DAVID HINE: TALKING SILENT WAR - UPDATED WITH ART

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

When David Hine’s last issue of Son of M had the king of the Inhumans, Black Bolt, declaring war upon the United States, few readers underestimated the power behind those words.

Because Quicksilver stole the treasured Terrigen Mists from the Inhumans homeworld on the moon and took them to earth, Black Bolt demanded their return. When the U.S. Office of National Emergency instead confiscated the Crystals, the miniseries ended with the Inhumans ready for war.

Now Hine returns to those characters to explore the ramifications of that declaration in Silent War, a six-issue Marvel miniseries beginning in January. Newsarama chatted with Hine about the upcoming series, what is so fascinating about the Inhumans, and what readers can expect from a war where everyone just hopes the leader doesn’t open his big mouth.

Newsarama: You're returning to these characters and this story again after Son of M. Was that Marvel's idea or something you wanted to do?

David Hine: I’ve just looked back at my first e-mail from Tom Brevoort when I was offered the Son of M mini-series. It was there in the original brief that the series should end with a cold war situation between the Inhumans and Earth that would be a springboard for further stories. I’ve been itching to follow up on the story. The Inhumans are some of my favorite characters in the Marvel stable so I didn’t exactly have to have my arm twisted.

NRAMA: Have you always been a fan of the Inhumans? Or did your love of the characters evolve as you worked on Son of M?

DH: Black Bolt has fascinated me since his first appearance in Fantastic Four. The idea that he can never speak because his voice unleashes a devastating destructive force is one of those classic ideas of the Lee/Kirby era. What made the story really take off for me though, was the re-introduction of his daughter Luna. I was familiar with the core characters -- Gorgon Medusa, Triton, Crystal, Lockjaw and Maximus -- but I didn’t know much about Luna. Once I had read all the back issues featuring Pietro it seemed weird that he had abandoned his daughter. I think there’s a tendency for comics writers to pack the kids off out of the way. But Luna is a very strong character and she’ll be playing a big role once again.

My interest in the Inhumans has certainly grown since reading the series by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee and then Sean McKeever’s series featuring the younger Inhumans. There are so many aspects of their world to explore. It seems insane to me that they don’t have a monthly title. Does that sound like a hint?

NRAMA: It does seem to point toward an Inhumans revival. Then again, the fact that Son of M concentrated so heavily on the Inhumans certainly revived the characters. The series focused on Pietro, but you put him into the Inhumans world immediately. Was that something Marvel wanted all along or was it character driven?

DH: When Pietro became depressed and suicidal after losing his powers, it seemed natural for him to run to Crystal. Once he was back in Attilan he was obviously going to look to the Mists of Terrigen to restore his powers. So the involvement of the Inhumans was inevitable. The Inhumans form one of the most interesting parts of the Marvel Universe. Because they are a completely separate race and culture, there are a lot more fantasy elements to their stories. It goes way beyond superheroics.

NRAMA: And now they’re ticked off. Can you summarize what made Black Bolt declare war on the U.S.?

DH: Inhuman Culture is centered on Terrigenesis, the process that most Inhumans go through during adolescence. The Terrigen Mists trigger their latent mutation revealing their true aspects as warriors, artists, healers and so on. Without Terrigenesis their culture would stagnate and die. In Son of M, Quicksilver stole the Terrigen Crystals, the catalyst that creates the Mists.

NRAMA: And he used them on himself to acquire a power of time travel, although limited. But he then brought them to earth to use on others, right?

DH: He intended to use the Mists to restore powers to former mutants after House of M. The crystals fell into the hands of the Office of National Emergency and they are now being held in the Pentagon. The United States government has determined that the Mists are Weapons of Mass Destruction and there is no way they will allow them to be returned to the Inhumans. That’s the situation that led to Black Bolt’s declaration of war. At the moment that declaration only applies to the USA but as with all wars, there is the danger of rapid escalation that could draw in all the nations of Earth.

NRAMA: So the Mists are currently somewhere in the Pentagon?

DH: Right now, the Mists are in a O*N*E experimental lab in the Pentagon where they are being tested on various subjects. As we have seen though, Quicksilver kept some for himself and has developed the ability to confer Terrigenesis by a ‘laying on of hands’ as seen in Peter David’s X-Factor.

NRAMA: Quicksilver’s appearances in X-Factor have been downright creepy. What do you see as his role now within the Marvel Universe and this story in particular?

DH: Quicksilver sees himself as a Messianic guru/healer. Former mutants come to him to have their powers restored but the results are usually disastrous. Quicksilver insists that the results depend on the mental state of the subject. So it’s a karma kind’a thing. You get the powers you deserve.

NRAMA: And people can get them thanks to him.

DH: In his twisted way he sees himself as a Savior of mutant kind. He still hasn’t come to any kind of acceptance of his own responsibility for the events of House of M and Decimation that ultimately led to the Civil War scenario.

His relationship with his estranged wife, Crystal and daughter Luna will come to a head in this series and we’ll see just how bed-bug crazy Pietro has actually become.

NRAMA: In your Son of M story, Pietro seemed to come back from a distant future to talk to his younger self. Are we going to see that sort of time travel again?

DH: Less of the time-travel. Your question betrays some of the confusion that inevitably comes with time-travel. It all seemed simple when I wrote the script but Quicksilver was not intended to look older – just wasted and ravaged by his use of the Terrigen Mists. He does still travel through time at least once but only a few days into his future. We’ll also find out what he saw in Son of M that shocked him so much.

NRAMA: Ah, the big reveal. OK, getting back to the war itself, was the declaration something you decided upon or something Marvel wanted?

DH: That came down from Tom Brevoort. I can’t claim that one as my idea. War seems to be a common theme in American comic books right now. I can’t imagine why…

NRAMA: Go figure. And in this case, the threat to the people of the U.S. and even the world is a pretty serious one. War with the Inhumans is a scary prospect for humanity in the Marvel Universe.

DH: Bloody terrifying. The Inhumans are collectively the most powerful group of superhumans in existence. And Black Bolt has The Voice. The idea is that the Inhumans are up there on the moon, a constant reminder to mankind that there could be an attack at any time.

Back in the 1950’s when Russia launched Sputnik there was a paranoid belief among the American public that the Russians would be able to drop bombs on them from satellites. It’s a similar feeling looking up and seeing the Moon, knowing the Inhumans are up there, plotting the destruction of America.



NRAMA: You mention “The Voice.” Black Bolt's almost made for war, isn't he?

DH: Black Bolt is like the atomic bomb. A weapon that is so powerful it should never be used except as a deterrent. He has only unleashed his full power a very few times and always with disastrously destructive results. Like Callisto said in Son of M – “you don’t want to mess with
the Inhumans.”

NRAMA: So now that the government made the mistake of messing with them, what happens in that first issue of Silent War?

DH: A guerilla attack by a group led by Gorgon. They hit a civilian target in New York and things get way out of hand. This is perceived as a terrorist attack and the Fantastic Four respond. So the first skirmish in the war is between Inhumans and their greatest friends and allies on Earth.

NRAMA: There are a lot of friendships and relationships within the Marvel Universe between Inhumans and the superhero population. How is that going to affect this war?

DH: It will be painful for everyone concerned. The Inhumans have been members of or affiliated to every major grouping of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. Crystal has been the lover of Johnny Storm and the Sentry, Medusa has been a member of the Fantastic Four, Crystal a member of the FF and the Avengers. As long as this was a cold war, it was an issue that could be largely avoided, but now people are dying.

NRAMA: What other characters will we see play a part in future issues of Silent War?

DH: The Sentry and various other members of the Avengers. Madrox and Layla from X-Factor.

NRAMA: The X-Factor team’s interactions with Pietro in that series made it seem like there was more coming, particularly with Layla. What about new characters? Are you creating new Inhumans?

DH: Yes. There are several new Inhumans. Somnus is a dreamcaster. He can literally pull dreams out of his head, and manifest them as weapons that latch onto his victims, incapacitating them for as long as the dream lasts.

Desidera is a Finder. She psychically taps into a longing for absent things and once she has the unique psychic signature of the missing person or object she tracks it like a bloodhound.

NRAMA: You mentioned all the “wars” going on right now in the Marvel Universe. Does this one tie into Civil War at all?

DH: We’re trying to keep it clean of the Civil War. This ties into Son of M and that’s all at the moment. Once it finishes though, there is bound to be fallout from something this big.

NRAMA: Sounds like another hint. OK, the solicitations had the artist listed as Roy Allan Martinez…

DH: Unfortunately Roy has been unable to commit himself to this series, so we have a new artist coming on board, the amazing Mr. Frazer Irving. I’m very pleased to be working with him. That’s not just me being diplomatic. He’s a brilliant artist and a lot of people are going to be
glad to see him on this book.

He’s mad, he’s bad, but quite cuddly when you get to know him. Check out his previous work on British weekly 2000AD, Grant Morrison’s Klarion the Witch Boy, Iron Man: Inevitable with Joe Casey and lots more good stuff.

NRAMA: Any final thoughts on why readers might want to give this story a chance?

DH: Stylistically and thematically it’s similar to Son of M, so if you liked that series, you’ll like this one. For fans of the Inhumans this is absolutely vital. The story has huge ramifications for the future of the Inhuman race. There are a lot of skeletons in the closets of Attilan, and I’m going to drag a few of them out into the light.

I’ve had a couple of books recently that strayed away from the kind of darker, more idiosyncratic work I want to do. I see this series as getting myself back on course.

[Rich L]

Sounds good - and glad to hear that Frazier Irving's taking on the art chores.

I really liked McKeever and Jenkins' Inhumans titles, and Son of M built nicely on the weird social structure that they'd put in place, so this sounds like a no-brainer for me.

But please, please never let BMB write Crystal again.

[chicken]

Sign me up, I loved Son of M and I love me some Inhumans.

Mr Hine seems to be a hit on all the mini's I've read, specifically Daredevil: Redemption and Son of M.

[HG_studios]

I am so looking forward to this mini, and I sincerely hope that David Hine will be writing an Inhuman's ongoing (or at least another mini) in the future.

The saddest news, of course, is that Roy Allan Martinez will not be returning for Silent War. Frazer Irving is an excellent artist (I thoroughly enjoyed is artwork on both Klarion and Iron Man: Inevitable), but I was really looking forward to another great story by the same team on Son of M.

Who knows? Maybe he'll be able to handle an Inhuman's project with Hine in the future!

[kingofcities]

Frazier Irving? Holy geez.

Son Of M is the only book I've read that was tied to some recent 616 event that I really liked. This sequel just sounds fantastic. Great interview, count me in.

[Ace]

I want an Inhumans/Eternals War.

I think that's long overdue.

On topic, I like Hine's stuff most of the time, so this ought to be good.

[C. The B.B.C]

Yes, YES!
I want to see the Inhumans just beating the living crap out of people!
I`ll be definetly picking this one up. In Son of M the art let me down a bit, but this one will most certainly rock.
Makes me wonder what will be left of the Marvel Universe after all these wars are done with.

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by C. The B.B.C

Makes me wonder what will be left of the Marvel Universe after all these wars are done with.

Blackbolt needs to just walk around and clean house on EVERYONE. Literally scream them all stupid.

[siskods9]

I still want my money back from his crappy Civil War Xmen mini.

[rbenevid]

Wow, now that's a book worth waiting for. Go, BB, kick the US gov butt!

[Bevbos]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: What other characters will we see play a part in future issues of Silent War?

DH: The Sentry and various other members of the Avengers. Madrox and Layla from X-Factor.

Ah, this is what I'm most excited about here. Can't wait to see the Sentry-Layla interaction. Laughter will ensue, I'm sure.

Anyways, this is great news, just as good in my opinion as Civil War, if not as large.

[StevieCool]

I thought the FF were breaking up. Or is this before Sue leaves a third time?

[Prometheus3]

I hope this miniseries is as good as Son of M or even better. And that this miniseries is better than Civil War: X-Men or X-Men: The 198. I'm happy that Roy Allan Martinez is off of this project because while I thought his art style fit Son of M's noir feel very well, I don't think it would fit this project.

David Hine still did not answer a very important question: Does this take place before or after Civil War?

[Wellness]

I just want an epic Sentry vs. Blackbolt fight.

[bishop-m]

Loved Son Of M, Love the Inhumans, can't pass this up...

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by Wellness

I just want an epic Sentry vs. Blackbolt fight.

I'd settle for Blackbolt screaming him into a decent haircut.

[aceatkins]

This sounds great--Frazier Irving is the cherry on top. Son of M was fantastic, maybe my favorite mini of the past year or so. And Hine is really talented. I think he runs into trouble when he gets overly attached to certain characters, like the ones he created for District X. They were way overrepresented in The 198, etc., and so long as Johnny Dee has nothing to do with this, I'll be happy.

[Beefy McHuge]

So like, unlike Bendis' Secret War, Civil War, and Ultimate War, will this one be an actual *GASP* war? Or just another instance where "war", by Marvel dictionary standards, means one or two battles between a combined group of no more than 25 individuals?

[Scarlet Mage]

I want an appearance by my favorite Inhuman of all time, Iridia. She was the old hag from the classic Inhumans' series that went into a coccoon state and emerged as a beauty. Her character arc in that series was such a great comment on the Inhumans as a whole and I've always been sorry no subsequent writer ever returned to her.

[Scarlet Mage]

Oh, and I know Wikipedia is VERY fallible but why does it state that the Royal Family was ousted by the Inhumans when every appearance I've read of late shows everything exactly the way it was before my couple year hiatus away from comics?

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally Posted by bishop-m

Loved Son Of M, Love the Inhumans, can't pass this up...

Ditto!

Why can't the Inhuman Royal Family just travel to the Pentagon and say, "give us back the Crystals or Black Bolt will recite the alphabet"?

Black Bolt is a waaay greater threat IMO then the Crystals...

[GuitarSmashley]

Originally Posted by kingofcities

Blackbolt needs to just walk around and clean house on EVERYONE. Literally scream them all stupid.

Or just whistle dixie.

[StevieCool]

Originally Posted by grphxkindaguy

Why can't the Inhuman Royal Family just travel to the Pentagon and say, "give us back the Crystals or Black Bolt will recite the alphabet"?.

They didn't contribute to Bush's last election campaign. Woo woo woo woo...

[chicken]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Mage

Oh, and I know Wikipedia is VERY fallible but why does it state that the Royal Family was ousted by the Inhumans when every appearance I've read of late shows everything exactly the way it was before my couple year hiatus away from comics?

Could it be a reference to way back when the Royal Family was wandering around on earth? That was a long time ago.

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by StevieCool

They didn't contribute to Bush's last election campaign. Woo woo woo woo...

They are about to contribute an ass whipping.