Review Fix chats with Venom Space Knight writer and Marvel Comics veteran Robbie Thompson (Spider-man, Silk, Guardians of Infinity), who discusses the series and working alongside the Wounded Warrior Project’s Dan Nevins to help show readers the day-to-day hurdles a double amputee must face.
The storyline sees Thompson (who lost his legs in Iraq) as Venom, working with the Guardians of the Galaxy in a swashbuckling space adventure, but Marvel and Wounded Warrior want it to be remembered as a far more human story. Illustrated by comics veteran Ariel Olivetti (Star Wars, Annihilation, Carnage) comic fans can expect a realistic look at overcoming and conquering disability.
For more on the series, click here.
Review Fix: Do you think Flash Thompson has ever been this emotionally vulnerable before?
Robbie Thompson: In a way, think emotional vulnerability has always been at the core of Flash’s character. Flash is a character that’s overcome huge obstacles, battled inner demons, alcoholism, and thanks to the events of the “Planet of the Symbiotes†storyline in Guardians of the Galaxy, he’s come out the other side. He and his partner, the Klyntar, have a clean slate and both want to be the hero that they’ve believed they could be all along. But Flash — and the Klyntar — still have a one day at a time type battle within that we’re going to slowly unpack as the series continues, and exploring his rehabilitation and adaptation to prosthetic legs felt like an organic way to explore that side of his character.
And I have to say, this all came from Editor Jacob Thomas. I put in a detail about 803 making prosthetics for Flash in a story document, and Jake called me up right away and said he thought we had an opportunity to really explore something emotional with that — it wasn’t just a detail. That phone call led Jake and Marvel to Wounded Warrior Project, and they, in turn, put us in touch with Dan Nevins, who has been invaluable as we’ve begun to explore the dramatic possibilities.
Review Fix: How does it feel to be the writer to tell this story?
Thompson: I’m honored — Flash is a character that I’ve loved in the Marvel Universe for years. I was excited to be telling the story of him traveling through space with a strange cast of characters and getting in and out of old school, high-octane space trouble, but this new thread that we’ll be exploring slowly throughout the series has made it all the more special. I’m really grateful to Jake and everyone at Marvel for the chance to tell this chapter of Flash’s on-going story.
Review Fix: How do you want this arc to be remembered?
Thompson: Well, first and foremost, I hope that people have as much fun reading it as we’ve had to make it. Working with Jake and Assistant Editor Kathleen Wisneski has been awesome, and we all pinch ourselves when Ariel Olivetti’s incredible art comes in for each issue. But I do hope that shining a light on veterans, and the battles the faceoff the battlefield can maybe be part of a much needed larger conversation about their experience. We’re not trying to preach, or get too heavy handed, but we do hope to add some realism to a pretty heightened tale.
Review Fix: How did work with Dan Nevins change your creative process?
Thompson: Dan has been incredible and so generous with his time and his experience. Jake and I jumped on the phone after our first conversation with Dan and just couldn’t stop pitching ideas back and forth. Dan is incredibly articulate and passionate and has such a clear and beautiful way of communicating his experience. The conversations have been inspiring and extremely motivating. We’re in Dan’s debt.
Review Fix: What did you learn from the experience?
Thompson: The importance of collaboration and dialogue in the creative process. As I said before, I had a detail in a story, and that led to Jake wanting to pause so we could explore it more, and soon enough we were on the phone with Dan, and hearing about his experience and passion for telling this story right. Ultimately, we want to tell a positive and entertaining story, but in talking with Dan, we began to realize we could begin a longer, more character-driven story for Flash and the Klyntar that could hopefully bring awareness to an important issue.
Review Fix: What’s next for the series?
Thompson: Crazy aliens. Intrigue. Robots. Space ships. Punching. Big bad Venom. And some fun guest stars from Marvel’s galactic characters. And on a more personal level, we’re going to explore what’s motivating Flash to be so far from home. Is he off doing the good thing, fighting the good fight? Or is he avoiding something? And for the Klyntar, he was cleansed in the “Planet of the Symbiotes†storyline, but does he view himself that way? He was forgiven, in a sense, but can he forgive himself? They’re both running from themselves, which can be problematic for an addict and a symbiote.
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