The (Wacky) Spy Who (Really) Loved Me: Doug Wagner talks action and romance in ‘Yumi: 00EX’

You might best know writer Doug Wagner from his many twisted collaborations with Daniel Hillyard, including Plush, Vinyl, and the ongoing Narco. Across those books (and others still), Wagner has proven himself to be capable of many things — stylized violence, oddball humor, and even displays of a deep humanity. For his next project, he sets aside his partnership with Hillyard (but keeps all that other important stuff) as he and artist Hoyt Silva are set to release Yumi: 00EX.

Due out via Image Comics, Yumi: 00EX follows our titular heroine, a badass hacker with one big problem: her boyfriend (the suave MI6 agent Robert) has gone missing. To find him, Yumi “storms the agency — hacking their network, dismantling their operatives, and setting everything on fire.” And while Robert is nowhere in sight, Yumi does find something: a “fully AI Lamborghini that’s built less like a car and more like a WMD.”

Together, Yumi and her new automotive ally (called Jules) head out on what Image and Wagner have called an “anti-spy thriller.” What that means for you, dear rider, is your standard extravaganza of sweet fight scenes, explosions galore, neat-o gadgets, and plenty of thrills. But Yumi is also so much more still, and the romance “angle” (paired with Wagner’s quirky sensibilities and Silva’s multifaceted style) make this book ultimately about the power of relationships, knowing yourself, and fighting for what really matters.

Yumi: 00EX #1 is due out August 12. (The FOC is Monday, July 20.) Ahead of both, we caught up with Wagner via email to discuss all things Yumi. That includes the true meaning of “anti-spy thriller,” working with Silva (and certain artistic choices), the importance of romance within the four-issues series, and even how Yumi compares to Wagner’s other “creations.”

(FYI: An early version of the story was previously released — through a Kickstarter campaign — as Yumi: Spy Fatale, Baddie Royale.)

AIPT: Yumi is described as an “anti-spy thriller.” What do you mean by that, and is this more of a love letter or spoof of 007-esque adventures?

Doug Wagner: I call it an “anti-spy thriller” because almost every rule of the traditional spy genre gets turned upside down. To me, traditional spy stories are built around deception. The hero lies, manipulates, seduces, and usually keeps everyone at arm’s length. Yumi flips almost all of that on its head.

She’s incredibly capable, but what actually makes her dangerous isn’t that she’s the best liar in the room. It’s that she’s genuine. Something we need more of in this world. She cares. She falls in love. She trusts people. Those aren’t weaknesses in this story. Those are her greatest strengths.

So, I’d call it less of a spoof and more of an inversion. We wanted all the cutting-edge gadgets, impossible action, stylish locations, and fun that make spy stories great, but filtered through a character whose emotional compass points in the exact opposite direction.

That said, it is totally a love letter and a spoof at the same time. I believe you can love something and laugh at it at the same time. In fact, I think that’s often when you know you really love it.

AIPT: If you can’t say Bond, what is the best spy story out there – maybe something that inspired or informed some of the story and general spycraft in Yumi?

DW: I have no shame in admitting I love stories like Mission: Impossible and Jason Bourne. They’re constantly solving problems creatively instead of simply shooting their way through them. Hoyt and I did our best to use those as additional inspirations alongside the obvious Bond foundation of this book.

The goal was never to make just another spy story, but to reimagine how Hoyt and I would approach that sort of spycraft in a comic book. Well…with our weirdness on full display.

We weren’t interested in making tomorrow’s Bond. We wanted to make something only Hoyt and I would make.

AIPT: I feel like the emphasis on love/romance in Yumi runs counter to depictions in “traditional” spy stories. What was the interest in centering this whole story around Yumi’s love life, and do you feel like it counters Bond’s more fleeting, sometimes short-sighted ideas of interpersonal relationships?

DW: Probably because I keep writing love stories.

People sometimes see the violence or horror in my books first, but almost everything I’ve written is ultimately about relationships: friends, family, loyalty, and love.

I wanted Yumi to have something worth protecting beyond the mission itself. Richard isn’t just the love interest. He’s an integral part of how Yumi defines who she is, and we play with how dangerous defining yourself in this manner can be.

I also liked the idea that emotional vulnerability could actually make someone stronger instead of weaker. That’s not something spy stories traditionally celebrate.

AIPT: I think you’re often associated with your work alongside Daniel Hillyard. Not that you can’t do your own thing, obviously, but how does it feel “going your own” with a new team and different parameters?

DW: Daniel and I have spent nearly a decade finishing each other’s creative sentences, so working with someone new is always going to feel different.

But that’s one of the fun parts of comics. Every artist changes the story. They see things you never imagined and push the material in directions you wouldn’t have gone by yourself.

Working with Hoyt reminded me that every collaboration has its own rhythm. Once we found ours, it became something neither of us could have created on our own.

AIPT: Speaking of the new team, what was it like working with Hoyt Silva? I love that we get not only a lively style for the “main” book, but Yumi’s flashbacks are absolutely perfect.

DW: Hoyt was fearless.

One of the things I loved most was that he embraced how visually big this world wanted to be. The action feels explosive, the technology feels futuristic without becoming sterile, and then when we step into Yumi’s memories, everything shifts to this entirely different style that instantly sells those moments emotionally.

Those flashbacks were 100% his idea, and I loved every second of it.

Working with Hoyt was one of the most creatively satisfying collaborations of my life. He challenged me to be better than I thought I could be, and believe it or not, I love him for that.

AIPT: Where would you rank Yumi in the canon of great characters you’ve helped craft? I feel like she’s a great synthesis of both Sprout and Edwyn.

DW: OK, that’s actually a fun comparison.

Edwyn and Sprout are both wonderfully broken people in completely different ways, but Yumi isn’t quite as damaged. Misguided? That’s up for debate.

In my head, she’s probably one of the healthiest protagonists I’ve ever written, and that made her surprisingly fun to write. She’s incredibly competent and confident, but most importantly, she’s also kind. I think kindness is an underrated superpower.

Now, where would I rank her among the characters I’ve created? That’s like asking me to pick which one of my cats is my favorite. That’s impossible! I love them all for their uniqueness (cats and characters).

So, let’s rephrase it. Of the characters I’ve created, who would I pick to protect me against someone like the Kingpin? Yumi would absolutely be in my top three. Mostly because she might be the closest character to sane.

AIPT: Yumi really has two men in her life, Richard and her Papa (who holds some influence in this world…) What do these men represent for her and what she’s trying to do, and is she almost “stuck” between these two pillars?

DW: Richard represents the life she wants. Her father represents the responsibility of family.

Yumi has given her heart and soul to both men and, not to sound too naïve, she simply wants the three of them to live happily ever after.

The problem is that her love for them both blinds her to their faults. Unfortunately, the things each man wants most cannot exist at the same time.

AIPT: You’ve got a really great quote in some other interview where you said (in working with Holt), “subtlety never really had a chance.” I feel like that’s a strength of all your stories – why is subtlety sometimes worth dropkicking to the wind?

DW: (Laughs) I’ve always believed if you’re going to do something, commit.

I’m not the kind of writer that dips his toe in to see if the water’s fine. I go all in.

I see a lot of young creatives with a great idea, but they’re too careful with its execution. They’re trying to appeal to everyone instead of appealing to that story’s people.

Personally, I think trying to write for the mass audience is a mistake. I’d actually argue the opposite is what defines massive successes. Think Saga, Invincible, or John Wick. None of those stories were afraid to be exactly what they wanted to be, and that’s why you either love them or you don’t.

AIPT: We only get four issues for Yumi, but issue #1 is packed with so much action, storytelling, world-building, etc. How do you maximize your real estate/available space with a big story like this one?

DW: That’s comics!

To write comics, you have to be obsessive about efficiency and pacing. Every scene has to accomplish multiple jobs at once. Ideally, you’re advancing the plot, revealing character, building the world, setting up future payoffs, and entertaining the reader all within the same few pages.

If a scene only does one thing, I usually start asking whether it belongs there.

It’s a constant mental tug of war, but I love what I do, so I don’t mind that fight one bit. Comics don’t give you room to waste pages, and honestly, I think that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with the medium.

AIPT: Without spoiling too much, why did you go with that specific “interface” that Yumi eventually chooses for Jules?

DW: I’ll try to be delicate here and not spoil anything.

When Hoyt and I were discussing this, we knew the “interface” had to be a powerful, unique, and empowering voice. We kept throwing ideas back and forth until one name came up. The moment it did, we both looked at each other and knew we were done.

That choice says a lot more about Yumi than it does about Jules. It tells you what she values, what makes her feel whole, and ultimately how she wants to see the world.

AIPT: Do you have a standout moment from Yumi #1 – something that sets the tone? Even just her interaction with Jules contains so much personality and context.

DW: Oh, that’s a tough one.

I’ve always been a fan of the little moments. The personal moments between characters and how they ultimately shape the larger story.

For me, it has to be the moment she meets Jules.

Jules immediately changes the energy of the book. Yumi already has a strong personality, but putting those two together created the kind of chemistry where the dialogue almost wrote itself.

That’s usually a pretty good sign you’re onto something.

AIPT: Is there anything else we should know about Yumi, spy stories, comics, etc.?

DW: More than anything, I hope people have fun.

Yumi is big, emotional, funny, romantic, explosive, and hopefully just a really entertaining ride. If readers finish issue #1 smiling and immediately want to know what happens next, then Hoyt and I have done exactly what we set out to do.

At the end of the day, that’s all I’ve ever wanted as a storyteller. I want to give readers something they can’t wait to hand to a friend and say, “You have to read this.”