Broken Frontier

Debuting in 1964 as a foe of the Invincible Iron Man, the Black Widow has played many roles over the years; villainness, femme fatale, seductress, Communist agent, super spy, and even superhero. This April, she finally gets to take center stage in her own ongoing series, and Marvel has tapped writer Marjorie Liu, best-known in comics for her work on the recent NYX follow-up miniseries, to take the reins. Broken Frontier spoke with Marjorie about her work and her plans for the Widow.

BROKEN FRONTIER: Tell us a little about yourself and your history with comics.

MARJORIE LIU: I'm an attorney, a full-time novelist, and started reading comics when I was in college in Wisconsin.  There was a store down the street -- Powerhouse Comics -- and I started going there as a Freshman and never quit.  About six years ago, I sold my first paranormal romantic thriller, and when I mentioned to my agent that I loved comics, she told me that she knew an editor at Pocket who was acquiring novels that would be part of a licensing deal that Marvel had just signed for Spider-Man, Avengers, Fantastic Four...and the X-Men.  I wrote the X-Men novel, Dark Mirror, which got enough notice at Marvel that I was able to talk to the folks in charge about doing more work for them.  That led to NYX, and the rest is history.

BF: How did this new Black Widow series come about?

ML: The decision to launch a new Black Widow series was made well over my head, but I did have the good fortune of being invited to submit a proposal.  I suppose it was liked well enough to bring me on as writer.
 
BF: Does this series spin-off from any recent goings-on in the Marvel Universe?

ML: It basically stands alone, but that's not to say it doesn't pull from current events in the Marvel universe.  Nothing that will be dwelled on, though.  This book is its own animal, with its own issues and challenges for the Black Widow. 
 
BF: How do you see the Black Widow as a character?

ML: She's an incredible character -- human, no powers -- and yet, even in the company of all these super-heroes, she's still one of the most dangerous women in the world.  Not just for her physical prowess as a fighter, but because she's intelligent, ruthless, and she never gives up.  The strength of her will more than makes up for not being able to fly or see through walls.
 
BF: It strikes me that your editor, Ralph Macchio, wrote a pretty well-received Black Widow story back in the day (which is slated to be collected in March of this year). Have you read that, or any other memorable Widow stories? And have you been influenced by any particular writers' takes on her?

ML: I live about an hour and a half from the nearest comic book store, so I haven't yet had the good fortune of reading Ralph's work on the Black Widow.  I hope to, though.  I think Paul Cornell is doing fantastic work with her character, as is Ed Brubaker in the Captain America series. 

BF: At times, the Black Widow has been fully integrated into Marvel's superhero universe, and at other times, the superhero elements have been minimized in favor of focusing on her espionage background. Which do you think works better and why?

ML: I think it depends on the story.  The wonderful thing about Black Widow is that there's a lot of material and history to draw from.  You want to tell an espionage story?  Hey, no problem.  You want to deal with super-heroes?  She walks in that world, too.   I think both work equally well, because that's the kind of woman she is: spy and hero.

BF: What do you think of Daniel Acuna's art?

ML: Gorgeous, evocative.  I think he's a tremendous artist. 

BF: Can you describe your writing process for a series like this?

ML: Generally speaking, I'm very disorganized as a writer.  I go with the flow, write from the seat of my pants.  But with a series like this, it's good to have a plan, so I've come up with an outline that I'm trying to stick to -- for the big story beats, anyway.  I  take it one page at a time. 

BF: What can readers look forward to in this series?

ML: Action, adventure...but also, quiet moments that delve deeper into the woman, and who she is. 

BF: This book is being marketed as part of the "Women of Marvel" event; any thoughts on the "Women of Marvel" promotion, and efforts to attract female readers?

ML: I think it's fantastic, and I'm honored to be part of it.  Having said that, if female readers aren't already in comic book stores, I'm not convinced this is going to lure them in  -- basically because they won't know it exists unless it's shelved in places with a wider access to mainstream female readers.

I think a larger problem rests in how male readers think about women in comics.  In my experience, there's a pervasive assumption that we just don't exist -- or, are somehow token creators. 

BF: What other projects are you working on these days?

ML: Primarily novels.  I have two coming out this year -- the first in August.  A WILD LIGHT is part of my Hunter Kiss urban fantasy series, about a a woman covered in living tattoos that peel off her body at night to form her own demonic army.  In the late fall, another of my books will hit shelves -- the title is undergoing some revisions, but suffice to say it's a paranormal thriller involving mermen, sea monsters, and modern day pirates.  Huge fun to write.  The covers of my Dirk & Steele series are a bit on the romantic side, but I always tell guys not to be scared off by that. 

A video game based on one of my books, TIGER EYE, is being released in April.  More information can be found at PassionFruitGames.com.  

Black Widow #1 goes on sale April 14th, 2009.