 
 An Interview with Fabian Nicieza, by David "DragynWulf" Wiltfong
ComicBoards Exclusive!
Q: You have worked with both Mark Bagley and Patrick Zircher before on other titles other than the Thunderbolts. When you took over as Thunderbolts writer, you found yourself working with them once more. Has the trust in each others work grown more or been about the same?
A: Well, it's a running source of confusion that because I worked on New Warriors and Patrick worked on New Warriors that we worked on it together! It's not true. My last issue was #53. I think Pat started with Evan Skolnick as writer with #54.
We never worked together before TBOLTS #45, but I'm very, very happy with how well we're cooking now.
As for Bags, well, we've known each other more than ten years, worked together on something like thirty-six comics, and we've always had a very good personal and professional relationship. We went more than 5 years not working together and hooked up again like riding a bike. I'm sure - and I'm hopeful - that we can do it again.
Q: The Thunderbolts seems to attract attention through both your writing and Patrick's art and then with one issue, it gets fans running in the opposite direction. Another issue later, you bring them back. How does this make you feel as a writer?
A: It makes me feel like I'm doing my job well! You have to understand, I take monthly comments from fans with a bit of a grain of salt. Not that I don't appreciate the discourse, praise or constructive criticisms and sometimes, even outright slams - I do, it's just that I can't be influenced too greatly by either end of the scale - praise or pan.
You have to maintain an even keel and do what you (and your editor and artist) feel is best for the book and always have strong reasons to support your position. Every fan is going to have their own preferences to stories or characters, but you can't be swayed too greatly by anything said if you know in your heart what you are doing and why - and I think I do. And even more importantly, fans praise or pan a specific issue at a specific time - when it comes on sale - but most writers, especially me, know what's going to be happening - and why - MONTHS further down the road. Sometimes, reading what someone might have to say is almost a moot point, because I've already scripted or plotted material that literally makes their pan or praise a moot point!
Obviously, based on my consistent participation on various boards, I do enjoy the discourse with the fans, but I can honestly say it has rarely influenced me to rethink anything I was doing. If anything, it has often helped me realize choices I had planned to make were the right ones, such as minimizing the amounts of identity mysteries and the "death/resurrection" cycle that I'd toyed with.
Q: In a resent issue of the Thunderbolts you had quite a bloodbath between the Redeemers and Graviton. Your original plans were to save the Redeemers until Tom Brevoort pointed you in another direction so to speak and gave you other ideas. This alone has given you quite a bit of heat from comic fans with all the deaths and resurrections that have currently happened. What are your thoughts about the reaction your stories have given the fans?
A: I am very pleased that they have been very happy - or very angry - for all the right reasons! Much of the reaction to the Redeemers arc - and their sacrifices - were exactly what I expected and exactly what I was hoping for.
I could have played it safer and either not chosen to give the TBOLTS time as civilians or focused solely on them as civilians, but I wanted to do something trickier - and ultimately more rewarding.
I wanted the characters and the readers to reflect on the difficulty and responsibility of being a TBOLT and of being a "civilian."
And again, I purposely wanted the fans to stew a bit and anticipate the circumstance in which the TBOLTS would return, knowing that issue #56-58 would get everyone's adrenaline pumping - and knowing as well that the post #60 status quo will get everyone excited as well!
Q: Since you have become the writer of the Thunderbolts, you have taken all of the subplots left over from the previous writer (Kurt Busiek) and completed them with exception of one. The identity of the Crimson Cowl. To hopefully put an end to it once and for all, do you plan on showing the identity of the Crimson Cowl in the future?
A: Yes. Anticipate that she will be revealed sometime before #75. But, of course, plan for an eventual Thunderbolts twist as well!
Q: When you first started writing the Thunderbolts, who was your favorite Thunderbolts character?
A: Well, Hawkeye because I knew him the best. Now, although I like to say, "I like them all equally" it's become frustratingly obvious to me (especially because Pat kept telling me it was frustratingly obvious) that Fixer is my favorite character to write.
Q: Has your favorite character changed since then?
A: Well, I think it will change after around issue #62...for reasons that will become plainly obvious.
Q: Who is your favorite villain that you have used in the Thunderbolts?
A: Hmm. I don't know. None of them have totally clicked 100% the way I had wanted them to. I certainly enjoyed the Scourge arc and the use of Gyrich, although I would have liked to do more with Gyrich after issue #50. I thoroughly enjoyed writing the Graviton arc.
I think nearly all of the characters I've used as antagonists (as opposed to outright villains) such as Captain Marvel, Mentor, Isaac, the Supreme Intelligence, Sandman, etc. all came across only about 70% of what I would have preferred.
I have no one to blame but myself for making the book so damned crammed with vitamins and fun that I never have enough space devoted to just...be...leisurely...But that improves in the coming issues as well.
So, to answer your question, I'd have to say Clay Brickford!
Q: Which Thunderbolt do you feel has developed more as a character since you have become the writer?
A: Techno/Fixer, Zemo, and Charcoal have had some very good growth during my run. I think I've at least advanced Moonstone and Hawkeye a bit if not necessarily handled them as well as Kurt did.
I haven't serviced the needs of Songbird, Mach-whatever and Jolt the way Kurt did, so I have to work harder on them. Songbird in particular will be getting a couple of spotlights in quick turnaround, issue #59 and #63.
Oh, I also think I developed Gayle Rogers really well, too. I developed her into a fictional corpse, but hey, IMO that was an improvement!
Q: You seem to enjoy using characters that have already been created and "abandoned" by other writers so to speak. Is there any reason why you prefer
to do this?
A: Well, I think it's something Kurt and Tom strongly believed in as well, so it makes perfect sense to maintain that. It's part and parcel for the book's tradition and the character's history. It's about looking at longtime established Marvel characters in a different light.
We are all, creatively speaking, very much "forward moving traditionalists." Meaning we respect what came before but understand the need to always move it forward.
But we also adhere to the basic teachings of his Lordship Gru (Mark Gruenwald), who said, "Why create something new that duplicates what already exists? Just use what exists better."
So we try to.
Q: The Thunderbolts seem to be a title that changes in the direction it is going constantly, every 25 issues or so. You have been working on the
Thunderbolts for 24 issues now and the next issue, number 58, will be your 25th issue. Can we expect another change to happen?
A: A major, major change in status quo is planned for the core group. That will be delved into during an arc in issues #60-62. By the same token, Hawkeye will have his own hard road to travel, creating a completely separate, but completely thematically appropriate status quo for him and some surprises as well.
Q: Tom Brevoort, Patrick Zircher, and yourself recently got to complete an agreement that was made 28 years ago when you brought the Humus Sapien
character into your storylines. How does this make you feel?
A: The act made me feel better than the final story did. I ended up concentrating so much on the doing that I neglected what I would be doing, if you know what I mean.
All that being said though, I think the book is all about redemption - under the most trying of circumstances - and in this particular case, we had a clear cut villain that needed to be redeemed: Marvel Comics. And we did.
Q: Over the years you have become fond of the golden age characters to the point of making a spinoff from the Thunderbolts about them. Who is your favorite golden age character and who is your least favorite?
A: Well, Captain America, duh! But if you mean "obscure" hero, then my favorite is probably the Fin just cause he was so damned goofy.
My favorite Roy Thomas Golden Age character, meaning someone he essentially reconceived from its original context, is the Destroyer, just because of what an interesting set-up he created for Roger Aubrey.
Q: When you pitched the idea of a second Citizen V limited series, did you think Marvel would approve it?
A: Actually, I didn't pitch it so much as Tom told me they'd be willing to do another one. I was pleasantly surprised because the first one didn't set any sales records or anything. Joe Q saw something he liked in the attitude and style of Citizen V and wanted us to follow up on it, which I was more than happy to do.
Now for a couple of questions from a few of the Mods here at ComicBoards.com...
Q: In the upcoming second Citizen V limited series, do you plan on showing any of those "still untold tales" of the V-Battalion?
A: Every issue has a three to five page Prologue section that tells a tidbit of times past, while also serving to advance the present day story being told.
So we'll see Union Jack's funeral in 1953 and our characters at a younger age. We'll also see Paulette Brazee in action as Citizen V. We'll get a peek at John Watkins Jr. Fun stuff. All that being said, it is still very much a present day adventure, the antagonist just happens to have ties to the past. It is a self-contained story that in no way ties in to Thunderbolts, but is also set firmly in the Marvel Universe, using such fun concepts as Flag-Smasher and Ultimatum and the Collective Man.
We'll also toss in a few surprised, shake-up the V-Battalion status quo and help firmly establish the one true John Watkins III as Citizen V - hopefully forever!
Q: Your a big fan of the Nomad character and have taken pride in working on him. Can we expect to see him in the upcoming second Citizen V limited series and how the V-Battalion had any dealings with him as Bucky III and Captain America IV (AKA: Grand Director)?
A: No Nomad planned for CV. I have just finished plotting a TBOLTS inventory story that is Nomad-specific, but still deals with the TBOLTS as well. I am very happy with how the sotry came out and am looking forward to seeing the art by Derec Aucoin. Since it is planned as an inventory story, I can't really predict when it will run in the book, but considering we have 2 issues coming out next June and #75 will probably be a double-sized issue, I'm sure we'll be squeezing it in eventually.
Q: Which single Thunderbolt would you like to do a limited series or one-shot about the most?
A: Probably Moonstone. I pitched one to Tom, but he passed, so I'll just bide my time and try again eventually.
That being said, knowing what I have planned longterm, a Jolt limited series might also be of interest.
Hmm...come to think of it, Hawkeye could use one, too, considering what he'll be involved in...Hell, let's just make TBOLTS a biweekly book!
Q: Last but not least, how do you pronounce the name Nicieza?
A: It's pronounced Sinn-kev-itch.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy work schedule to answer these questions
My pleasure.
Place to discuss the interview:
Thunderbolts Message Board
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