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All The Young Dudes In Generation Zero

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It’s a fair question to ask of Valiant Entertainment’s latest book, Generation Zero Volume 1: We Are The Future TP (NOV161964): are the kids alright? These children that we spit upon: are they REALLY quite aware of what they’re going through? Series writer Fred Van Lente says the answer is both yes…and no. So read on in this PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview to find out what new peer pressure feels like!

Generation Zero Volume 1: We Are The Future TP (NOV161964) is available to preorder in the November issue of the PREVIEWS comic shop catalog!

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PREVIEWSworld: Who are Generation Zero, and what makes them special?

Fred Van Lente
: Generation Zero were child superheroes raised as human weapons by a shadowy military contractor. But when they became teenagers, they escaped and are now roaming the countryside, avenging and defending kids in trouble...assuming those kids can get in touch with them, that is.

PREVIEWSworld: Why is now the right time to tell Generation Zero’s story?

Fred Van Lente:
It’s a very exciting time in the market, where a diverse audience is embracing diverse casts and diverse stories more than ever before. This definitely is a different sort of teen hero book. It’s much darker than usual, with a murder mystery, sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Think The Authority meets Archie.

PREVIEWSworld: This is the first team book you’ve ever written for Valiant. What’s it like writing an ensemble, and what have you enjoyed so far?

Fred Van Lente:
Team books are tricky. You want to give everyone a distinct voice and keep characters from just being vessels for banter. Fortunately, Joshua Dysart and Clayton Henry already created a great bunch of distinct characters in Harbinger Wars who are fun to work with.

PREVIEWSworld: Who are the core team members of Generation Zero, and what does each member bring to the table?

Fred Van Lente
: Cronus, the team leader, basically embodies the team ethos—tough and taciturn, but the kind of person who inspires intense loyalty in the people around him.

In many ways, the main character of the book is the “normal” girl, Keisha Sherman, who summons Generation Zero to Rook, Michigan when she finds some shady goings-on there that threaten to overwhelm her and her family.

She kind of falls for Cronus, much to the annoyance of Telic, Cronus’ second in command. She claims she’s just interested in keeping everyone focused on the mission. But there may be something else going on there...

Animalia is a fan favorite, and a big favorite of mine. I like what Josh and Clayton did with her in Harbinger Wars, but I’m taking it in a different direction, where she’s older and now feels embarrassed by transforming into “kiddie stuff.” She’s gotten into anime now. Expect a lot of Attack on Titan references.

PREVIEWSworld: The series finds the team in the middle of Michigan. What brings them there, and what does the locale add to the story?

Fred Van Lente:
Keisha’s town, Rook, mysteriously transformed from a depressed rust belt community in nowheresville to a cutting edge, tech utopia practically overnight. And the town elders are not inclined to say why. People — particularly teenagers — who question the adult’s silence get equally mysterious personality transformations. Keisha’s boyfriend thought has figured it out, but he (finger quotes) “killed himself” before he could tell her what. Now Keisha has called in Generation Zero to solve the mystery. Which they will, kicking the ass of anyone who gets in their way.

PREVIEWSworld: The first arc of Generation Zero is called “We Are the Future.” What does that title convey about the story’s arc, the characters, and the series as a whole?

Fred Van Lente:
It exemplifies, to me, Generation Zero’s militant attitude: We are the future. You are the past. Get on board, or get out of the way, because otherwise we are going right through you. Like the future, they’re a little scary and unpredictable. I jokingly told my wife this series should really be called David Cronenberg’s Archie. When you summon them, you don’t know quite what you’ve unleashed — and Keisha is going to learn that the hard way.

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