Joshua Williamson, the writer behind the current, best-selling run on The Flash, and artist Jason Shawn Alexander have teamed up to create Frostbite, a thriller set in the far, “post-post-apocalyptic” future, after humanity has bounced back from an extinction-level event and is facing a new ice age.
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We asked Williamson what would be helpful to know going in — and while he obviously believes that the first issue gives new readers everything they need to understand the story, he did agree to give us five things you should know, so that you can decide whether to give it a try.
You can get Frostbite at your local comic shop today, or pick up a digital copy on ComiXology. First, though, check out what Williamson wants you to know going in:
NUMBER ONE
“Post-postapocalyptic.”
I didn’t want our story to be set in the days after the end of the world. The events of FROSTBITE occur years after humanity has survived and rebuilt. There are massive cities where people are living and thriving. I’ve compared it to Mad Max in the snow but even that would be more wasteland-like than FROSTBITE. The world has been rebuilt while dealing with the new Ice Age and people have moved on…but then along comes a new threat: a deadly disease nicknamed…Frostbite.
NUMBER TWO
“It’s a sci-fi western…but expect more fantasy than science.”
When developing the story I didn’t want to get too lost in the science aspects of the story, whether real or fictional science. My goals related more to the action and the characters. My focus was on presenting a crazy, unreal world and then taking the reader on a roller-coaster ride.
NUMBER THREE
“My first Vertigo book.”
I’ve been doing creator-owned work at other publishers for years but I grew up reading Vertigo. It shaped a lot of my thoughts on comics and comics writing. My favorite comic of all time is PREACHER. I know there wouldn’t have been a Ghosted, Nailbiter or Birthright if not for Vertigo. And I know the line has undergone a lot of changes over the years, but that’s a very Vertigo thing to do. To change, to challenge, to adapt and be ahead of the times. It’s an honor to be a part of the new Vertigo.
NUMBER FOUR
“Jason Shawn Alexander!”
The work that Jason Shawn Alexander is doing is amazing! His use of negative space is breathtaking and he gives the book a lot of emotion. The expressions on the characters’ faces as they deal with the harshness of their world is really well done. It’s a beautiful book.
NUMBER FIVE
Don’t let people ruin the plot of the first issue for you! You might be surprised by the direction the book takes!
