SDCC 2011 EXCLUSIVE: Abnett + Lanning on Villains for Hire

Today at the San Diego Comic Con during the "Marvel's Next Big Thing Panel," it was announced that Dan Abbnett and Andy Lanning would be joined by artist Renato Arlem on a new title lauching this November, Villains for Hire.  Spinning out of the pages of Heroes for Hire, this new book Misty Knight teams up with and hires some of the most notorious villains in the Marvel Universe for missions that are too deadly for any hero to help her out with.

After breaking this news, we just had to know what the story with Villains for Hire was and who these villains might be, so we went straight to the source, to the writing team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning to get the inside scoop on their new book, Villains for Hire!

 

iFanboy: After a little more than a year on Heroes For Hire, we now have the launch of Villains for Hire #1 this November, what is the premise of the new book and hoes does it fit in with Misty Knight and the Heroes for Hire? 
 
Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning: This is a dramatic twist and reinvention of the Heroes for Hire concept. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Misty is in deep trouble.
 
iF: What is the future of Heroes for Hire? Will the book run alongside Villains for Hire or is it being replaced by Villains for Hire
 
DnA: For this story,  the Heroes For Hire title has been renamed Villians For Hire…how evil!
 
iF: Over the past year, Misty and the heroes have taken on some pretty big villains, most recently Puppet Master and The Purple Man, while giving a sense of a larger story at play. Will Villains for Hire pick up on those plot threads that have been laid in Heroes for Hire?
 
DnA: Absolutely. This arc features the figures who have become their arch enemies, especially Purple Man, who becomes the focus of this. And Purple Man is extremely dangerous. 
 
iF: Can you give us a sneak peek at some of the villains Misty will be working with in Villains for Hire
 
DnA: How about Tiger Shark? Stilt-Man? Bombshell? Speed Demon? We’ve got some great villains coming along in this series. You want more? What about Crossfire and the deadly Nightshade?
 
iF: In Heroes for Hire, a "relationship" between Misty Knight and Paladin has been hinted at. With Paladin straddling the line between hero and villain, will we see him in the pages of Villains for Hire as well? 
 
DnA: Paladin, as a mercenary, puts the ‘for hire’ into Heroes For Hire. He’ll be around for this, and not least because he is kinda sweet on Misty. It’s about more than money for him. But there are lines. Moral lines. Is he going to cross them? Misty’s in deep, maybe TOO deep. Will Paladin follow her lead with a mercenary disregard, or does he have a code? 
 
iF: What is it about Renato Arlem's style that made him the choice for art on this new title? 
 
DnA: Renato’s awesome – he’s bringing a fantastic, noirish, gritty, realistic kinda cool to this story. We’re stoked!
 
iF: What's the one aspect of Heroes for Hire and now Villains for Hire have you enjoyed the most and/or has surprised you while telling more street level tales? 
 
DnA: The surprises and twists – we love to put them in anyway, but in THIS story, oh my god. The plot will keep you coming back! Plus, it’s been great discovering just how cool some of these bad guys and their power sets are. REALLY cool!
 
Here is an exclusive preview of Villain for Hire from artist Renato Arlem!
 
                            
                            

Comments

  1. Can not wait.

  2. Heroes For Hire is a fun book. they said it’s been renamed Villains for Hire “For this arc.” i wonder if that’s a permanent change?

  3. Heroes for Hire has been really fun so far. Excited to see where this will take the book. Renato Arlem is also a plus.

  4. yawn

  5. Am i the only one getting a Secret Six vibe? Maybe it’s me….yeah…me….

  6. I like the sound of this

  7. DNA are awesome, I haven’t been keeping up with Heros for Hire, read a cpl issues and they were good but love they’re entire cosmic corner of Marvel run. They have some good Transformers stuff going on with IDW and a Flashpoint tie in as well, which I like so far. DNA get around. Legion Lost too!!

  8. Man, I’ve always loved Suicide Squad.  But I thought Harley Quinn was going to be in it?

  9. @Quinn  @RahUniQue 

    just as there are multiples ways of doing books with Heroes in, there are multiple ways of doing books with villains in.

    Marvle’s Super Villain Teamu-Up started in 1975, but i’m sure there are more examples of villain team books before that even.