A thematic merging of The Lord of the Rings and Watchmen, The End League follows a cast of the last remaining supermen and women as they embark on a desperate and perilous journey through a world dominated by evil, in hopes of locating the one remaining artifact that can save humanity--the Hammer of Thor. For his return to the world of comics renowned artist Mat Broome (WildC.A.T.S.) teams up with critically acclaimed writer Rick Remender (Fear Agent) for this, Dark Horse Comics's newest superhero series.
Dark Horse: So tell us a little about The End League and how the idea for this series came about?Rick Remender: Give superhuman abilities to every one in a thousand, and you'll begin to see the severe imbalance between good and evil within the human heart.
Call me a pessimist, but in my mind had we superhumans among us the world would surely be reduced to a wasteland within months. I'm not a big believer in the good of humanity. Sure the current doom and gloom around us plays heavily into my bleak worldview but this mindset isn't a new one for me. I don't see much altruism in the average man's heart and never have. It's just not in our reptilian/monkey brain programming. It's all about me-me-me for the average Joe. Everyone has an agenda, and most everyone has a selfish motivation behind his or her actions. If you randomly bestow superpowers on our population you'd give these flawed minds the power to inflict their agenda on the world. There are few among us who would stand up to the task of managing the great responsibility that comes with this great power. Sure, there would be pure-hearted and ethical men and women who would try to sway this; I believe the sheer numbers of the corrupted would overwhelm them . . . and this realization gave birth to the world of The End League.
DH: Why did you think it was a good time to tell this story?
Rick: Well, it's a strange time, isn't it? Things seem a bit bleak currently. It seems the forces of good are losing to corporate greed and ignorance and people have that in their minds, so seeing a band of heroes dealing with a very dismal and hopeless situation might just strike a chord in readers who can identify with the feeling of being overwhelmed by resolute forces.
It's also a timeless superhero staple, the last heroes up against the dark hopeless future. Day of Future Past was my favorite X-Men tale so that feeds into this a good bit as well.
DH: Who would win in a clean fight, Heath Huston or Brian Terrance?
Rick: Oh, *&^%. Heath would be reduced to a pile of mush in a second. He'd likely be smashed out of his mind on Jameson so he wouldn't feel it. Good thing for Heath in his world there are no such things as superheroes.
DH: How long did it take for you to develop this unique superhero comic concept?
This project took five years to get off the ground. As I've always known, in order to make a superhero-team work outside of Marvel or DC, it was going to need an artist who blew the nipples off of anyone who saw it. Well, as fate would have it, Mat Broome blows nipples off for a living.
When Mat contacted me about working on a project with him, it seemed too perfect. I gave Mat my outline for The End League and he loved it; it was a chance to design amalgams of all of his favorite characters and make them his. We brainstormed for a few months and Mat got to work on designs. Each is better than the last. Mat can do superheroes on a level comparable with any modern great. With his longtime inker extraordinaire Sean Parsons and his incredibly talented wife and colorist Wendi at his side, Mat has produced a style that is sure to turn heads and remind the industry what a powerhouse he is.
DH: What's the next project you'd like to tackle?
Rick: I have a new superhero book I'll be doing at Dark Horse called Gigantic. It's an Ultraman-type character in a spin on the film The Truman Show focusing on a brainwashed, alien superhero deposited on Earth to be the spotlight of an intrusive, around the clock television program being filmed without his knowledge and broadcast universally.
It's a modern spin on the big dynamic power of Jack Kirby, merged with the scale of a Godzilla movie and sprinkled with 1950s sci-fi kitsch. Gigantic will tap into what makes comics fun-big visually exciting pages and destruction on a scale never before seen, while also serving as a reflection on America's consumer-based culture and the secret price paid by both the audience and the actors for a life filled with the endless distraction of entertainment.
DH: What about The End League drew you back to comics after your hiatus?
Mat Broome: Well, originally I was bouncing around the idea of doing something that I had been working on, but Rick had this concept he'd been working on for years and really was excited about doing (The End League), so we went with that.
DH: What were you doing during that time?
Mat: I've been working in games for years as an art director at Sony. I've also been doing a lot of painting and concept work, but nothing mainstream-comics related until The End League.
DH: How does it feel being back on a series again?
Mat: It's great to be back doing an ongoing series in comics again and I love the idea of being involved with Dark Horse. The End League is an epic book with tons of characters so that took some adjustment, but I love it!
DH: Is there anything you find particularly challenging?
Mat: As anyone will tell you the most challenging thing to do is a team book, and when there are so many characters to keep track of it gets very difficult. The End League has a good amount of characters and also large dense backgrounds, so it's all hands on deck for me and Sean Parsons (Inker).
DH: What about this comic urged you to get back into illustration?
Mat: I was really into the pitch that Rick had of this group of the last superheroes on Earth, and the idea that he wanted to do his version of the most popular archetypes. I'm really enjoying what he's brought to the book.
DH: The art in The End League is fantastic, how was it collaborating with your wife?
Mat: Wendy is a champ. She's putting in some long hours coloring the books, and I know there aren't many places to hide with work so detailed. Now if we can figure out how to get our two infants to help finish the artwork that would be something special hmmmmmmmmm????????
DH: Who's your favorite super-villain? Why?
Rick: The Kingpin. I believe he could be real, especially when Frank Miller handled the character. I believe he could be the head of an Enron or a Halliburton. He's a believable evil, unlike most villains. I fear what he represents as a real threat.
Mat: My favorite super-villain is no doubt Azul, because it's the first time I've had a chance to illustrate such a dark character. It's just fun drawing the bad guys.
DH: What is it you like best about your creative team for The End League?
Rick: Mat and I come from very different schools. Mat was one of the bigs working with guys like Jim Lee, Alan Moore, and Warren Ellis while I've been doing mostly black and white Indy books up until a few years ago. So we bring two separate things to the table, an independent sensibility and the chops of an A-list mainstream artist. It's worked out well and each issue gets better as we go.
Mat: I'm enjoying the balance more than everything. I think everyone has taken their roles seriously. Rick has been very focused on the story he wants to tell, I think Sean Parsons has done the best inking I've ever seen him do, and Wendy is knocking it out of the park as usual. Dark Horse has been unreal in their support from the first day. It needs to be said that without the strong support and experience of Dave Land and the Dark Horse marketing MACHINE The End League would not have the success it's enjoying.
DH: What comics have you been reading lately?
Rick: Both Matt Fraction and Jason Aaron continue to impress the hell out of me. They keep me on my toes with their superhuman ninja chops and scientific jams on Casanova and The Other Side. I just picked up all of Fraction's Punisher and Iron Fist and look forward to reading that as well as Scalped. I just bought The Killer by Jacaman and Matz but have yet to read it. I'm always a fan of Powell and Niles and enjoying Criminal by Ed Brubaker in trades. Anything Clowes or Kolchalka put out I buy.
Mat: I just finished reading the latest issue of Thor. I loved The Umbrella Academy and I've also been reading 100 Bullets, of course.