SDCC 2016: Spotlight on Jason Aaron
Jason Aaron is one of the best writers in the game today. The Other Side really put him on the map back in ’06, and ever since then he’s been a runaway train of talent and hits. Scalped was his first running title, it’s a brutal, addicting saga about Native American politics. Scalped introduced me to Aaron’s work, and from the first issue on, I knew I’d buy everything he wrote. He hasn’t let me down yet. Aaron has now been writing Thor for years, and it is, with no hyperbole, literally the best Thor run I’ve ever read. Oh yeah, and he also writes a little title you may have heard of, goes by the name of Star Wars. On top of that, he’s remained true to his indie roots, writing both Southern Bastards, and The God Damned. The first being a football-centric tale of southern culture, and the latter being a biblical book set in the pre-flood world which has a brutal take on that mythology, the likes of which you’ve never seen. Jason Aaron, full of charisma, intellect, and best of all, news, hosted a “panel”, if you can call one writer talking candidly to his fans a panel. It went like this…
First, Aaron was deserving awarded with an Inkpot award, given to comic creators who are recognized for their outstanding contributions to the medium. Following that honor, Aaron gave an entire rundown on basically everything he’s doing, up to and including breaking news. Here are the highlights:
Dr. Strange: It’s been tasking for Aaron to write, as the rules of magic can be a bit nebulous, but one thing he’s focused on is the fact that for every feat Strange is able to accomplish, big or small, there is a price to pay. A great part of the drama in this book centers around whether or not Strange is paying that cost, and if not, what the consequences are. With the film coming up, these are great books to be reading right now. One tid-bit worth mentioning was that the Marvel creators crew will take retreats to discuss the universe, and inevitably the conversation will turn towards magic, and how it plays into things, because nobody really knows for sure. I’d love to be a fly on that wall.
Thor: There are some many AMAZING things on the horizon regarding all things Thor. First and foremost, Aaron will be continuing to write the series for the foreseeable future, which is fantastic news. Not only will he continue writing The Mighty Thor, but he’ll be adding a new series about the Odinson, The Unworthy Thor. In the former, we’ll see war between Asgard and the Shi’ar empire, in what he describes as Lord of the Rings versus Star Trek. Sign me up. In the latter, Aaron will delve into just what happened to the last Thor, who can no longer wield his hammer, and what lengths he’ll go to to get his station back. All I can say is I can’t wait. This promises to be some of the best stuff Marvel will be putting out in the coming months and years.
Star Wars: I was delighted to hear that Aaron has this series planned out for roughly another two years, and he’s got big plans for it. Obviously there are informational restrictions regarding a property with so much going on in TV, movies, and other comics, but he was able to share a bit. In Star Wars we’ll be introduced to Scar Troopers, something you haven’t seen before, which are troopers that can actually hit their targets. There will also be a romping story arch about rebels stealing a Star Destroyer, but things don’t go as planned, leaving the rebels flying by the seat of their pants. Not to sound redundant, but sign me up for this one, too. These promise to be books you won’t want to miss.
Southern Bastards: As if the series hasn’t delivered consistently since the first issue, Aaron has announced that we’re actually just now getting into the meat and potatoes of the thing. The daughter of Earl Tubb has arrived. If you don’t know what that means, do yourself a favor and go pick up the first arch of this series. If you do, you realize just how great this arch promises to be. And the icing on the cake? This series has been optioned for a television series! Aaron says that he’s very involved in the process, and is looking forward to the adaptation.
The God Damned: This is probably one of the darkest, most brutal biblical adaptations out there, and I’m thrilled to tell you it’s going to continue. Aaron explained that the focus of the series may wander among different characters within the same world, but will always occur before the great flood. The current series focuses on Cain, who suffers having to witness a viscous world he helped create, and one he can’t escape. The art work by R.M Guera is magnificent, I would definitely recommend this book, but be forewarned, it doesn’t pull it’s punches, and can leave you feeling pretty disturbed.
In other news, Aaron’s now finished and groundbreaking series, Scalped, has also been optioned for television. They’re in the pilot stage at the moment. Aaron will have less direct influence over this adaptation in comparison to Southern Bastards, but he was pleased to announce that they’re working with a predominantly Native American cast.
Lastly, Aaron did share that he was working on a new project altogether. While he couldn’t tell us much about it, the one detail he did share was fairly shocking in it’s own right. It seems Jason Aaron will be writing something in the Young Adult, if not kids literary genre for the first time. While that would certainly be a departure from his modus operandi, at this point I have 100% faith in his work, and would put smart money on this mysterious and divergent venture being a triumph.
