Robert Venditti's Blog, page 2
October 10, 2012
“Planet Death” and “Demon Knights”
My, that sounds ominous.
A couple of announcements today. First up, Associated Press breaks the news that big things are on the horizon in the next arc of X-O Manowar. Everything we’ve done with the series up to now has been leading to this, a storyline that Valiant is referring to by the rather understated title “Planet Death.” My hope is readers will encounter some of the story’s major plot points and realize the seeds of many of them were planted all the way back in Issue 1. But, honestly, I could write the arc in ancient Visigoth and it wouldn’t matter because the interiors will be drawn by Trevor Hairsine and Cary Nord. That alone is worth the price of admission. For more information about the arc, Comic Book Resources has an interview.
Meanwhile, over at The Source, DC Entertainment announces I’ll be taking over Demon Knights from series creator Paul Cornell. Paul infused the series with a truly unique setting and cast of characters, and I hope I can live up to the promise of what he began. This is my first time writing for DC, and I’m excited to be contributing to a universe with such a long and storied history.
Plenty of other announcements in the coming months, so stay tuned!
August 29, 2012
X-O Manowar #4 in stores!
The fourth installment of my ongoing series with Cary Nord is available in stores and through comiXology today. This marks the end of the series’ first major arc and will launch the book into the next storyline, “Enter: Ninjak,” which will feature the return of Valiant’s resident superspy. Cary is taking a little break to get some much-needed rest, so the amazing Lee Garbett will be stepping on for the next four issues. How amazing is he? You can see for yourself when X-O Manowar #5 hits shelves in just two short weeks on September 12. Or you can check out this 5-page preview now and see Aric go head to head with a team of mercenaries.
July 5, 2012
The Surrogates: Case Files #1 available for download!
The next chapter of The Surrogates is here. It’s great to return to the characters and setting that gave me my start as a comics writer, and even better to reunite with Brett Weldele, my first collaborator. Case Files #1 is available for download as a digital-first comic from all of the major outlets, including comiXology, iVerse, and iBooks. You can visit each of those providers directly, or go to the page on the Top Shelf website and click “buy digital” to choose your preference.
Why release Case Files in the digital format first? Unlike The Surrogates and The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone—both standalone stories—we wanted Case Files to have a truly episodic feel similar to the one-hour televised cop drama. Each installment in the series will be a self-contained mystery in which surrogate technology plays an important role, hopefully in an unexpected way.
We hope you enjoy the first issue.
June 14, 2012
Enter: Colin King
USA Today breaks the news that the September issue of X-O Manowar will not only be the beginning of a new story arc, but will also debut Colin King, one of the signature characters of the original Valiant Universe. I’m thrilled to be working with artist Lee Garbett on the arc, and I can’t wait to see him draw one of my favorite moments from the series so far (Issue 5, Page 11, Panels 2-4, unless something changes). To get a sense of what we have in store, Comic Book Resources has this interview.
June 6, 2012
X-O Manowar #2 in stores!
Having never written an ongoing series before, I can say it’s a nice change of pace to have something new on the stands every month (rather than waiting a year or more between graphic novels). The second installment of X-O Manowar hit comics shops and comiXology today, and my thanks go out to all the returning readers, as well as those new to the book. If you’re looking to get caught up and can’t find a copy of the first issue, fear not—the second printing will arrive in stores on June 20.
Now for some press on #2:
Comic Book Resources (Review)
Comicosity (Review)
Comics Nexus (Review)
May 7, 2012
X-O Manowar #1 in stores!
The first issue of my ongoing series is here at last. I’ve been working on X-O Manowar for nearly a year, so it’s a great feeling to finally have it out in the world. I can’t thank the rest of the creative team enough. Cary Nord (pencils), Stefano Guadiano (inks), Moose Baumann (colors), and Dave Lanphear (letters) all put their hearts into their work, and it shows. And lest I forget, huge thanks are due to the crew at Valiant HQ, who beat the drum incessantly for the past four months to ensure the world would know of the book’s arrival.
A quick roundup of some reviews, interviews, and other news about the book:
MTV Geek (Review)
Ain’t It Cool News (Review)
IGN (Review)
Comic Book Resources (Interview. Spoilers ensue, so read the issue first.)
Only the Valiant (Podcast interview. Even more spoilers!)
April 25, 2012
7 Days Until X-O Manowar
Next Wednesday, May 2, will mark the release of X-O Manowar #1, my first ongoing monthly comic book series. Advance reviews are already popping up online, and—happily—there’s been a positive response:
I’ll be spending next week in New York, where Valiant has scheduled a series of events celebrating the relaunch of the Valiant Universe:
May 2, 6:00-7:00 p.m.: Midtown Comics (Fulton Street location)
May 4, 6:00-8:00 p.m.: Brave New Worlds (Philadelphia)
May 5 (Free Comic Book Day), 12:00-2:00 p.m.: Jim Hanley’s Universe (33rd Street location)
If you’re in the area, stop by!
March 12, 2012
The Summer of Valiant
It was almost two months ago that Valiant Entertainment announced their relaunch of X-O Manowar, written by me and with art by Cary Nord. Since then, there have been a slew of additional announcements, culminating with last week's series of "Summer of Valiant" teaser images revealing the three remaining titles to be relaunched, as well as the creative teams who will be bringing them back. USA Today handled the Friday wrap-up, recapping the week's announcements and compiling all of the teaser images and preview pages.
Interviewers have asked what drew me to the project, given that the majority of my previous work has been creator-owned. There are several reasons, but one of the biggest was the opportunity to work on a book that existed as part of a larger publishing universe. Writing can be a solitary endeavor by necessity, and I wanted to change things up a little. That isn't to say I won't continue to do creator-owned work—I have several of those projects in the pipeline, too—but I look forward to working with the other writers as we plan the ways our individual books will impact the Valiant Universe as a whole.
The list of writers is below. I'm humbled to be part of team that is so rich in talent and experience (click the links to learn more about each writer):
Joshua Dysart (writing Harbinger)
Duane Swierczynski (writing Bloodshot)
Fred Van Lente (writing Archer & Armstrong)
February 12, 2012
The Comics Reporter
Veteran comics journalist Tom Spurgeon recently posted an interview with me over at his website The Comics Reporter. It's by far the most extensive text interview I've done to date, covering everything from my start in comics to my thoughts on the collaborative process to my reasons for writing The Homeland Directive. Tom is a thorough interviewer, and I appreciate his invitation to have me "sit down" with him. My career in comics began almost ten years ago, and my approach to writing has evolved considerably since then. If I'm fortunate enough to still be earning a living as a writer ten years from now, I'm sure it will have evolved further still. But this is probably as precise a snapshot of me as you're likely to get at this moment in time.
January 17, 2012
X-O Manowar!
Associated Press breaks the news today that I'm teaming with artist Cary Nord to relaunch X-O Manowar for Valiant Entertainment. This will be my first ongoing monthly series, with the first issue arriving in stores May 2. I've been working in secret on the project since June—five issues are already written, and I'm currently plotting the story's second major arc—and I'm having a great time with it. To learn more about what we have in store, check out this interview over at Comic Book Resources with me and editor Warren Simons. CBR has posted some of Cary's amazing pages, too, which you definitely don't want to miss.
