What’s that old saying? “If you come for the king, you best not miss.” In the case of the forthcoming Red Before Black, they’re actually coming for the queens.
More specifically, the series (from writer Stephanie Phillips and artist Goran Sudzuka) claims to feature — via its solicitations — the “most unpredictable outlaw couple since Harley and Ivy.” On paper, Red Before Black meets the Harley-Ivy bar, as it follows “disgraced army veteran Val” when she’s “sent to Florida to hunt down an infamous drug runner named Leo.” But as you might have expected, it’s a touch more complicated than that, and the pair “have an unexpected enemy in common, turning the game of cat and mouse into something else entirely.”
While few stories can ever truly touch Ivy and Harley (Phillips would know…), Red Before Black does a damn fine job regardless. This twisted but potent story, influenced by 2000s-era Vertigo, is the perfect balance of style, grit, weirdness, and personality, a mai tai on an abandoned beach that’ll entertain as much as it thoroughly interrogates readers. Forget about Harley and Ivy — Val and Leo will steal your hearts (and maybe your wallets to boot).
Red Before Black #1 is out this week (August 7) from BOOM! Studios. In the lead up, Phillips was kind enough to field a few questions. That includes why Florida is the optimal setting, the book’s various inspirations and influences, the true power of crime stories, and some other teasers and tidbits.
Variant cover by Dave Johnson. Courtesy of BOOM! Studios.
AIPT: I’ve asked this in some other interviews, but why choose Florida? Why is it the perfect setting for crime stories? Is no other place as weird/crazy/beautiful/etc.?
Stephanie Phillips: I’m from Florida so I’m able to write it from a different perspective, I think. Showing sides that aren’t often portrayed in media has been an important part of the project. The other reason I chose Florida is because the state exists in a dangerous dichotomy — everything here is simultaneously pretty but deadly. Cool looking plant? Will probably poison you. Beautiful beaches? Sunburn, bull sharks, stingrays… you get the idea. I think that kind of dichotomy is really reflected in the characters.
AIPT: This debut issue made me think of Cruel Intentions and Wild Things — ‘90s flicks where you can’t tell who is good/bad, up/down, etc.. Is there any bit of those in here, or any specific inspirations/influences?
SP: Actually, no. Neither of those would be influences. I’d say more Blood Simple or Bottle Rocket for the tone I was channeling. Two of my favorite movies.
AIPT: There’s also some proper ‘90s Vertigo vibes percolating here. Do you have a favorite series or one you think best informs Red Before Black?
SP: Are people going to call me biased when I say 100 Bullets? ;)
Courtesy of BOOM! Studios
AIPT: Why did you want to write a crime story? And do you see the genre as maybe a kind of wish fulfillment or more cementing our own sense of morality?
SP: Are you asking if I wish I could break the law? Let me tell you… I stop at red lights in Grand Theft Auto! I’d be the worst criminal. But, yeah, I think there’s something to the fantasy about characters who can so nonchalantly step outside of the bounds of the law.
AIPT: I really like the whole snake device — I think it gets at this idea that people tell us who they are but we can’t always figure it out. How would you describe the book’s overarching theme/message?
SP: I think what I said earlier about Florida fits here. There’s what we present and then what’s underneath. We’re also looking at PTSD and redemption (continuously asking if redemption is ever attainable).
AIPT: There’s a really neat visual device for depicting Val’s PTSD. Where did that come from, and does it go deeper in terms of what’s actually happening there?
SP: It definitely will go deeper and we spend a lot of time exploring it. To be honest, I don’t remember where it came from. I knew I wanted to use a visual device to represent ptsd in a new way, and really utilize the medium and Goran’s talents. We kicked around a few options for the visual device and between me, Goran, and our editor, Eric, this was what we all collectively thought would work the best.
Courtesy of BOOM! Studios
AIPT: Is Val someone you’d get a drink/dinner with? Is it a prerequisite to like your characters before really delving into a series?
SP: I’m not sure it’s necessarily a prerequisite to like them, but I do like Val. I’d get a drink with her, though I think it would be pretty silent. We’d both prefer to be listeners. We need a Leo.
AIPT: What’s it like working with the art team or Goran Sudžuka, Ive Svorcina, and Tom Napolitano? How does that specific look and feel of this book shape or influence your continued writing?
SP: I hope Goran, Ive, and Tom aren’t getting sick of me saying how great they all are, because it’s really true and I’m incredibly lucky to work with them all. I also think the work speaks for itself and every page shows you exactly why they are the perfect group to work on this book with.
AIPT: You’ve written some great leads like Jessica Harrow, Harley Quinn, and, more recently, Jean Grey. What do you think are the 2-3 essentials for a really strong protagonist?
SP: Characters that don’t seem like they should be the protagonist because they have doubts and weaknesses. Those always end up being the most interesting protagonists.
AIPT: What other moments or tidbits can you tease from the rest of the series?
SP: You’ll get to see a lot more Florida weirdness. Psychics, gators, drugs, and guns. The big four.
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