Patton Oswalt, Scott Hepburn Talk 'Minor Threats' Comic

Talking Strange Paranormal Show

Writer Patton Oswalt and artist Scott Hepburn join host Aaron Sagers to talk the major comic Minor Threats. In a world of superheroes, sometimes the minor league villains can become queens. And the benchwarmer heroes can become legends. Created by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum and artist Scott Hepburn, and published by Dark Horse Comics, Minor Threats made an impact in the superhero comic world last year, and now the second volume, "The Fastest Way Down," launches April 3. Also, the trade paperback of The Alternates, about B-list superheroes from the pages of Minor Threats who get a taste of greatness, drops April 17.

Patton Oswalt and Scott Hepburn discuss their expanding comic universe, as well as the next upcoming spinoff Barfly and where else they might take these characters. And for good measure, we ask Patton about ghosts and his role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

MORE ABOUT MINOR THREATS

Minor Threats is graphic crime drama about superheroes and villains and the last gasp of the colorful innocent days of the silver and bronze age before they're dragged into the grit-soaked modern era.

Now, Minor Threats is back for Volume 2, subtitled “The Fastest Way Down”

In the first issue, dropping April 3, Frankie Follis AKA the costumed criminal Playtime has won. Twilight City’s greatest hero The Insomniac and its greatest villain The Stickman are dead, allowing Frankie to unify the super crook underworld and assert herself as the Queenpin of the Redport neighborhood. But Frankie is feeling the pressure from every side. Rival gangs are challenging her authority, her partner Scalpel is pushing her to legitimize her empire, and the act of murdering The Insomniac has broken something deep inside her. Frankie is about to learn the hard way . . . heavy is the head that wears the supervillain crown.

But wait, there’s more from the world of Minor Threats:

Spinning out of the world of Minor Threats is The Alternates, a tale of costumed underdogs--featuring a support group for superheroes, who are struggling to reclaim their mediocre lives in this world after tasting their true potential in another dimension called The Ledge.

That’s written by Oswalt, Blum and Tim Seeley with art by Tess Fowler, Christopher Mitten and covers by Hepburn.

AND Dark Horse Comics is buzzing with some exciting news: the world of Minor Threats continues expanding with a new spinoff series, Barfly! Comic book legend Kyle Starks (Where Monsters Lie) joins Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum on writing duties on a feel-good, coming-of-age series about an insect monster-man searching for his identity in the criminal underworld of Twilight City. Ryan Browne, co-creator of the critically-acclaimed series Eight Billion Genies, will provide artwork for Barfly, with letters handled by Nate Piekos (Minor Threats). The first issue will also feature a main cover art by Minor Threats co-creator Scott Hepburn, with three variant covers featuring art by Browne, Martín Morazzo, Dan Hipp (1:10 ratio), and one more to be revealed at a later date. The series is set to begin this July.

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