By Marc Strom
The Hood's role in Dark Reign just got even bigger.
DARK REIGN: THE HOOD, an all-new limited series beginning this May from writer Jeff Parker and artist—and Hood co-creator—Kyle Hotz, will shine a light on the villain's new place in the Marvel Universe. And Parker tells us that, with
Norman Osborn in charge, the Hood starts in a very good place at the beginning of the series.
"We find him much higher up on the food chain than in his debut series," the writer notes. "He doesn't have to wait for trouble to find him anymore, starting it is the first thing he does every day."
Most recently, the Hood has made a big impact in NEW AVENGERS, uniting Marvel's
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NEW AVENGERS
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super villains into a formidable network. When asked if he'll pick up on any threads begun there, Parker replied with a simple answer:
"Yes. Sorry to be coy, but I can't spoil that. But yes."
The writer would confirm that
Dormammu, recently revealed as the demon from whom the Hood gained his powers, will play a role in the new series.
"He will—or, It will—but it's not going to turn into a cosmic level thing," Parker explains. "No matter how high he rises in stature, everything about the Hood is street level and even Dormammu interacts with him in that way. You can pretty much view Dormammu as Vito Corleone."
For Hotz, who helped Vaughan debut the character in the 2002 MAX limited series THE HOOD, his take on the character hasn't changed much in the intervening years.
"I really have no inclination to draw the Hood himself differently, however each story kind of makes me draw a little differently depending on the writer or the
tone of the story or even which supporting characters are in it," Hotz elaborates.
Up to now, two writers have most significantly contributed to the Hood's story: Brian K. Vaughan, his co-creator, and NEW AVENGERS writer Brian Michael Bendis. Parker notes that writing such a relatively nascent character has a number of bonuses.
"It's very nice to pick up with a character who has been written well in his entire existence and isn't bogged down with a ton of conflicting continuity," the writer remarks. "I only regret that I don't have a 'Brian' in my name anywhere. Maybe if I buzz my head they'll make me an honorary Brian, or at least put me in the League of Substitute Brians."
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