New Ant-man & Wasp Mini Series

[NightBeetle]

Well, to follow up on that idea of what is or isn't an Avengers title, I hear you've got a new book on tap that involves some of those cast members...

Brevoort: Coming out in November, we're doing a limited series devoted to Ant-Man and the Wasp - that being the Eric O'Grady Ant-Man currently featured in "Secret Avengers" and Hank Pym, The Wasp who is currently featured in "Avengers Academy." It's written and drawn by Tim Seeley, and it's sort of an anti-buddy adventure story in that we have two guys who don't see eye-to-eye and who come from different places but have similar powers and are thrust into a situation that involves the both of them. But they really don't get along too well and are thrown together by fate to have, literally, a big adventure because they are the tiniest things in it. It's being edited by young Jordan D. White. Jordan, what can you tell us about this project?

Jordan D. White: You called it - taking a look around the Marvel Universe, we saw what an interesting situation Ant-Man and Wasp were in right now. One of Marvel's classic super-hero duos, we've got the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, going by the Wasp moniker, while the current Ant-Man is a (semi-)unrepentant jerk who originally stole the power and used it to spy on ladies. What better time to get the duo back together and watch sparks fly? I am thrilled to be working with Tim Seeley on the project, whose work I've long been a fan of on his creator-owned book, "Hack/Slash." Tim came up with a story that forced the two heroes to knock their heads together to confront some of the dubious decisions they've made in the past. Guest-starring a few of Pym's comrades from "Avengers Academy," Ant-Man and Wasp are going up against A.I.M., who've managed to get their hands on one of Hank's most ingenious inventions...one that has big implications for a certain deceased size-changing hero. It's going to be a really sweet three-issue ride - I hope you all hop aboard!

 

[JewishHobbit]

Heh, you know this kinda appeals to me.

 

[Vartha]

yeah in some strange way it appeals to me too. lol

 

[hippie_hunter]

I'm sold.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Argh, why am I forced to put up with the s***ty Ant-Man all the time? I'll probably check out the first issue for Hank. If it's any good and Eric's not as annoying as usual, I'll stick with it.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

You don't like O Grady? What? WHAT? Don't tell me you're a Lang fan. Lang bores me to tears. And his daughter's a whiney runt who needs to be put down like the giant annoying puppy she is.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

No, I'm a Pym fan. Never really cared about Lang one way or the other. And I don't hate O'Grady because of some arbitrary measuring stick compared to the other Ant-Men, I hate him because he's just plain terrible. He's a *****ebag in an entirely unfunny way specifically because he spends far too much time trying to be funny with his *****ebagginess.

 

[Dread]

I liked O'Grady and this sounds good; another $3.99 mini to buy. I bought MIGHTY AVENGERS and AVENGERS ACADEMY so it's still in that world. O'Grady is in SECRET AVENGERS.

I read O'Grady's series and I'm glad he's gotten play. His premise was interesting; rather than the usual out and out goodie who stumbles into power (Scott Lang was a thief, but a goodie goodie thief), Eric O'Grady was a selfish, oversexed a-hole who didn't deserve to be more than a wage slave, yet he stumbled onto a hi-tech Ant-Man costume. We all know someone like O'Grady. He wasn't a villain; he still fought bad guys and saved people when he could. But he also used his powers for personal gain (what, like Spidey scamming J.J. is that different?). He was slowly stumbling on the road to some sort of redemption in Kirkman's ongoing series, but since he's slipped into schtick at times, especially in AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE. Still, since THUNDERBOLTS, he's probably been as least jerky as he's ever been, so it seems like a progression.

Tim Seeley is the only wild card for me, writing & drawing. His biggest claim to fame is the HACK/slash series for Dynamite. He did the art for NEW EXILES and WEAPON X: FIRST CLASS, neither of which I read. So to me he's a new talent, and this'll be his $4 a pop debut. It won't sell at all, but it may be entertaining.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Eric O'Grady is the ultimate 13-year-old's wish fulfillment as a superhero. He's ******ed.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

No, I'm a Pym fan. Never really cared about Lang one way or the other. And I don't hate O'Grady because of some arbitrary measuring stick compared to the other Ant-Men, I hate him because he's just plain terrible. He's a *****ebag in an entirely unfunny way specifically because he spends far too much time trying to be funny with his *****ebagginess.

That's kind of the whole point of his character. Kirkman even stated that when he created him.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Oh, well, if Kirkman intended him to be an unappealing moron, I guess I must like him. Thanks!

Oh no, wait, that's as ******ed as Eric himself. You can intend whatever you want when you create a character; if the end result is still a ginormous *****ebag with no redeeming qualities, odds are I'm gonna hate him for being a ginormous *****ebag with no redeeming qualities.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Eric O'Grady is the cheese in my man sandwich.

 

[Dread]

Eric O'Grady is the ultimate 13-year-old's wish fulfillment as a superhero. He's ******ed.

That's kind of the whole point of his character. Kirkman even stated that when he created him.

O'Grady has some redeeming qualities. While he is a jerk, he isn't evil; he could have used his Ant-Man costume to become a super villain, and he didn't. He bent and broke rules around SHIELD (where he used to work as one of their analyst grunts), tried to sell some stolen jewels that were left behind after a super villain was stopped, and even became friends with the infamous old burglar the Cat (who he both sold out and aided when the situation served him). But, his "streak" wasn't as infamous or dangerous as Sandman, and Sandman was an Avenger and member of the Wild Pack ages before. Even Rogue had more sins under her belt by the time she joined the X-Men. Sure, he tries to scim loot off the side after battles, and he's an opportunist and a liar. But he's still taken on bad guys, still saved lives. At the end of his series, he was working for Damage Control, Inc. under an alias. And he was trying to come to terms with the fact that for the first time in his life, he actually was in love with a woman instead of in lust.

Then his series ended, and he was added to the cast of AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE. Dan Slott & Christos Gage had fun with him, but usually just wrote him according to type, as a skeevy, borderline pedo jerk. I don't know how he was written before Jeff Parker was on THUNDERBOLTS, but after, I thought he handled O'Grady well. The harsh situation and the desire to survive and escape was tempering him. While he still has a jerk streak with the SECRET AVENGERS, he's not nearly as bad as before. It also helped that every time O'Grady seemed to get away with a scam, or being a dick, he would ultimately face his just deserts very harshly.

The purpose of O'Grady was to break the tradition of super powers usually always falling upon someone who either becomes a flawless, moral hero, or an irredeemable killer/criminal. O'Grady was smack in between. Moral enough to not be a villain, but often too selfish to be considered a true hero. Mark Millar would have written him over the edge, which is good he never got the chance. O'Grady is probably on an upswing now, but I do wonder when the subplot of him actually having a kid out of wedlock will come back to bite him. Kirkman was leading that it would, but that was years ago.

 

[JewishHobbit]

God I wish he would go back to his original armor.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I can agree with that, at least. His original costume wasn't great, but the compromise they came up with to make him look more like Pym is just terrible. But what can you expect? It's a Deodato design.

 

[runawayboulder]

I'm on board with this.

 

[Dread]

I agree that I am not thrilled about O'Grady wearing Pym or Lang's old spares. I preferred the original look. Making distinct characters interchangeable is usually DC's bag.

 

[runawayboulder]

Is that the one with the full mask and the round silver eyes?

 

[JewishHobbit]

And the legs sticking out of his back or sides, don't recall which.

He wore that one for his original series and the Initiative. Then he got a new one for the Thunderbolts. And now there's this one.

 

[iloveclones]

I have admit, Corpy, this is one of the few times that I'm in complete disagreement.

From Kirkman's series, to where he is currently in Secret Avengers, I think the character has been a lot of fun.

It's nice to see a (sort-of) anti-hero, who's not an anti-hero because he kills. He fits the mold because, well, he's not hero material. But I think he wants to be. It's just that his *****y characteristics get in the way.

At some point, he'll have to be written differently, more like Hawkeye. But he's fun for now.

 

[NightBeetle]

Seeley's Big Adventure With "Ant-Man & the Wasp"

CBR News: So Tim, you've done art for some Marvel projects in the past, including "Weapon X: First Class" and "Realm of Kings: Inhumans," but "Ant-Man & the Wasp" is your first Marvel assignment as a writer, correct? How does that feel?

Tim Seeley: It's that perfect mix of excitement and sheer terror that reminds you that you're alive. Seriously though, I'm totally psyched to get to unleash my brand of literary mayhem on the Marvel Universe. Add to those jitters the fact that I'm drawing from my own script, and you could see how I might have some serious night sweats and a need to eat Tums.


Eric O'Grady and Hank Pym are both very interesting characters and at first glance, they also appear to be two very different characters. What do you find most interesting about them and, in terms of personality, do you think they're more similar or more different?

I have run that very question through my head a hundred times in the last few months, sometimes out loud to complete strangers. The answer to that question is going to be the very backbone of this miniseries. Hank and Eric are both men who occasionally make choices which hurt other people. Hank's come from a desire to do good, but his intellect often gets in the way of his humanity. For Eric, his humanity often gets in the way of his intellect. Actually, his hormones get in the way of his intellect. But, for heroes, they're both very flawed individuals who have to figure out a way to make those flaws mesh if they're going to save a friend in danger.


How would you describe the initial dynamic between the two when "Ant-Man & the Wasp" begins? I know in one of their last big interactions in "Avengers: The Initiative," the two came to blows, but that Hank turned out to be a Skrull impersonator. Do Hank and Eric share any common ground now that they're both Avengers?

That's what Eric hopes. Hank knows Eric is the guy carrying on his Ant-Man identity, and though Steve Rogers vouches for him, Hank can't help but get a bad vibe from the guy. Eric, on the other hand, feels like being an Avenger has helped make up for a lot of the bad things he's done, but it hasn't cured him of being an oblivious jerk. He can't figure out why Hank doesn't like him, and that will lead him to do something potentially very bad for the Marvel U.

In terms of plot and theme, what is this series about? Who's perspective is it told from?

This is about both men, and though there's a plot involving AIM, a Sleepwalker, Black Fox, The Avengers Academy and a whole host of other craziness, it's about the dynamic of these two guys and their views on redemption, both their own, and each other's.

What can you tell us about the AIM cell that Hank and Eric are up against in "Ant-Man & the Wasp?" Does the group have a master mind? And if so, how dangerous is this character?

AIM's Supreme Scientist, Monica Rappaccini will be calling the shots in this one, and she has a new agent she's testing out to get what she wants. I have a lot of affection for AIM, as bad guys with cool outfits, but as I'm writing them, I'm really getting into their politics and agenda. They're an evil, left wing, science terrorist squad in bee keeper uniforms, and they've got big plans. If it wasn't for the "evilness" thing, I'd probably join up.


Who are some of the other important supporting players in this story? Do any of Ant-Man and the Wasp's teammates from "Secret Avengers" and "Avengers Academy" play roles?

It's a pretty short mini, so I didn't want to steal too much time from our main guys, but there will be walk-ons from a bunch o' Avenger guest stars.

What can you tell us about the settings of this story? Does it stick to one particular place or does it unfold in several different locales?

This is going to be a globe hopper. AIM is a global organization, and it's going to take a lot of running around to keep up with them.


Are there any other upcoming comic projects, Marvel or otherwise, that you'd like to mention? From what I understand, your creator owned Image series "Hack/Slash, written by you and drawn by Daniel Leister, is especially new reader friendly right now?

I hear that it is as well! We have the current "My First Maniac" miniseries finishing up in September and a new "Hack/Slash" annual, subtitled "Murder Messiah" on the way. I'm also writing a one-shot for Dark Horse called "The Occultist."

Any final thoughts you'd like to share about "Ant-Man & the Wasp?"

I think there's a tendency to overlook Ant-Man, and maybe, specifically, Hank Pym. But over the years, some great Avengers writers like Dan Slott and Christos Gage have really expanded on Hank's motives and personality, and I think, now, in his Wasp guise, he's really come into his own. The same goes for Eric O'Grady, known to many as "jerk Ant-Man," who I think will have one of these Deadpool-esque Renaissances one of these days. So, I hope people pick this series up despite the lack of Wolverine and Deadpool in it. I think it's going to be a rock solid superhero story and a surprising bit of character study.

 

[Dread]

Cool interview. Seeley seems to know his continuity as well as have some interesting thoughts. It's always amazing to see Marvel boost these kind of writers while still relying on the "nothing any other writer does or has done matters," style of Bendis.

One minor quibble; why is Pym secondary on the title? I mean in the old days, Ant-Man got top billing in a title because he came first, and because, well, the Wasp used to be a girl and they usually always get secondary billing in a team up story (if Wonder Woman and Entrigan the Demon got a team up mini, guess who'd get top billing). This time, Pym is Wasp and is the older character. I suppose it's just for nostalgia, although it won't help Pym shake off those "cross-dressing" jokes from fans.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It's just to go back to the old title, I'm sure. I doubt Seeley is intentionally trying to shortchange Pym by giving him (technically) second billing. Even if he is, I, for one, will be reading the series primarily entirely for Pym anyway.

 

[bored]

A Pym mini? Written by the guy who does "Hack/Slash" (which is incredibly well-written, in spite of all the cheesecake moments)? I'm there.

 

[NightBeetle]

ANT-MAN & WASP #2
Written & Penciled by TIM SEELEY
Cover by SALVA ESPIN
Ant-Man & Wasp have no time to make nice as they're tossed into the bizarre realm of the MINDSCAPE! A.I.M has the doorway to the afterlife, and it's up to the Tiny Twosome to jump from the land of dreams, to the land of heavily armed A.I.M soldiers! But Bill Foster's soul may not be the only thing Monica Rappacini wants as Scientist Supreme faces off with Supreme Scientist! Hop on for Hank Pym’s last adventure as Wasp (did you not see the solicit for AVENGERS ACADEMY #7?!) in this mini-series by acclaimed writer/artist Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash)!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99