Final yr, the world of Milestone Media made its long-awaited return to comedian cabinets. Static, Icon, Rocket and {Hardware} dwell once more in a shared universe of their very own, residing the sorts of tales they have been created to inform. In 2022, Milestone is barely getting greater. Make method for Earth-M.
The “Earth-M” line is a set of latest ideas and characters created by authentic Milestone cofounder Denys Cowan and present Milestone relaunch shepherd Reginald Hudlin, each impressed by and nestled inside the Milestone universe. In time, these new heroes might meet their Milestone forebears, however now’s the time for Milestone to do what it was all the time meant to by Earth-M: broaden views on the superhero style as a complete with concepts you’ve by no means seen earlier than.
One of many first titles within the Earth-M line would be the six-issue restricted sequence Duo, the story of two lovers, each alike in scientific accomplishment, merged into one physique by a nanotechnology experiment. Whereas this has granted them extraordinary powers, it has additionally erased the boundaries between them. Can a love survive when all issues should be shared and independence misplaced? We spoke with writer Greg Pak (Motion Comics, Batman/Superman), penciler Khoi Pham (Teen Titans) and inker Scott Hanna (too many credit to listing) to study every part we will about this thrilling new title.
Duo is the story of medical doctors Kelly Vu and David Kim, who’re fused into one being by nanotechnology in a single day. What was Kelly and David’s relationship like earlier than their fusion? Who have been they as people earlier than they grew to become one individual?
Greg Pak: I feel the enjoyable a part of this story is that it’s asking the query of “What in case you have been privy to each single thought, feeling and impulse of the individual you most love on the planet?”
We discuss individuals ending one another’s sentences after they actually know one another, and that’s precisely what Dr. Kelly Vu and Dr. David Kim do in among the opening pages of this. They work collectively, they dwell collectively, they love collectively. They’re in that pretty early stage of a relationship the place every part is sensible with the opposite individual completely. However what occurs whenever you actually can’t escape the opposite individual? When the opposite individual is actually in your thoughts? That’s what hooked me into the venture when Reggie first talked to me about it and pitched it to me.
So, who’re they? They’re good scientists, they’re engaged, they usually have barely completely different impulses. As you go alongside within the guide, you understand Kelly is an even bigger risk-taker and David’s a bit of extra cautious, in life and in every part else. However they complement one another, they usually have these enormous ambitions collectively. The problem is to see what occurs when individuals who appear so related are out of the blue, solely related, and whether or not they really are so related in any case. And whether or not being related is even the target!
Scott Hanna: I’ve been fortunately married for a very long time, however my spouse and I are principally polar opposites in a number of methods. However that helps. We work nicely collectively as a result of we’re not the identical. And like every relationship, you’re going to have arguments, you’re going to have fights. So, this manner of coping with relationships is basically cool. How that basically features, and dysfunctions as nicely.
Khoi Pham: Yeah, and on the visible aspect of issues, Greg and I have been speaking about this manner, method in the beginning, which was like 100 years in the past at this level.
GP: Yeah, actually 5 years in the past!
KP: So, casting these characters, proper? It was a Vietnamese-American and a Korean-American, however it was a extremely nice alternative for reinventing within the picture what we want. One of many issues I actually wished to do, and Greg was fully on board with it, was depicting a dark-skinned Asian. That’s not very frequent (in comics). Sadly, it’s sort of a difficulty in Asian tradition. So, we made Kelly darker.
These have been the intentions we delivered to it, and I’m glad we have been in a position to not simply have Asian-Individuals, however darker-skinned Asian-Individuals. It’s actually enjoyable simply taking Greg’s concepts and the way he fleshes these characters out and visually characterize them. Refined stuff. Dave’s carrying a baseball tee in Giants colours, so he’s just like the Stats Man, proper? And Kelly’s obtained a Marvel Lady t-shirt. So, little hints and visible cues that method. She actually takes the superhero strategy, like, “Let’s go knock some heads round!” And Dave’s extra, “Let’s plan it out!
Talking of that illustration, a giant a part of the rationale Milestone Media was based, and a mission the Earth-M comics will proceed, was to current heroes representing extra marginalized communities, as created and instructed by writers and artists from these backgrounds themselves. How does Duo try and characterize the Asian-American expertise?
GP: No single venture can characterize the experiences of an entire neighborhood, so I’m not going to make any sweeping statements like that. However I’m thrilled in regards to the venture as a result of so many Asian-Individuals dwell in Pan-Asian households, the place you could have individuals of a number of backgrounds in the identical household. And right here, we’ve obtained a Korean-American man and a Vietnamese-American girl. These sorts of relationships are in all places, however they’re seldom represented, you already know? And so, there’s one thing good about normalizing that sort of expertise.
There’s additionally a factor the place generally by having one Asian character in a narrative, that one Asian bears all this weight of representing Asian-America. It’s inconceivable! So, having this be only one extra story amongst many, many Asian and Asian-American tales which might be on the market, with extra popping out every single day, it’s a thrill to have one other angle. To be one other venture with one other window to a different expertise. I like that it exhibits some older characters and a pair. It’s a mature love story. And I feel that sort of factor continues to be type of uncommon.
Particularly in superhero comics.
GP: Yeah! In order that feels particular. An opportunity to dig into that sort of stuff. It’s ridiculous, however having an Asian-American romantic lead continues to be uncommon in American media. I’ve been doing this in a single kind or one other for thirty years now. Making movies, writing comics. Particularly doing Asian-American storytelling. And there’s by no means been a greater time than now, by way of the variety and breadth of Asian-American storytelling that’s getting funded and distributed.
One of many good issues about having so many issues popping out is you could have some initiatives which might be explicitly about Asian-American historical past, or household dynamics. And you too can have initiatives which aren’t, on the floor, instantly about that in any respect. The characters aren’t essentially scuffling with immigrant experiences, or household trauma, or no matter typical Asian-American story you usually see, like second-generation children not doing what their first-generation mother and father need them to do. I really like all these tales. I feel these tales are nice. However I feel there’s additionally room for completely crazy sci-fi stuff with Asian-American characters in it.
KP: That’s what I really like about this story and tales which might be instructed this manner by way of illustration by simply being in it, however not speaking about it within the story. It simply occurs to be Asian-Individuals. I feel it’s necessary to place illustration on the market and simply see it, see it, see it. They’re simply in a sci-fi superhero guide. The costume was intentionally a basic superhero costume. Yeah, they’re Asian-Individuals, however it is a science fiction superhero story, and that is simply how they occur to look. However we’re not going to speak about it, it’s simply what it’s.
GP: There are subtleties to the entire story which will resonate with Asian-American readers in a particular method. I feel there’s one thing to those second or third technology characters who’re rather more open about their emotions than their immigrant mother and father or grandparents may be. That’s the place our characters begin off. They’re very trustworthy and open and intimate with one another. However then we sort of problem that. Like, how open are you actually? To me, that resonates, coming from Korean and German-English inventory. My grandparents have been very reticent. They infrequently spoke about their emotional states, and I’ll ramble on about all my emotions on the drop of a hat, as a result of it’s a unique world. However on the similar time, there’s part of me that’s very personal. So, is that an Asian-American story? It may be. It’s as much as readers to get what they need out of it.
Nanotechnology can be a giant a part of this story. There’s a visible problem with nanotech sci-fi tales the place it finally ends up falling into this class of “grey goo.” How do you retain nanotech fascinating visually in a comic book guide?
GP: As an alternative of grey goo, we went with gold mist. (laughter)
And that makes all of the distinction.
SH: It’s extra sparkly, yeah.
GP: There’s a giant swirling tank of gold mist and it’s sort of romantic and exquisite. Chris Sotomayor is the colorist.
KP: I used to be going to say, enormous credit score to him on that.
You’re speaking in regards to the romantic symbology of the gold mist, which makes me surprise how a lot is the nanotechnology meant to be a story system, and the way a lot is that this meant to be a tough sci-fi story?
GP: Properly, every part is a story system, in each story. Actually each single alternative you make in a narrative is a story system. The premise is that you just’ve obtained this character—and I don’t understand how a lot we should always spill—however they develop into ridiculously highly effective. So, you’re not solely discovering your self together with your lover’s thoughts as type of a everlasting a part of your personal thoughts, you’re not solely experiencing every part your accomplice’s experiencing, however you’re on this physique that’s just about impervious to wreck. You’ve obtained this ridiculous quantity of energy, and the nanotechnology units that up.
This know-how doesn’t exist. It’s science fiction, however there are inner guidelines to all of it they usually join all of the threads right here. David and Kelly are scientists who wish to use this nanotechnology to treatment illnesses and ease human struggling. So, it is a fictional narrative system that additionally is sensible given the fictional science we’re coping with right here, however it serves this emotional story of those individuals who wish to do good. They’re do-gooders. However what occurs when you could have a lot energy is you could throw issues out of stability. That’s one in every of these basic superhero themes, and this entire nanotech idea lets us dig at that from fascinating locations. It’s additionally important as a result of it’s created by people. It’s one thing they’ve gone out and gotten. So, it’s not like—
SH: Flash getting hit by a lightning bolt.
GP: Precisely. They went out and obtained this. So, there’s an elevated sense of private accountability to this entire factor that I feel is fascinating.
1:25 Variant Cowl by Nimit Malavia
KP: With the nanos, they created it. I all the time type of imagined it as being like a child. It has a persona, and searching again, there’s this one scene the place David and Kelly are being affectionate and the nanos create, like, coronary heart shapes. Its form and texture adjustments primarily based on the way it feels about its creators. It’s very refined.
GP: They usually nurture it, too. You will have these sort of flashback scenes the place they deal with it like their child. They’re staying up all evening with it.
SH: One of many cool issues too, is that on the very starting, it doesn’t do what they need it to do. The intent will not be what the result’s. That’s additionally like a baby—you possibly can’t management it. As soon as it’s there, it’s obtained a lifetime of its personal.
KP: Completely.
So, it is a story about parenthood, in addition to partnership.
GP: (Laughs) That’s type of extra of a buried theme, however… yeah.
Duo #1 is written by Greg Pak and drawn by Khoi Pham and Scott Hanna. Cowl artwork is by Dike Ruan, with a variant cowl by Denys Cowan and a 1:25 variant cowl by Nimit Malavia. Search for it at comedian retailers and digital retailers on Might 17, 2022.
