It's good vs. bad. Girls.

Shadowline founder Jim Valentino says, "We wanted to see what happens when Shadowline's resident good girl, Blacklight, faces down Bomb Queen, whose mini-series placed her at the top spot for baddest woman in comics.  Scott and Jimmie found a story that will have everyone howling, and begging for more." Behind a cover that has nothing to do with the story, the serious Blacklight enters the humorous world of Bomb Queen in an August-shipping one shot. To sort all this out, Scott Wherler and Jimmie Robinson talked with Newsarama about their respective women.

Newsarama: Lets start at the beginning, for those readers that haven't followed either Bomb Queen or Blacklight, who are they?

Scott Wherler:  Blacklight is just about the polar opposite of Bomb Queen. Somewhat reserved, not entirely confident with herself or her relatively new powers, afraid of heights. She could be the most powerful person on the planet if she weren’t so green.

Jimmie Robinson: Bomb Queen is a super villain who rules as a dictator over New Port City.  Her job is to keep the city void of super heroes.  It's not an ordinary town.  The citizens are just as bad, if not worse, than Bomb Queen.  She's basically an icon for all that's "wrong"  in her town.  The leadership they got is the government they deserve.  This reversal of the super hero concept creates an over-the-top satire with Bomb Queen, and likewise makes her a top villain in comics. 

NRAMA: Bomb Queen and Blacklight had different tones to their stories in prior appearances, with Blacklight being more serious then Bomb Queen, why mix these characters?

SW: Why not? You’ve got two supremely hot women with absolutely nothing in common other than the town they’re visiting: Las Vegas. It writes itself.

NRAMA: Do readers have to have any prior understanding of who these characters are to enjoy the comic?

SW: Not really, no. You pick up what these two are all about in the opening pages. Even if you’ve never heard of either character, you’ll be able to follow along pretty easily. Wouldn’t hurt to pick up the Bomb Queen trade in July, or the two issues of Blacklight from last year, though.  

NRAMA: The cover is designed to be eye catching, yet is in no way related to the story. How did this come about?

SW: Actually it was Shadowline editor Kris Simon’s idea, which was sparked by a comment Jim Valentino made about covers that pandered.  Jim came up with the further aesthetics of it, and we had the complete cover!  It certainly speaks to the tone of the story. It’s a cover that doesn’t take itself at all seriously, much like the story itself. 

NRAMA: I have been to quite a few comic conventions, but never one next to a gun convention, what is it like when the conventioneers meet in the lobby?

SW: Not sure, as I’ve never been in that situation either. I’d imagine it’d go something like this:

Comic Fan: “Duuuuuude. Nice gun!”

NRA Guy: “Damn right. When the revolution comes, I’ll be ready.”

Comic Fan: “Uh, what?”

NRA Guy: *sniff* “That you what smells like mothballs?”

Or a reasonable facsimile thereof. I could be wrong. 

NRAMA: Aside from the convention that gets Bomb Queen and Blacklight together, what is this comic about?

SW: It’s a complex allegory about the clashing of societal classes in a city known for its extremes of excess.  Or a punch-‘em-up between two hot chicks in Vegas. You decide.

NRAMA: Ho-kay, and what's next for each of these characters after the special?

SW:  As far as Blacklight, well, she’s a regular character in the ShadowHawk series, so that’s where readers can find her.  She’s in the latest issue that’s on the stands, ShadowHawk #12, and in most subsequent issues thereafter.

JR: First, Bomb Queen will show up in stores in July with the Trade paperback collecting issues #1 - 4, plus 40 extra pages.  Then we'll see the crossover with Blacklight in August.  Then we'll see another Bomb Queen mini-series in October that will run to the end of the year.  Sadly, I won't be at any conventions until next year.

NRAMA: With regard to the trade, what's in the extra 40 pages?

JR: Interesting you ask that, because readers can find several pages of the original meeting of Bomb Queen and Blacklight, which was a series of 40 storyboards featured at ImageComics.com (no longer available online).  Other extras include several pages of Concept Art, detailing the evolution of Bomb Queen's rather infamous costume and her bizarre world.  There's also a "who's who" of the original super villain quartet, "The Four Queens".  Readers can also find pages of fan art pin-ups, newly detailed cover art of each issue, unseen art sketches at each chapter, and even a 5-page story of Bomb Queen's sidekick, Ashe.

Originally I sent a 96 page trade to Shadowline, which just covered the 4 issues, and 8 pages of extras, but to Valentino's credit he suggested 128 pages.  He's seen much of the extras over the year, so he knew there was a wealth of material.  And to be honest... there's so much that didn't get added.