Comic Book Conversations

Cover by Natasha Alterici; artwork by Khary Randolph & John Rauch Vita Ayala has a promising future in the comics industry. Vita has a brand new series on the way from Black Mask Studios ( The Wilds ) and worked with Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and DC Comics. In the fourth edition of Comic Book Conversations, Vita explains the excitement of having a new series on the horizon, addresses a misconception about the industry, and offers some great advice to aspiring creators. Now, let’s get to know Vita a little better! Cover by Emily Pearson GREGG KATZMAN: What did you do for work before writing comics? VITA AYALA: A LONG list of things. Most recently, worked in comics retail (for about 10 years), and night security at a major museum (just shy of 4 years). GK: When did you know you wanted to become a comics creator and what inspired you to pursue it? VA: I have known I wanted to write since I was in 6th grade. Or rather, I have been writing stories since I ...

For the second edition of Comic Book Battles (click here for the first fight), I thought it would be fun to use two heroes with completely different strengths and tactics: DC's Emerald Archer versus Marvel's Elderly X-Man!   Even in his old age, James ‘Logan’ Howlett, aka Old Man Logan, is tough to drop and he’s a talented brawler; however, his options in a battle are very limited. Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow, may not be the best fighter in his universe, but he makes up for that with astonishing accuracy and cleverly using a variety of trick arrows that range from sonics to explosives. To better picture the entertaining encounter, imagine this fight takes place in a generic city setting. It’s nighttime, the street’s unpopulated (aside from the two heroes, of course), and they’ve spotted each other from a pretty good distance – let’s say 100 feet or so. This is a completely random encounter, meaning neither hero knows anything about their enemy – they’re from...

Michael Moreci has worked with several publishers and even had the opportunity to craft a story about the Man of Steel, but what’s it like being such a busy writer and what motivated him to pursue this career? Let’s get to know Michael a little better in the third edition of Comic Book Conversations!  GREGG KATZMAN: When did you have the epiphany that you wanted to become a writer and what sparked it? MICHAEL MORECI: You know, it's hard for me to say. I've honestly wanted to be a writer my entire life. This is all I've ever wanted to do, it's all I'm probably capable of doing. I think of my childhood--which is riddled in nothing but stories, from movies, books, comics, and video games--and I can remember, clear as day, how badly I wanted to tell the stories that I loved so much. GK: What did you do for work before you became a writer? MM: Yeesh, what didn't I do. I've done it all, from being a security guard (believe it or not) to...

Growing up, I loved superheroes. Thanks to animated TV shows and live-action movies, I adored the Ninja Turtles, Batman, Ghostbusters, the X-Men, and Spider-Man. I spent countless hours glued to the TV, watching the movies in theaters with my parents, playing with the toys, and hooked to the video games. My interests expanded from there as I discovered comics featuring these cool characters and so many more that I never heard of before – I still remember the first time I spotted Gambit #1 and it had me totally absorbed. I continued to explore the Marvel and DC Universes in the comics, but I kept hearing about the show Dragon Ball Z. I don’t remember ever watching a full episode of the action-packed anime, but I do remember how I felt when I gave it a brief shot: I wasn’t a fan. I remember thinking that it was just too dramatic and out-there. To me, it was incredibly different, and something so different from the world that you’re used to can seem strange, especially if you don’t in...

We have a very special guest for the second edition of Comic Book Conversations: Susan Eisenberg! In this interview, the voice of Wonder Woman from Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Injustice, and so much more explains what it’s like being a voice actor and shares her thoughts on 2017 being Diana’s biggest year yet. Now, let’s get to know Susan a little better. GREGG KATZMAN : What did you do for work before becoming a voice actor? SUSAN EISENBERG: How much time do you have?! I had so many jobs! I worked for casting directors, directors, writers… I worked in Rizzoli’s book store. I tried to work in things I cared about, or at least could tolerate. ;) GK: When did you realize you wanted to become a voice actor and what gave you that epiphany? SE: I don’t think I “knew” it back when I was in high school, but I did know that my voice stood out in some way because I did some radio ads for my dad’s business back in Rhode Island, where I grew up. And I realized I didn...

Sergei Kravinoff, aka Kraven the Hunter, prides himself on being the best hunter in the Marvel Universe. He loves nothing more than the thrill of the hunt and he’s set his sights on Spider-Man, Tigra, Black Panther, Daredevil, Black Widow, Scarlet Spider, and many others. What would happen if this formidable foe bumped into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the IDW Publishing series, though? Would Kraven’s tactics allow him to defeat the four mutant brothers, or would the Heroes in a Half Shell take down Spidey’s savage villain? Will my favorite team or my favorite villain be left standing when the dust settles? To keep the fight as fair as possible, let’s imagine this encounter takes place in a generic city setting at night and, aside from the combatants, it’s unpopulated. This is a totally random encounter, meaning the two sides know nothing about each other and they’ll have to learn more about what they're facing throughout the brawl. The Ninja Turtles just know that...