Q&A: Halo comic scribe

Brian Michael Bendis talks about jumping on board Bungie's sci-fi epic with Halo: Uprising limited series.

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With the Halo brand stretching out into movies, books, toys, and even soft drinks, it's clear the sci-fi first-person shooter is a marketing juggernaut. But Microsoft and Bungie Studios don't let just anyone buy the name and slap it on a random product; they maintain close controls on the Halo universe, working with their licensors to ensure that creative works derived from the games hold true to the spirit and story of the original subject matter.

In March of 2006, Marvel Comics jumped on board the Halo merchandising bandwagon with a graphic novel anthology of stories. The publisher of comic characters like Spider-Man and the Hulk signed up a roster of creative talent to work on the project, including artists Moebius and Simon Bisley.

Now Marvel is returning to Bungie's universe with Halo: Uprising, a four-issue limited series set to debut in comic stores next week. The publisher is once again tapping some big-name talent, as Uprising is written by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil) and drawn by Alex Maleev (Daredevil, Sam & Twitch).

Bendis recently took some time to answer a few of GameSpot's questions about the series.

The Uprising begins next week.

GameSpot: How did you get involved with the Halo: Uprising project?

Brian Michael Bendis: Marvel initially asked me to drive up and help close the deal on the graphic novel. They thought if Bungie got a load of me and my beautiful baldness they'd be woozy with excitement and sign up instantly. When Ruwan, Marvel's Halo dude, and I got there and saw that Bungie had already hired comics legends Moebius and Bisley, we pretty much knew they could care less that Ultimate Spider-Man boy showed up. [Smiles.]

When the ongoing series came up, I raised my hand because I knew firsthand that Bungie was not trying to make some cheapo licensing knockoff comic, and if you're like me you despise cheapo licensing comics.

GS: How does the story fit into the series' chronology?

BMB: It starts at the cliffhanger of Halo 2 and ends at the beginning of Halo 3. And, believe it or not, you can read it cold without ever having played the game.

GS: How familiar were you with the Halo games before you started working on this series?

BMB: I was pretty familiar. I played a lot. But I am not a master player like artist Alex Maleev is. He is really good. When I got the gig, I studied Halo meticulously. Now I am very entrenched in all things Halo.

GS: With the Ultimate titles, you've worked on some of the biggest comic superheroes and completely rewrote the book on them, so you're obviously no stranger to taking cherished, firmly established properties and revamping them for an apprehensive, and possibly unreceptive, fanbase. Is Halo just another big name for you to work on? Is the pressure of the rabid fan community's expectations any better or worse than it would be if you were being thrown on Spider-Man or Captain America for the first time?

BMB: A lot of the lessons I have learned writing Marvel Comics came into play here, but I've said this in other interviews and I mean it sincerely: Halo is our generation's Star Wars. It's got a rich and untapped backstory and worldview that completely inspires me and millions of others. That's why the game is such a hit, that's why it raises past being a game into a cultural phenomenon, because it has richness to it that other games, and frankly, a lot of movies and television shows simply do not have.

It was an honor to be asked to add something to the Halo pot. To bring to Halo what the graphic novel also brought, some humanity and perspective. Something you can't get in the game based solely on the nature of the different mediums.

GS: You're known for sometimes wordy stories or characters with lengthy monologs, yet Master Chief is virtually mute in the games. In fact, gamers never even get to see his face. How did you handle crafting a story around a silent protagonist, especially when so little of the character's background and motivations have been established?

BMB: I'm also proud of the fact that I know when to shut up. Many of my books and the characters I work on have very stoic personas. In the case of the Chief, it is not hard to let the suit and the visuals do the talking.

But the Chief is only part of this story. We also have the Earth under attack. The cities are falling. Most civilians have no idea what is happening or why. They are just being slaughtered and it is desperate and awful.

We also follow two complete strangers who are thrust together and just trying to deal with what is happening and how it affects them. A little similar to how Spielberg reworked War of the Worlds by showing a massive attack but only from a singular point of view.

GS: What kinds of constrictions were imposed on you by the license? Was there an existing plotline that you had to follow, or were you given the chance to flesh out the Halo universe however you saw fit?

BMB: I was given a time period and some very juicy locations to have my way with. Obviously I couldn't do anything that contradicted what was to happen in the third game--that would be silly.

The Bungie team was very open and ready to allow us to express some new ideas or to explore some lesser-known bits about the Halo universe within the context, and that's been great. Alex Maleev and I pitched and they bought--that part went pretty smoothly.

GS: What other video games would you like to see adapted to comics?

BMB: Crackdown! And Geometry Wars. [Smiles.] And maybe Frogger, but I'm holding out for a crack at the movie!

GS: As a writer used to a captive audience that can't influence the story's outcome, what do you think about the storytelling potential of games? Are user-directed narratives something you could see yourself exploring?

BMB: I've written a game and I am working on another one now. There are more similarities to comics and games than are instantly obvious. Comics, in their own way, are just as interactive as games. The white space in between the panels is the space the reader fills in time, space. The balloons can only dictate so much of the voice; the reader fills in a lot of that as well. In comics, the reader has a lot to do with how the story is told and their own enjoyment of it.

106 Comments

  • zigzag149

    Posted Aug 26, 2007 12:28 pm PT

    ok i thing the creators of halo are GODS but now i think there going overboard with the comic book also there are better creators of comics than marvel, for me this would be disappointing...BUT...alas CANT WAITE for HALO 3 ohhhoooooohhhoooooohoo (halo theam song)

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Aug 25, 2007 2:28 am PT

    Halo Graphic Novel was awesome hope this will be too.....

  • spartan32145698

    Posted Aug 21, 2007 1:37 pm PT

    soft drinks, i can take books and movies,but soft drinks! i heard how they already made weapon replicas!

  • tgu1jvaldes

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 11:42 am PT

    IM AGREE WITH MilkyJoe1... THAT´S RIDICOLOUS

  • Super_Kid_999

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 1:42 pm PT

    SuperbGamer, they already have halo comics out. I havent bought a copy yet, as the latest tie ive eben to a damn bookstore was at teh midnight release of harry potter and the deathly hallows. Its a great book too.

  • SuperbGamer

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 8:46 am PT

    I guess Halo comics wouldn't be a bad idea. It would surely be an interesting concept .

  • The_pims

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 6:27 am PT

    Im buying it ASAP

  • ctg867

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 10:06 pm PT

    Hope I can get this outside of a comic book store. I'm really, really not going to go into a comic book store to get this thing. *Hits up eBay*

  • Sandro7

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 9:08 am PT

    it could be awesome if this will be released all over world

  • El_Shabang

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 4:20 pm PT

    Oh man, I totally didn't expect that! Someone with the handle "Playstation_wii" doesn't like the Halo IP?

    Wow, I know I'm surprised!

  • xbox360y

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 4:53 am PT

    cool i better buy these comics

  • MilkyJoe1

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 4:20 am PT

    LOL am i the only one who looked at the pictures, it looks ridiculous

  • EarthThatWas

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 11:11 pm PT

    "But Microsoft and Bungie Studios don't let just anyone buy the name and slap it on a random product; they maintain close controls on the Halo universe, working with their licensors to ensure that creative works derived from the games hold true to the spirit and story of the original subject matter. "

    What a load of bantha poodoo. MC chowing down on a Whopper, drinking "game fuel." I hear it comes in urine flavor now. That way, they can uphold the tradition of peeing all over the franchise.

  • playstation_wii posted Aug 15, 2007 9:00 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    playstation_wii

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 9:00 pm PT (hide)

    Halo 3 is way to overhyped.

    It makes me sick, and I'm not just talking about that disgusting soda.

  • RangerG

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 7:47 pm PT

    Why buy the game anymore?

    Turn to page 3: 10 Gamerscore! W00t!

  • can0of0cheese

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 7:19 pm PT

    Vivendidoom--- lolz, reading comics does not make anyone mature and it is nerdy. More so than playing videogames. Kinda seems as though they are really milking the franchise.

  • BritSamurai

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 7:00 pm PT

    I haven't ever been a comic book reader but hell, its Halo!

  • vivendidoom

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 5:58 pm PT

    this guys knows what hes talking about...if your not a comic book reader and just think comics are for the enrds and the youngerly, i dare you to pick up and read Scott McCLoud's Understanding comics, it will give you whole new meaning to the word "mature"

  • bloodcow666

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 5:52 pm PT

    i'm totally buying

  • Chaudzff

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 4:05 pm PT

    i dont read comics =/ Mayb this can be an exception

  • miningguy

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 1:31 pm PT

    This is like the halo graphic novel

    new stories that take place during the older halos if not between halo 2 and 3

  • Vasya7

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 12:03 pm PT

    When is this going to be on sale? And a question for GameSpot, could you, please, post the comic somewhere? I beg you.

  • shortster1

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 6:50 am PT

    omg this better not make marvel exclusive to microsoft because that would be stupid because just say they make another game like ultimate alliance then it would be exclusive to the 360 and marvel would losse a lot of money for not putting it on all of the consoles

  • packernation31

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 1:25 am PT

    Hopefully It doesn't reveal any of the game before launch...

  • darkangel494

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 1:03 am PT

    Will this be sold in the uk and can anybody tell me if the halo 3 wireless headset is going to be sold here either?

  • sectorzero

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 9:47 pm PT

    I'm getting it. With that kind of talent at the helm, how could it suck?

    As much as Microsoft is exploiting Halo, at least they're letting talented people handle the franchise.

  • Grey-Hunter

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 9:31 pm PT

    Oh man... this is pretty depressing. A comic, and all the novels, if done tastefully are great, and I can totally support that. Fleshing out what was set up as a pretty awesome back story and universe is cool with me. But please, consumerism is going to destroy art once again. I for one can say that the first time I see the commercial with Master Chief stating that he drives only Pontiac Warthogs, I will cry. And when the commercials with Master Chief riding a 2-person bicycle with that bloody Burger King mascot dude, I will cry. Call me a hater, but there is NO way in hell anybody can convince me that a Mountain Dew and Doritos bag with Master Chief on it is sticking to the story and spirit of the original game in any way, shape or form. Oh well, all this crap is just a good excuse to not leave the house once Halo 3 comes out. More time to stay in and play, because unlike the chip flavors, the game will kick some serious arse!

  • KillerJamJam

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 5:07 pm PT

    Nah Xaovagon ... i think we can do without ... Halo is becomming like Warhammer fast ... however in reverse from the board game onto the computer screen ... At least this marketing ploy by Microsoft is more original than past Halo 2 marketing gimmicks

  • Xaovagon

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 4:00 pm PT

    bleh, they need to resurrect the lost Killzone comics

  • Homes225

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 2:16 pm PT

    Comes out today I think. Can't Wait.

  • PrivateJessard

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 1:53 pm PT

    I can't wait til these comics! I needa beat Halo 1 and 2 again for the 5th time to understand the comics.

  • keci_kt

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 1:19 pm PT

    Talking about what games would i like to see adapted to comics i would like to see Onymusha and God of War... I think it would be amazing to see all of the characters in action and have the main characters just role free..

  • jorgeluis

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 12:41 pm PT

    HaloFTW!!!

  • Roman_Slayer

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 11:30 am PT

    @Pie_FOREVER "@Roman_Slayer Don't tell me what I said, because that isn't at all what I said. I did not say at all movies are better than games. I'm saying they're treating Halo like it's some sort of messiah to the world that they're hyping it the point of it all being so ridiculous. Why? Because it IS just a game. Leave movies out of it. All I said is I'd expect this outrageous amount of hype on some big budget film. Halo has always been overrated to begin with. It's popular because it's in the mainstream and has all these ridiculous advertising margins

    Halo on Mountain Dew cans? Whoever can't say that's overkill is a sheep in the herd and nothing more"

    The comic isn't hype, Bungie is capitalizing on their untapped story. Wouldn't you? And the new Mountain Dew and Doritos with Halo 3 on them are new flavors. It's not like they're just slapping Halo 3 on to get a few more sales.

    Halo is the biggest cultural phenomenon since Star Wars. Get over it's success and play your pathetic Killzone or whatever.

  • Demonbob

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 10:18 am PT

    First issue releases on the 22nd I believe. Two wednesdays from now. It's 2.99 an issue. If you think that's expensive, but can get a 360+Halo 3, then shut up. Plus, it's BMB. He rules.

  • the_junk

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 10:14 am PT

    and Pie_Forever

    geeze bro what did M$ ever do to you? lol. You said it yourself, it's just a game. leave it at that and don't worry about it. who the crap cares what show up on my pop can? nobody buys it to stare at Master Chief. Why would they pay for pop they don't like? M$ signed an agreement with Pepsi to promote a product. It's marketing, and with marketing a product very little is overkill because the whole point is to make your product known. The only thing overkill is your spastic response to the excellent job of promotion and marketing M$ and Bungie are doing. Look at it through a business stand point. They know wtf they're doing and saying....unlike you.

  • the_junk

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 10:02 am PT

    Noob_kid
    "I want to know what happens without shelling out $$$ for a comic"

    They're comics. How expensive do you think they're going to be? Plus it's halo. anything halo is worth paying money, and this guy is legit, which means even more that it's going to be worth the small price.

  • ---n00b_kid---

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 9:50 am PT

    "BMB: It starts at the cliffhanger of Halo 2 and ends at the beginning of Halo 3 ..... "
    I want to know what happens without shelling out $$$ for a comic

  • xtermin8er93

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 8:58 am PT

    I got to get some of those comics.

  • Pie_FOREVER

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 8:08 am PT

    @Roman_Slayer Don't tell me what I said, because that isn't at all what I said. I did not say at all movies are better than games. I'm saying they're treating Halo like it's some sort of messiah to the world that they're hyping it the point of it all being so ridiculous. Why? Because it IS just a game. Leave movies out of it. All I said is I'd expect this outrageous amount of hype on some big budget film. Halo has always been overrated to begin with. It's popular because it's in the mainstream and has all these ridiculous advertising margins

    Halo on Mountain Dew cans? Whoever can't say that's overkill is a sheep in the herd and nothing more

  • tazmanafter

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 7:48 am PT

    yeah you can milk a franchise but you never can get enough of halo though that is something that can not be ruined if so people would not be expecting the third party release halo wars

  • okassar

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 7:29 am PT

    It's not really miliking the franchise,does not every "hero" deserve a comic?Ya,it's not necessary in this case,but it works.

  • NWA_31

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 6:26 am PT

    Okay, now they are just milking the franchise. They should stop before they ruin it

  • shenron43

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 6:08 am PT

    sounds very interesting.

  • WinterSlodier

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 6:07 am PT

    bendis can write anything and id buy it..i love the dialog...

  • cjdaweasel

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 5:27 am PT

    A Halo comic is far from the worst idea ever. A Halo line of Nasal Spray would be the worst idea ever.

  • agenthunt45

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 5:23 am PT

    They already have! Remember the costumes!

  • 360guy

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 3:31 am PT

    The games, the books, the comics/graphic novels, and movie(s) i can deal with, their all awesome by the way, but anything other than that would be going over the top too much

  • football_legend

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 2:01 am PT

    Actually. After reading all the novels released so far (all well writen), I am surprised that the universe is so deep and compelling, and thus further makes me a HALO fan. I advise everyone to atleast get the novels and comics from marvel if u wana learn more about not chief only...but the entire HALO universe like Spartan IIIs and other Spartans IIs, etc,

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