Simon Spurrier is probably one of the most talented and under the radar comics creators in the world today, as he has worked on an array of books, enough to make anyone jealous of which characters he gets play with. He recently launched a new series, Motherlands, which has little fun with multiple universes which reminds me of the television show, Sliders.
The premise centers on the idea that technology has allowed travel to these different worlds, which has allowed new possibilities, but also has increased different crimes across these worlds, which has allowed bounty hunters to become celebrities including the two protagonists – a mother and daughter. Spurrier recently did an interview, where he talked about the new series. Below are some highlights:
On the genesis of the series:
“Story centers on the idea that humanity has not only mastered the ability to visit all these weird worlds but have been dealing with the types of crime that inevitably follow such power. Bounty hunters now achieve fame and fortune tracking criminals through the multiverse, including the two main characters – a mother and daughter on the hunt. started thinking about how it would really be if you had a gadget that let you jump parallels. Like, if you just hit a random destination, it’s pretty likely to be an airless rock, or a meteor-pummeled hell. Even the ones with life are going to be unrecognizably alien, and probably uninhabitable. So the smart approach is that you can only ever safely visit other dimensions – or “strings,” as we call them – which are known to have something similar to human life already there. Immediately I found myself thinking about a world with this crazy network of realities where the primary technologies are telepathic, since that’s the only way you can detect a human-esque society from the next dimension over.
On the two main characters:
So first we have Selena. Back when the network of alt-Earths was still quite new she was the most famous, universally adored bounty hunter there was; star of her own TV show and an ultra-flirty, camera-savvy celebrity. But now, as our story starts, she’s elderly, lonely and feeling abandoned. So she’s either an obnoxious fame monster or a vulnerable little old lady (with a fantastic talent for cussing), depending on your point of view. Whereas Tabitha, her daughter, is this big block of cold professionalism and ambivalence. She almost certainly ended up like that because of the emotional neglect she suffered as a kid – always playing second fiddle to her mom’s adoring fans – but that doesn’t make it easy for people to warm to her while she’s blowing off their kneecaps.
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On how multiverse operates within the series:
“The really cool thing about the network of connected alt earths isn’t just about how differently alt-humans have evolved in physical terms, but how each of them have built cultures and societies based around very different ideas and forms of technology. Electrical, nuclear, clockwork, fungal, bio-mechanical, amoebic, psychic – no two societies are the same.
And now they’re all in contact with each other, sharing mad ideas and deregulated hybrid science with no real way to keep a lid on it all. “
On working with artist, Rachel Stott:
“I’ve been trying to work with Rachael Stott for years and couldn’t be happier it’s finally happened. That it’s happened in the presence of laser guns, comedy family bickering and a bunch of genuinely poignant moments is the cherry on the exploding cake. She handles them all without breaking a sweat.
This series is probably one of the most unique books in the Vertigo Universe, one fans will crave with each issue.
