Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows are back (along with Babs and Izzy, of course), for a sequel to their irreverent fantasy series for AHOY Comics titled Babs: The Black Road South.
The six-issue mini-series (the first issue is in stores now) finds Babs and Izzy in a brand-new fix after a win in a gladiator arena seems to set them up for financial success, before trouble finds them and puts them on the Black Road South.
We were thrilled to be able to speak to Ennis once again about the second BABS series, as well as some of his past and present work in this exclusive interview.
It seems like Babs and Izzy are ready for a new adventure, so what does the road to Mordynn have in store for them?
Garth Ennis: It looks like a simple matter of recovering some badly invested funds, but in fact the Black Road holds all manner of trouble for our heroes. There’s a dragon with PTSD, a barbarian queen with a sense of humour deficit, a lord of evil who’s so evil he doesn’t even want the job, and—the real problem—a halfling with a serious grudge against Babs, one he’s been looking forward to acting on for a long time. Because Babs has been to Mordynn before, and she’s really very keen indeed that no one finds out what she got up to when she was there.
What did you enjoy most about the first BABS series and what are you looking forward to expanding upon or introducing in this story arc?
Ennis: The thing I enjoy most about Babs is Babs; she really is a tremendously entertaining character to write. Lousy attitude and shitty luck make her a winner in my eyes, her lack of respect for almost everyone she meets means I can have her getting into all sorts of ridiculous situations—and, to be fair, they usually deserve it. This time around I’m interested in seeing how far I can push the audience’s sympathy for—or at least engagement with—someone whose morality does not really align with that of most comic book or sword & sorcery heroes. In other words, someone you might well meet in real life.
You are well known for your sense of humor and the wide list of genres that you have worked in. Does the sword and sorcery genre more easily lend itself to humor than some other genres?
Ennis: Very much so. It’s hard to take elves, goblins, dragons and wizards casting magic spells too seriously, particularly as you’re essentially talking about entertainment for children adapted for adults. In that way it’s very like the costumed superhero genre, which also has a bad habit of getting a bit po-faced.
Do you remember the first sword and sorcery story that you watched or read?
Ennis: I certainly do, it was The Hobbit. I was about six and my Dad was reading it to me, and around about the halfway point he asked if I was enjoying it. Yes indeed, I said, and he told me in that case I could finish it for myself, and handed me the book—and I did. He did me an enormous favour by encouraging me to read, because what it did was to make me love stories, to always want to find or figure out what happens next. Long term, this has worked out extremely well for me.
I still love The Hobbit, I think it’s pretty much storytelling 101. If you hunt around on YouTube you should be able to find a superb reading of it by Nicol Williamson (Merlin in Excalibur).
Many fans still have fond memories of your run on Hellblazer. With the Vertigo brand coming back this year, what are your memories of working on the title and John Constantine?
Ennis: I don’t think I did that great a job on Hellblazer; I wrote Constantine as too heroic and the stories as too sentimental. Jamie Delano had a better grip on it; he picked up the cues from Alan Moore’s work to far greater effect. On the other hand it did see the beginning of my collaboration with Steve Dillon, leading us both onto greater things.
If I wrote Constantine today I’d make him much nastier, more reflective of the bastard he tells us he is in his very first appearance (and proves himself to be with the sacrifice of so many unfortunate friends). I actually pitched a Hellblazer story to DC a few years ago, but Marie Javins just couldn’t get it approved, it was far too extreme. She has my complete sympathy, it was very nasty stuff indeed.
You have worked with Jacen Burrows a number of times. What impressed you most about this work on BABS?
Ennis: The same things that always impress me about Jacen’s work: excellent characterization, flawless storytelling and a rich vein of humour. It really is a tremendous pleasure to see his pages when they come in, there’s always something that gives me a chuckle, or has me staring in awe. I’m a lucky lad in that regard.
Upcoming projects?
Ennis: Currently out from TKO is Partisan, one of my all-time greats, with art by Steve Epting—a follow-up (not sequel) to Sara from a few years back. Collections of recent stuff like The War with Becky Cloonan (Boom), Rogue Trooper with Paddy Goddard, and Johnny Red with Keith Burns, the latter two both from Rebellion.
A new Action special for which I’ve written Dredger and Hellman, also from Rebellion, with more Battle Action to follow later in the year. A new humour series from AHOY, not a million miles away from Babs in terms of tone, and—eventually—a third series of Babs. A very peculiar horror one-shot from Ninth Circle. And, as usual, a few other bits & bobs I can’t talk about just yet.
Check out Burrows and John McCrea’s covers below and our previous interview with Ennis and Burrows right here.
