Archie Comics: Dark Circle Comics (2015)

[Chrysalis_Changling]

I doubt that one is likely.

I believe Archie licensed that property and didn't own it outright. (Sort of like Marvel with ROM: SpaceKnight.)

well there aren't a lot of other superhero comic publishers with their own universe so it's not like you got a lot to pick from right now(Especially since dynakey seems to be ending and project black sky is failing i think)but you are right it all depends on if they can get anything out on time....which the events of sabrina have shown us they can't get more than one issue of their newest hyped series out....

[Dylan Davison]

Again, comparing something like this to Sabrina is pointless in my opinion haha. These series have different creators working on it. Sabrina was delayed because the writer was busy doing something else. Which sucks. But it's not like that same writer is work on these titles, so there is no reason to jump the gun. XD

Duane has never had delay problems, from what I know, I have read a bunch of his comic work. And Adam and Chuck write books, so we have no idea what they are like with comic schedules, but they seem really dedicated to the title. Not sure about the Fox writers.

If Sabrina had been delayed due to just Archie doing it, then I would say maybe there could be a problem. But since it was a writer being to busy we should not be saying the same thing will be happening here. At least we should wait to see what happens.

Of course this is just my view on things, but being negative before things even start is a strange idea to me haha.

[MajorHoy]

But Archie already seemed to have problems when they re-started the Red Circle / Crusaders line. There was the New Crusaders six-issue series that ran from late 2012 into 2013. Then we had to wait until later in 2013 before we got the five-issue run of The Fox. Now it's taking about another for Archie to try yet another new re-launch of these properties.

One sometimes wonder if things will finally work out or not. We already know their intentions for further New Crusaders material never happened. What might be different this time?

[Dylan Davison]

I am lost XD, are you saying that your counting the time space in between The New Crusaders and the first Fox mini as a delay? Sorry maybe I am looking at what you are saying wrong Haha.

And after The Fox mini they saw that they had to shake things up and plans changed, they saw that people wanted more mature stories so they came up with Dark Circle. So they had to put a hold or stop on the other New Crusaders mini.

But we are talking about apples and oranges here. Canceling a series does not mean that things will get delayed lol. Could these 3 series get canceled if they don't sell well, yes, of course haha. Will they get delayed like Sabrina did? We don't know, but we do know that the only reason Sabrina was delayed was due to one writer, who is not working on any of these series.

So what I was saying is, using Sabrina as an example for these getting delayed makes no sense as one does not effect the other haha.

[MajorHoy]

What I'm saying is they made it sound like they were going to do something initially, but all we got was very little in dribs and drabs. Plus, we also have Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina also coming out sporadically (at best).

For this new, once-again re-launch, I want to SEE Archie actually produce product on a semi-timely basis before I get too enthusiastic about it. Archie's past track record on these non-Riverdale-continuity projects isn't exactly stellar.

[Dylan Davison]

Ok, see we are talking about apples and oranges here haha. I was talking about saying a series will have delays because a unrelated series (Sabrina and Afterlife) has them. You are talking about being cautious and non enthusiastic due to a past failed re-launch. That is a perfectly fine thing do be/do. I mean, I would have to be blind to not be aware that these heroes have been mistreated and have failed before, not just at the hands of Archie. They have had success in the past with trying new things like Afterlife for example. And at one point these heroes were selling well, I know a long time ago. But who knows it could happen again haha.

BUT I am hopeful this time around. They seem to be taking things more seriously and pushing these titles way more. I mean I know people who, like me, never even thought about reading Archie titles before. And now because of Dark Circle they want to give it a shot. I mean the room for the Dark Circle panel was packed with people who were new and people who want to give this heroes another shot.

Of course this could all fail, but if it sells well enough, who knows maybe we could have these titles for a long time, but I know its realistic that Super-hero titles don't last to long unless they are big names, or Valiant haha. But who knows, having them for a few years could be good, if they sell well enough. But I am a hopeful kinda guy haha.

[Dylan Davison]

Here is an interview with Duane and Alex about The Black Hood and some Dark Circles stuff:

The Red Circle characters have historically been on the periphery of the super-hero scene, with the Archie characters keeping the spotlight for decades. But the newly re-launched Dark Circle line is looking to be one of the biggest news makers of 2015. What should we be expecting from your book, THE BLACK HOOD?

DS: I’ll be honest—but Alex Segura first approached me about the idea, I was leery. I’d written a fair amount of superhero comics over the years, and wasn’t sure I wanted to dive back into another. So I pitched him a story that I’d been kicking around as a possible novel, something so dark and violent and Paul Schrader-ish that I thought he’d never go for it. The joke’s on me, I guess! But Alex and co-editor Paul Kaminski not only embraced the darkness, they asked me to add more darkness. So I guess this will tell you what to expect.

AS: I think if you’ve read and enjoyed Duane’s novels, or are a fan of crime fiction or crime cinema, this book is going to really hit your sweet spot. I’ve always been a fan of Duane’s work, so when I was given the task of launching Dark Circle – I hesitate to call it a relaunch, because we’re very much starting from the ground up – it was a no-brainer to approach him. This isn’t a disservice to anything Duane’s done before, but I really wanted to give him the chance to completely cut loose and channel the crazy, nonstop energy I see bursting from his prose work. Pairing him with someone like Michael Gaydos, who’s done such amazing work in the crime comics genre, especially with ALIAS, just made it all click into place.
This comic is going to really surprise people – in the best way possible. Having said that, I really want to give props to the great Dark Circle editorial team – which includes Paul Kaminski, who backs me up on BLACK HOOD and SHIELD and runs point on THE FOX. While I oversee the entire imprint, guys like Paul and assistant editor Vin Lovallo make the machine run. Also really grateful that the Archie execs – Publisher/CEO Jon Goldwater, President Mike Pellerito, CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Creative Consultant Jesse Goldwater – have given me pretty free rein in terms of creating the books I think will resonate, with the talent I think have the best chance of making great comics. Story has always come first for these guys, with everything else a distant second, and that’s a very rare thing in this industry.

What do readers need to know going in when they read the first issue in February? I mean, the character goes all the way back to 1940, for gosh sakes. That’s a lot of continuity to catch up on.

DS: We take care of continuity on page 2 of the first issue. After that, you don’t have to worry about it. (Seriously.) While I love the history of The Black Hood, I wanted something more relevant to police and street crime of today. Back in 1940, the idea of a policeman moonlighting as a costumed hero sounds quaint, even wholesome. Today, the idea of a cop running around at night in a black hood fighting crime sounds utterly psychotic.

AS: Yeah, you need to know very little coming in. In fact, I’ll go a bit further than Duane and say you don’t need to know anything coming in. Duane and Michael do a masterful job of nodding to the past while speeding off the cliff with this book – this is the Black Hood. Nothing else really matters in terms of the story being told in this series.

Duane has made a name for himself as one of the most thrilling and prolific crime writers working today, but his resume of comics work is growing day by day as well. What is it about the BLACK HOOD that made you say, “Yeah, I need to clear yet more space from my schedule and be a part of this line of comics?”

DS: You threw me, off, referring to me in the third person there, Dan. (Especially when you call me prolific—I feel like I’m slow and plodding compared to my peers.) As I mentioned earlier, I really didn’t want to accept this assignment until Alex and Paul called my bluff, which of course is when I really got excited by the possibility. Both have encouraged me to tell the story like I would a noir crime novel, and I’ve drawn inspiration from novels like Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me, P.J. Wolfson’s Bodies Are Dust, and of course, James Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet. This may seem backward-looking, but the inspiration wasn’t for period detail. Those novels, to me, are examples of how far you can push the genre until it starts to squeal. That’s what I wanted to do with this comic.

AS: This is unfiltered noir. It’s not a mash-up, it’s not noir superheroics; it’s a dark, dirty and realistic crime. Duane and Michael have created a protagonist who’s flawed, dangerous, unhinged and yet surprisingly relatable. They’re setting the bar really high for not only the other Dark Circle books, but comics in general.

Comics are a unique combination of words and pictures. And the BLACK HOOD has some of the best art in the industry with the phenomenal Michael Gaydos. Personally, his work on ALIAS with Brian Michael Bendis is required reading. Duane, how does your scripting change when you’re partnered with someone of Mr. Gaydos’s talent? How specific is your character designs, action scenes, etc.? How much freedom of interpretation is there for the artist?

DS: First of all, I can’t tell you how thrilled I was that Michael joined the team. Like you, I’m a huge fan of his ALIAS run with Bendis. With Michael, I knew I could really have fun with some quieter, weirder, moodier moments in addition to the action. Just wait until you see the first issue; people are going to be blown away by Michael’s work.

Alex, you come to this from a very unique point of view. Having written your own Archie stories with ARCHIE MEETS KISS, but also having success as a crime novelist yourself. As the editor for Dark Circle, describe your vision for BLACK HOOD, as well as for the line of books as a whole.

AS: On a very selfish level, I wanted to work with people I admire to create comics I would read. Zooming out a bit more, I wanted to really explore the idea of a more title-specific, as opposed to universe-focused comic book imprint or company. These books are unique, individualistic exercises on story, not pieces of something else. Instead of creating a tight-knit “universe” of titles that require readers to plunk down a ton of money to just understand what was going on, I wanted each book to really have a personality, cast and reason for existing. I didn’t see a point in, say, having three vigilante books a la Batman or Daredevil. Or three superhero books that are just build-up for them eventually interacting. I did, however, think there was a need for a great crime comic, or an idiosyncratic and trippy book like THE FOX or a high-speed conspiracy thriller like THE SHIELD. These are genre explorations in superhero clothing. Will the leads eventually meet? Maybe. If, and only if, the story is good. Do the books happen in the same “world”? Sure, in a very general way. If you only want to read one of the books, you won’t be penalized by having elements pop in that reflect some bigger, confusing narrative.
I could see any of these books as a cable series or movie. I’m also doing my best to treat the talent the way I’d like to be treated as a writer – which is where that experience, as a comic writer and, more importantly, a novelist – helps. I see my role as editor more akin to facilitator and communicator. Letting these really great, talented people be great and talented on the page, while adding input and trafficking information between them and my bosses. It sounds much less glamorous than I guess it should, but the reality is – I set the table for these guys and let them cook the meal. It’s their show.
My vision for Dark Circle is to create a home for unconventional, cinematic, literary and creator-driven comics. Where you, as a reader, retailer, fan, consumer, whatever – don’t feel like you have to have read a million other comics to be included. Where every issue stands on its own as a really compelling piece of fiction. Will every book be for everyone? No. I don’t want that anyway. I want these books to be water cooler books. The kind of entertainment where you get to the end and you can’t wait for the next installment. With Black Hood, I know we have that. Thanks for talking to us, Dan!

Gentlemen, thank you for your time! And readers, please remember to pick up THE BLACK HOOD this February!

http://crimespreemag.com/the-black-h...-swierczynski/

[MajorHoy]

Here is an interview with Duane and Alex about The Black Hood and some Dark Circles stuff:

http://crimespreemag.com/the-black-h...-swierczynski/

Thanks for posting, but I really don't care what they SAY they're going to do. It's what actually gets published (and when) that will really tell the tale with this line.

[Captain Craig]

Duane Swierczynski's work at Valiant and with the character X at Dark Horse are all I initially need to pick up Black Hood.
Sadly the collapse of Project Black Sky, where I hope Duane's X remains the lone surviving title, and termination of DynaKey further encourage me to try the rest of the Dark Circle line. Plus DC is canceling Swamp Thing on me so I got me some money available to move around in my budget!

[MajorHoy]

. . . Plus DC is canceling Swamp Thing on me so I got me some money available to move around in my budget!

Don't forget, there will be a two-issue Swamp Thing title during Convergence:

SWAMP THING
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Kelley Jones
Colorist: Michelle Madsen

Swamp Thing struggles to survive when the dome cuts off his contact with the Green.

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2014/11...risis-coolness

Then we have to see what DC does with him after that.

[Captain Craig]

^^^
Right, that's so short term that I've accounted for it in my budget. Thank you though!
DC tried a new concept character they dubbed Garbage Man and seem to have quickly forgotten him, too bad.
I wish Marvel would launch a new Man-Thing series or put Sludge from Ultraverse to use(do you sense a theme here!! LOL!!).
Here's one for any monster/creature fans out there...from defunct NOW comics...RUST.

[MajorHoy]

^^^
Right, that's so short term that I've accounted for it in my budget. Thank you though!
DC tried a new concept character they dubbed Garbage Man and seem to have quickly forgotten him, too bad.
I wish Marvel would launch a new Man-Thing series or put Sludge from Ultraverse to use(do you sense a theme here!! LOL!!).
Here's one for any monster/creature fans out there...from defunct NOW comics...RUST.

And don't forget The Heap from the old Airboy comics.





Not to mention one issue in the 1970s from Skywald

[Captain Craig]

Yeah, I've heard of Heap and meant to make the purchase(s) necessary to actually read stories of the character but I've not yet done it.

*shamed*

LOL!! ;-) ---- but seriously, it's still on my to do list!!

[Dylan Davison]

Duane Swierczynski's work at Valiant and with the character X at Dark Horse are all I initially need to pick up Black Hood.
Sadly the collapse of Project Black Sky, where I hope Duane's X remains the lone surviving title, and termination of DynaKey further encourage me to try the rest of the Dark Circle line. Plus DC is canceling Swamp Thing on me so I got me some money available to move around in my budget!

While I am not sure PBS is falling yet, glad to have you joining us here too haha. I agree, I love everything Duane does and have been a huge fan of his for a while. I hope he comes to SDCC this year, he skipped last year. I love his books and his comics and he never disappoints really haha.

Based on the preview and the recent interview The Blackhood looks like it's going to be one of his great comics again. So excited for this to start in February.

Speaking of SDCC I am hoping to get some cool drawings and stuff for Dark Circle this year. I always get Adam Hughes to draw something, so maybe something for Dark Circle. And as I did with PBS, I plan on making some pins for each title to give to the writers and staff.

Edit: Here is another interview with Duane about The Black Hood. Two in one day, that's exciting:

You've told the story of how you came to be involved before – that you didn't necessarily want a superhero book so you pitched a “dark, fucked-up” version” and Archie went for it. Any idea what motivated them to pursue a guy whose first instinct is “I don't really want a superhero book?”

Clearly, they’re gluttons for punishment. Actually, [my editor] Alex Segura’s instincts were right—he knew that I’d probably dig the pulp roots of the character, and might be able to have fun with a modern take. And he was right. My initial hesitancy was all about my (false) image of what Archie Comics might want from this comic. At that point, Dark Circle didn’t exist as an imprint, and I couldn’t see myself having too much fun with a guy in man-Spanx. But happily, I was wrong about all of that. Alex, Paul Kaminski and the gang have given us license to go super-dark. Like, Jim Thompson-dark.

In particular, what was your response to getting the call from Archie? Given the reputation, did you think it was an impossible fit, or did you already have a bit of a sense of what they were doing?

I knew Alex from his years at DC, and I trust him. And I knew that Archie had been pushing the boundaries in a lot of interesting ways. So it was less about Archie being the wrong fit; it was more about me being the right guy for the book. I never want to be in a position to fake something I’m not passionate about.

Turn back the clock five years. Would you have ever thought that you'd work for Valiant and Archie?

Hell, turn back the clock 25 years. I’m astounded I’m doing any of this at all.

In the months since you took this gig, there's been a lot of talk about police-involved violence. When stuff like that happens, does it inform your approach to writing a dark, violent book about a cop on the outside of the law?

It’s always interesting when real life starts to resonate hard with the piece fiction I happen to be writing. (My novel-in-progress is about cops and race, actually, so it’s been a very surreal year to be writing that particular novel.) But the genesis of my Black Hood pitch was a couple of true Philly crime stories, so I can’t exactly complain when reality catches up with the plot. Most of all, I don’t want people to view this comic as either pro-cop or anti-cop; I happen to be of the opinion that all lives matter. What interests me is the idea of taking a man who’s trying to do some good, then force him into a position where the only way out is to do something crazy—like slip on a black hood and try to do something his badge won’t allow.

If you're doing a gritty, crime-inflected superhero book, it's hard to do better than Michael Gaydos. How did he end up on the title?

I believe Alex has some incriminating photos of Gaydos somewhere.

Have you gotten to the point yet where you know what you're doing to play to his strengths or at this point are you still kind of feeling that out?

I think we’re in a comfortable groove, though I have the easy part: putting words on a page. Michael’s the one creating those detailed, elaborate panels.

How important is Philadelphia itself as a setting for this story?

I think a firm sense of place is important for any work of crime fiction, be it comics or prose. I’m a huge fan of Ed McBain, but it always bugged me he set his brilliant 87th Precinct novels in a fictional version of Manhattan. I want the real thing. So I wanted the Black Hood to be part of a world that I recognized. (I’m a Philly guy, born and raised.)

In making a book that's seemingly very crime novel-inspired, do you keep in the back of your head that you need to make this character accessible to shared universe stuff down the line, or are you just developing the book and letting that kind of stuff handle itself if and when it comes up?

I’d like to lie and say I’m thinking that far ahead, but no — I’m letting the story be the boss right now. If there are chances for shared universe stuff down the line, then sure. But it’ll happen organically.

You'd said in previous interviews that Greg is the kind of person who used to be able to flash a smile and get himself out of trouble. How would you describe his approach to policing before and after his accident?

Before the accident, he was an effective, hard-working cop who colored inside the lines. After getting shot in the face, however, his judgement becomes skewed. He’s hooked on painkillers and incredibly edgy. He starts making decisions the old Greg wouldn’t have dared make. Does this make him a better or worse cop? Or maybe a little of both? We’ll see in the first arc…

Do you have a long-term plan, or are you taking arcs as they come?

Definitely taking them as they come. My original pitch was to kill off Greg at the end of the first arc! Glad Alex and Paul talked me out of that one.

What would be your elevator pitch, to fans who have no familiarity with the property?

It’s Rocky meets Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call Philadelphia! Ah, the classic elevator pitch. Of course the elevator pitch is the same for any noir crime story :

The bell dings.

The doors open.

You step inside.

Only—there’s no car waiting for you.

Down you go.

http://comicbook.com/2015/01/26/duan...he-black-hood/

[Dylan Davison]

Another interview with Duane from comic vine:

COMIC VINE: Your Black Hood is a different character, correct?

DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI: Correct. Completely different guy—a good cop by the name of Greg Hettinger. He’s single, hard-working, and for approximately 1.5 pages, handsome.


CV: Is there any connection to the previous versions?

DS: There’s a serious connection, but saying more would be a wee bit of a spoiler.

CV: Once Greg Hettinger becomes the Black Hood, will he have any connection to his previous life as a police officer? Will he stay in touch with friends or family?

DS: Oh, he’ll still be a cop — and that’s what fascinates me about the character. Here’s a man who feels he must push past his limitations as a police officer and take the law into his own hands. Greg makes a lot of mistakes in the first issue (and beyond), but I think what redeems him is his belief that he can still do some good in his city.

CV: What made you decide on Philadelphia as a setting?

DS: It’s my hometown, and it’s where my imagination goes to play. Plus, it’s an underused setting in the comics world. A few years ago I had the Punisher roll through town and kill a lot of people and blow up my favorite bar — but aside from that, my comics work has been limited fictional cities (Arcadia, Mega-City One). I wanted to show people the city I know, beyond what the tourism folks would like you to see.

Plus, there are a few true-life Philly cop stories that inspired this incarnation of the Black Hood, so it seemed like a good idea to set it here. I’m so glad my editors, Alex Segura and Paul Kaminski, were on board with this vision. (Actually, they’re *more* than on board — they’ve commissioned guest essays on Philly crime by some of the best novelists around.)

CV: You’re known for a lot of your work writing superhero comics. Will The Black Hood have more of a feel of your Charlie Hardie novels?

DS: The Hardie novels are actually close to superhero comics — Charlie himself is an ordinary dude with one (unspoken) “super power.” No matter how much you pound on him, he literally can’t die. Those books were just me playing around the conventions of over-the-top action movies.

So no, THE BLACK HOOD is meant to be as realistic as possible. There are no powers, unless you count being high on painkillers as a “power.” It’s actually in a similar vein as my next novel (Canary, which is about a college girl who’s forced to become a confidential informant for a Philly drug squad). If Alex hadn’t called when he did, I might have actually used the central idea in THE BLACK HOOD as my next novel.


CV: What else can you tell us about the world Black Hood is in? Are there other heroes in other parts? Will we eventually see any crossovers?

DS: His world is ours — though maybe a little more hopeless and rougher around the edges. There are no other masked heroes running around town… at least not yet. While I wouldn’t rule out a crossover, it’s not even on my mind right now.

CV: What’s it like working with Michael Gaydos?

DS: Gaydos is brilliant — I’ve been a fan since picking up ALIAS 15 years ago. If comic scripts are screenplays, then he’s the genius director/cinematographer who brings it all to gritty, hyper-realistic life. Wait until you see this first issue.

THE BLACK HOOD #1 is on sale February 25. Let your comic shop know you need a copy. Here's some more covers and some pages from the first issue.

http://www.comicvine.com/articles/in...d/1100-151120/