Comics writer Philip Kennedy Johnson (The Infernal Hulk, Superman) breaks down his new project Midnight Spider-Man, one of the flagship titles launching Marvel's brand-new Midnight Universe this fall.
In this panel plunge, Philip shares how the project came together, why Spider-Man was the perfect character for a full-fledged body horror reimagining, and the surprising influences behind the series including David Cronenberg, John Carpenter, Junji Ito, and manga storytelling to the corporate paranoia of Alien. He goes on to explain how Marvel challenged him to take creative risks, how artist Scie Tronc brings an entirely new visual language to the character, and why this version of Spider-Man may be the boldest reinvention of the character ever.
We also explores the larger themes driving the book, including power, responsibility, corporate corruption, and how modern anxieties shape today's superhero stories.
Beyond Midnight Spider-Man, we dive into Philip's Incredible Hulk run, exploring his love of Appalachian folk horror, Southern Gothic storytelling, and the inspirations behind my favorite character in the book, Charlie Tidwell, and tease about the upcoming Hulk War crossover.
"What the world has actually shown us is that power makes monsters almost invariably. Peter exists in a world in which power makes monsters every time, but he’s the one who sets out to prove that it’s not true—even while it’s physically, visibly changing him into a monster." — Philip Kennedy Johnson
Phillip's website
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