For reference, the DEATH OF WOLVERINE team was writer Charles Soule and artist Steve McNiven.
Few writers view the Marvel Universe with as clear and distinct perspective as Charles Soule. His ability to make his mark on beloved icons as well as charting fresh narrative territory with new characters set the tone for his current INHUMAN run.
So it should come as no surprise that his plans for UNCANNY INHUMANS—a new ongoing series launching with issue #0 this April—clearly challenge the exciting boundaries he had set in INHUMAN. As Soule lays out for Marvel.com, he and artist Steve McNiven intend to make Black Bolt be heard loud and clear without a word uttered, but rather by taking actions that no one in his path will soon forget!
Marvel.com: For fans of your INHUMAN work, what do you have in store for UNCANNY INHUMANS?
Charles Soule: The story takes everything we’ve built on with INHUMAN so far and pushes it even further. The main character here will be Black Bolt, the Inhuman king, although he won’t be doing the same sort of things we’re used to seeing him do. Black Bolt is typically a stoic leader, part of a larger cast of Inhumans who get their hands dirty in ways that he doesn’t. But here, he’s more or less on his own—at least at first—having a much more hands-on role. He’s like an Inhuman Rambo.
Marvel.com: What roles will the characters that have been central to INHUMAN have moving forward?
Charles Soule: Well, as mentioned, Black Bolt’s a big part, but I also plan to bring over a number of established, long-term Inhumans as well as some NuHumans; you know, the newer characters like Reader, Lineage, Flint, Inferno, Iso and everyone's favorite, Frank McGee. While UNCANNY INHUMANS won’t be cherry-picking INHUMAN and taking away all the cool characters, it’s become clear that the Inhuman slice of the Marvel Universe has a ton of neat folks—more than enough to populate two books, and then some.
Marvel.com: You are reuniting with your DEATH OF WOLVERINE partner, Steve McNiven, on this; what was it about the story that made this the right fit for you and Steve to reteam?
Charles Soule: Steve excels at wide-scale, incredible action, but his character acting is also some of the best I’ve ever seen. There’s a reason he’s as huge as he is. The beats can be gigantic or tiny, but they’ll all feel absolutely real. Since we have a lead character in UNCANNY INHUMANS who doesn’t talk, it’s crucial that his emotional state at any point be completely clear to the reader. And if that’s what you need, then if you’re lucky, you get Steve McNiven.
Marvel.com: How hard is it to build a series around a lead character like Black Bolt, who rarely ever utters a word, particularly given how great you are in terms of dialogue with the characters you write?
Charles Soule: Well, first of all, thank you. I won’t lie, it can be tough. But going back to my prior answer, having Steve McNiven—or Ryan Stegman, or Pepe Larraz, each of whom have drawn Black Bolt in INHUMAN so far—to help carry the load makes all the difference. If you give them the emotional context for a scene, they excel at making sure the poses, facial expressions and everything else give the reader what they need to interpret what’s going on. In some ways, Black Bolt is probably more work for the artists than it is for me. Still, I love dialogue—I love words—and so taking that tool out of my toolbox is an interesting challenge. However, it also opens up some possibilities, since the fact that we’re never in Black Bolt’s head makes him unpredictable.
Mostly, I think Black Bolt’s a blast, dialogue or not. And—it’s not like he never speaks. It’s just that when he does, you don’t want to be standing in front of him.
Marvel.com: Is it safe to say that readers get to see Black Bolt in a way that may take folks by surprise?
Charles Soule: Very safe. As I said, he’s on his own, a lone wolf on a mission. I’ve read a lot of Inhuman stories at this point, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a story like this using Black Bolt.
Marvel.com: Given that you have read a lot of Inhuman stories at this point, are there any runs in particular that inspired or influenced your approach to this family of characters?
Charles Soule: The Paul Jenkins/Jae Lee run has been incredibly influential; that’s the definitive modern take, as far as I’m concerned, but I’ve also taken a lot of inspiration from other writers’ use of the characters: Bendis, Hickman, and others. The Inhumans have always been around, but it’s certainly great that they're getting the level of focus they currently are.
Marvel.com: Is there any chance you will delve into Black Bolt and Medusa’s son Ahura in UNCANNY INHUMANS?
Charles Soule: Absolutely. Ahura has been missing from the Marvel Universe since the events of INFINITY, and we’ll be looking at the mystery of where he went, and why. How that ties into Black Bolt, and the larger story, you’ll have to see, but the idea is to make this story very personal for Black Bolt. He has the most powerful motivation in the world in this story.
Marvel.com: The last thing you want to do is give away too much of the story, but can you confirm or deny that the plot may involve a certain legendary time traveler with a name that rhymes with Tang?
Charles Soule: Confirmed! Good old Glang the Blonqueror—she’s a hell of a character, and I think everyone will enjoy her epic return to the Marvel Universe.
Marvel.com: Fans of your recent work for Marvel have come to appreciate that your storytelling has the ability to give readers plenty of action, while at the same time setting elements in play that you expand upon in unexpected ways. Any chance you have some dynamics like that in mind for UNCANNY INHUMANS?
Charles Soule: Very much. UNCANNY INHUMANS is absolutely in that style. It starts in one spot, and just when you think you know where it’s going to go, it zigs in another direction, but one that should make perfect sense in retrospect. I like being able to take the Inhuman nation in a new direction with this series, and I think people are going to really dig it.
UNCANNY INHUMANS begins with issue #0 by Charles Soule and Steve McNiven this April!
Source: Marvel
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