New HFH writer Zeb Wells dishes the...

By Jim Beard

Writer Zeb Wells (CIVIL WAR: YOUNG AVENGERS & RUNAWAYS, NEW WARRIORS) takes the reins of the newest incarnation of HEROES FOR HIRE with March's #8, and through the wonders of the Nexus of All Realities we caught up with the swamped creator for a little Q&A action:

Marvel.com: So, new book for you, with new possibilities…how does it feel?
Zeb Wells: Great! I haven't written a regular team book since NEW WARRIORS and I'd forgotten how much fun it was. HEROES FOR HIRE is a great team with unlimited story potential. I'm glad CIVIL WAR treated them a little better than the New Warriors!
Marvel.com: There is that! How much of the previous work on the book by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray will you be touching upon, if any?
Wells: My stories will build on the themes and character interactions from Jimmy and Justin's run. I actually take over with issue #8, which is the final part of a three-part story, so I obviously want my stuff to jibe with what came before.
That said, we do start shaking things up fairly quickly, so current readers (and new ones!) are in for an exciting ride.
Marvel.com: With that ride in mind, what kinds of stories do you want to tell in the book?
Wells: I want to make sure every character is well-rounded (read: messed up enough to be interesting), so I want to tell stories that put them in complicated situations (physically, morally, financially) and see how each character deals with it.
Marvel.com: Are there any standout favorite characters for you yet? What about those who might give you a bit of a challenge as a writer?
Wells: I think all the characters have a lot of potential, and their own unique challenges. Misty Knight and Colleen Wing have to balance being heroes as well as being businesswomen. Humbug's ability to talk to insects can be played for comedy, but it also has the potential to be scary and powerful. Shang-Chi has been played as completely noble, and Tarantula is sort of an immoral cipher…I'm really looking forward to playing these two off each other and seeing what happens.
Marvel.com: We can hear the gears a'clickin' now. Who else, given the entire Marvel Universe, would you like to bring into the series?
Wells: Any hero who's got a spare weekend and wouldn't mind making a few bucks! But honestly, I'd like to see Misty and Colleen tailor-make their team depending on the job at hand. That's what the series is all about.
Marvel.com: The Heroes For Hire concept has a rich history and more than one fanbase, what with the different incarnations over the years. What of that history would you most like to bring into or reflect off of with the current series?
Wells: Simply this: I want to capture the idea that anything can happen when money and super-heroics mix. Private investigators say that they "see it all".
The Heroes For Hire should see all that and more.
Marvel.com: Thanks for your time, Zeb!

Catch Zeb Wells kickin' butt and takin' some names starting this March in the pages of HEROES FOR HIRE.