If you are looking for a tale that mixes action, suspense, romance, and the supernatural, Necromantic from Renegade Arts Entertainment may be what you seek. The comic centers on Jesse Harris, who has just suffered the loss of her fiancé, but risk comes with the job when you work Special Forces for the US government. Thing is, Jesse has been seeing the dead her whole life, and when her dead lover returns asking for help, Jesse finds herself wrapped up in a conspiracy unlike anything she’s ever worked before.
Written by Lovern Kindzierski (Shame, Tarzan, Spiderman) and with art by Dave Ross (Star Wars, Spiderman, Catwoman, Punisher) and Geof Isherwood (Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Conan), the graphic novel features colors by Christopher Chuckry (Spiderman, The Unwritten, Batman) and letters by Taylor Esposito (The Flash, Supergirl, GWAR). Alexander Finbow rounds out the team as editor.
Kindzierski answered a few of The Beat’s questions about the book, which also has a live Kickstarter campaign running at the time of this writing.
Deanna Destito: What inspired the story?
Lovern Kindzierski: The first shadow of an idea was just thinking about the word necromantic and how romantic was part of the word. The second little nudge was hearing someone mentioning that it was better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven. After that, I wondered who would be able to plan for that inevitability and I knew I had something.
Kindzierski (cont.): I wasn’t attracted to a story about a necromancer, but the story of someone who discovered that necromancy was a prime mover in deaths by the carload throughout history was very attractive. Then I started thinking about my main character. Series like Buffy and Supernatural went through my head, along with James Bond but it still wasn’t quite there. That is when I thought of the main character from the series Medium and it all clicked. A female medium trained to work with Special Forces as a secret agent would be perfect!
Destito: The book mixes genres, ranging from romance to horror. Do you tend to favor stories like this or is this new territory for you?
Kindzierski: I do enjoy stories that mix genres and I knew that these genres would mix together well. I have often been excited when the supernatural shows up in a Batman story, and I really wished that the supernatural had been real in James Bond’s Live and Let Die. That would have been cool!
Destito: How did the creative team come about and how has it been working with them?
Kindzierski: Shortly after Alexander Finbow from Renegade Arts had given me the green light on Necromantic, we attended the Toronto Fan Expo. Roaming the floor, we had been discussing who the artist on the series would be. David Ross was in attendance, and as we looked through the latest works he had on display, Alexander pointed out that David’s impressively realistic style would be great for Necromantic. I had to agree. I told David about the story and he liked it, so we were on our way!
Kindzierski (cont.): When it came to color, the assumption was that as a colorist I would be managing that aspect of the project as well. However, in this case I wanted to be seen as the writer only. My first choice for color was Christopher Chuckry and he was happy to work on the story and collaborate with David. After several misadventures David had to quit the book, but let us know that the great Geof Isherwood was not only available but looking forward to helping us finish off the last chapter of the story. As fate (and scheduling conflicts) would have it, I did end up lending my colors to that last chapter, but Christopher was able to art direct me through the techniques he’d been using so that everything meshed without breaking up the story. Finally, Alexander brought forward Taylor Esposito as the letterer, and I was thrilled to have someone as skilled and experienced to score our little story. Many creators have added their talents to this project, and I can’t wait for the world to see the final result!
Destito: Why do you think the book can appeal to a broad audience?
Kindzierski: Within its categorization as an adult story (nudity, violence, and coarse language!) Necromantic not only will appeal to fans of militaristic themes and thrillers, but paranormal and romance buffs as well. If you’re looking for an exciting genre-bender, this is absolutely it.
Destito: Who is your favorite character to write/design?
Kindzierski: Jesse Harris! She drives the book and I am her guide to the supernatural. That said, I am very much looking forward to future adventures where I can flesh out Blake and the Vizier further.
Destito: Do you have plans to work in this universe in the future?
Kindzierski: As you may have surmised, I definitely have more stories planned for Jesse. She has only just discovered this darker world that runs parallel to the world that she has been living in. Minyar is not alone in his goals. There are many evil people sending others to an early grave only to build up their armies in the underworld. They know that they are beyond redemption and have a one-way ticket to Hell. Once you’re exposed to that (and especially if you’re like Jesse!) it’s not just something you can walk away from.
Kindzierski (cont.): I would also like to add that you can order Necromantic now from your favorite comic and book store! The diamond code is MAR202070, and you’ll still be supporting us and the book that way. While I usually launch a new book at comic conventions and store events, the current world situation does not exactly allow for that. Necromantic will be launching through Kickstarter so that we still have a chance to bring you the signed books, prints, and merchandise that we can’t supply through stores. The Kickstarter comic community is vibrant and supportive, and we are excited to make closer connections with more of our readers. As well as discovering new readers, this campaign will hopefully bring vital funds to the creative team who have lost significant income due to the cancelation of comic conventions.
Kindzierski (cont.): More than anything, we are missing the interaction we get with you, the reader, at shows. So this is an experiment to see if we can make that closer connection with you online.
To support the Kickstarter, click here.
