MARK MILLAR TALKS KICK-ASS

[MattBrady]

Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Kick-Ass. That’s not any kind of hype-y claim, that’s the short form of a product solicitation for a book shipping from Marvel’s Icon imprint in February of 2008.

The six-issue Kick-Ass is the latest in Mark Millar’s creator-owned “Millarworld” titles which to date have included Wanted, Chosen and The Unfunnies. As for what this one is about…well, the solicitation reads fairly simply and quietly:

The greatest super hero comic of all-time is finally here. WOLVERINE: ENEMY OF THE STATE's team of MARK MILLAR (CIVIL WAR) and JOHN ROMITA JR. (WORLD WAR HULK) reunite for the best new book of the 21st century. Have you ever wanted to be a super hero? Dreamed of donning a mask and just heading outside to some kick-ass? Well, this is the book for you--the comic that starts where other super hero books draw the line. KICK-ASS is realistic super heroes taken to the next level. Miss out and you're an idiot!

Millar first told us about Kick-Ass back in February when he was discussing his post-Civil War plans, and we hit him up for more now that the series is being solicited.

Newsarama: First off Mark, this is the first title in your second “wave” of Millarworld titles, correct? Is this an all-new concept for this new collection of titles, or something that you had back when you were launching the first wave and have updated?

Mark Millar: Kick-Ass is the fourth book in the first phase of my creator-owned plans. Ashley Wood and I had talked about doing something, but it never worked out and the ideas were broken up and used elsewhere. So this is a brand new concept and the official fourth Millarworld title created to take the place of Run. It's a story I've had gestating for quite a while and is really the simplest idea in the world.

NRAMA: So spill…

MM: It's about a sixteen year old kid who is so into comics that he just makes himself a costume, paints up a baseball bat and goes out looking for trouble. He decides to become our world's first superhero. On the face of it, it sounds ridiculous, but the notion of an ordinary, non-powered human being going out and trying to help people has been done in everything from the original Atom to Batman. In many ways, it's my favorite kind of superhero story because the potential for drama is enormous. This guy hasn't been injected with super-soldier serum or rocketed from a dying world. He just does 100 press-ups every night and maybe takes karate lessons and tries to eat healthily and so he's massively, massively vulnerable. It's really the most incredibly obvious idea and I'm amazed nobody has ever done this before, but the book just feels so unlike any superhero comic I've seen before. I don’t play it for laughs at all. It's too easy to take the piss out of something like this. I just play it absolutely straight and use this as a starting point in the story... imagine this kid going out there with his mask and his baseball bat. What would happen next? The obvious answer, of course, is incredible violence and that's where the fun begins. This book breaks down everything we love about superheroes and builds it all up again in a new way. We're very excited about it. Johnny and I both think we've stumbled onto something potentially enormous here.

NRAMA: Just a guy with a mask on, and a weapon choosing to fight crime? I think one can argue that this kind of thing has been done before...are you sure you want to make that claim?

MM: Absolutely. As far as I recall, it's never been done right here in our world. This isn't a fictional Gotham or Opal City or whatever. He isn't up against any kind of animal-themed super-villain and there's no robots or mutants or aliens. This is a normal person in the real world putting on a mask and getting into trouble. As unbelievably simple as that sounds, I don't think that's ever been done before.

NRAMA: Art-wise, you mentioned Ashley Wood earlier, but was John JR your original choice for artist on this? What makes him a good choice for this project?

MM: This is a very action-centric book and nobody draws superhero action like Johnny. He's a legend and he's best action guy in the business. This book is very real and very gritty. The action is more up close and personal, more Mean Streets than Michael Bay, and Johnny is amazing for this. The idea for this really crystallized when we were doing Wolverine: Enemy of the State together and it's brilliant to be working with him again. Marvel also pointed out that it's the writer of Civil War and the artist of World War Hulk working on a brand new type of commercial superhero comic, which we hadn't considered, and that's obviously very exciting too.

NRAMA: Let’s get back into the kid who dons the mask and the set up…this is the “real world?”

MM: Right. Our world. The world right outside your window. It's a story about what would happen if you made a suit tonight and went out looking for trouble, using all the great things we love about superhero comics... from secret identities, arch enemies, horrible situations and so on. It's everything we've ever seen happening at once and turned up to eleven. People we previewed this with said they've never seen anything like it.

NRAMA: Let’s talk about the spark, the germ of the idea here…what got this rolling?

MM: I'm increasingly fascinated by the real world and all my major stories of the last few years have tended to touch quite heavily on what's been going on outside comic books. I think it's probably why my stuff tends to resonate well and sell lots to people in the mass market (that and they feel sorry for the fact that nobody can understand a word I'm saying). So it seemed like a natural progression from, say, a book like Ultimates where we imagine the Marvel characters in the real world. This is the next step, really. It's imagining the real-world creating a superhero that would work within realistic parameters. In reality, Cap would never have survived frozen in ice. In reality, Thor would not have been an Asgardian God. It's wonderful fiction, but it's essentially fantasy and this provided a nice counter-balance to Fantastic Four with Hitchy in the sense that it's coming to the material with a very different head. All my favorite comics are realistic superhero books and if you look at the charts and the awards over the years most people seem to agree. It's just a personal preference, though. It's what I want to read about and what I want to write about, whether it's Ultimates 1, Ultimates 2, Civil War, The Authority, Red Son, Wanted or the upcoming 1985. It's a definite pattern in my work.

NRAMA: So how do the people in your story become superheroes?

MM: That's a big part of the first issue. Traditionally, it's been a trauma or an awakening, a Green Lantern ring passed from a dying alien or a bite on the hand from a radioactive bug. But sometimes there's smaller, more human reasons and that's explained in the first issue.

NRAMA: “The best new book of the 21st century” “realistic super heroes taken to the next level” “Miss out and you’re an idiot” – that’s just from the solicit, and we won’t go into the teaser picture. Even for you Mark, that’s pretty serious hype. Are you that confident in this, or does Kick-Ass need propping up?

MM: Oh, that's just me propping it up. It's actually shite (laughs).

NRAMA: Going back to “realistic” superheroes, your work that you mentioned above was part of the second wave of “realistic superheroes” built on the foundation that was laid by Miracleman, Dark Knight, Watchmen, Brat Pack and others of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. That said, what is “the next level” in realistic super heroes?

MM: That's a really interesting question because it struck me quite hard when I started writing this that we hadn't really seen realistic superheroes before. The buzz-word probably predates the ‘80s a little and the earliest I saw the phrase was stuff like Don MacGregor's Black Panther. But he was still fighting alongside Captain America and so on and even Dark Knight, Miracleman and Watchmen (probably my three favorite books of all time) couldn't be described as realistic because you still had Superman or Doctor Manhattan walking around with his little blue tadger hanging out. Those books were brilliant, realistic imaginings of unrealistic powers, done so well that you bought into the world and accepted that this was possible. Kick-Ass is precisely the opposite. It's about a guy trying to make something impossible happen in the real world.

If some big Russian bastard ties you up, chances are you aren't going to break free and beat up he and his gang buddies. Chances are you're going to die. And the book is very much about that. It's all about one guy doing something brave or stupid (depending on your point of view) and then in our crazy internet world lots of other would-be superheroes appearing and copying him. The second one guy gets some acclaim out there and perceived as cool in any way you can bet your ass 50 people will be out there trying to get in the papers too. Then what happens when the crazies show up and want to fight him? It's interesting because I've been writing this for a few months and in the last few weeks this has actually been happening to some extent in real life. I remember seeing that guy Mister Silent on TV a while ago and a few other would-be heroes dotted around Myspace, but it's really starting to escalate and last week there was that guy in New York actually fighting with vandals or muggers or whatever. There's a link here to my website but I've seen this all over and it's interesting to me because I feel I'm tapping into some kind of zeitgeist. Just as I'm amazed nobody's ever written a superhero comic like this before I'm amazed more people haven't been doing this since 1938. I know I certainly wanted to when I was a teenager, but just never had the balls.

NRAMA: But again, and keeping the “real-world” aspect firmly at the front, a kid putting on mask and fighting crime (as he sees it) isn't a hero, he's a vigilante, and thus, a criminal. How much does that play into your story?

MM: I literally start with the mask going on, the kid walking out of an alley and getting into his first fight. From that moment, pretty much everything goes wrong for him and he ends up in a world he didn't count on. The cops are after him, the criminals are after him and he's inspired a lot of other people to go out there and do the same thing (and not all of these guys are good people). So I just take the idea to its logical conclusion.

NRAMA: Where would you put Kick-Ass on your continuum of creator-owned works in tone and approach? It seems to be kin to Wanted…

MM: Wanted, Chosen and The Unfunnies were all incredibly different, but this is a lot like Wanted in the sense that it's an unashamedly commercial mainstream superhero book with a hard edge, millions of swearing and people getting little bits of them cut off. It's Spider-Man meets Eli Roth, I suppose.

NRAMA: Okay, bigger picture, how will this next wave of Millarworld titles work out? Will they all be through Icon? What kind of release schedule are we looking at?

MM: Well, the phase one stuff will be trickling out as I wind up my Marvel contract next year and then I'll start properly planning for phase two. At present, I have no idea where those books will be published, but Kick-Ass is from Icon and the superhero book War Heroes I'm doing with Tony Harris in out from Image next June. This plus the remaining chapters of Chosen will close out my phase one plans and we couldn't be happier with how they worked out. Wanted is out as a $110 million movie in March, Chosen is sitting at a big studio and both War Heroes and Kick-Ass got teams attached immediately before the writers strike happened. So it's very exciting.

NRAMA: So Kick-Ass is already off the market?

MM: Right. A producer/ director has already approached us about doing this as soon as the writers' strike is over and I'm a huge fan so we're not going to take it anywhere else. We're going to co-write the screenplay and he'll direct. The guy's a bloody genius so I couldn't be happier.

As always, the artists and I own these things 50/50 between us and also get to be producers on the movies so it's a very happy arrangement. Things have worked out really well and I have a nice little line of artists ready to get moving on Millarworld Phase 2. But you'll see nothing on that until 2009. In the meantime, you've got Kick-Ass, War Heroes, FF with Hitchy, 1985 with Tommy Lee Edwards, the remaining chapters of Chosen and a big final Marvel project with Steve McNiven for 2008. I only had three or four little comics out in 2007 so it'll be nice to see all this stuff coming out in 2008... even nicer knowing that it's mostly all written and I can relax for a while.

[Marius665]

the cover looks like Shadowcat punching the Hell out of Tony Stark

I think I can wait for this in trade to get it. Doesn't really appeal to me but I still want to give it a chance.

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by Marius665

the cover looks like Shadowcat punching the Hell out of Tony Stark

I would buy that book.

[CodeGuy]

It's funny to read him saying that he's not playing it for laughs. I thought the solicit was hilarious.

[AlexLothos]

Hahaha. Sounds very fun. Sign me up!

[New Warrior]

Awesome. Can. Not. Wait.

[RoiVampire]

i have a feeling this is going to be one of the best books of the year just from how passionate millar sounds

[HartyPotter]

That's pretty awesome. I'm probably going to pick up the first issue, but then I might wait for the trade.

[Greg O]

Can't Millar ever stop blowing his own horn?

NRAMA: Just a guy with a mask on, and a weapon choosing to fight crime? I think one can argue that this kind of thing has been done before...are you sure you want to make that claim?

MM: Absolutely. As far as I recall, it's never been done right here in our world. This isn't a fictional Gotham or Opal City or whatever. He isn't up against any kind of animal-themed super-villain and there's no robots or mutants or aliens. This is a normal person in the real world putting on a mask and getting into trouble. As unbelievably simple as that sounds, I don't think that's ever been done before.

It's been done dozens of times before, best in Batman year One. Alan Davis drew a 4 page strip in a UK mag exploring just such a premise years ago, DC had a series (Mad Dog?) etc. etc. etc.

[hlbimage]

Wanted cost $110 millions to make? well there is a movie that will never make back it's investment. The trailer looks good but so did Spidey 3 and Fantastic Four 2.

I am boycotting anything that has Mark Millar on it because after that whole Superman plunder a month ago when he was assuming that he should be hired to write the next Superman movie. Man what a douche bag.

[sweetmisery]

Originally Posted by Marius665

the cover looks like Shadowcat punching the Hell out of Tony Stark

I think I can wait for this in trade to get it. Doesn't really appeal to me but I still want to give it a chance.

LOL. Yeah that what I said to http://forum.newsarama.com/showthrea...ighlight=kitty...

Anyway I might also get it in trade.

[nwspencer]

This book is gonna be huge. Can't wait.

[SpaceButler]

Originally Posted by kingofcities

I would buy that book.

I would too.

[Blackbeard]

Looks like a lot of fun. I'm in.

[Jed Saxon]

Originally Posted by kingofcities

I would buy that book.

Same here. But I would buy a book with Shadowcat punching somebody per se.

Originally Posted by RoiVampire

i have a feeling this is going to be one of the best books of the year just from how passionate millar sounds

Millars often sounds passionate yet aside from "Chosen" and several issues of "Ultimates" I have yet to read a comic by him where I can say "Yeah - one of the best ooks ever". I think he's a solid writer but overrated.

Originally Posted by Greg O

(Mad Dog?)

That was Marvel.

Originally Posted by hlbimage

Wanted cost $110 millions to make? well there is a movie that will never make back it's investment.

Don't underestimate DVD sales.

[dirtykid]

Oh, I am all over this like a rash!

That preview image looks great, and Millar pretty much always delivers the goods.

[Salieri]

Hey, it sounds fun. I wouldn't mind.

[kalorama]

For my money, Millar's stuff is all sizzle, not much steak. Lots of hype and "edge" and not much in the way of substance. Trouble is, he keeps getting paired with great artists whose work I'll like. I'll wait for the trade flip through it and decide whether JRJr's art is worth it. But that's the only reason I'd even consider this.

[BubbaKanoosh]

Originally Posted by Jed Saxon

That was Marvel.

.

pretty sure mad dog was DC. dude in a hockey mask and a gun?

[Punchy]

This sounds awesome, I really enjoyed the previous Millarworld projects, Wanted was silly fun, Chosen was surprisingly excellent, and The Unfunnies was just sick and demented, and this could be the best yet.

Basically, I'm the one guy who still likes Millar,

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by BubbaKanoosh

pretty sure mad dog was DC. dude in a hockey mask and a gun?

It was DC, but the name of the character was Wild Dog, not Mad Dog.

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by Mark Millar

MM: It's about a sixteen year old kid who is so into comics that he just makes himself a costume, paints up a baseball bat and goes out looking for trouble.

There was a character in Chuck Dixon's Nightwing who did the exact same thing.

[R.McKegan]

I'm excited. One of my favorite writers with one of my favorite artists. I can't lose. I've been jonsing for more Millar, lets get these books out already.

[foxhound421]

Originally Posted by RoiVampire

i have a feeling this is going to be one of the best books of the year just from how passionate millar sounds

i got that feeling too. i've toyed around with this idea in my head before (not doing it myself, just could it ever really work?) and there really is no good, realistic conclusion. i'm interested to see what Millar does with it.

i never thought about the whole internet copy-cat phenomenon angle though. that sounds like the most interesting part of the story to me.

[bluebird]

Originally Posted by Greg O

Can't Millar ever stop blowing his own horn?


It's been done dozens of times before, best in Batman year One. Alan Davis drew a 4 page strip in a UK mag exploring just such a premise years ago, DC had a series (Mad Dog?) etc. etc. etc.

Wait, what city is the Punisher in? New York City? And that exists here in the real world? And who's he fight? Mutants, robots, zombies and animal-themed villains? Wait, criminals? Normal criminals you say. Huh.

(See also: Every single R-rated action movie from about 1975 to 1995)