SHEDDING LIGHT ON TWLIGHT GUARDIAN WITH TROY HICKMAN

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

Who among comics readers hasn't thought about it?

Patrolling the streets at night, keeping a watchful and heroic eye on the innocent, making the world a safer place. Or at least the neighborhood.

In Twilight Guardian, writer Troy Hickman is exploring what it might be like for a single middle-aged woman to make that choice in the real world. The main character takes the tragedies of her life and attempts to turn them around by becoming the vigilante Twilight Guardian, trying to do something meaningful in the wee hours of the night.

Twilight Guardian, due in stores in late May, is the first entry in Pilot Season 2008, the Top Cow contest where six original and self-contained comic book issues are released, and readers vote on which one they'd like to see turned into an ongoing series. In last year's first version of Pilot Season, the company concentrated on established Top Cow characters. This time around, they're expanding it to original stories.

Hickman is best known for his Eisner-nominated series Common Grounds, the critically acclaimed story of a superhero universe told through a chain of coffee and doughnut shops. The writer has more recently been the creator behind the City of Heroes comic.

We talked to Hickman about Twilight Guardian, the idea of being a vigilante in the real world, and what kind of story readers can expect from the first entry in this year's Pilot Season.

Newsarama: Let's start with the premise of Twilight Guardian. Who is this main character and what do we find out about her in this issue?

Troy Hickman: Well, she's a middle-aged woman who has gone through rough times due to a romantic break-up, and it triggers her OCD. Because of it, she feels compelled to put on a hoody and a domino mask and "patrol" her nine-block neighborhood each night as the Twilight Guardian. Because the Pilot Season books are initially intended to be self-contained, I really tried to make it a character-driven script, even more so than my stuff usually is, so that you really get a sense of her and her life, both as a hero and in her "secret ID." More than anything, I want her to be a character that the readers really dig, someone with whom they can laugh, someone who might cause them to feel a little sad or sympathetic, and someone who makes them say "y'know, in a lot of ways, she's kind of like me."

NRAMA: Probably every superhero fan has dreamed of being a vigilante. Are you included in that? Ever think about patrolling as a vigilante, and if so, is that where this story came from?

TH: Oh, sure. I don't think there's a soul among us worthy of our nerd credentials who hasn't considered it. Most of us would never actually attempt it, though, because if we tried to emulate the life of your average comic book superhero, we'd end up looking down the barrel of a .38 without the benefit of laser vision to help us out. Part of the idea behind Twilight Guardian, though, is that you don't have to fly at supersonic speeds and catch missiles in your teeth to be a hero. Sometimes the smallest, most seemingly mundane gestures can have just as much impact as the cosmic ones. Think about the moments that have changed the course of your life; they're much more likely to be caused by a moment of compassion or the utterance of three little words than by Baron Existence threatening to blow up the universe again.

And while I've never patrolled as a vigilante, I have spent thousands of nights walking around in the hours between midnight and dawn, and that's where the Twilight Guardian came from. There's a certain clarity that you gain when you're out and about during that time, and a real sense of melancholy, too. You simultaneously feel both like a part of something larger than yourself, and also like you're the only person on the planet. I've tried to capture at least some of that in the story.

NRAMA: Is she going to run into trouble?

TH: That really depends on how you define "trouble." Is she going to be foiling bank robberies or having missions in space? Um, probably not. But she's going to have to deal with things that are threats and conflicts in her world... and in ours. There are elements at play that, if brought to fruition, could definitely (as she says in the story) "spell the end of the Twilight Guardian."

NRAMA: Who are some of the other characters we'll be seeing?

TH: There are a bunch of 'em. Because my stories are so much about characterization, I try to bring the "minor" characters alive as much as possible, and this book really lends itself to that. You tend to meet a very different group of folks when you're out in the wee hours. While I was working my way through college, I spent a few years doing graveyard shift at convenience stores and gas stations, and I ended up encountering some of the most quirky and wonderful people. And when you're walking around a neighborhood at night, you see things that you probably wouldn't in the daylight world. I tried to bring all of this into the story. I'm not going to say more, though, because I believe in the element of surprise!

NRAMA: It sounds like it's based in realism, with some fantastic twists. Knowing your former work and how grounded it felt, do you think it's important to base a comic in a realistic world? Does it make it easier to identify with the characters?

TH: It's as based in realism as I could make it. I want the world of Twilight Guardian to be our world (or, in classic DC terms, I guess it'd be Earth-Prime). Her story would probably be a very different one in a universe where actual superheroes existed. I certainly don't think every comic has to be set in such a world, and I look forward to doing more comics like my City of Heroes stuff, where the sky is the limit in terms of fantasy and super-science and the paranormal, but Twilight Guardian is a comic more about the hero in us than the heroes we idolize. I will say, though, that for the folks who want the more standard capes-and-tights superheroes, we've got something in TG for you, too.

NRAMA: The solicitation points out that you have a donut shop in this comic -- a nod to your Eisner Award-nominated series Common Grounds. Is this comic like Common Grounds at all?

TH: Twilight Guardian is sort of Common Grounds taken to the next extreme. A number of folks compared Common Grounds to Astro City (how's that for an ego-inflater?), but I always thought it was just as much American Splendor as anything else. Twilight Guardian shoots even closer for that goal. The idea behind CG was that it would be the polar opposite of traditional superhero comics and feature not pulse-pounding slugfests, but rather superheroes having a snack and a conversation. The fun of that book was finding ways to make the stories dynamic within that context. Since Twilight Guardian doesn't even have the conventional superhero trappings that CG had (superpowers, supervillains, etc.), it becomes even more mundane, and the challenge for me is to make our world just as interesting as a world where the Liberty Balance can save the world from Red Death and his Death Squad.

What Twilight Guardian and Common Grounds have in common is a focus on the human side of "superheroes," and a love, my love, for the little quirky details that make stories come to life. And more than anything, what they have in common is an attempt to be fun and entertaining. We can talk about Art with a capital "A" all we want, but if I can't get the reader to say "hey, this is cool" then I really don't feel like I've done my job.

NRAMA: What's it been like working with the artist, Reza?

TH: A real pleasure. Reza's work is just terrific. The characters are spot-on, and there are some great angles to shots that I never would have considered. I'm hoping I get to work with him again.

One thing I've loved with this project is the feedback I've been able to give the whole artistic team. When I did Common Grounds, I turned in the scripts and then didn't see anything again until the finished art came in. Now, in that case, it was a good thing, because our artists were Dan Jurgens, George Perez, Sam Kieth, Ethan Van Sciver, Carlos Pacheco, Angel Medina, Mike Oeming, and Chris Bachalo (with amazing covers by my pal Rodolfo Migliari). What the hell would Troy Hickman be able to say about artwork to those guys? In this case, though, I've been able to make small suggestions and tweaks all along the way, so I get to feel like I'm more a part of the team.

One thing I'm digging about the art and coloring for Twilight Guardian is that it really conveys the sense of night. It's the same feeling I get when I look at a Hopper's Nighthawks or listen to Brubeck's "Take Five." It wasn't until I had seen all the finished, colored pages that I realized something really cool about the story: there's no daylight in it. Every page either takes place outside in the dark or inside with no daylight showing. It's not something I asked for, and I love that kind of serendipity.

NRAMA: With this issue, you're kicking off Pilot Season 2008, a second version of the 2007 contest of the same name. But although you're only guaranteed the one comic, do you have a story mapped out for the main character in Twilight Guardian? And a whole universe?

TH: Sure. Her story is self-contained here, but hopefully I've written it in such a way as to leave the reader wanting more Twilight Guardian, and I have countless ideas for upcoming stories. I just hope I get the chance to tell them! The competition for this Pilot Season is going to be fierce, and Twilight Guardian is up against great work from some major talents. It's really cool to see the variety of themes and genres under the Pilot Season 2008 banner (ironically, Twilight Guardian might be the closest thing to a conventional superhero comic!).

NRAMA: Anything else you want to tell people about Twilight Guardian?

TH: Well, I would like to mention that Twilight Guardian originally appeared in two mini-comics I wrote in the early 90s, and was drawn by my pal Pam Bliss, to whom the comic is affectionately dedicated (you're the best, Pam).

Aside from that, just that the book is scheduled to hit the stands on May 28th, and I hope readers will give it a try. It is always my goal to write a comic that everyone can enjoy, and I think we've succeeded. Also, if you dig the book, please cast your ballot for Twilight Guardian when the voting starts in August (and either way, please let me know what you think).

Oh, and wear something reflective when walking at night.

[TheNoirPI]

I'm sure it will kickass...

[brawl2099]

I think I'll pick this up. Fun and unique. :-)

[AlterEgoComics]

Common Grounds is an exceptional read, Hickman needs to be writing more comics. He is very good writer. I am certain Twilight Guardian will be amazing

[ColonelLee]

Originally Posted by TheNoirPI

I'm sure it will kickass...

Well...in this case it's a middle aged woman...

[Jay_Bird7]

feels like I will enjoy the writing more then anyting on this book


very different indeed

[Andre]

Originally Posted by TheNoirPI

I'm sure it will kickass...

Originally Posted by ColonelLee

Well...in this case it's a middle aged woman...

Not even kickass is a completely original concept. My book came out before both of these and explores the same exact questions. The interesting and mundane theme of normal person going out and becoming a vigilante has always been around in one form or another.

Im looking forward to reading this and Im sure Troy will put a nice interesting spin on it.

[holeycrullers]

Originally Posted by Andre

Not even kickass is a completely original concept. My book came out before both of these and explores the same exact questions. The interesting and mundane theme of normal person going out and becoming a vigilante has always been around in one form or another.

Im looking forward to reading this and Im sure Troy will put a nice interesting spin on it.

Thanks very much to everyone for the kind comments.

And Andre is right. While Twilight Guardian first appeared in the early 90s (this script is an amalgam of her appearances in Tales of the Pathetic Club #2 and Twilight Guardian #1, both mini-comics from around 12-15 years ago), the idea of more "mundane" heroes certainly predates anything in recent memory, including my own Holey Crullers/Common Grounds stuff and the like.

It always comes down to what you do with the material. Hopefully we've got a comic here that will grab folks (and ignore the restraining orders).

And yeah, I do need to be writing more comics...

[MatthewSmith]

Awesome! Great to see Troy writing comics again. I'm all over this book.

[holeycrullers]

Originally Posted by MatthewSmith

Awesome! Great to see Troy writing comics again. I'm all over this book.

Well, get off of there, man. You'll break it!

[Juggling man]

Can Not. Freaking. Wait!

[MatthewSmith]

Originally Posted by holeycrullers

Well, get off of there, man. You'll break it!

Sorry!

[R.Migliari]

Troy Hickman RULES!!!

Twilight Guardian sounds fantastic I can’t wait to read it.

Best of luck buddy! ( you’ve got my vote )

And kudos to Hendry, Reza and the colorist for the outstanding artwork.

Rodolfo

[Juggling man]

Originally Posted by holeycrullers

And Andre is right. While Twilight Guardian first appeared in the early 90s (this script is an amalgam of her appearances in Tales of the Pathetic Club #2 and Twilight Guardian #1, both mini-comics from around 12-15 years ago),

So is this a re-release or a re-visit?

[holeycrullers]

Originally Posted by R.Migliari

Troy Hickman RULES!!!

Twilight Guardian sounds fantastic I can’t wait to read it.

Best of luck buddy! ( you’ve got my vote )

And kudos to Hendry, Reza and the colorist for the outstanding artwork.

Rodolfo

No, my friend, YOU rule. One of the greatest honors of my career so far has been working with Mr. Rodolfo Migliari (and all you folks out there raise your hands if you'd like to see some publisher have the good sense to do a Migliari/Hickman comic!).

[holeycrullers]

Originally Posted by Juggling man

So is this a re-release or a re-visit?

Good question. It's sort of a "re-imagining." I've kept everything from her previous appearances (which, unfortunately, only a few hundred people ever saw), but I've added a lot of new stuff to it (and hopefully my writing has gotten sharper over the last dozen years).

[Juggling man]

Cool! Thanks for the clarification.

check your PM inbox.

[Juggling man]

I started a thread about the issue here ->
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=157777

come share your thoughts on the book!