Marvel Monsters Unleashed #1 Interview With Cullen Bunn

Marvel Comics today released Monsters Unleashed #1, the first issue of a 5-issue event series pitting the heroes of the Marvel Univers against giant monsters from space.

The issue was packed with action as the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers, the X-Men, the Inhumans, and the Champions all went to work protecting the Earth from the sudden kaiju invasion.

While the Earth’s mightiest heroes are busy defending the innocent, certain other characters are busy trying to get to the root of the problem, including Moonstone and Elsa Bloodstone. And then there’s newcomer Kid Kaiju, who may be the source of the problem.

With all of these moving pieces, fans may have some questions after reading Monsters Unleashed #1. ComicBookcom put some of those questions to writer Cullen Bunn.

At a certain point, it seems a dichotomy is presented between Moon Girl’s science and Elsa Bloodstone’s mysticism. What will be the relationships between these characters and forces through the rest of the series?

Cullen Bunn: It’s funny you should ask that as your first question. I was just walking the dog and thinking about comics (as you do) and I was dwelling a bit on the differences between Lunella’s modern science and Elsa’s arcane knowledge. I’m glad that came across. It’s something we’ll revisit and expand upon a little as the series progresses. I like the idea that there are modern ways to approach problems as well as ancient methods. As the story unfolds, you’ll see Elsa and Moon Girl interacting quite a bit, although the world may be falling down around their ears.

The issue features the mysterious Kid Kaiju. We’ve seen his abilities before, but this is an entirely new scale. What can you tell us about his escalation and his motivations?

CB: Well, we’re going to be seeing much, much more of Kid Kaiju in the next few issues, as you might imagine. This is a kid who has this amazing ability… one that he doesn’t fully understand and one that is growing and changing. In future issues, we’ll be seeing how his abilities grow and we’ll learn a little more about his connection to an ancient power. Hey–there’s that old and new thing again!

Steve McNiven drew quite a few splash pages for this issue. What was the creative process like those? Were you specific, or was it more of an “Avengers vs. Kaiju. Go.” kind of situation?

CB: I tend to write fairly specific and detailed panel descriptions. I describe the monsters and the actions the heroes and creatures are taking. Yes, I’ve seen many scripts that are very minimal. “Some monsters attack. They may be in a city. Some super heroes are there.” And while that would save me a lot of time, I don’t think it helps the artist. It doesn’t improve the comic. Of course, in the end, I’m working with an artist like Steve McNiven, and if he wants to go “off script” because he thinks it would be more powerful visually to do so, who am I to argue? That’s part of the beauty of collaboration. As long as my scripts convey a sense of the action, I feel like I’ve done my job.

The issue brings back Elsa Bloodstone and makes her a focal point of a story that involves every major team and character in the Marvel Universe. What can we expect from Elsa’s interaction with the wider Marvel Avengers, Champions, and so on?

CB: I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying that without Elsa, the Earth is doomed. Her role as a monster hunter makes her a key player in these events, but–as she will lament–she lives in a world where people wear ultra-tech armor and men can fly or shoot lasers from their eyes, but she’s seen as a crackpot because monsters are her specialty. So Elsa might have a bit of a chip on her shoulder when she finally meets up with the other heroes. Of course, she always has a chip on her shoulder.

The issue ends with a meeting between Kid Kaiju and a group of monsters. What can you tell me about this group of monsters, their intentions, and why they’ve come together rather than deciding to join the carnage? And what is their relationship to Kid Kaiju?

CB: Once more, the balance of new and old rears its head! For most of this issue, we’ve seen these new monsters. At the end, though, we see some of Marvel’s classic beasts. As for the role they will play, I can’t say much. The classic monsters–many more than you see at the end of the first issue–are very important to the series. They are connected to Kid Kaiju, but maybe in a different way than these new monsters.

Monsters Unleashed #1 is on sale now. Monsters Unleashed #2 goes on sale Feb. 1.

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