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.

The Creeper is a unique character from DC Comics, first introduced in "Showcase #73" in 1968. Created by Steve Ditko, The Creeper’s real name is Jack Ryder, a former television talk show host and investigative journalist in Gotham City. After being attacked during an undercover operation at a costume party, Ryder is injected with a serum by Dr. Yatz and gains superhuman abilities, including enhanced strength, agility, rapid healing, and a pain tolerance bordering on the supernatural. The serum, combined with a bizarre costume, transforms him into The Creeper, a vigilante known for his wild laughter, erratic behavior, and flamboyant appearance—a shock of green hair, yellow skin, and a red mane-like cape. The Creeper remains largely untouched by mainstream media, providing an opportunity to introduce audiences to a fresh face and break away from more established archetypes. His blend of horror, humor, and psychological complexity could create a film that stands out from traditional superhero fare. The Creeper’s unsettling persona and visual style lend themselves well to a film that could blend genres—horror, black comedy, and superhero action. His maniacal laugh and unpredictable methods could inject dark humor and psychological thrills, appealing to fans of films like "Joker" and "Deadpool" while carving out a distinctive identity in the DCU. Jack Ryder’s journey from cynical journalist to bizarre vigilante offers rich storytelling potential. Exploring themes of identity, sanity, and the nature of heroism, a Creeper film could delve into Ryder’s internal struggles and the impact of his dual life, making for a character-driven narrative that resonates with audiences seeking depth and complexity. And with being set in Gotham City, The Creeper’s adventures naturally intersect with the city’s gritty underworld, providing opportunities for noir-style detective storytelling. His background in journalism and investigation can be leveraged to create suspenseful plots involving corruption, criminal conspiracies, and moral ambiguity—making him an ideal protagonist for a film that explores the darker aspects of the DC Universe. The Creeper stands as one of DC Comics’ most unconventional and intriguing characters. His untapped potential, distinctive personality, and ability to straddle multiple genres make him a perfect candidate to lead a film in the new DCU. 

Predator: Badlands is doing very well, thanks for asking. The latest film in the long-running franchise set a few high franchise marks including domestic opening with $40M, best worldwide opening with $80M and best Cinemascore with an A-. The film also sits a the top of this week’s box office beating out the 2nd place film, Regretting You, by $32.9M… though that film is in its 3rd week. Other new films opening this week, Sarah’s Oil and Nuremberg, opened in 4th and 5th with just over $4M each. Badlands is the third Predator project for director Dan Trachtenberg, the first Prey showed how he could handle the franchise but then he wanted to follow it up with an animated film, Killer of Killers and then for the first time Badlands make the Predator the protagonist. 

Recent reports about problems on the set of Stranger Things may not have been what they seemed. There were stories being published that Millie Bobby Brown had filed a report against co-star David Habour, accusing the older actor of bullying. But the validity of those reports are now in question as both Brown and Harbour joined their Stranger Things cast members at the red=carpet premiere of the show’s fifth and final season. Brown and Harbour were seen joking together and even hugging. Brown has also spoke of Habour to Extra, saying: “It’s been amazing. We’re so lucky to have each other. The show means so much to the both of us, and to everyone here. This has been the last 10 years of our lives.” Brown stars as the psych-powered Eleven and Harbour plays Sherriff Jim Hopper who ends up adopting her. The fifth and final season will release on Netflix in three sets with Volume 1 on November 26 (four episodes), Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes), and The Finale on New Year’s Eve. 

There is a major movie franchise out there that is not going by its original name and it’s thanks to the star. When screenwriter Derek Kolstad finished what would become is most popular film, he was inspired by revenge-thrillers with one-word titles like Payback and Shooter. He dubbed his film, Scorn. The problem came when the star of the film went out and talked about it, he always referred to it by the lead character’s name rather than the title. After a while, the studio realized that their star, Keanu Reeves, had done millions of dollars worth of brand recognition for the name John Wick… they decided to go with it and renamed the film. Why Reeves did this is unknown, but Kolstad has since admitted that John Wick is a better franchise name, saying, “I can’t imagine it being Scorn now.” Was this an intentional thing on Reeves’ part or just a happy coincidence? We may never know. 

If you check the major Hollywood sites like Deadline and Variety, they’ll tell you that October 2025 has been the lowest box office take in almost 30 years. It sits currently at $440 million with a few days left to add. In 1998 the box office did $455 million, which this month should just creep past. By comparison October 2018 did $832 million with just three films: Venom, A Star is Born and Halloween, taking in $481 million. But last year, October only took in $478 million showing the decreasing trend. Adding to the decline is the fact that no major releases were scheduled for this weekend because of the Halloween holiday. And what was put into theaters the whole month really didn’t get people’s attention. Tron: Ares was the highest profile film and that hasn’t even broken $70 million in its four weeks in theaters.   When you look at numbers like that, it’s hard not to think about what might have been. There was a big budget film slated for release this month, a film that got delayed and delayed and hasn’t even started filming. A film that finally has a finished script and is set to release in October of 2027… that of course is Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part 2. One of the most anticipated films currently in production, the sequel to the 2022 hit, bolstered also by the fan favorite HBO series The Penguin, would easily match and likely succeed the success of the first film. The Batman opened on March 4, 2022 and ended that month with $338 million domestically.  It was originally scheduled to be released October 3rd, looking at that release date, this year there really wasn’t any big film put in its place. The film would’ve done better than the first and that amount would’ve driven 2025 towards the top of the list, maybe even surpassing 2018. Ah, what could’ve been. 

DC Studios has potentially taken a significant step by filing for a trademark for a film titled "Salvation Run." A move that isn’t too surprising since the Salvation planet and the idea of using it as a prison for meta humans was introduced in the season finale of Peacemaker season 2. But the filing does indicate just how big this idea could be for the DCU. "Salvation Run" is a storyline from DC Comics that originally ran in the late 2000s. The story centers on the mass exile of some of DC's most notorious villains to a hostile alien world, forcing them to band together for survival. It was a concept originally pitched to DC by Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin. The trademark filing by DC Studios suggests that the company is considering developing "Salvation Run" into a feature film. While trademark filings do not guarantee that a film will be produced, they often indicate serious intent or early-stage development. The filing protects the title and concept, ensuring that DC Studios retains exclusive rights as plans evolve. Should "Salvation Run" move forward, it could introduce a fresh dynamic to DC's film slate. Instead of focusing on heroes, this story would shine a spotlight on villains, possibly expanding character development and offering audiences new perspectives on well-known antagonists. It also opens opportunities for ensemble casting, complex storytelling, and connections to other DC properties. 

For many MCU fans, there has been concerns about when or even if Jeremy Renner would be returning to the role of Clint Barton aka the Avenger Hawkeye. Renner first portrayed the archer in 2011’s Thor and returned in 2012’s The Avengers. He has been popping up as the character in various films and even his own Disney+ series that had been rumored to be getting a second season. And then came New Year’s Day 2023 and a horrific snowplow accident where the actor sustained over 30 broken bones, including a shattered leg, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a punctured lung. Renner has made a miraculous recovery and has returned to working on projects like Mayor of Kingstown and Wake Up Dead Man… but his future in the MCU is still unclear. Earlier this year Renner gave fans a disappointing update when he revealed that Marvel had talked to him about returning for season two but only offered him half of what he made for season one, which he turned down. None of this was looking good, even with two Avengers movies on the horizon. Shift to now where Renner is out doing various interviews and talking about the character again. He spoke of how Clint Barton has repeatedly tried to retire but keeps coming back and how he believes that it will continue that way until the character is killed off. He also said of the Hawkeye series specifically, "We got to where we’re trying to do the second season. And I think I’ll get strong enough to be able to do it. And we’ll work it out. It’s gonna be great." He was also asked by another Avenger actor, Brie Larson, if he would be returning for Avengers: Doomsday, to which he said “no” and then turned it back on her asking, “Are you?” The whole thing was done very playfully. And even if he doesn’t return for Doomsday, there’s always Secret Wars a year later. 

The highly anticipated Marvel series, Fantastic Four: First Steps, is set to make its debut on Disney+. Fans of Marvel’s first family have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new adaptation, which promises to bring fresh storytelling and exciting action to the beloved characters of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The film, which was directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, will be available for streaming starting November 5th. The Fantastic Four have long been favorites among comic book readers, and with Marvel Studios now handling the property after the luke-warm reception of the first two Fox films and the universally hated reboot. First Steps is not a retelling of the origin story but rather moves on to the team having been well established after four years and dealing with their greatest threat, the world-devourer Galactus. The new cast includes Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the quartet of heroes along with Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatis and Natasha Lyonne. The film did moderately well in theaters, taking in a worldwide box office total of $521M and an 86% critic’s score on Rotten Tomatoes.   

When James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the new co-heads of DC Studios, they put out a list of projects as part of their first phase called Gods & Monsters. And while some of those projects like Creature Commandos, Superman and Lanterns have moved forward, one of the projects seems to be stalled. That would be the DCU version of Batman in an announced The Brave and The Bold project. This is a different Batman from the one Robert Pattinson portrays in the Matt Reeves films and would be a bit older and paired with his son Damian as the current Robin. Andy Muschietti, the director of The Flash, has been attached to the project the entire time and appears to still be in line to helm the project. But in the last week we’ve gotten the first movement on the project in a while. First Gunn said in various interviews that the project is still in the work and has changed some since the initial announcement, but he didn’t go into any specific details. Then Muschietti and his producing partner and sister Barbara were asked about the project while at the premier of their new series Welcome to Derry, and IT prequel story. When asked if they were still doing the film, Barbara said, “The intention is yes, but we can’t talk about it.” Andy added, “We have to wait a few, a couple of months to start talking about it.” But then realizing he may have said too much: “I screwed it already.” This is leading fans to speculate that an announcement is imminent and that we may finally learn who will be donning the cowl opposite David Corenswet’s Superman.    

Though we have yet to see season two of the Percy Jackson series, season three is adding Kate McKinnon, known for her energetic performances and comedic brilliance on “Saturday Night Live,” as the goddess Aphrodite. McKinnon brings her unique charm and wit to the role, promising an exciting new take on the goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite is one of the most famous figures from Greek mythology. She is the goddess of love, beauty, desire, and passion. Ancient Greeks believed Aphrodite had the power to inspire love and attraction in gods and mortals alike. According to myth, she was born from the sea foam and emerged fully grown, captivating all who saw her. Aphrodite’s stories often involve her relationships with gods like Ares and mortal heroes, and she played a key role in the legendary events leading up to the Trojan War, most notably by awarding the golden apple to Paris. With Kate McKinnon stepping into the role, viewers can expect a fresh, humorous, and dynamic portrayal of Aphrodite. Besides her time on SNL, McKinnon has been in various movies including the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters and the 2023 mega-hit Barbie.