Chaos! fan favorite Lady Hel is set to debut in her first solo series this summer from Dynamite. Written by Erik Burnham (Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), artist Zhengis Tasbolatov is on interiors. Fans can look for covers by Lucio Parrillo, Daniel Maine, Mike Mahle, Geebo Vigonte, and Cosplayer Rachel Hollon.
We chatted with Burnham about the upcoming series and what old and new readers of the Chaos universe can expect.
Deanna Destito: What makes playing in the Chaos universe so much fun?
Erik Burnham: It really allows for a lot of different storytelling itches to be scratched–horror? Sure. Action? Why not. Fantasy? Yes. You go from a little humor to dead seriousness to grindhouse violence that is somehow both of those things. It’s option paralysis when you have the right story.
Destito: What about Lady Hel specifically appeals to you as a writer?
Burnham: The fantasy angle of writing about the personification of death, the connections to Norse myth, and the fact that I can use those things to jump in and tell stories with old-school cosmic fun… in addition to the eclectic mix of tones I mentioned before.
Destito: Is this solo series a good jumping-on point for new fans as well as old fans of the character and universe?
Burnham: It should be! We open up with Lady Hel in a rough spot, fill in how she got there, show how she gets out. You shouldn’t NEED to read anything else to pop in… but if you have, it does connect nicely to her appearance in the Purgatori/Vampirella mini and her role in Red Sonja Age of Chaos. So again, knock wood, it should be an accessible book to hop on!
Destito: How has it been working with the art team?
Burnham: I just saw some of the first art the other day! Man alive–gorgeous action pages and a design sheet for a new character that was fantastic.
Destito: Can you tease any upcoming character cameos, twists and turns, etc. that readers can look forward to?
Burnham: The character I just mentioned… exists in mythology and was fun to work in. We went back and forth about who might fill the role this character is filling, and I think we made the right choice. Where Lady Death is, you can also expect to see Lady Demon. And finally, there’s Steve. I don’t want to spoil too much about Steve… he’s a sounding board character for Lady Hel that might’ve been much more cliche before an inspired note from editor Matt Idelson. I hope the readers get a kick out of him. Beyond that… I just hope it’ll be a fun ride!
Lady Hel #1 hits store shelves in August.
