Interview with Mark Powers

Q: What exactly is your position at devil's due and what do you do for the G.I.Joe series? How did you get involved with Devil's Due?

A: I'd had some brief interaction with Josh (Blaylock, DD's Big Enchilada) a few years back when Devil's Due first started expanding. Nothing really became of it, but about a year ago, Josh decided that DD had enough going on that they needed to bring in an editor. So, one thing led to another, and...

Q: How was it decided to explore this character?

A: About six months ago, we decided to re-launch G.I. Joe. Creatively, the thrust would be (and is) getting back to basics. A streamlined cast, small enough to explore all the interpersonal issues and conflicts that have traditionally made the book compelling. At the time, we were publishing two monthly G.I. Joe books, one of which was "Reloaded," which we decided to end as part of the overall re-launch. Having worked on the X-Men books, and knowing we wanted to publish a second G.I. Joe-related title if we could come up with the right idea, it occurred to me that we could be missing an opportunity if we didn't at least explore the idea of doing a title focused on a solo Joe character. Snake Eyes is the most obvious choice for such a project, as he's the most popular cast member.

Of course, once you really sit down and think about it, producing even a limited series based around a guy who can't speak and express himself easily would be very, very difficult. There have been some classic single stories that focused on Snake Eyes -- but repeating the techniques used to tell those stories over the course of a mini - or ongoing series might not work nearly as well. That led to the thought, "why not set it in the past?" And further, why don't we go all out, "Origin" style, and really flesh out the character's origin?

Q: So this Snake-Eyes series, what is the time period that this takes place?

A: The series is set in the past, for the most part prior to his involvement with G.I. Joe. The last issue actually deals with his first mission with the team.

Q: Who are the major players in this series?

A: Aside from Snake Eyes himself, the biggest player is Tommy Arashikage, aka Storm Shadow. The friendship between these two -- and the tragic 'break' that occurs -- is really the backbone of the entire story. We'll also see Lonzo "Stalker" Wilkinson, Sean Collins, and the men the G.I. Joe team will eventually know as Zartan and Firefly.

Q: Any revelations that you can share with us that will come out in the series?

A: Well, if I reveal them here, they won't be revelations in the story anymore! So I'll just say you will see and learn some things about Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow that you've never seen before. Even if you're not a big Snake Eyes fan, after reading this series you'll love him -- and Tommy, too. If you're already a big fan of the character, you'll feel closer to him than ever before.

Q: Since in the original Marvel series it was showed that Cobra Commander had a hand in the death of Snake-Eyes family, Will the relationship between Cobra Commander and Snake-Eyes be explore at all?

A: Well, that's not entirely accurate. The accident that took the lives of Snake Eyes' family was caused by Cobra Commander's brother, who was also a war vet. That will be referenced, but hopefully in a way that plays up the tragedy of it, rather than it being an incredibly big coincidence. The way Cobra Commander and Snake Eyes react to this tragic event has enormous consequences -- not just for themselves, but for the world at large.

Q: If this series goes well, will you be leaving room for a possible sequel series?

A: As I mentioned earlier, the series ends with Snake Eyes first mission with the Joes. So although we've discussed similar projects that would focus more on the Joes as a team, it wouldn't necessarily be considered a sequel.

Q: Any additional things you can tell us about the upcoming Snake-Eyes series?

A: It's going to be beautiful - the work Emiliano Santalucia and Jeremy Roberts are producing is going to blow people away. And there are going to be plenty of "lump in your throat" moments, so bring your hankies.

Thanks for your time and Yo Joe!