Brian Michael Bendis: Comics' Funk Soul Master

By Michael Diaz

James Brown may very well be the hardest working man in show business, but when it comes to comics, it's hard to find someone that is more prolific than Brian Michael Bendis. Not only does he write about 90% of Marvel's titles, but he also gets them out on a weekly basis.

OK, so not really, it just seems that way sometimes, so hold off on running to those message boards just yet.

Not only has he committed to getting Ultimate Spider-Man out at least 18 times a year, thanks in no small part to artist Mark Bagley, he also manages to make sure Daredevil, Alias, and Powers are out on time as well. 54 issues a year, 12 of which are self-promoted through Image Comics; quite a feat for any writer (except maybe Chuck Dixon). And, until recently, he was a fixture of the convention season, meeting fans, signing copious copies of his books, and just being an all around nice guy, genuinely appreciative of the fanfare that he has received.

When did this guy find time to become a father?

Somehow through all this, Mr. Bendis found some time to sit down with SBC and talk about 25 cent issues of Daredevil, and how he could use R. Kelly's recent legal trouble to his advantage.

"He what?" you may ask.

Read on.

Michael Diaz: Why should I read Daredevil?

Brian Michael Bendis: Because its going to be a quarter (laughs).

Alex Maleev and Matt Hollingsworth are turning in the work of their careers and we are exploring the character in all new ways with his outing in the tabloids. The book is just full of dangerous fun right now.

MD: You are known for your characterization, for making characters "real." So tell me, WHO is Matt Murdock now, as a person, after what you've put him through?

BMB: Well, that's the thing, it may be that Matt is the asshole of his own story, he may have screwed up in ways no other superhero ever has. We are examining that right now. its a lot of fun to write.

MD: What exactly do you mean by the fact that Matt "is the asshole of his own story…?"

BMB: Well, asshole might be too strong a word. I know this, even in theory, will upset some purists, but Matt lied. To keep up his cover, he is lying, and now we will deal with the repercussions of that as the story continues.

MD: I think I see where you are going: lawyers aren't allowed to overtly lie, and can often be disbarred if it has been proven that they lied. Interesting. OK, then, let's say I am someone that used to read Daredevil back in the day; without getting too wordy, let's say I am a Frank Miller snob. Why would your run on Daredevil appeal to me?

BMB: I hope so, Miller's Daredevil is the reason I make comics.

Daredevil is the reason I make comics. No joke, I was an impressionable creative teenager when Miller and Janson were at the height of their run. I discovered everything about comics, sequential art, and film noir starting from Daredevil. And it's one thing to get a couple of issues to kiss Miller's ass with, but it's another thing to actually get THE book.

MD: So, would you say that you are emulating - or channeling - Miller at all? Do you think of what you loved about his run and go from there?

BMB: I do not imitate him because that wouldn't be showing my affection for him, that would be showing disdain for him. That is stealing, what I am doing is making my own creative decisions based on what he, and Klaus and David M. did to the book and building from there with Alex and Matt Hollingsworth.

MD: Not only are you making waves with Daredevil, but on Ultimate Spider-Man as well. As many fanboys know, the original Venom came as a spin-off of Spider-Man's alien, black costume. Can you give us a hint as to the origins of the Ultimate Venom? Should we expect an Ultimate Carnage later?

BMB: Not on my watch - Carnage is crap.

What we have with Venom is the challenge of creating it out of the world of Ultimate Spider-Man. A space symbiote just would not fit in with what the book is, we came up with something I think interesting and really scary. It's the darkest arc of the series yet.

MD: If you had your way, what Spider-Man villain would YOU like to "ultimate-ize" next (is that a word?). Building on that, if you could pick ANY comic character to "ultimate-ize" who would you pick, and more importantly, WHY?

BMB: Well, I do have my way (laughs).

You are going to see a couple of "ultimatizations" and a brand new villain all thought up and ready to go, I've been poking at the guy for a couple of years and it's about ready to hatch.

MD: Are you talking about new launches within the Ultimate line?

BMB: No, new characters and new ultimate revamps of Spidey classics.

MD: Some people say that the slower, more dramatic issues of Ultimate Spider-Man are the best…your thoughts?

BMB: It means the world to me because often I think that those issues are the ones I am really offering something unique. But its not for me to say.

MD: How do you capture teenage mannerisms and language so well?

BMB: Arrested adolescence (laughs).

MD: My girlfriend may say the same of me. How about your other writing strengths: more Ultimate Spider-Man issues have had more cliffhanger endings than not in its run; how do you come up with so many, and is this a spin-off, a reaction to the more 'arc-centric' style of most comics these days?

BMB: No, I did big cliffhangers in Jinx and Torso. I have always been a big fan of them. Nothing beats turning that last page and going... oooooh! Shit!

MD: There are some rumors that there may be an end in sight (soon) for the MAX line (Marvel's mature line). Being that Alias is a MAX comic, can you comment, is there anything TO comment? What's the future of Alias?

BMB: Well, Alias is a profitable book and I believe it's the highest selling mature readers book on the market. It's a rated "R" movie; rated "R" movies don't do the same dollar business as "PG" movies, you know that going in. Alias and Powers would technically sell a lot more if I would 'reign it in a bit' but I have no interest in doing that. There's enough middle of the road crap out there.

I don't know anything about MAX other than Alias, but I know that Alias is continuing unabated. There is an end arc to Alias, but not one coming any time soon. I love the character and the book and we have won over a bunch of people lately with the latest issue. I hope people try it, there's nothing else on the market like it.

MD: You do more than just Marvel stuff, which you know; what's in store for Powers in the future?

"Supergroup" starts with our landmark 25th issue. Its a big story for us.

Powers being an independent comic it's 25th issue is a shocker and especially because after the first issue, we weren't sure if the first issue was going to make it out, much less the series, so to be able to put out 25 with such healthy numbers, it's a really big deal for us. We're starting a brand new story arc in which our two lead characters are faced with a murder that surrounds an R. Kelly style sex scandal. We're going to use that as a catalyst to tell the story of a super-group that was huge in 70's and now have fallen on darker times. The story arc is being called the "Sellouts" and it's a mixture between R Kelly, the way bands like the Ramones treat each other - they used to be real close and now they can't even talk to each other - aaaand a little bit of the Superfriends thrown in for good measure. Come on, how often do you get a comic with the Ramones and the Superfriends combined? It's all mixed in the pot and we're really coming up with what we think is our strongest effort yet.

MD: You mentioned that you have an end arc in mind for Alias; can the same be said for Powers?

BMB: Oh yes, but nothing soon. Powers has quite a few arcs in place before anything like that starts brewing.

MD: Is there a finite ending already planned?

BMB: Yes.

MD: Any chance that the Powers letter column is in any kind of danger (i.e. that a competing company, DC, is getting rid of their letters column)? The letter column definitely seems to be a very popular part of Powers

BMB: No, in fact I think part of our recent sales surge is the letter column, there's no where else to get one.

MD: Any more Oni projects in the works?

BMB: I stop by Oni weekly to steal Queen and Country trades and torture Jamie Rich (ed: Editor-in-Chief of Oni Press and soon to be editor of Powers).

MD: Does this mean that we expect another "behind the scenes" comedic commentary in the same style as Fortune and Glory? Specifically I am referring to your recent work on the upcoming Spider-Man animated series.

BMB: Hey, that sounds like a good idea (laughs).

MD: What is the ONE question that you wish someone would ask you in an interview (and how would you answer said question)?

BMB: What? Now I gotta write your interview too? (laughs) Come on, man. You can't afford me.

MD: (laughs) This is true!