So we’ve shown you previews of our two other books, but we’ve been keeping pretty tight lipped about our last book… til now. I recently interviewed Mairghread Wild Scott and Candace Ellis about Triage, which you’ll find is going to be a very different kind of story than our other offerings.

Here’s what Mairghread and Candace had to say:

Mairghread, we have been keeping Triage under very tight wraps but now we want to start to show it off a little, what can you tell us about it?

Mairghread Wild Scott: Triage is the story of how a norma,l everyday woman becomes a wanted vigilante. Cassie, our main character, is a Los Angeles EMT who discovers she has a limited healing factor.   But powers aren’t always a blessing in actual life and Cassie finds herself being drawn into a super-powered gang war over the city’s underworld.

Candace, What were your first thoughts when Mairghread shared the script for Triage with you?

Candace Ellis: My first thought was “Oh my god, this is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done!” But I love a good challenge, so I was really (REALLY) excited too. Mairghread’s script hooked me right off the bat: more so, Cassie, the main character. Again, it was mostly excitement! I felt really lucky and honored to be able to get to draw something so awesome.

Mairghread, Triage isn’t your typical vigilante story, what inspired you to tell this kind of story?

MWS: I love superhero stories, but it seems like a really extreme lifestyle. I kept asking myself what it would take to make someone choose that life. I also wanted to write a story about people with powers who were still human. Our speed characters are not breaking the sound barrier and even though Cassie survives some tough stuff, she’s not on par with Wolverine. She’s still in real danger. It’s exploring the human side of super-humans that makes Triage special.

Candace, Where there any comics or artists you’ve looked to for inspiration?

CE: Mairghread actually sent me a couple of references when we first started planning things out, so I’ve been researching them, quite a bit. Jiro Taniguchi, as well as others with a similar feel to their artwork, like Takehiko Inoue, etc. I’ve also been catching up on Satoshi Kon movies (which is never a bad thing).

Mairghread, Triage has a cast full of awesome women, was that an intentional decision, or did it just happen that way?

MWS: It’s funny, I knew I wanted my main character to be a woman with a healing factor, because I think there just aren’t enough women in comics who get to physically fight anyone. But I mostly picked my characters to explore the types of relationships that matter to me as a writer and a reader: siblings, friends, coworkers, rivals, all of it. A lot of them ended up being women, but I’ve tried hard to add some cool guys to the story, and not just for the sexy variant covers. 

Candace, Who has been your favorite character to design?

CE: I’d like to say Cassie, but I think Anna was much more fun for me. I struggled a lot trying to get the main girls looking a certain way and distinct, but Anna….felt right, right off the bat.

Mairghread and Candace, is there a particular character or scene you are most excited for the readers to see when the comic is finished?

MWS: Okay I don’t want to spoil anything, but our comic is not purely black and white. Color serves a very specific purpose in Triage and I can’t wait for people to get to the first color panels. Candace’s art sings even without color, but that first pop of red is going to really catch some attention.

CE: Yes! I can’t wait for everyone to meet Elena!!! That particular scene is really intense and it also shows off a lot of Cassie’s personality. There’s a lot going on there.

Thanks Mairghread and Candace, Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?

MWS: I am so grateful for a chance to work with such amazing people. I really feel that comics are for everyone and WE Comics believes that too

CE: Can I mention again how excited I am to be working on Triage? Mairghread has been a dream to work with and she really knows her stuff (and is putting me through my paces, in a good way). If you like comics with strong, determined ladies, this is definitely it. Also many many thanks to Jason, Mairghread, and WE Comics for making this comic happen!

Triage is due out in early July. Mairghread is on twitter as @mairghreadscott and you can check out her awesome website http://www.wrongsidecomics.com/ for more of her work. Candace tweets as @bybystarlight and her site http://www.by-starlight.com/ is full of her beautiful art work.