Joshua Hale Fialkov will be writing 2 lantern series come June, GLC and Red Lanterns. So what does the former vampire and one of comics hottest indie creators has to say about the rage machines that are Red Lanterns? Read below to find out as he and artist Allessandro Vitti chat with MTV.

 

 

GEEK: What is the essence of the Red Lanterns, in your opinion? Are they fun to write?

 

JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV: Y’know, for me, what I love about them is that they aren’t wrong. Their methodology might be repugnant, but, they get results in a way that the GLC can’t. They’re, for lack of a better word, proactive. They’re getting out there and actually saving people AND meting out justice in their own way. That’s a lot of what’s going on in our version of the book. And, yeah, they’re so much fun to write, because they’re amorality comes in the form of one of the most dangerous weapons on earth. What could be better?

 

GEEK: You’re also the new writer of Green Lantern Corps. Is it hard to switch gears between the two books?

 

FIALKOV: I look at both books as flip sides of the same coin. I mentioned proactivity before, the other word I like to use (much to DC chagrin, I’m sure) is Prophylactic. The RL’s prevent atrocities, while the GLC serves as an analgesic, treating the after effects. And, there’s a lot to be said for both sides of the argument, right? The RL’s are reactive… hell, they’re OVER-reactive, in a way that the GLC is UNDER-reactive, but the concept of justice is much more in the GLC’s court.

 

GEEK: Will we see crossovers and/or a more integrated continuity between RL and GLC?

 

FIALKOV: You will. My original pitch was to tell one story from two sides. My focus in both books is going to be on how these two groups co-exist, and how each one creates problems for the others. And, coming right out of the gate, we’re doing a story that weaves it’s way tightly through both books.

 

GEEK: Who is your favorite RL?

 

FIALKOV: I mean, obviously, it’s Dex-Starr, right? Well, of the pre-existing ones. We’ve got a brand new Red Lantern coming aboard that’s going to upset a LOT of people. Can’t wait to dig into it.

 

GEEK: Are there any surprises in store for Red Lanterns that you can tease for fans?

 

FIALKOV: Well, our protaganist is NOT Atrocitus, and I’m going to be getting rid of a lot of the, shall we say, disadvantages that the RL’s have when you compare them to the GLC. It’s going to be a whole new book, and I can not WAIT to see what people think.

 

GEEK: You draw the Red Lantern “anger vomit” strange, or have you gotten used to it?

 

VITTI: This is strange and repulsive, but it’s genius as a methodology for the way they act to change things. Graphically I hope to give a good solution to stuff.

 

GEEK: Who is your favorite Red Lantern to draw?

 

VITTI: I love Atrocitus, whose helmet reminds me of that of Greek soldiers and Spartans. In my mind, He is a gladiator or a greek warrior that wants to change the world with his extreme method. He’s extreme, but I’d like to see him positive.