Peter David: Fallen Angel

By Ric Croxton

Peter David’s Fallen Angel is about to make the leap from DC Comics to IDW Publications. Silver Bullet Comicbook’s Ric Croxton caught up with Peter David to talk about what readers can expect from the new series.

Ric Croxton: What is Fallen Angel about?

Peter David: About 22 pages (insert rimshot here). Okay, short version: In Bete Noire, a city that's Casablanca in "The Twilight Zone," a mysterious woman called the Fallen Angel serves as a court of last resort for the truly desperate.

Croxton: What abilities does she have?

David: Great strength, leaping to the point of flying, and powerful blue energies that have telekinetic properties.

Croxton: What differences are there between the DC version and the IDW version?

David: The IDW series is set twenty years after the DC version. Furthermore, whereas the DC version was ambiguous in the possibility that she might actually be Linda Danvers, in the IDW version we will be launching with her origin which will establish her true background once and for all.

Croxton: Why go to IDW instead of Image or Speakeasy?

David: Because IDW was first out of the box. The moment the announcement of the book's cancellation hit, Chris Ryall was writing me saying, "We love this book. We want it to continue." To me it was never even a question of approaching anyone else, and if Image or Speakeasy were interested, they sure never let me know.

Croxton: Will this be an ongoing or a limited series?

David: Depends on sales, and on J.K. Woodward's ability to turn the book out on a monthly basis. So far the sales figures are looking very promising indeed.

Croxton: What new characters will be introduced to the series?

David: The Magistrate of the town, Doctor Juris, had been the Fallen Angel's lover. But time has passed, and in the first issue we'll meet the Doctor's wife, Xia, and his son, Jubal, the heir apparent to running Bete Noire. But appearances can be deceiving, and so can apparents.

Croxton: Will the average reader need to read the DC series to know what is going on?

David: No. Everything the new reader needs to know is in the first issue. If they can find the DC issues and read them, I'd recommend it simply because I think the stories are great. But it's not a requirement.

Croxton: What is the draw for your over 30 year old crowd?

David: Well, the older fans are always poo-poo'ing the mainline comics and crossovers therein, claiming that well-written, well-drawn, quality stories are all that's required for success. Not only was the previous run of "Fallen Angel" critically lauded, but the preview edition being sold through the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has already been reviewed on several sites, and these notices are even bigger raves than before. So the draw is that here's a book that's giving the over-30 crowd exactly what they're asking for. Come and get it.

Croxton: Where do you see the character 5 years from now?

David: In a TV series.

Croxton: Do you plan for any spin-off series?

David: Not at the present time.

Croxton: Will DC or IDW be reprinting all of the Fallen Angel series from DC?

David: IDW doesn't have the rights to do that. Only DC can. So my hope is that sales on the IDW version are strong enough that DC will realize, hey, there's money to be made from this and thus make the previous issues finally available in trade.

Croxton: Will IDW be doing trades of the new series?

David: I'd assume so. But I would caution readers the same thing that I did several years ago: Sitting around and waiting for trades is the first, best way to guarantee that monthly titles will be unsuccessful.

	Ric Croxton started a comic shop in a flea market while a senior in high school and was a retailer for 20 years. He has been active in fandom over 5 years, and has been working to preserve Golden and Silver Age comics.

Discuss this interview on the Feature Fiends Forum!