JOE GENTILE talks JUSTICE INC.: THE AVENGER #2, on sale in AUGUST from Dynamite!
BYRON BREWER: Joe, tell us your personal take on the iconic pulp character The Avenger.
JOE GENTILE: Well, I have always thought of him as a rather lonely character. He is overwhelmed by the loss of his wife and child, because it was mostly his fault.
He feels everything deeply, but due to his facial muscles paralysis, he can’t show it. Thus, most folks who meet him think he’s a cold machine of a man. I don’t see it that way.
Many folks once thought of the Avenger as a character with a death wish, because he would often put himself in harm’s way to find his way to a solution to whatever case he was on. I always saw this as him thinking if he met his demise, he would see his family sooner, rather than later, so he’s OK with the risk. He risks all so he can help those who have nowhere else to turn.
BB: Finding himself in jail, innocent of a crime and under the thumb of “the diligent men and women” of the FBI, how is this playing out with Bensons’s SEEMINGLY unshakable belief in justice … not to mention his, well, suicidal streak (for lack of a better term)?
JG: HA, apparently I anticipated that “suicidal streak” comment with my answer above.
Benson DOES have a very strong sense of justice, but it doesn’t mean he has an unshaken perfect view of law enforcement. He KNOWS that within even the FBI, there are elements of crime. He is always ten steps ahead, so he anticipates that he (and Justice Inc.) may be the only real justice.
BB: Why is it that, even in these modern days of “anything goes” for comic books, so many writers love doing the pulps?
JG: As a writer, you get a lot of angst out writing this great pulp adventure stuff! “Getting justice” in our present society is a battle of gray factions. When you know without a doubt who the criminal is, and you have a character that is a bit outside the law, justice seems a lot more likely, as well as refreshing, and sometimes very final in a pulp story. Pulp is fast-paced action under a noir umbrella, and a desperate time table.
BB: As issue #2 approaches in August, tell us what members of Team Avenger will be receiving the spotlight therein? This is the character work Justice Inc. has been screaming for!
JG: Nellie has a big role in #2. There is an ongoing tension between Josh and Rosabel. We have some nice Cole and Mac moments in issue #3, I believe.
BB: Do we get any hints of a big-bad in this issue? Any clues you can give readers in a non-spoilery manner?
JG: More pieces are uncovered, shall we say. A lot of the mystery in this piece is about “the why”.
BB: How are you and Kyle Higgins sharing the writing chores here?
JG: It’s a definite back and forth. We talk over the outline. I write up a first draft and send it to Kyle, he sends me copious notes…we revise!
BB: Talk about the great art of Alexandre Shibao. The Avenger seems to bring out the best in artists at Dynamite.
JG: What I am liking about Alexandre’s art is his “contemporary feel”, even though The Avenger is set in the 1940’s. I think that is incredibly appealing, because the themes of our story are in no way relegated to just the past. His art style really helps carry the book to readers who might not normally be into a story set so far back.
BB: Joe, do you have any projects you’d like to tell readers about?
JG: At this moment, I am working on an Avenger novella, as well as a Steampunk one. Always open to the next big thing!
More Avenger comics would be great!
http://dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewPr...13026018501011
BYRON BREWER: Joe, tell us your personal take on the iconic pulp character The Avenger.
JOE GENTILE: Well, I have always thought of him as a rather lonely character. He is overwhelmed by the loss of his wife and child, because it was mostly his fault.
He feels everything deeply, but due to his facial muscles paralysis, he can’t show it. Thus, most folks who meet him think he’s a cold machine of a man. I don’t see it that way.
Many folks once thought of the Avenger as a character with a death wish, because he would often put himself in harm’s way to find his way to a solution to whatever case he was on. I always saw this as him thinking if he met his demise, he would see his family sooner, rather than later, so he’s OK with the risk. He risks all so he can help those who have nowhere else to turn.
BB: Finding himself in jail, innocent of a crime and under the thumb of “the diligent men and women” of the FBI, how is this playing out with Bensons’s SEEMINGLY unshakable belief in justice … not to mention his, well, suicidal streak (for lack of a better term)?
JG: HA, apparently I anticipated that “suicidal streak” comment with my answer above.
Benson DOES have a very strong sense of justice, but it doesn’t mean he has an unshaken perfect view of law enforcement. He KNOWS that within even the FBI, there are elements of crime. He is always ten steps ahead, so he anticipates that he (and Justice Inc.) may be the only real justice.
BB: Why is it that, even in these modern days of “anything goes” for comic books, so many writers love doing the pulps?
JG: As a writer, you get a lot of angst out writing this great pulp adventure stuff! “Getting justice” in our present society is a battle of gray factions. When you know without a doubt who the criminal is, and you have a character that is a bit outside the law, justice seems a lot more likely, as well as refreshing, and sometimes very final in a pulp story. Pulp is fast-paced action under a noir umbrella, and a desperate time table.
BB: As issue #2 approaches in August, tell us what members of Team Avenger will be receiving the spotlight therein? This is the character work Justice Inc. has been screaming for!
JG: Nellie has a big role in #2. There is an ongoing tension between Josh and Rosabel. We have some nice Cole and Mac moments in issue #3, I believe.
BB: Do we get any hints of a big-bad in this issue? Any clues you can give readers in a non-spoilery manner?
JG: More pieces are uncovered, shall we say. A lot of the mystery in this piece is about “the why”.
BB: How are you and Kyle Higgins sharing the writing chores here?
JG: It’s a definite back and forth. We talk over the outline. I write up a first draft and send it to Kyle, he sends me copious notes…we revise!
BB: Talk about the great art of Alexandre Shibao. The Avenger seems to bring out the best in artists at Dynamite.
JG: What I am liking about Alexandre’s art is his “contemporary feel”, even though The Avenger is set in the 1940’s. I think that is incredibly appealing, because the themes of our story are in no way relegated to just the past. His art style really helps carry the book to readers who might not normally be into a story set so far back.
BB: Joe, do you have any projects you’d like to tell readers about?
JG: At this moment, I am working on an Avenger novella, as well as a Steampunk one. Always open to the next big thing!
More Avenger comics would be great!
http://dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewPr...13026018501011