WW PHILLY: ED BRUBAKER ON LADY BULLSEYE

**MattBrady** · 05-31-2008, 03:42 PM

Under Ed Brubaker’s pen, Daredevil has met up with a substantial number of threats, more often than not, with root in his past.

In September, Matt Murdock’s past comes back to haunt him again, at least in the name of a new character debuting in that month’s issue: Lady Bullseye.

We chatted briefly with Brubaker to learn a little more about who she is and what she’s about.

Newsarama: Ed, so far on your run, you've managed to stay away from the Bullseye side of things, in no small part due to him being used elsewhere of course...but what brought this on? What was the seed of what grew into Lady Bullseye?

Ed Brubaker: It's kind of complicated, and grew a bit out of something [Matt] Fraction and I were kicking around a year or so back, that didn't end up happening. But the germ of that story kept picking at me, and feeling like a perfect Daredevil story, so I started mapping it out and talking to [Editor] Warren Simons about it and in our talks, I threw out the idea of a female Bullseye-like character being part of it.

I started explaining how I saw her history and development and why she would call herself Lady Bullseye (not just because she's a fan of Lady Snowblood) and Warren just kept loving all of it. Then we bounced it off Joe Q. and he dug it, too. A lot of people don't know this, but Joe is always a sounding board for Daredevil stories, and always willing to listen to ideas and give his twists on them, and every time he's right on the money.

And then we got Marko [Djurdjevic] working on costume designs, with the note to combine the traditional Bullseye look with a Japanese look somehow, and Marko just nailed it.

So, while that's all really vague, because I don't want to ruin the upcoming story, that's the basics of how Lady Bullseye came to be.

NRAMA: Is she any relation to the original, now comatose Bullseye?

EB: There's a link, but it's not exactly what you'd expect. But yeah, she knows him, and his current condition and being part of the Thunderbolts has a lot to do with why she's taken his name.

NRAMA: Clearly it'll be part of the story, but any broad-stroke hints as to her beef, if there is one, against Matt?

EB: It's bigger than that. It's not about Matt, for her. She's really self-obsessed. Like I said, she's really just one flamboyant character in a bigger story that's going to go a lot of strange places.

NRAMA: Does she really call herself Lady Bullseye, or is that just shorthand given to her by others, given her design and talents?

EB: Yes. Really. If it was good enough for Lady Snowblood, it's good enough for her. When you learn her history, the name will make total sense.

NRAMA: Finally, what can she do? Are we talking about the same abilities as Bullseye?

EB: She's a totally badass trained ninja and assassin, a lot like Bullseye, with some different training, but unlike him she has a secret identity and a real life, as well, where she's not a psycho killer.

Police-dude · 05-31-2008, 04:34 PM

hmmm not sure if this is gonne be cool.....:S
I dont read Daredevil at the moment, so can't really judge...
but still

DaVeO · 05-31-2008, 04:46 PM

I'm down with it. Costume looks great and her history is shrouded in mystery. Ed can't do wrong with this book in my eyes. Now, can we get White Tiger to come back?

protege · 05-31-2008, 04:46 PM

Okay- i like her, but if Bullseye is comatose,then who's in Thunderbolts, about to tangle with spider man (and maybe moon knight, and captain marvel)?

Guy_Gardner · 05-31-2008, 04:52 PM

well...that's.....something..

I'm not a big Daredevil person...but I don't know....

I guess we'll just have to see how she works in the comic...but there are a lot of lady versions of Marvel heroes and villains popping up in the past couple of years...I just hope this one is one of the good ones...and not the forgettable ones *coughLadyDocOckcough*

Tom Daylight · 05-31-2008, 04:52 PM

She looks more like a Madame Bullseye than a Lady Bullseye.

Nas-Vell · 05-31-2008, 04:53 PM

Yet another female version of an existing villain who's unable to join the fight (the female Kraven being the other), and this one I like even more. I've always liked Bullseye, conceptually, but felt he was overused (like Kingpin) in Daredevil. Brubaker's been gold on this title, especially with the rogues gallery (he made Mister Fear into a badass, for crying out loud), so I trust him on this. Love the reference to Lady Snowblood in there and think this will rock. The designs look good, too. Good on ya, pulp superhero comic guys!

cernunnos · 05-31-2008, 04:55 PM

Very nice!

Justice Daye · 05-31-2008, 04:59 PM

It would be interesting if she's actually Elektra. It sorta works too. She was in Japan, she has a "relationship" with Bullseye, and changing or hurting his reputation would definitely fit her agenda. It's gotta be Elektra...the real one.

BanMan · 05-31-2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justice Daye

It would be interesting if she's actually Elektra. It sorta works too. She was in Japan, she has a "relationship" with Bullseye, and changing or hurting his reputation would definitely fit her agenda. It's gotta be Elektra...the real one.

First thought: Elektra

Second thought: Echo

Stalzer2002 · 05-31-2008, 05:10 PM

Nice character design. I have absolute faith in Brubaker and DD is one of the best books on the stands. I'm looking forward to reading this, especially since it looks like we won't be getting some Secret Invastion tie in.

ejulp · 05-31-2008, 05:11 PM

Amazing costume design.

Guy_Gardner · 05-31-2008, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Daylight

She looks more like a Madame Bullseye than a Lady Bullseye.

hmm...Madame Bullseye does seem more fitting....I just don't like when they put Lady in from of something....it just sounds wrong or arousing ...like Lady Flash...

KirkWarren · 05-31-2008, 05:30 PM

I hate the "female villain of a popular male" characters. I'm ranking this one down with the female Kraven in ASM for going to the well too often. Marks for a nice costume design, but, seriously, Lady Bullseye? I could see if there was some legacy aspec,t like Spider-Girl or Superboy, but Lady Bullseye is just a terrible name and she's destined for derivative knock off status until they can free Bullseye up from Thunderbolts.

skl183 · 05-31-2008, 05:34 PM

its most likely Echo. And yes, L-A-M-E!

And I'm pretty surprised this sort of crap would come from Bru, with the high quality story he's been telling in Cap and with Fraction in Iron Fist.

**MattBrady** · 05-31-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skl183

its most likely Echo. And yes, L-A-M-E!

And I'm pretty surprised this sort of crap would come from Bru, with the high quality story he's been telling in Cap and with Fraction in Iron Fist.

Seriously, I don't get this. There's absolutely nothing in the piece to suggest it's Echo, or anyone else for that matter; and you even note that Brubaker produces high-quality work...you put those two together, and conclude that its crap?

You know, sometimes I can defend some of the perceived negativity that shows up here, but this brand of N just leaves me scratching my head.

MattB

Eric Palicki · 05-31-2008, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skl183

its most likely Echo. And yes, L-A-M-E!

And I'm pretty surprised this sort of crap would come from Bru, with the high quality story he's been telling in Cap and with Fraction in Iron Fist.

Wow....so you've read this story then?

(My first thought: Lady Deathstrike, who has a very strong but often forgotten tie to both Daredevil and Bullseye.)

TF_Loki · 05-31-2008, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KirkWarren

I hate the "female villain of a popular male" characters. I'm ranking this one down with the female Kraven in ASM for going to the well too often. Marks for a nice costume design, but, seriously, Lady Bullseye? I could see if there was some legacy aspec,t like Spider-Girl or Superboy, but Lady Bullseye is just a terrible name and she's destined for derivative knock off status until they can free Bullseye up from Thunderbolts.

So neither story is out and they're both rubbish!?! Next week's lottery numbers please, oh seer...

Barefootlib · 05-31-2008, 06:50 PM

I agree whole heartedly with Matt Brady. All the negative fanboys should shut up until they actually read this. As for who it is, Elektra was captured by Skrulls, Lady Deathstrike was killed in Messiah Complex, and Echo is not Japanese. The only thing worse than a fanboy, is a fanboy who doesn't know what he's talking about.

Tom Daylight · 05-31-2008, 06:55 PM

Maybe she's a Skrull who got Bullseye's gender mixed up.

Janin · 05-31-2008, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nas-Vell

Yet another female version of an existing villain who's unable to join the fight (the female Kraven being the other), and this one I like even more. I've always liked Bullseye, conceptually, but felt he was overused (like Kingpin) in Daredevil. Brubaker's been gold on this title, especially with the rogues gallery (he made Mister Fear into a badass, for crying out loud), so I trust him on this. Love the reference to Lady Snowblood in there and think this will rock. The designs look good, too. Good on ya, pulp superhero comic guys!

A female Kraven? I had no idea ... where did this character appear?

Michael Heide · 05-31-2008, 07:04 PM

Great design, Marko.

Ed Brubaker · 05-31-2008, 07:08 PM

It's not Elektra or Echo or any other pre-existing character.

Whether it's lame or not is a question I hope the story will answer, when it actually comes out.

ReaperFett · 05-31-2008, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skl183

its most likely Echo. And yes, L-A-M-E!

And I'm pretty surprised this sort of crap would come from Bru, with the high quality story he's been telling in Cap and with Fraction in Iron Fist.

If you had listed all the stuff Brubaker was going to do at Marvel when he went exclusive, I doubt this would be the one people would think was the lamest or worst idea. And yet on the other side of these things, people are loving it. How can we say this wont be any different?

**MattBrady** · 05-31-2008, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Daylight

Maybe she's a Skrull who got Bullseye's gender mixed up.

I think you just wrote one of the chapters of What Th-?!?: Secret Invasion

MattB