DF Interview: Erica Schultz delivers ‘The Deadliest Bouquet’



By Byron Brewer

Jasmine Hawthorn was a hard-edged Nazi hunter who trained her children well in the art of espionage. But in 1998, when her complicated past finally catches up with her, it's up to her three estranged daughters, Rose, Poppy and Violet, to solve their mom's murder – if they can avoid killing each other in the process.

From Image Comics comes The Deadliest Bouquet, written by Erica Schultz with art by Carola Borelli and Gab Contreras. I know a good story when I hear of one, so I set out to quiz my friend, scribe Erica Schultz, about this coming comics mini-series.


Byron Brewer: Erica, the basic story behind your espionage limited series The Deadliest Bouquet has danced around your brain for some time now. Tell readers the inspiration for this comic.



Erica Schultz: Honestly, and I know how this sounds…but I don’t know where the idea came from. I was on the phone with another comics creator, Liana Kangas, and I blurted out the idea of this family with three generations of assassins. It would span from before the Second World War to the mid- to late 1990s, and throughout those decades, the story would explore generational trauma, family dynamics, and how we all deal with the world around us.

When I write, I create a timeline of significant events like the birth and death of characters, as well as things that would push a character into a new trajectory. So I started with the grandparents of the three main characters. Who were their parents? What kind of life did they live? How did those lives intersect, and what was the outcome?
I had a lot of false starts on the story, and there are several scenes that are written that didn’t make it into the final printed version. Shout out to story editor James Emmett for helping find the most important parts that would streamline the story. And who knows? Maybe if there’s a streaming series made of it, it will explore all the other bits and bobs. (wink wink)


Byron: I immediately thought of Charlie’s Angels when I read the solicit for Bouquet. Can you introduce the three sisters here who are your chief protagonists – Rose, Poppy and Violet? Who are they?



Erica Schultz: Rose, Poppy and Violet are three young women with a very unusual upbringing. Jasmine, their mother, whose death is the impetus for the story, taught them about being assassins and protecting themselves.

Rose is the oldest, and she’s the one who has gone out of her way to be the most responsible. Taking on all that responsibility comes with a price, though. It’s a combination of resentment and an inflated self worth. Rose is resentful for not living a life she wants to live because she’s saddled with the family business (a flower shop), but she also makes sure her two younger sisters know that she’s the one in charge.
Poppy is the middle child. She left home after some credits at a community college because her boyfriend proposed. Poppy saw her marriage to Derek as a way out of the dysfunctional family dynamic. She raised her two kids without any knowledge of how she was trained or what happened to her as a child. Unfortunately, because of Jasmine’s death, Poppy is brought back into the fold, and she’s forced to confront the family and dysfunction that she tried so hard to keep in her rear view mirror.
Violet is the youngest. She’s the most erratic and petulant. She’s also the one who will fight to the death for her family. Violet left home not to pursue a family life but because she felt Jasmine was holding her back. The only one to continue the “art of assassination,” Violet travels the world modeling…and picking up hits along the way. Violet will never back down from a fight no matter who the antagonist is. And heaven help you if you threaten her family in any way.


Byron: I am very intrigued with the girls’ mother, Jasmine Hawthorn, a hard-edged Nazi hunter who trained her daughters in the art of espionage. Without spoilers, can you offer some hints as to her backstory as a Nazi hunter?



Erica Schultz: More is written in my notes for the story (which is why it NEEDS a streaming series), but Jasmine was born just after World War II. She had a twin brother named Chrys, and the two were raised with their parents among a motley crew of fighters and soldiers from all over the world who were tasked with finding Nazis who escaped prosecution in the final days of the war. Leif and Dahlia, Jasmine’s parents, raised her and Chrys to speak multiple languages, use all different types of firearms and weapons, and how to kill without being caught. Raised within a multicultural and multinational group, Jasmine learned everything she could. She had a very strong moral compass that pointed due North. But she was broken when her brother was killed on their first mission. Believing it was her fault, Jasmine ran away to the U.S. where she met Lionel Hawthorn.

Lionel was an only child who loved flowers and plants. He met Jasmine while she was admiring the greenery at the Bronx Botanical Gardens. She was using her skills as a thief to survive in New York, but she saw Lionel as a way to survive. She also saw his abuse of her as penance for her brother’s death.
Far too often, domestic abuse survivors blame themselves directly for the abuse or assume God or someone is punishing them for something they did. Jasmine felt so responsible for Chrys’ death that she endured Lionel’s abuse. Then one day…she didn’t take it anymore.


Byron: What other characters we will encounter through this 5-issue series can you spotlight here for readers?



Erica Schultz: There are glimpses of Dahlia, Jasmine’s mother, as well as Jasmine in the past. Lionel makes an appearance, too. The story spans decades, so there are a lot of flashbacks. Think of it like the show This Is Us where you see the same people in different times in their lives.

We’ll also be introduced to two cops: Detective Bayani and Officer Gutierrez. They’re investigating Jasmine’s murder. Rose, Poppy and Violet have to make sure they don’t go digging too deep… especially in the backyard.


Byron: A spy story MUST have a behind-the-scenes manipulator or similar, even as a MacGuffin. Hoping to sidestep a “Read the book” response, can you give readers any indication or clues at all that a character indeed plays this role here? And if yes, I am assuming The Fourth Reich may have something to do with it also?



Erica Schultz: Not to disappoint you or the rest of the readers, but the story has more to do with the sisters, their relationships with their mother, and their relationships with each other than it does with any Reich. The environment we’re forged in tends to influence whom we become. Jasmine’s upbringing was definitely influenced by going after Nazis who fled Germany and other occupied areas. Rose, Poppy and Violet were trained not to hunt Nazis, but to protect themselves, albeit to the nth degree. It’s more family drama and murder mystery with a dash of international espionage than my previous book, M3.

If there are any MacGuffins to be had, it’s in the exploration of Jasmine’s past and present to try and discern who murdered her.


Byron: Solicit materials from Image Comics put this story happening, at least in part, in the late 1990s and term it “nostalgia”. (I am at the age when I think of the 90s as ten years or so ago, LOL!) Tell us a little about what artist Carola Borelli and you may have done to research the period for this unique series.



Erica Schultz: The “present-day” part of the story dealing with Rose, Poppy Violet, and Jasmine’s murder takes place in February 1998. I was a junior in college then, so research for me was just opening up a shoe box of photos.

I pulled a good deal of reference for Carola for fashion and some of the technology that was used then. In 1998, there was a grunge meets pop meets enthusiasm for the new millennium vibe in the air. People didn’t know what to expect from Y2K. Some people had cell phones. If you weren’t super rich, you’d have to wait until 9 p.m. to call someone, because then it wouldn’t use up your minutes.
All those very 90s influences are reflected in the aesthetic of the story.
I pitch it as Clueless meets Singles meets Law & Order.


Byron: Talk about the art of Carola Borelli and why it is the right fit for The Deadliest Bouquet. We might want to mention colorist Gab Contreras as well.



Erica Schultz: There were several false starts with this project, and it was a back and forth to find an artist. Carola was a great fit because she keyed in on not only the acting of the characters emoting, but also the style of clothes, and the attitude of each of these sisters. Rose, Poppy and Violet all have very strong personalities, and they come out in different ways. Carola is able to really convey the emotion of a scene and bring what the character is thinking to the forefront.

If you’ve ever heard me on a podcast talking about how comics are made, I usually say that every step should make the comic better. You have great line art; it’s going to be made better by great colors. Gab brings the palette of the mid to late 90s to enhance Carola’s linework.


Byron: Erica, what coming projects in which you are involved can you tell readers about here?



Erica Schultz: While I can’t talk about everything I’m currently working on, I have some projects that are coming out in the next few months.

Moon Knight Black, White and Blood #3 is out in July from Marvel and features a story written by me and drawn by the incredible David Lopez. I’m a huge fan of Moon Knight, and getting the opportunity to write him is a bucket list item I’m glad I get to check off.
The trade paperback of Bylines In Blood is out in August from AfterShock. This story was so much fun to work on with Van Jensen and Aneke. They’re incredible collaborators. This was also my first time working with AfterShock, and those peeps are all right. (wink wink)
The Deadliest Bouquet #1 is also in stores in August, and there are three fantastic covers you can order. Adriana Melo, Natasha Alterici and Liana Kangas lent their talents, and I couldn’t be happier. They’re all fantastic creators, so definitely check out their other works.


Dynamic Forces would like to thank Erica Schultz for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions. The Deadliest Bouquet #1 from Image Comics is slated to be on sale Aug 10th!



For more news and up-to-date announcements, join us here at Dynamic Forces, www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/, “LIKE” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/dynamicforcesinc, and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/dynamicforces.

You may have noticed that I’m not the biggest fan of ‘Industry Insiders’ who have paywalls set up to dole out rumors like… well, I couldn’t find a metaphor that wasn’t extremely insulting so we’ll just move on. Those ‘insiders’ need to have a ready supply of rumors to keep their subscribers coming back and since there is no accountability for erroneous rumors, one has to wonder if some of them are just made up out of thin air. James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has a times come out and addressed a batch of rumors that fans ask him about on social media. He did this again recently and here are some of the rumors he addressed along with his response. A report that the upcoming Man of Tomorrow has changed its title to Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Gunn has said before that this was more than a Superman movie and confirms the title has NOT changed by simply saying, “Nope.” Another report says that the film with begin filming in a few weeks, and while it will begin shortly, he says “by strict definition of Few, nope.” Reports say that he’s trying to rush through Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga so he can then get to Brave and the Bold. That’s another ‘Nope’. Scoopers claim that Paradise Lost, the Wonder Woman prequel series was now dead or shelved. I know this will surprise you, but he said, “Nope”. And he did confirm one thing, that Superman does not believe in Santa Claus because, “He’s an adult.” Rumors can be fun to talk about and debate, but if they set unrealistic expectations that ruin the film for someone, then that’s a problem. And paying for rumors… that seems a bit crazy to me. 

Many MCU fans wonder why the events of Daredevil: Born Again won’t be even referenced in upcoming films like Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In Born Again, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) is the new Mayor of New York and has declared martial law along with creating a taskforce to hunt down vigilantes and you would think someone like Spider-Man (Tom Holland) would be on his radar. But that’s not going to happen on the big screen, no Fisk in BND and SFX Magazine thought that would be a good thing to ask Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane about. “I’d be into it, because I dig the comics! But no, that’s been kind of a fun and challenging thing. We know there’s a huge world out there of the MCU. This corner of it has crossovers. We’ve seen Daredevil in other shows, there are other characters that are going to be popping up in movies and stuff, and that all goes into the larger MCU of it all. The joke we make is, ‘Oh, those guys are uptown – we’re downtown!’ We kind of have a pocket that’s in this world of Hell’s Kitchen, in this world of New York. I always think that maybe these characters take a little vacation into the larger world but the story that we’re focusing on is really granular.” Let me translate that, “They can borrow our toys, but we can’t touch there’s.” A shame as we all want a real Daredevil/Spider-Man crossover.   

“You have failed this beach!” Okay, there is probably no way Stephen Amell will say that line in the new Baywatch reboot, but I can’t be the only one who thought about it. Fox announced yesterday that the former Arrow, Heels and Suits LA star would be the lead in the networks bid to recapture the popularity of their lifeguard themed drama from the 90s. Amell will be playing the role of Hobie Buchannon, a role first introduced in the OG series. Hobie’s world turns upside down when Charlie, the daughter he didn’t know he had, shows up ready to put on the red bathing suit and follow in the family business. The show got a straight-to-series 12-episode order back in September, so the network is moving quickly. An interesting note is that Amell is the right age if the network wanted to bring back David Hasselhoff to reprise the role of Hobie’s father Mitch for an episode or two. 

You may not have known this, but in 2021 a Zatanna movie was in the works. J.J. Abrams had given the project to Emerald Fennell to script as she was coming off 2020 directorial debut, A Promising Young Woman. So, what happened? According to Fennell, who recently joined the Happy Sad Confused podcast, what she had written was “probably too far away from the genre.” She was very honest about the work, saying: “I think it was demented because I was probably going through it at the time. And the thing is, I think what I can’t help but—and then, I’d just finished A Promising Young Woman, and there was this huge thing in this world I’d never operated in. And again, it was a kind of superhero movie, and I was like, ‘How do I make the version of a superhero movie that I would connect to emotionally?’ Which is sort of the woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown, so it’s a script reflective of a woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown. And in terms of what that means, I suppose it just meant that it was probably too far away from the genre.” For those of you who are not familiar with Zatanna, she was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in the pages of November 1964’s Hawkman and has been a consistent magical character in the DC Universe ever since, regularly teaming up with Batman, John Constantine and was a member of the Justice League. Fennell went on to describe the script, “It was really dark. I haven’t read it for a really long time, because I found it really difficult. Because, also the thing is, I love JJ [Abrams] so much, and he took a chance offering me to do it, and I really wanted to deliver something amazing for them. And I always felt like I hadn’t quite maybe delivered the thing that they wanted. So, I haven’t read it since, and I wonder if I read it now, I’d be more generous toward myself. But I felt like, I wished I’d been able to deliver the thing they wanted. They were really lovely about it, it’s even just remembering. You’re making me remember scenes, I’m like, ‘Nobody would have made that.'” I have to admit I totally want to read that script now. 

Don’t expect to see Vincent D’Onofrio show up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It seems the rights to the character still precludes him from appearing in a film unless Sony wants him to. Which, yes, Brand New Day is a Sony/Marvel production… but while visiting the Bingworthy podcast, the Kingpin actor responded to the question about the current mayor of the MCU NYC showing up by saying, “No. I think I’ll just wait until they have the rights to my character and they put me in one of those movies, and then I’ll figure it all out.” This makes sense that Marvel can’t just have the character show up in any random film, like The Thunderbolts, without Sony saying okay, but he is available for television appearances. Why Sony has chosen to not let the character show up in a Sony film though seems a little odd, unless the actor is using the rights issue as a cover to keep from telling us that Wilson Fisk will not be the mayor after the events of the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again season two, which is scheduled to release in March and complete well before Brand New Day hits theaters. 

In 1989 writer/artist John Byrne was working on the West Coast Avengers title for Marvel and decided to have some fun. Since there was both an east and west coast version of the team, he decided to make a third one, in the middle of the country, and keeping with the body of water theme to the names… we got the Great Lakes Avengers. The team was made up of five founding members: Mr. Immortal, Flat Man, Big Bertha, Dinah Soar and Doorman and while the team has probably had more cease-and-desist lawsuits filed against them than real battles, they have been around for years now and have popped up a lot. The interesting thing though is that two of these members have now made appearances in the MCU. And not just blink-and-you-missed-it moments. Both Mr. Immortal and Doorman have had at least half, if not a full episode of a series dedicated to them. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, David Pasquesi plays Craig Hollis aka Mr. Immortal who has his immortal ability and uses it to get out a marriages, which he has a lot of. When pressured by his own attorneys, he leapt out of a high-rise window and plummeted to the street below, slamming into the roof of a car, only to pop right back up and walk away. It doesn’t end well for him though as he is forced to pay off all of his exes. Then we get to meet DeMarr Davis aka the Doorman in the new Wonder Man series. Byron Bowers plays the man with the ability to use his body as a door in and out of the dark dimension. While he is a mutant in the comics, in the MCU he gets his abilities by touching toxic waste from Roxxon, similar to how Cloak & Dagger got their powers. DeMarr becomes a cautionary tale about chasing fortune and fame in Hollywood that may have cost the life of beloved actor Josh Gad. It also made the industry enact a law banning superpowered people from working in show business. This is a major plot point in the series. With two of the five characters both located in Southern California, could we end up getting the rest of the team at some point and them relocating for a fresh start? Sounds like the perfect idea for one of those Marvel Spotlight one-hour specials. 

Fans are eager to see the upcoming Lanterns series on HBO and besides a still shot and a few seconds of footage, very little about the series is known at this point. We got our first comments about it from series star Kyle Chandler who will be playing one of the most well-known Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan. Chandler was being interviewed on the Today Show for his new film The RIP with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. During the interview he was asked about Lanterns and said, “I’ve never had as much fun shooting something as I did that. The people from the top to the bottom. I can’t say enough about Chris Mundy, and the producers, the DC folks. It was an excellent experience. I expect the show to be as good as the experience I had. Aaron Pierre, who I worked with, he and I had a great time.” The series is slated to be released later this year and comes from Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. Joining Chandler and Pierre in the cast are Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner and then Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Jason Ritter, Poorna Jagannathan, and Paul Ben-Victor. There will be eight episodes and it is said to be mostly an Earth-based mystery set in the heartland of America with a True Detective vibe. 

Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. has stirred plenty of speculation across Hollywood, but one message from the streamer’s leadership has been unusually clear: the theatrical experience isn’t going anywhere. In fact, if the sale closes, Netflix says it will strengthen Warner Bros.’ traditional theatrical model rather than shrink it. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co‑CEO, has repeatedly emphasized that Warner Bros. films will continue to enjoy a 45‑day exclusive theatrical window—a stance that directly counters fears that Netflix would rush major releases to streaming. Sarandos described Warner Bros.’ theatrical distribution as a “phenomenal” engine that generates billions in revenue, insisting Netflix has no intention of putting that at risk. This commitment marks a notable shift in tone for Netflix, which historically prioritized streaming-first strategies. But after reviewing Warner Bros.’ financials, Sarandos acknowledged that the economics of theatrical releases are stronger than Netflix had previously modeled. He framed the 45‑day window not as a compromise but as a competitive strategy: Netflix wants to “win opening weekend” and “win box office,” embracing the same metrics that drive traditional studios. Industry observers have taken notice. While some feared the acquisition would accelerate the decline of theatrical exclusivity, Netflix’s public stance suggests a more balanced future—one where streaming power and box office ambition coexist. For now, at least, moviegoers can expect Warner Bros. films to keep lighting up big screens for a full month and a half before landing on Netflix’s platform. 

The DCU is expanding with the casting of one of the universe’s biggest bads… Darkseid. While this seems to go against something co-studio head James Gunn has said previously about staying away from the cosmic threat, but this casting isn’t for Man of Tomorrow, but rather the upcoming Mister. Miracle animated series and you can’t really tell the story of Scott Free with mentioning his adopted daddy. Writer Tom King was on the Word Balloon podcast when he talked about the series that he is showrunning and said that they had cast Darkseid and Orion along with Mr. Miracle and Big Barda. If you’re not familiar with these characters, they are all part of the Fourth World Saga created by comic legend Jack Kirby during his short stint with DC Comics. It tells the story of two warring factions, the New Gods and the planet Apokolips and a deal that was made in an attempt for peace. The leaders of the factions, High Father and Darkseid, would exchange children… this sent Scott Free to be raised on the oppressive planet while Orion was sent to the peaceful New Genesis. Scott would become and escape artist, finding a way off of Apokolips with the female warrior, Barda, and eventually come to Earth. Exactly what part of that history the series will focus on is unclear, but we do know that Darkseid and the others will be involved. Gunn also confirmed on social media that the series will be cannon to the DCU that includes the recent Superman movie, the Peacemaker series and the animated Creature Commandos. This means that whoever is voicing these characters in the series would also play them in live action in the future and King has said that the Mister Miracle series will have big ramifications on the DCU as a whole. No word on when the series will debut, but with the casting already made, we can expect an announcement in the near future. 

Takashi Yamazaki’s follow-up to the 2023 Godzilla Minus One is set to hit North American theaters on November 6th, 2026, three days after its premier in Japan. The Academy Award winning film took in $11.4 million in the US on its opening weekend and $57 million total during its domestic box office run. Godzilla Minus Zero is the second film in the franchise from Gkids since taking Toho acquired the company in 2024. David Jesteadt, president of Gkids, said in a statement: “Gkids is proud to bring Godzilla Minus Zero to North American audiences, following the incredible global reception of Godzilla Minus One. This next chapter is sure to become another defining moment for the most colossal monster ever to dominate the screen. It is only fitting that this bold, new Godzilla event be experienced in its fullest theatrical glory, and we’re honored that Toho has entrusted us to carry this legacy forward.”