DF Interview: Michael Walsh launches cyberpunk sci-fi series ‘Nullhunter’

By Byron Brewer

Clay is a war hero who faces unspeakable tragedy after returning home. Seeking justice, he's forced into service for his estranged father’s powerful company, OLYMP0S. His first mission takes him to faraway N3M-3A on the trail of a hijacked shipment of war lions. In seeking exoneration, this quest of 12 near-impossible labors will lead Clay to the very edges of space as he discovers the true source of evil in the cosmos.

Michael Walsh, the Eisner Award-winning creator of The Silver Coin as well as upcoming Skybound miniseries Universal Monsters: Frankenstein and The Horizon Experiment: The Sacred Damned, is setting out on an epic quest with artist Gustaffo Vargas (Marvel’s Voices X-Men) to create new sci-fi series Nullhunter, a neon-infused cyberpunk retelling of the Labors of Hercules set amongst the stars. And, of course, if it’s cosmic, I am usually on it! Here’s what scribe Michael Walsh told me in our conversation about Nullhunter.

Byron Brewer: Michael, a fusion of 1980s cyberpunk comics and reimagined classic Greek mythology, eh? Talk about your wondrous love of both and how this awesome adventure called Nullhunter came about.

Michael Walsh: As a boy, I was obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology. I’d pour over whatever resources I could find that detailed the tragic, larger-than-life stories of characters like Hercules, Zeus and Poseidon. I’d often draw my own versions of those iconic characters scattered through notebooks and random sheets of paper. And then, at about 12 years old, I saw The Matrix for the first time. The blend of techno body horror, action and psychedelia blew my young mind. Then I read Neuromancer and realized that so much of what we know from modern sci-fi was cribbed from classics of the cyberpunk genre. These two genres, though created literally ages apart, deal with many of the same themes and arcs and blend together perfectly. When we substitute the ancient magic of the gods for future technology, which seems like magic, we get to look at those classic fables in a brand-new light. A few years ago, as I was working on Silver Coin (which was initially going to be a mini-series), I was considering my next creator-owned project and wanted to do something with a hard sci-fi bend. When I realized I could retell the 12 Labors of Hercules but replace magic with cyberpunk tech, a lightbulb went off, and the seed of Nullhunter was planted in my brain.

Byron: Elephant in the room (and certainly no disrespect to artist Gustaffo Vargas intended): For what is seemingly such a personal book, why did you not draw Nullhunter yourself?

Michael Walsh: Well, frankly, there aren’t enough hours in the day! I’m already drawing Silver Coin, Frankenstein and the Sacred Damned. I’m stretched thin enough as it is. When I realized Silver Coin had enough fan support to continue past the initial five issues, I knew that I’d need to find another artist for Nullhunter. When I first came across Gustaffo’s art, he was promoting a new Peruvian cyberpunk series that he had written and drawn. I recognized how perfect his work would be for Nullhunter instantly. He’s the kind of artist that brings his own unique designs, characters and storytelling to everything he does. He really enhanced this project beyond what I’d originally imagined and gave it a totally distinct voice.

Byron: What can you tell readers about the canvas onto which you are placing us in October, the world(s) Gustaffo and you are building here for this book?

Michael Walsh: In the far future, OLYMPOS, a megacorporation, has terraformed many planets and moons, creating the ‘United Colonies of Space.’ They used the political and socio-economic powers accrued from this endeavor to take control of the government and military across the new colonies. Olympos has become a superpower like nothing before it. Many other corporations rose up, vying for power, and a series of great wars (The Corpo Wars) began across the UCS. This story takes place after these wars. Olympos has stamped out the rebellious corporations through any means necessary, and peacetime has begun.

Byron: Introduce us to Clay: who was he, who is he as we meet him in #1, and what is the challenge(s) that drive him?

Michael Walsh: Clay is a war hero and veteran of the Corpo Wars. He is also the illegitimate son of Zays, the CEO and owner of Olympos. Our story starts after a tragic event sets the retired Clay back into Olympos's service. Clay must travel into Nullspace, a zone at the outskirts of the colonies that is no longer governed or controlled by Olympos. There he will seek justice, retribution and, finally, revenge.

Byron: Without spoilers, can you indicate what some of the reimagined 12 Labors of Hercules will be for our protagonist?

Michael Walsh: The Lernaean Hydra, in Greek myth, was a great serpentine beast who was able to regrow each severed head into two new ones. In our story, the hydra is represented by a street gang controlled by an experimental neurolink. That link is able to pass the singular consciousness of the gang’s leader between its individual members, creating a hive mind with a singular purpose.

Byron: Talk about the awesome art of Gustaffo Vargas.

Michael Walsh: Gustaffo is a master of character and world design. He has brought such an incredible voice to Nullhunter that I can’t picture the comic without him anymore. It’s as much his world as it is mine now. Besides his character and world building, Gustaffo’s kinetic action looks incredible on the page. My jaw DROPPED when I saw the big action set piece in the first issue and the art keeps getting better. I’m so excited to introduce the world to the beautiful work of Gustaffo Vargas.

Byron: Michael, what other projects in which you are involved can you tell readers about?

Michael Walsh: Well, I’ve been VERY busy. I have written and drawn the new 4-issue series, Universal Monsters: Frankenstein, which is some of the work I’m most proud of in my career. The first issue will drop at the end of August. I’ve also got The Sacred Damned one-shot coming in October with writer Sabir Pirzada. This one is about a “Muslim John Constantine” and is one of the most terrifying books I’ve drawn. Besides those, I’ve got Nullhunter coming in October and my creator-owned horror anthology, The Silver Coin, will return next year

Dynamic Forces would like to thank Michael Walsh for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Nullhunter #1 from Image Comics is slated to be on sale October 23!

For my DF interview with Michael Walsh on Universal Monsters: Frankenstein, click here: https://www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/interviews.html?showinterview=IN05062423310

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