Stephanie Phillips has been churning out some really great book over the past year. From her book DESCENDANT at Aftershock to her current book BUTCHER OF PARIS at Dark Horse. She gives us a wide range of titles and all of them have been great.
Next month she launches a time travel/assassin book at After Shock called ARTEMIS AND THE ASSASSIN. Stephanie was kind enough to give us the inside scoop on her new book and I guarantee you'll add this to you pull once you hear what it's about!
COMIC LOUNGE: So your new book ARTEMIS AND THE ASSASSIN was recently announced, Can you tell us what it's about?
PHILLIPS: The book is about a time traveling assassin named Maya sent back in time to kill Virginia Hall (aka Artemis). Virginia is actually one of the most decorated spies in US history and was responsible for thwarting Nazi attacks and transmitting Nazi secrets to the allies. When Maya’s mission goes awry, she finds herself hurtling headlong through time with Virginia in tow. T two women, from very different backgrounds and time periods, will need to work together in order to defeat Nazis, bandits, and even fifteenth-century ninja assassins. Ultimately, this story is a pulpy adventure about two very unlikely heroines traveling through time together.
COMIC LOUNGE: This book centers around Maya, a time-traveling assassin?? I'm sold. Where did this idea come from?
PHILLIPS: I don’t think it’s any secret that I like historical fiction, so a time-traveling adventure story seemed like a perfect sandbox for me to play in. Maya’s character is rooted heavily in different mythologies. I don’t want to give too much away, since discovering her origin will be part of the fun of the story.
COMIC LOUNGE: The first mission takes place in WWII. Your book over at Dark Horse, BUTCHER OF PARIS, is also set during that period. Is it safe to say up have an affinity for that time period?
PHILLIPS: It’s a fascinating time period to study and I am constantly learning new things about the engagement. In this case, we are only ever in this era briefly before Maya and Virginia find themselves traversing time and space. But, I knew I wanted to write about Virginia Hall in some capacity. A woman hiding Nazi secrets in her wooden leg to assist the allies is cooler than any character I could imagine.
COMIC LOUNGE: So after a failed attempt on Virginia, they team up. Is this going to be somewhat of a buddy/time-traveling/assassin team-up going forward?
PHILLIPS: Absolutely! The book is also a slight homage to pulps, like Doc Savage and The Shadow. I love unexpected team-ups.
COMIC LOUNGE: How do these missions affect time? Are they going to be changing history?
PHILLIPS: The initial premise is that Maya is paid to impact time by very high-profile clients. Obviously, if someone wants Virginia Hall taken out, they are trying to change the outcome of WWII. As the story progresses, however, Maya will be forced to acknowledge the ways that her actions have changed time and the new goal will focus on preservation and making sure time unfolds in the way it was meant to.
COMIC LOUNGE: With this being your second book with Aftershock, why did you feel this was the right place for this project?
PHILLIPS: I love working with the AfterShock team. I had a great experience working with them on Descendent and they were really receptive to the idea for Artemis and collaborating with me to build the world for this story.
COMIC LOUNGE: I know you also have a story in the DC Anthology CRIMES OF PASSION. Can you tell us what that story is about?
PHILLIPS: I’m really excited that I got to write a Ted Grant/Wildcat story with Riley Rossmo and Jordie Bellaire. Wildcat is so much fun to write. I can promise that the story has a lot of crime… and passion. And punching.
COMIC LOUNGE: Are there any other projects in the that you're working on that you can talk about?
PHILLIPS: I think the only other thing I can talk about at the moment is the pirate book, A Man Among Ye, coming from Top Cow/Image Comics later this year with artist Craig Cermak. We will be making a more official announcement about the release date in February!
COMIC LOUNGE: Lastly. What comics are you currently into?
PHILLIPS: I really enjoyed These Savage Shores by Ram V and Sumit Kumar, and I just picked up Batman #86, which was a really fun read.