Event: Nathan Edmondson At Iguana Comics

On Saturday, December 28^th, 2013, Iguana Comics (located at 329 NE 6^th Street in Grants Pass, Oregon) hosted a Q & A session with superstar comics scribe Nathan Edmondson (The Light, Who Is Jake Ellis?, Ultimate Comics- Iron Man, Grifter, The Activity, Olympus), who shed some light on what fans should expect from his two upcoming All-New Marvel Now! titles, Black Widow and The Punisher. I was on hand in the first row as fans asked questions and Mr. Edmondson replied in turn, giving insight to the creative process behind revamping two beloved characters and adding his distinctive voice to the storied histories of both.

With The Punisher, Edmondson revealed that we’ll be seeing a softer, more human side to Frank Castle. Not to say that he won’t be toting guns and taking out the bad guys like we’re all used to, but more aspects of his personality will be shining through. Also, we should expect to see the skull-clad vigilante cleaning up, becoming a bit more handsome, and smiling a little more often, which is something I’m not sure long-time fans of the character will be accustomed to. His run on the title will also mark a turning point in The Punisher’s history, as Frank Castle, so often in the role of the hunter, sees the tables reversed as he himself is hunted by a mysterious organization. While the older Punisher stories focused solely on the grimmer aspects of the character, Edmondson’s run looks like it may very well give more dimension to the character of Frank Castle and showcase a more sophisticated storytelling style.

Black Widow sounds equally awesome, as Mr. Edmondson hinted that we’d be seeing everything fans could want out of the character- a realistic portrayal of the female superspy, intersected by more intimate moments in the life of Natasha Romanoff.  Edmondson was quick to point out that previous comic series focusing solely on Black Widow have failed to gain a successful following, and that may be due in part to writers being a bit uncertain of what to do with the character. Male writers, and even some female writers, often have a hard time finding a voice for characters like Black Widow, adding in elements to make her seem more feminine while losing sight of what makes her such a bad-ass. Nathan Edmondson seems to have a great angle on the character’s balance, and I look forward to reading the first few issues to see how this is executed.

Edmondson also talked a bit about working in the film industry and the status of the Who Is Jake Ellis? feature film, taking on the task of writing female characters, and what to expect from his current and upcoming projects. An insightful, informative, and entertaining afternoon if there ever was one.

After the Q & A session, Mr. Edmondson was kind enough to hang out at the store and sign books for his fans, myself included. I had an opportunity to ask him his advice about breaking into the comics industry as a writer and even have a picture snapped of the two of us. Thanks go out to Nathan Edmondson for showing up and sharing his afternoon with us, and to the great staff at Iguana Comics for hosting the event!

Black Widow #1 arrives in comic stores on January 8th, 2014, and The Punisher #1 will be available on February 5th, 2014. Both titles are published by Marvel and are part of the All-New Marvel Now! line.

First photo: Sunda Egli @Iguana Comics. All other photos: Shawn Strawbridge