I have been reviewing Robyn Hood for a while now, and with each new arc, the stories are only getting better. Zenescope has finally announce that Robyn Hood is going to be an ongoing series! I think the comic will do well and with Robyn being able to transcend worlds, there is a lot to do with her story. I interviewed Robyn Hood’s writer, Pat Shand and the artist, Larry Watts to see where her story was going and if the readers can expect some kick ass action scenes from our girl.
SAMANTHA ROEHRIG: What can we expect with Robyn Hood’s new adventures?
PAT SHAND: With the trilogy wrapping up, we’re taking Robyn in a brand new direction. The ongoing will be set in New York City and, while there will be some returning characters, the supporting cast and the story arc are also new. We’re envisioning it as a fresh start – the past matters, as it always does, but Robyn is ready to move on, and Larry and I are moving with her.
LARRY WATTS: I think Pat said Prince John was going to be making a return from the realm of the dead as the new Dark Prince. Big Event.
PS: Hah! That’s Larry’s favorite character. I think Larry would actually cry happy tears if I brought him back.
SR: I think all of your readers are ready to see Robyn kick some hardcore butt on Cal. Will he continue to be our main villain or will Cal get that ass whooping he deserves?
LW: Please see Robyn Hood: Legend # 4 for the answer to this one.
PS: I think Larry is trying to be kind to those who haven’t read yet, but I will say that there are next to no plot threads that continue from the original series. Character arcs will, of course, come from there… but Robyn will be facing new and different threats.
SR: We have explored some of Myst, but where will the art take us next in this realm?
LW: The ongoing series will see Robyn spending more time in our world, so I'm hoping we get to see her in a lot of new and exciting environments and situations.
PS: Yeah, I mean – I don’t want to say never, as if “We’ll never go to Myst” or “We’ll never see one of the other Zenescope realms,” but I do like the idea of the Robyn Hood title operating in its own bubble. It allows readers to have a complete experience beginning with #1, so we want to avoid the continuity of, say, having to explain that this exists in the same world as Neverland, Oz, and Wonderland. It does, but we won’t really be crossing over with those storylines for now.
SR: So how will Robyn balance the two worlds of Earth and Myst?
LW: Interesting question... I honestly feel like Pat writes Robyn as more reactive than proactive. She has been just trying to get by her entire life, so she doesn't seem to make plans. She definitely has unresolved issues in Myst, with her true parents and the Dark Horde. However, in the ongoing, we pick up with her once again adjusting to life on Earth, so I suspect eventually Myst will be waiting to bite her in the ass when she least expects it.
PS: Yeah, I will say that just because we won’t be venturing into the realm doesn’t mean something won’t be venturing out of it into ours.
SR I’d love to see Robyn in some new git-ups, Larry should we expect some new gear and/or outfits for our vigilante?
LW: I think so, as stated earlier, Robyn Hood (Ongoing) picks up back in New York. We'll get to see Robyn with an actual wardrobe, in a lot of different situations, as opposed to someone snatched out of her reality with just the clothes she has on her back and a bow and arrows. That seemed to keep happening to her up until this point. I'd like to give her a haircut, like something punky or wild, however I don't think I'll get clearance on that one.
PS: Hah, probably not for a while. We just did that with Marian, because my idea there is that she’s this woman from the olden, fantasy realm of Myst… and when she comes to Earth, she’s obsessed with modern pop culture, so she wants to sort of rebuild herself and create the person she’s becoming in light of all of these new things she’s learning about. So it’d feel a bit soon if we did that right away with Robyn… though I do love the idea of a punkier, wild Robyn.
SR: With Robyn falling for Will, do you think we will see Robyn’s vulnerable side more or will she stick to being a hard-ass?
LW: I think after the events of Legend, she has some wounds to tend to. People seem to drop like flies around her. That’s a tough one. I don't know how I'd feel after all the things she's been through until this point.
PS: Robyn will constantly walk the line between being completely closed off and putting her heart one-hundred percent on her sleeve. Robyn doesn’t know how to walk the line.
SR: I love how Robyn speaks to her audience with such a sarcastic attitude. Where did the inspiration for this way of banter come from?
PS: It honestly just felt right for Robyn. I realized in #1, that Robyn has this thing where part of her thinks that she’s smarter than everyone else, while the other part is constantly worried that there’s something wrong with her. It’s very me, so a lot of the times, I ask myself how I’d react in this situation. I hope I’d be like Robyn, a lot of the times.
SR: When writing a battle scene, what comes first the chicken or the egg? Does Pat lay down the ideas or does Larry layout the plan and words are added later?
LW: Pat lays it down for the most part. I try not to deviate from the script too much. If it were up to me, a lot of those battle scenes would have been much longer and bombastic with double page spreads, etc... however there's only so many pages in a comic book and for the entire series in general, so I trust Pat to find the balance. I'm looking forward to the new series simply for the fact there isn't a cap on issues or pages, so we have a little more freedom in that regard.
PS: It’s been fun to open it up more for the ongoing. In fight scenes, though, Larry’s right. I do often lay it out, but I’ll almost always tell Larry that he has the greenlight to ignore what I threw down if he has a better idea.
I think most of us can agree that Robyn Hood will be a hit. I am excited to see her in New York and how she reacts, because I still feel like she doesn’t fit in with the modern world. Marian in New York should be an interesting story though, plus I have to say she is my favorite character! I loved seeing Shand and Watts passion come alive for this beloved character, and you should too. So check this new series and while you wait catch up with Robyn Hood: Legend. BTW I don’t know if I am ready to give up Robyn’s long locks, but she would have to do it herself. I can’t see her letting anyone touch her hair.
