Final yr DC helped relaunch the long-lasting Milestone line of comedian books with all-new “seasons” of Static, Icon and Rocket, {Hardware} and Blood Syndicate. But, of all of the 4 headliners, Static stays the most well-liked by far. Aided by a technology who grew up seeing an animated Virgil Hawkins on display, Static: Season One was a wholesome mix of the unique comedian sequence and the animated sequence of the early 2000s.
However now that the retelling of Virgil’s origin story is out of the best way, Nikolas Draper-Ivey is able to get severe with the just-launched Static: Shadows of Dakota. Bumped as much as co-writer alongside Vita Ayala, Draper-Ivey is taking Static and the world of Dakota to some intense new locations as he reimagines a well-liked villain from the animated sequence into the stuff of modern-day nightmares.
On the heels of the primary challenge’s debut, we spoke with Draper-Ivey about returning to Milestone’s flagship title, what differentiates Static: Shadows of Dakota from Season One, his tackle the character Ebon and a lot extra!
From one Static fan to a different, I appreciated a tweet you made lately lamenting how he’s typically misnamed “Static Shock” by individuals. Was there any strain to title the sequence “Static Shock” for the identify recognition?
No, DC knew precisely what they wished to name it proper off the bat. If something, they emphasised to me how essential it was to maintain calling him Static. They introduced that to my consideration. Now, since I’m writing and drawing it, it’s my job to convey it to everybody else’s consideration. And if it’s actually my job to get the character’s identify proper, then I can’t be improper. (laughs)
Ebon is the most important participant within the new sequence, and straight away he’s a far scarier and violent iteration of the character in comparison with his animated unique. What about Ebon actually captured your creativeness, and the way was the collaboration course of with him specifically like between you and Vita?
I’ve at all times preferred Ebon as a personality, and it was an excellent use of him for our story for me to form of vent about some issues. Clearly, Static is a extra hopeful, optimistic character, however…there’s quite a lot of belongings you wish to discuss and categorical, and Ebon is the proper character to get that out of you. Issues which have been weighing on my coronary heart. It’s actually private. I don’t wish to give something away or reveal something, however the factor that drew me to him is how cutthroat he’s. In our model, it’s going to take greater than a flashlight to eliminate him, you recognize? His talents are actually going to have an effect on individuals, getting them to ask, “How do you combat that?”
I like the way you and Ayala have been mixing completely different parts of the unique Milestone comedian and the Static Shock cartoon. On the finish of challenge #1, we see Ebon asking about his brother, who within the cartoon was Rubberband Man. Ought to we count on an analogous relationship right here, or will this be one thing else that’s new to the mythology?
I’ll say it’s much like the present, in that Rubberband Man is his brother. However persons are going to be excited by this model and know why it’s essential that Ebon finds him. It might find yourself being controversial at first…that’s all I’ll say.
One factor that actually struck me with Season One was how Virgil’s powers have been made public to lots of people in Dakota. Is the key id one thing you and Vita aren’t fascinated with with this model of Static?
In Shadows of Dakota, we see extra of him attempting to maintain it a secret. Although it’s apparent whenever you kind of squint at Static which you can know who he’s, on this season, it’s extra of a daily factor. On this story, as soon as he picks up his superhero mantle, issues have actually modified. And that’s one thing that we form of make a joke about with Ebon who seems at Static like, “What are you doing? Why are you promoting your self?” (laughs) That’s one other method wherein the 2 differ, however Virgil’s secret id is extra of a factor on this season.
What has come to characterize this contemporary Milestone relaunch—and specifically, the brand new origin for Virgil—is the present torrent of race-related actual world occasions that may affect the characters in the event that they existed. What’s been the largest real-world affect on the Static “seasons” and was there one thing specifically that impressed Shadows of Dakota?
Sure, a number of issues. I’d somewhat not go into them as a result of there are such a lot of. A lot of it is a response to quite a lot of ache I’m feeling and quite a lot of different persons are feeling. Asking questions like, how would you go round with the powers of a god if it meant bringing hurt to others varieties of individuals? Would you do it? Would you attempt to scare them? Save them or be the Boogeyman?
I don’t wish to give an excessive amount of away, however there have been quite a lot of real-world occasions that impressed us. Once I began engaged on this, it was 2020 and like quite a lot of others, I used to be in a reasonably darkish place, however I used to be additionally questioning if this may nonetheless be related upon launch. It sucks that sadly quite a lot of these items are nonetheless related, nonetheless occurring.
Virgil’s bought each Daisy and Frieda in his nook as we enter this season. Will there be any romance between any of them?
Effectively, the story isn’t actually centered round that, however there’s just a few hints right here or there, and the reader can see the place we’re going. The story is so intense that there’s not a lot time for smooches, however there’s a few of it there.
Do you could have a playlist you hearken to when engaged on Static? Is there a playlist you suggest to readers when studying Static?
I like listening to quite a lot of film composers, just like the Tenet soundtrack. There’s quite a lot of film scores that I’ll go into, however it’s often throughout the tone of the story I’m attempting to inform. Tenet, as an illustration, has an electrical, fast-paced form of really feel.
Lastly, what’s your favourite episode of Static Shock, and do you could have a favourite story from the earlier Static comics?
Positively Rebirth of the Cool I actually love, particularly that John Paul-Leon art work. So far as the cartoon, the episode with Richie’s dad (“Sins of the Father”), the place Robert tells Richie’s dad to cease being a racist. I like that episode, and Ebon’s in it! I additionally just like the episode (“Penalties”) the place Static’s actually feeling himself and Daisy will get damage in consequence and it teaches him to relax out and never be so hubristic.
Static: Shadows of Dakota #1 by Nikolas Draper-Ivey and Vita Ayala is now obtainable in print and as a digital comedian e book.
