lynch was to have been there at a moment’s notice, ready to pull him out if things got too hot, but more importantly, keep the file on Carver active so that when Holden eventually did get out from undercover, he wouldn’t be looking at a lifetime behind bars – or worse, thanks to his post-human “condition.”

Problem was, Lynch was shot and went into a coma well over a year ago (as shown in the Point Blank miniseries), chronologically, leaving Carver dangling on his own, with no support and no way out. He could have just left, true, gone into any CIA office and turned himself in, but without Lynch’s statements and files, Carver was a wanted man.

Things started to look a little better in issue #7 when Lynch’s backup located Carver, and began the process to get him out. But…things quickly went from bad to worse, to worse to…well, if worser was a word it would give you the idea of how things ended up for Carver. He couldn’t get out, was captured, escaped, went on the lam, and then ultimately rejoined Tao’s organization with Tao’s full knowledge that he was a double agent. Oh yeah, your life is soooo stressful.

That’s where we caught up with co-creator and writer Ed Brubaker.

Newsarama: So just in a giving the lowdown fashion in your own words…in the latter third of the series, Holden’s life got really, really bad in the finlal third of the first series…

Ed Brubaker: Well, he was trying to get out, which was what issues #7 and #8 were about - his last ditch attempt. He destroyed his own secret file because in his mind that was the only way to keep himself safe. By this point he'd really started to lose perspective on his own actions, I think, though. Which is why when he was captured, he kept his mouth shut. He didn't know who to trust anymore, and on top of that, he didn't know if after everything he'd done to save himself, if he was really worth saving anymore. He'd crossed so many lines in his own head that he couldn't see straight anymore.

NRAMA: And ultimately, in issue #12, he joined back with Tao of his own free will, what Tao said in that issue, and seeing how you just characterized Holden’s mental state, Tao was then, right on about his assessment of Holden? That is, that Holden is, internally, seeking to punish himself for all that he’s done, and therefore doesn’t feel that he deserves to be free or happy?

EB: Yeah, I think Tao was completely on the money in most of what he said to him, but remember, that's one of Tao's talents - to manipulate people by telling them what they need to hear. Tao has been manipulating Holden for a long time. It could be all of Holden's big actions, all the things he's punishing himself for, are really Tao's doing in a lot of ways. I think for Tao part of the game is getting people to come to his side willingly, and that's something he did with Holden.

NRAMA: So now, with only the Coup D’Etat issue out, Sleeper’s on hiatus for just a couple more months before “Season 2” starts. Originally, was Sleeper planned to be broken into “seasons” like this?

EB: No, initially I planned it to go just 12 issues, because I doubted we'd get farther than that. But as we kept working and the response from critics and fans was so vocal and positive, we began talking about taking it farther and a lot of ideas sort of fell into place. Then I was thinking about how I'd been approaching the series as more of an HBO show on paper – more character-driven than plot-driven in some ways, fairly self-contained episodes -- it occurred to me that taking a break and coming back for Season Two was a great way to approach it.

I mean, one of the hardest things about selling a new book that's not X or Spider or Bat related, is that once people miss the early issues, it's hard to get them to try the book at all, no matter how much good press you get. This goes for retailers, too. If a retailer didn't order Sleeper's first three issues, they're not going to start carrying the book with issue #6 just because Wizard said it's the best book on the stands or something like that.

NRAMA: So how do you get to readers and retailers?

EB: The trade is a start, of course, and the Sleeper trade did really well, actually. It's the best-selling trade from the whole WS mature line so far, and reorders have been really solid on it since it came out. I've heard from a lot of retailers who sold a lot more of the TPB than they do of the monthly, so obviously the buzz on the book helped the trade move. But it didn't help the monthly, really.

So, now we've got the second TPB - All False Moves - and the new first issue coming out in the same month, and that, combined with a re-offering of the first TPB, allows both retailers and readers to get in on the ground floor with what is probably the most acclaimed book to come out in 2003.

So, hopefully those retailers that have heard all the buzz about the book from fans and critics and the press, will give us a better try this time.

NRAMA: Not to mention the Coup issue, which was drawn by Jim Lee guy. Did that help attention to the series?

EB: Yeah – it was certainly a nice promotion by Jim for our book that was seen by about 30,000 people who've never tried Sleeper, a lot of whom will hopefully be back for more. I know I've seen a ton of readers of that saying they were planning to get the trades and Season Two when it hits, so I hope that turns up the heat a little. I'm not expecting us to be a Top Ten book ever, but I think we could easily sell twice what we were on Season One if we're given the chance to.

NRAMA: Speaking more to the process, does structuring things as “seasons” affect your plotting of the story at all, or is the break between Season One and Season Two just a really long, for lack of a better term, break between issues?

EB: It does, actually. One of my favorite things about episodic fiction is the time that passes between events. On The Wire - which is the best TV show ever made, in my opinion, about a year passed between seasons, in the timeline of the show. You got to see where everyone was and what their new status quo was and that was cool. It allowed them to evolve as characters. The same thing happens on The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. Time passes.

That's a cool thing, because it allows you to give each Season an arc or theme of its own. With Sleeper, the first Season is all about Holden's struggle to hold onto his humanity and what he thinks he is while living this other life. The next Season is about something else, and some secrets are revealed, plot threads that maybe no one even noticed were left dangling at the end of Season One. The biggest difference between Seasons One and Two is that Season Two is about the other characters - Lynch and Tao - as well as Holden.

NRAMA: Tao. He’s doing pretty good for what a lot of folks saw as an Alan More throwaway concept back from his days on WILDC.A.T.S.. While he gave his origin story in #12, Holden summed him up pretty quickly as the Frankenstein who has no soul, and is taking his anger about that out on the world.

At best Tao is a complete bastard, at worse; he makes any human “monster” we’ve seen in history look like a pussy. What do you draw on when writing someone like Tao?

EB: Probably my own inner hatred of the way things are done in the world. I see him as someone who has absolutely no willful blindness, no self-denial. Willful blindness is something that makes the world go around, really, and it's something I hate whenever I see it. Just this ability to ignore the truth because you don't want to think about it. Anyone who thinks there's no way a president could lie to us is a prime example, because just about every American president in history has made huge lies to the public, and still people blindly excuse them as good guys. They ignore cronyism in business and politics, stuff that's very obvious. Because if you think about it too much, you have to do something about it and most people just want to worry about their own lives, not the world.

Tao doesn't have that. Because he's like a kid in some ways and kids don't have that. That's why he hates people, because even on a personal level, people are in denial about themselves a lot. That's what his two people speech to Holden in #12 was about. How people separate themselves from their actions. He doesn't realize that's what having a conscience is, really, because he lacks one.

He's a great character to write, as you can imagine.

NRAMA: Therapy comes at between your fingertips and the keyboard, I’d assume. Moving out from the end of the first series into the Coup issue of Sleeper, basically Holden was the guy that pushed the pebble at the top of the hill that is now this monstrous snowball with the Authority taking over the world, right?

EB: Well, Tao's actions set things in motion, and Holden was working for him, so in some ways, he's responsible. Basically, though, and this was Tao's genius for the plan, he allowed an alien device to fall into the hands of the US government, and made them think it was something they'd had all along in some old warehouse. The US government then decided to use the device before they completely understood it, and created the disaster over Florida because of that. Whether Tao knew exactly how big the disaster would be is unclear.

NRAMA: So, given what Holden did all through Season One, as well as his actions in Coup, which, essentially were responsible for turning Florida into an archipelago and the deaths of millions…I think Holden mentioned his concern about it in there…he while can’t feel anything physically, has that started to expand to cover emotionally and psychologically as well?

EB: That's a lot of what Season Two is about, and there was some of that in Season One, as well. His narrative talks about that some. The thing is, he's probably not the best person to judge anyway, because he was a serious black ops soldier. He's seen and done things we can't even imagine, and all for his country and his boss, so he'd already learned to shut off parts of himself. He'd have to, to survive.

And people like this really exist, too - government agents who are sent out to foment rebellions in foreign countries. Who assassinate elected officials so they can be replaced by someone more willing to work with one country or another. That's what the Cold War was about. So, as a cold warrior, Holden was already on the edge, and now that he's got super-powers which prevent him from feeling anything, we get to see how that all affects him.

NRAMA: Well, with that said then, can you summarize Tao’s connection to/fascination with Holden? It almost seems that to Tao, Holden is what he wants to be, but can’t – Holden has a soul, but feels nothing. In a way, he’s almost superior to Tao, isn’t he?

EB: Not necessarily. As we'll learn in Season Two, part of Tao's fascination with Holden is because of Lynch. Tao and Lynch both love the game, though Lynch wouldn't admit it, and Holden is a player in it. Tao likes Holden, I think, because he wants to convince him that his way is right. For Tao, your actions are who you are, and for Lynch, the ends justify the means. So, in a way, Tao is more honest.

NRAMA: Speaking of Lynch, in the Cup issue, Lynch was shown testifying in a hearing about Holden. So what is the climate like for him right now, in regards to Holden? Can he ever bring him in at this point?

EB: That question is answered in the Coup D’Etat: Afterword story. That's actually the prelude to Season Two. Lynch's mission is defined in that story, and his mission is about cleaning up his own mess. How Lynch decides to go about that is part of what we'll explore in the next season. Like Tao, Lynch has secrets, and is a great manipulator, so anything is possible where he's concerned.

NRAMA: Season One could probably be - or maybe not, so you can correct me here – seen as Holden’s descent. Are you moving right into his redemption with Season 2, or is there fertile ground to be plowed now that he’s back with Tao, and basically, can’t go home again?

EB: Yeah, Season One is his struggle to remain true while descending, it's about pretending to be something and whether that makes you that thing in the end.

Season Two isn't necessarily his redemption, though. It's more about, can he be redeemed? Does he want to be? Does he feel so betrayed by his own side that he prefers being with Tao? And, what can Lynch offer him to make him come back to the side of the so-called angels?

NRAMA: Alright – so you can’t escape it any further – spill a little on Season 2. How far after Coup does it start up?

EB: Season Two starts about six months after the close of Season One, so four or five months after the Coup. Holden is deep in the thick of things with Tao, and the first part is about him finding out Lynch is awake and looking for him again.

I don't want to spoil it too much, but the next Season is a lot about who's manipulating who. The status quo has changed, of course, and because of Tao's actions that led to the Florida disaster, their life isn't as easy as it used to be. They're hiding a lot more, but since Tao is a super-genius, he's also really hard to find. That's why Lynch is valuable, because if he can get to Holden, then the powers-that-be can get to Tao...maybe.

die_yng · 03-03-2004, 08:26 AM

I've promised myself not to miss on season two, like I did on season 1.
Read Sleepers, it's really worth the money

LunarDaydreamer · 03-03-2004, 08:44 AM

An absolutely stunning book that everyone should be reading!

Actually, in my store those who did pick up the first trade actually went ballistic looking for the remaining issues - that *need* to have more! Which was just plain tops.

Dont miss this book like so many did with Bru's *exceptional* Deadenders (still my fave series of all time)!

"PLEASE BUY SLEEPER!"

Chant and repeat!

cory w · 03-03-2004, 08:53 AM

Sleeper = fantastic.

I cannot wait for "season" 2.

James W. Powell · 03-03-2004, 08:56 AM

Best Book In Comics!

Proutcast · 03-03-2004, 09:29 AM

Easy Irony

Sleeper = A Sleeper Hit

rockieman · 03-03-2004, 09:40 AM

June can't come fast enough.

I just wish there would be a hardcover edition of Season One. Unfortuantely current sales would never make that feasible.

Aaron Weisbrod · 03-03-2004, 10:06 AM

I, like so many other people, kept hearing al the hype about this book, but I never heard anything concrete enough about the concept to really make that leap into buying it...

Until this interview.

I'm sold. I'll be picking-up both trades, and probably even the COUP issues, too.

This series really does sound too good to miss...

Wakin' up,
Aaron Weisbrod

Hdefined · 03-03-2004, 10:07 AM

I finally got around to reading issues #1-6, picked them up from a dollar bin. They were good . . . and that's about it. Best thing I've read all year? Not nearly. Excellent? Well, no. It was just . . . good. Nothing in the status quo really changed though, that's the thing. Each issue was a single issue story with a separate plot, but there wasn't enough overall change within the series to hold my interest.

mc (_(\/)_)achete · 03-03-2004, 10:07 AM

sleeper is great stuff. if you're not reading it, u should.

cactusmaac · 03-03-2004, 10:29 AM

Hey Ed,

If you're reading this I'd like you to know I really like your work. Batman #603 and #604 are probably among my favourite single issues of all time, I walked for an hour to the local comic store when my car was in the shop so I could get hold of Out In The Cold, gave out a huge "Holy Shit! What the f*** are you doing to my comic?!!!" shout at a family gathering when my great-aunt put her cup of tea on Coup #1 and pre-ordered Hawkman #27 as soon as I found out you and Philips were doing it.

So apologies if any of the following offends you.

I like your work but it seems you keep tapping noir as the primary influence for your work. Now that's great since few do it better than yourself but so far Sleeper, Gotham Central, Catwoman and Gotham Noir just seemto be appealing to the same fans. To take the example of another popular writer like Bendis his work on titles like DD, USM and Powers is sufficiently distinct that a fan who doesn't care for one title may still be a fan of another.

I'm just hoping your forthcoming work on The Authority (which I'm already signed up for whenever it comes out) taps different influences that fans who aren't already part of the Bru Crew will find interesting and appealing.

SHABBAZZ · 03-03-2004, 10:39 AM

IN THE PAST WEEKS YOU HAVE SOLD ME ON HUMAN TARGET, BITE CLUB AND NOW SLEEPERS, WAY TO GO 'RAMA. WHEN WILL YOU PROFILE LOSERS? I DON'T HANG WITH ANY OTHER COMIC READERS SO THE INFO I GET ON SERIES NOT BEHOLDEN TO WIZARD IS VERY SECOND HAND AND LIMITED.

Peagle8 · 03-03-2004, 10:47 AM

A GREAT series! After issue three came out, the manager at my comic shop told me the book was so good that he'd refund my $ if I bought the first three issues and didn't like it.
12 issues later and the worst thing about this book is that I have to wait until June for season 2

After this interview, I might have to track down the Point Blank miniseries...

tralfaz · 03-03-2004, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Peagle8

After this interview, I might have to track down the Point Blank miniseries...

might? get the damn trade already

season two must start now!!!

Fazhoul · 03-03-2004, 11:40 AM

I'll be picking up the issues of Sleeper that I missed so I can catch up with the series.

shakey · 03-03-2004, 11:44 AM

The vibe I get from Sleeper is that same unique feeling I had in the 80's reading each issue of Watchmen and Miracleman.

Sleeper is that kind of distinctive read .

Brubaker is firing on all cylinders on this book, but Sean Phillips amazing art doesn't get enough credit. The dark look of it is like the best cover art from men's action adventure books , but instead of just getting a cool cover, the art continues for 22 more pages.

Thanks Wildstorm , for believing the quality of this series will eventually find a wider audience.

**MattBrady** · 03-03-2004, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SHABBAZZ
IN THE PAST WEEKS YOU HAVE SOLD ME ON HUMAN TARGET, BITE CLUB AND NOW SLEEPERS, WAY TO GO 'RAMA. WHEN WILL YOU PROFILE LOSERS?

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/show...&threadid=6285

A touch dated, but it works...

COREMARK · 03-03-2004, 12:07 PM

Sleeper is one of my favorite books as well. Characters like Holden, Tao, Genocide

, and Miss Misery have all become some of the best written characters in comics. Season 2 cannot get here fast enough!

kingofcities · 03-03-2004, 12:27 PM

Love Sleeper and Mr. Brubakers work in general (Wildstorm or otherwise).

On a sort-of sidebar, when is he taking over The Authority exactly? The latest solicitation I saw still has the current creators listed. I'm dying to read Brubakers spin on one of my all time favorite books already!!! And for that matter, who is going to be the artist?

Kent

Riliss · 03-03-2004, 12:46 PM

Sleeper should be selling top 10.

It is DAMN good.

djshalope · 03-03-2004, 01:02 PM

i've been with this series from day one and it's up there with the best comic purchases i've ever made. the quality is so high thru-out the entire narrative. i wouldn't pick out the book as one of my favorite single issues of 2003 (mostly because of Hawaiian Dick and 21 Down) but i would easily say that Sleeper was the best ongoing series of 2003 (or maxi-series, whatever it was).

gwangung · 03-03-2004, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hdefined
I finally got around to reading issues #1-6, picked them up from a dollar bin. They were good . . . and that's about it. Best thing I've read all year? Not nearly. Excellent? Well, no. It was just . . . good. Nothing in the status quo really changed though, that's the thing. Each issue was a single issue story with a separate plot, but there wasn't enough overall change within the series to hold my interest.

Your choice. But the series wouldn't be nearly as good without the slow-sinking-into-moral-quicksand pace that these issues set up. That's one thing that CAN'T be rushed.

thepinkfink · 03-03-2004, 01:54 PM

Good to see that Sleeper is getting the recognition it deserves - to my mind one of the best books of the last few years. In fact the entire EOTS line has been a breath of fresh air where superhero books are concerned. Now I'm just waiting to hear about a season two for 21 Down. Has anyone heard anything about that? Or are Gray and Palmiotti now going to be too busy with their impressive Monolith and upcoming Hawkman run?

Hdefined · 03-03-2004, 02:08 PM

I do have to say, Point Blank was cool . . . but I'm confused how it ties into Wildcats, what with both utilizing Grifter

farwell3d · 03-03-2004, 02:27 PM

Simply put, the best book on the stands month to month.

Toss in the fact that Bru might be the nicest guy in the comics industry, and will do almost anything to get you to read his comics, and you know why I love this book.

Bru, you are still the man. Period.

Cowboy Monkey · 03-03-2004, 02:51 PM

I took a chance on buying Gotham Central, and I took a chance on picking up the Sleeper trade sight unseen, and I couldn't be more pleased with both. Ed Brubaker is easily one of the most consistently excellent writers I've run across lately. I've put other books back on the shelf so that I would be able to buy more Brubaker titles. If it has his name on it, I'll soon be buying it.

Bobby Drake · 03-03-2004, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hdefined
I do have to say, Point Blank was cool . . . but I'm confused how it ties into Wildcats, what with both utilizing Grifter

Point Blank doesn't really tie into Wildcats. Eventhough Grifter does appear is both books, they don't really connect with another. Grifter was only used because he had connections with both Lynch and Slayton (Backlash).

I'm thinking of buying TPB's of Sleeper and Point Blank, eventhough I already own the single issues.

Bobby Drake · 03-03-2004, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SHABBAZZ
IN THE PAST WEEKS YOU HAVE SOLD ME ON HUMAN TARGET, BITE CLUB AND NOW SLEEPERS, WAY TO GO 'RAMA. WHEN WILL YOU PROFILE LOSERS? I DON'T HANG WITH ANY OTHER COMIC READERS SO THE INFO I GET ON SERIES NOT BEHOLDEN TO WIZARD IS VERY SECOND HAND AND LIMITED.

Yeah, I gotta give Newsarama that same credit. Thanks to you guys, I'll be buying Human Target!

stlfan79 · 03-03-2004, 03:22 PM

If you haven't been reading this there is something wrong with you. Wildstorm is giving you a second chance with season 2 don't blow it.

COREMARK · 03-03-2004, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kingofcities
Love Sleeper and Mr. Brubakers work in general (Wildstorm or otherwise).

On a sort-of sidebar, when is he taking over The Authority exactly? The latest solicitation I saw still has the current creators listed. I'm dying to read Brubakers spin on one of my all time favorite books already!!! And for that matter, who is going to be the artist?

Kent

Brubakers run on The Authority starts with issue #15, I do believe.