Interview: Justin Jordan Talks THE LEGACY OF LUTHER STRODE

Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore's Luther Strode stories have been brutal, fun and emotional. It all began back in 2011 and this year, the Image character's final arc will go on sale. What does the third storyline have in store for the violent hero and Petra? Is this truly the end of the franchise? We had the opportunity to ask Jordan these questions and plenty more. Even though his answers are more than satisfying enough, we're also lucky enough to have plenty of artwork to share and an 8-page prologue to THE LEGACY OF LUTHER STRODE called "The Bridge."

COMIC VINE: You've been writing Luther Strode and Petra for several years now. Do you believe your handling of the characters and their world has changed over time or have you basically been sticking to a plan you've had since the beginning?

JUSTIN JORDAN: Both?

Which is a non answer. Plotwise, I’ve more or less stayed to the loose plot that I had in mind since the beginning. But, you know, as you write, things change a bit and you definitely get to know your characters better. So what the story was going to be hasn’t changed, but how the story plays out has changed.

CV: Do you think Tradd Moore's approach to the character's violent world has changed over time? Also, may you please tease how his work looks in this upcoming volume? We've only seen a cover so far!

JJ: Ah, see, this is a question I don’t have a good enough art vocabulary to answer well. I’d say that Tradd’s art style has gotten more fluid over the years, a bit more stylized and, for sure, the page layouts have gotten steadily more complex and, you know, cool.

But I’d say this is the best the art has ever looked.

That said, I don’t have to tease. We’re releasing The Bridge, which is a section of the first issue that shows how Petra and Luther escaped from where we found them in the last issue of Legend of Luther Strode. That’s eight pages of free awesome. The coloring is a little stylized because of the flashback, but you can see how fucking cool it looks.

CV: This final volume is described as "bigger, crazier and bloodier" while also promising to answer all of the questions we have. How do you balance wrapping up a story that's been in the making for many years now while also delivering a ton of crazy fun?

JJ: Carefully. The trick with Strode always is balancing the character arc, the action and the backstory. This one is heavier on the backstory and revelations than the rest, but we’re also trying for bigger action while not crowding out the character moments.

I think we’re doing a good job of it, but it’s going to be hard to say for sure until people read the thing.

CV: You previously said the first volume is a nod to Punisher and the second is kind of one to James Bond. In the solicitation for this final volume, it says Strode has become a legend and criminals fear him. So, which iconic character would you say this one is somewhat inspired by? (Batman?)

JJ: The first was more a Spider-man riff than anything, while the Punisher riff came in the second one. This one, actually, is probably more a play on Superman, believe it or not. Luther really isn’t any stronger or tougher than before, but he’s got to a point where he is trying to get the best outcome for everyone and has fully realized the danger and responsibility that comes with being who he has become.

CV: This is called the final volume, but are you absolutely certain its the end of your time with Strode's world? Is there any hope for a spin-off? This is me strongly implying a prequel featuring Jack the Ripper has the potential to be awesome.

JJ: Never say never. We actually have discussed, a bit, doing something like Tales of the Lutherverse, where we’d look at other stories about the cult and the world. Probably illustrated by other people and maybe written by them too. But no concrete plans for that.

We are doing a backup story in issues 2 – 5 that will fill in some backstory for two characters, with guest appearances by some familiar (and now dead) faces. So that’s cool.

CV: During our DEAD BODY ROAD interview, I asked if Matteo Scalera could create any variant covers for the series. Is there any update with that? He seems like a terrific fit for Luther's fast-paced and chaotic world.

JJ: He would be, and I just hung out with Matteo a couple of weeks ago. Mostly, we don’t do variant covers for Strode except for second printings or store variants, and that is proving to be the case here as well. He’s top of my list for a variant if we do one, though.

CV: With your BOOM! Studios comic, DEEP STATE, getting a TV series (congrats, by the way), is there any push to get your Image work in other forms of media? Strode seems perfect for a movie, so I'm left wondering who you'd want as a potential director. Matthew Vaughn immediately comes to mind for me. SPREAD seems like it would be a great fit for a premium channel, too.

JJ: Thanks!

I think Vaughn is probably my number one choice. On one hand, he’s already done Kick Ass, so he probably wouldn’t be interested in doing another, but since I’m just dreaming, he’s the guy. I just watched Kingsman last week and he could really nail both the violence and the tone. My other reallllllly left field thought is Edgar Wright. Not doing it as a comedy, mind, although the book has some laughs. But he’s really inventive with action and it could be cool.

CV: Is there anything you'd like to say about your other Image title, SPREAD?

JJ: Basically, that if you like Strode you will probably like Spread, and vice versa. They’re very different books, but they feature a lot of the same sensibilities. If you want a print version of The Bridge early, we’ll be running that in the back of Spread issue 6.

CV: Some time ago, you attempted to explain Luther Strode's physical limits on Twitter and honestly, it has generated a lot of arguing and confusion in the battle forums over here. It seems like you have a clear limit in mind for Strode's strength, speed, and what not, but the energetic and over-the-top visuals have many people thinking he's more powerful than you said he is. Would you like to expand on those thoughts?

JJ: Heh, that was kind of shitstorm, eh?

Basically, there are a couple things that go into that.

One is the nature of how Luther’s powers work. It’s not JUST that he’s superhumanly strong, it’s that he also knows where the weak spots are. So ripping people apart isn’t just the strength. Likewise, while he’s fast, the ability to dodge bullets is mostly based on being able to see where the barrels are pointed and react to it.

The other is visual flourishes. The smoke from Jack’s eyes? Not meant to be interpreted literally, any more than speed lines are. Likewise, if looks like a sonic boom, that doesn’t mean it is.

But, really, at the end of the day, the limits on his abilities are fundamentally fuzzy. They weren’t designed with gaming in mind, just as a guide to what does and doesn’t fit within the universe. Luther can’t, for instance, pick a car up over his head. He can pretty easily flip one over. The general rule is that Luther is fuzzily about twice as strong as the strongest person every to live, twice as fast, etc.

CV: Will this final volume be new reader friendly? If you think people should go back and read the others, what would you say to sell them on it?

JJ: I think so. The basic premise is that Luther is trying to stop a cult of murder maniacs, and that’s straightforward enough that you can follow along. I think the book is BETTER if you read the other stuff first, but it’s not required reading.

My sales pitch would basically be that it’s ultraviolence with a heart. And, you know, Tradd’s art.

CV: If you had to promote THE LEGACY OF LUTHER STRODE in 5 words or less, what would you say?

JJ: Luther Strode fights everyone!