BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO The Black Tarantula is trying to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks by becoming a hero to the city he once terrorized. But, just because you want to do good, does that make you good? Does that mean you can find redemption or acceptance? That's one of the things explored as Carlos LaMuerto tries to become a Robin Hood of sorts for his neighborhood. However, the Black Tarantula runs across a few problems and turns to his pal, Matt Murdock for help in the pages of Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula. Last week we spoke with artist Chris Samnee about this story, today we turn to one of the writers, Ande Parks for more details about this adventure.
THE PULSE: I'm sure even those with a passing knowledge of Marvel Comics have heard of the Daredevil, especially with his film and television appearances, but who is the Black Tarantula?
ANDE PARKS: Carlos LaMuerto is the Black Tarantula. He is crime royalty, really. He inherited the Black Tarantula mantle at birth, although he didn’t acquire the powers that went with it until much later. He was created, I believe, as a Spider-Man villain. He’s super strong and has incredible healing powers.
THE PULSE: So he's a tough guy. But there are a lot of tough guy villains out there who are household comic book names. How did you get to know this character who isn't as familiar as a Kingpin or other thorn in the side of Daredevil?
PARKS: Well, I discovered him when Ed Brubaker used him in Daredevil. Ed had him in Riker’s with Matt Murdock, and I thought he was fascinating in that arc. You could tell Ed had more in mind for the character than just another gangster or supervillain.
THE PULSE: When you were in the planning stages of this story with Ed Brubaker, what was that process like? Did you meet up and sit around and talk about what should happen here or was it a more defined process?
PARKS: This story follows the first Annual thing we did with Carlos. For that first story, that involved Carlos getting released from prison, Ed, Warren Simons (Daredevil editor), and I chatted a bit on the phone about what the story would be, and then Ed went off and wrote a two page plot for me to script from.
On this new story (Blood of the Tarantula), I came up with the initial plot, and then we all bounced it back and forth until we had something we liked.
THE PULSE: That sounds like the best way to do things. So exactly how long has this story been in the works?
PARKS: I guess we were talking plot back in December, so it’s been a while. I think I got started on the actual script early this year.
THE PULSE: Was it something that wrote itself easily or something you struggled a little with?
PARKS: It’s the same with every project … some scenes I have a very clear vision for, and they are easy to write. Other stuff, I don’t have as great a handle on, and it’s a bit of a struggle. It all gets done, though. You just have to sit at the damn computer and think. Believe me, sometimes that’s a struggle!
THE PULSE: I can relate to the sitting at the computer and thinking. So what sets someone like Carlos LaMuerto apart from Daredevil or any other hero in the Marvel Universe?
PARKS: I don’t know that he’s totally unique in the Marvel Universe, but he is a type that I really relate to. He’s a smart guy with a good heart, but he has this dark side that he cannot overcome for long periods of time. In our new story, we open with him trying to do the right thing, and feeling good about it. Unfortunately, even when he’s helping people, there is a violence in his nature that he can’t escape. Maybe he doesn’t really want to … that’s what he is. My own feeling, though, is that he can become a better man, it’s just going to be a real battle for him, and watching him go through that process is really interesting, I think.
THE PULSE: How is the Black Tarantula and his goals similar to those of Matt Murdock/Daredevil?
PARKS: Well, that’s something we touch on a bit in this new story. Carlos has set himself up as a vigilante in his neighborhood, much as Matt has. The difference is that, while Matt is a genuine superhero who can usually control himself when the dark side of his nature wants to emerge, Carlos doesn’t have that control. When he’s pushed, he tends to snap.
THE PULSE: How well is Matt able to relate to what Carlos is trying to do in his corner of Hell's Kitchen?
PARKS: I think Matt relates to a lot in what he sees in Carlos. He’s always kind of liked and respected Carlos. That’s what made their dynamic so interesting when Ed wrote him into Daredevil in the first place. These are two guys who see a lot of themselves in the other. There is a respect there. And, of course, Matt and Carlos have the same goals as our new story opens… they’re trying to keep crime and drugs off the streets. It’s the method that’s different.
And, sadly for Carlos, he has a darker past than Matt. That criminal past comes back to haunt Carlos in our story, and threatens to undo everything he’s accomplished since he got out of prison.
THE PULSE: For those meeting the Black Tarantula for the first time in this story, how did his path originally cross with that of the Daredevil?
PARKS: I could be wrong, as continuity isn’t really my specialty, but I think they first net in prison. Now, someone can tell me what an idiot I am… that Matt helped Spider-Man beat Black Tarantula in Spider-Woman #234. They may even tell me I inked that issue. Who keeps track of this stuff?!
THE PULSE: Hah! We've sharp PULSE readers, they'll let us know .... So, LaMuerto used to be a gang lord, most people consider members of organizations like that "lifers." What does his former gang think about his new role in society outside of their gang?
PARKS: Yeah … that’s an issue, and that’s what Carlos has to face in our story. His former drug gang family is not going to approve of Carlos’s lifestyle, and they see the Black Tarantula mantle as their franchise, so to speak. They didn’t give one of their own these powers to have him use the powers running around helping common people.
THE PULSE: Who or what influenced you the most as you were scripting this story?
PARKS: If I’m writing Daredevil, I can feel the penetrating eyes of my hero Frank Miller on the back of my bald head. That’s just inescapable for me. His work means so much to me, that there’s no way I could completely set it aside and pretend it’s not an influence. I’m also heavily influenced by some of the same writers that influenced Frank … the great noir crime writers like Jim Thompson, Mickey Spillane, Dasheill Hammett, and James M. Cain.
And, of course, Mr. Brubaker is a big influence. He handles Daredevil so well, and he molded the version of Carlos that I’m writing here.
THE PULSE: What were some of the biggest challenges to getting the story beats down just right?
PARKS: It’s almost always the space limitations. We came up with a lot of stuff in the outline stage, and it was hard to get all that into the finished script and do it justice. I always wish I had just a few more pages!
THE PULSE: What sets this story apart from the typical Daredevil story that one might read? Is he more of a supporting player here or is it an equal face time type of deal?
PARKS: Matt is definitely something of a supporting character in this issue. He shows up, of course, and his presence is felt throughout, but Carlos’s arc is our main concern. I think our story is somewhat unique because of how we deal with the notion of a guy who has always been a “supervillain” trying to get things straight in his life. I also really like the parallels between Carlos’s brand of vigilantism and Matt’s.
THE PULSE: How was working on a story like this different from a tale like Capote in Kansas?
PARKS: I guess they’re all the same in some ways. I have the same goals for each scene… serving the theme I want to address, giving the characters something to chew on, advancing the storyline in a way that makes sense and keeps the reader guessing, etc.. With one of my creator-owned books, though, especially a book like Capote In Kansas, we can linger a bit more with the quiet moments, and maybe indulge ourselves with a little more symbolism. When you’re writing a Marvel comic, you need to keep it moving. When you’re writing about Truman Capote’s struggle to create a book, you can afford to spend a few pages with Truman walking around in the night, pondering his situation.
THE PULSE: What's it like having Chris Samnee illustrate this story? I know you worked with him on the aforementioned Capote in Kansas story ....
PARKS: It’s like winning the damn comic writer lottery! That skinny bastard is just incredible, and he’s perfectly suited to this kind of story. We’re dealing with heroes and villains and bigger than life stuff, but it’s also very grounded in the real world. Chris excels at both sides of that equation in a way very few artists can.
THE PULSE: Is the Black Tarantula a character you'd like to do more stories about?
PARKS: Um… yes! As I already mentioned, I really think I know this guy and his struggle. I could write about Carlos for a long time. We’ll have to see how Marvel feels about that, though!
THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on in and around comic books?
PARKS: I just finished inking a three issue Superman Confidential arc over my pal Phil Hester. Next up for us is this Daredevil/Magdalena crossover one shot thing (I’ve been seeing a lot of Matt lately, which is great!), and then we’re starting an El Diablo series at DC with our buddy Jai Nitz handling the scripts.
On the writing side of things, I’m working on an Uncle Slam one shot and two OGNs for Oni Press.
Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula is in stores now from Ed Brubaker, Ande Parks and Chris Samnee.
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