POTENTIAL SPOILER NOTE: Buy & read the book, then head back here for the commentary!
Page One
I’m shocked how much I like writing Vampirella. Look-wise, she reminds me of Hammer scream queen Ingrid Pitt, and her voice is a young Diana Rigg with the acid wit of Maggie Smith from Downton Abbey. But with fangs. You hear that too, right?
Pages Two and Three
Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, is one of a long line of White-Guy-Goes-to-Monastery-Gets-Powers heroes, which comprise Iron Fist, The Shadow, Dr. Strange, Green Lama, Archer (of Archer & Armstrong), and more. But the great thing about the original Thunderbolt comics is it looked like the creator, Pete Morisi, actually knew something about martial arts and Zen Buddhism, so it’s more respectful than most.
Cannon’s pal Tabu is the one urging him to become a superhero in the original series, and I decided to go a little different path with him here. Who is that he keeps talking to on the phone?! Is it a throwaway gag or an important file-this-away-for-that-later? KEEP READING AND FIND OUT, DIE!NAMITE DIE-HARDS.
Pages Four and Five
I love Tarpé and her creation, Miss Fury. If you get the IDW collections of her old Sunday strip, you will fall in love with them too, because they are completely bananas. The prototype of all cat-like heroes, Marla could kick Selina Kyle AND Felicia Hardy’s asses with all cat-o-nine tails tied behind her back.
AND she’s seventy-five years old! I will die on this hill, Internet!
DIE!namite #2 is available from comic book stores and via digital at comiXology
