To Gotham and Beyond!
Updates from the desk of Stephanie Phillips, including publication news and upcoming projects.
I got back from Portland on Monday night after a great weekend at Rose City Con and have been just working away at a to-do list that grew a little out of control while I was away. But… it was very worth it. The normalcy of a convention (my first one back in years) was a really great feeling. I started writing Harley in the middle of a pandemic and online communities have been amazing, but there’s really nothing like talking face-to-face and engaging with you all about the stories we’re telling. A lot of people told me this weekend how much they love Harley Quinn. As it turns out, I really love her, too! She’s pretty great and I’m honored to be your current Harley guide with Riley, Ivan, and Deron.
To that end… we’re also not going anywhere! We’ll be sticking around for more Harley stories in 2022, and I’m really excited for where things are headed post-Fear State. I promise we’ll have all the goods for you… romance, murder, prison riots, more murder, lots of guest appearances, Keepsake’s last stand, and mayyyybbbeeee another new face that Riley and I have been plotting for over a year. Oh, and lots of Kevin. I promise our sweet boy is not going anywhere either!
Kevin will have a leading role in Fear State as well. While Harley is on an important mission with the Gotham City Sirens, Kevin is really trying his hand at watching over Gotham. But the middle of a Scarecrow attack is a pretty tough time to choose vigilantism. Still, we love and respect Kevin’s devotion to self-improvement and redemption. And his style choice is really on point.
Also spinning out of Fear State is “Arkham Rising,” a 3-part backup in Detective Comics that I’ve been working on with David Lapham and Patricia Mulvihill. This story will come straight from the pages of Fear State as we look at Hugo’s SAFE program and its future outlook in Gotham. To answer that question, we have to go all the way to the beginning of the most infamous facility for the criminally insane: Arkham Asylum. This story starts in Detective Comics #1044 in October, so make sure you check it out. Fans of Arkham and Gotham history will really dig this one, and the story will impact the future landscape of Gotham for quite a while…
STOP TALKING ABOUT GOTHAM…
I refuse! But, if you insist, I have plenty going on outside of the streets of Gotham. Wonder Woman: Evolution is still available for pre-order and I can’t say enough about how amazing it has been working with Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto, Jordie Bellaire, and Tom Napolitano on this title. We’ll reveal the issue #2 covers tomorrow (check social media for those), but here’s a preview of some issue #2 interiors from Mike:
I love Mike’s take on Diana and I’m really proud of how this story is coming together. This ended up being something really personal for me to write, and I get more excited about the story with each new issue and page.
We Only Kill Each Other digital and print editions are also available now for pre-order:
For digital issue #1:
ComiXology Originals
For print collection:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
And, finally, I’m hard at work on two unannounced projects that are a bit different for me in terms of characters and even tone. Both projects are with artists I’ve always wanted to work with and I’m thrilled to get the chance. I really look forward to sharing a little more about these with you all as they progress. Both are looking at summer or fall 2022 releases, but hopefully I’ll have more to talk about before then, especially on the title I will lovingly refer to as “spooky people doing spooky things.”
CONVENTIONS
I was announced as a guest at New York Comic Con yesterday! I will be there all weekend and I’m on a few panels as well. Thursday, Oct. 7, I’ll join Philip Kennedy Johnson and Josh Williamson to talk all things DC (Gotham, Metropolis, and more!). Fans of DC should definitely be there to watch me fangirl over these two amazing writers I get to hang out with. And, if you’re not reading their work… go do that!
I’m also doing a signing at the Collective in Altamonte Springs, FL on Oct. 2. This is a ticketed event only, so be sure to check out the event page if you’re interested in attending: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/harley-quinn-signing-w-stephan/429609551337078/
Thanks for reading! I look forward to showing off some new artwork and covers next week and I look forward to talking to more of you at signings and cons this year!
-Stephanie