BLACK GHOST is Dead – Meet the New BLACK GHOST

A new hero is on the comic book scene – the Black Ghost. But he’s been murdered.

Scratch.

A newer hero is on the comic book scene now – the Black Ghost. And she‘s just getting started.

The first collection of crime writers Alex Segura and Monica Gallagher’s superhero vigilante story with artist George Kambadais, The Black Ghost, is out now now as a digital-first edition subtitled Hard Revolution.

Originally serialized over the past few months as a comiXology Originals series, but now with the story – or at least the first arc – complete and this new hero has taken on the mantle of Black Ghost, we talked to the trio behind it.

Newsarama: Gang, you did it – five issues, self-published through comiXology Originals. How does it feel?

George Kambadais: I feel so happy and proud of this book! And eager for more!

Nrama: Alex, Monica … for you two this is your second major project together, after Lethal Lit. How is it?

Alex Segura: It feels great! I can’t speak for Monica, but I love working with her. It’s a really natural and engaging creative partnership and she brings so much to the book, in every stage. When I floated the idea to her, after we’d been in the trenches on Lethal Lit for so long, I thought she’d want a break – but here we are. I’m really proud of the work the team did on the first arc of The Black Ghost.

I’m a firm believer that if you don’t see a story out there that you want to read, then it’s on you to create it. That definitely applies here. We wanted a very specific kind of take on the superhero vigilante idea, and we did it.

Monica Gallagher: Awesome – working with Alex is always a joy! And it’s fun that we got to work on a comic project together after doing Lethal Lit first, which was so outside of our normal projects. I really enjoy our collaborative results and how we encourage one another. I hadn’t co-written with anyone before, and luckily Alex is the genuinest so now I’m completely spoiled for any future writing partnerships down the line.

Nrama: You’ve said before that artist was an outside-the-box choice for you two, after initially aiming for someone more ‘gritty.’ It’s really provided a great contrast to the story – but how is it for you two?

Segura: I think the inclination, at first blush, was that we needed a gritty and “realistic” artist. But when George sent us his samples, it really opened our eyes to what this book could be – that it didn’t have to be conventional or adhere to any pre-set playbook.

I love that this is where we ended up, because it gives the comic a timeless, almost animated vibe that makes the violence and intensity of the story really shine. George is so dynamic in his storytelling, too – he knows how to layout a page and really pack some punch with his art.

We worked on the book “Marvel style” – meaning Monica and I came up with a plot or page breakdown and we let George cut look from there, and I think it paid off. He’s the artist, and we let him do what he does best – direct the action and pace the narrative. It’s been a really thrilling collaboration. I think George is going to be a star.

Gallagher: I was so pleasantly surprised by what George gave us, it really made us look at the story in a whole new way and work to improve it. Beyond just “oh crap, George is bringing it, we better make sure the story holds up its end!”

I think the accessibility and fluidity of his art made people identify with and support Lara and the other characters more than we could’ve hoped. That’s one of the best things about comics – when you work with different people, they all bring something new that ends up changing the work in delightful, unexpected ways.

Nrama: George, this is a bit more dark and straight-laced than I normally see from you, but I’m not complaining at all. What was it like doing these deep-shadowed, almost noir type story?

Kambadais: It was challenging, but I like trying new things in my work! I learned a lot while I was working on Black Ghost and I did my best to tell Alex and Monica’s wonderful story right!

Nrama: I really enjoyed the various Black Ghost designs you went through here, from the OG to Lara’s initial one to her final form. Can you take us behind that, and what your thought processes were?

Kambadais: The OG Black Ghost, represents the Golden Age era of comics, for me, so his costume is inspired by characters like the Phantom Reporter and the Spirit. The OG Black Ghost doesn’t belong to this world and that’s why his costume looks like a silly costume from the past.

The early Lara costume was inspired by the early Daredevil costume from Frank Miller and John Romita Jr’s The Man Without Fear. She wasn’t sure about herself yet, she was clumsy and was trying this whole new superhero thing, and that is what the first costume represents. It is also looking comfortable jumping around wearing this, and handmade.

And the last one is a more modern designed costume, based on characters like Batwoman and the Huntress from Birds of Prey. It looks tactical but also handmade.

Nrama: The final issue left on a real cliffhanger – Lara is now fully emersed as the new Black Ghost, and she’s done some growing up of her own. Is there more story for her?

Segura: Definitely. We have a lot of stories to tell. I can only speak for myself, but I’d love to write Lara for a long time. And hey, just because we see her all gussied up in her Black Ghost duds now, feelin’ fine, doesn’t mean that’s where we’ll see her in the future. She’s got a bad habit of making bad decisions…

Gallagher: Yup, we can’t quit her!

Kambadais: I really wish that I’ll have the opportunity to work on more Black Ghost stories! We barely scratched the surface of her world. There are a lot of villains, friends and enemies to Lara out there in Creighton just waiting in the shadows!

Nrama: Let’s rewind a little bit, and talk about that growth. How important was it for you to show that with Lara over the course of these five issues?

Segura: Hugely important. For me, story starts with character.

Monica and I wanted to show Lara’s arc – how she came to be this hero, or at least ho she decided to try and take on the mantle of the Black Ghost. But even by the end of the series, she’s far from purpose. We really wanted to play with the concepts of legacy, overcoming tragedy, and shedding problematic people. The Lara we meet on page 1 is very different from the one we see at the end of the fifth issue, by design.

Character development is always the most important – and Alex and I wanted to make sure she felt real and you rooted for her just as much as you went “oh come ON, Lara, no!” All of my favorite characters grow and change and (sometimes) learn from their mistakes, which is what makes them relatable. If we didn’t pay attention to Lara and her choices, I don’t think people would care whether or not she put on the mask. Okay, maybe they would. But it would be zero fun to write. 😉

Nrama: Monica, Alex…. Lethal Lit helped birth Black Ghost – is there already a next project inspired by working together on these five Black Ghost issues?

Segura: There is, but it’s really too early to talk about. Needless to say, Monica and I are always tossing ideas back and forth. We definitely want to do more Black Ghost, though, so fingers crossed that happens. But yes, we have a few things cooking!

Gallagher: Alex and I suffer from the same affliction of coming up with ten project ideas while already working on ten other projects. But yes, you betcha one of those projects will see us collaborating again! Until he gets sick of me.