Mark Millar is relaunching Kick-Ass with some diversity

June 22nd 2016, 4:55pm

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Mark Millar is relaunching his popular KICK-ASS franchise and is bringing racial and gender diversity along with him as he completely changes the title character to represent those who are under-represented in comics. Rather than stick another white dude under the mask, as he initially did with nerdy Dave Lizewski holding the Kick-Ass superhero role, Millar will be introducing a black female as the lead under the title KICK-ASS: THE NEW GIRL.

Comics is not short of white males aged around 30; that demographic seems pretty well catered for in popular culture. I don’t think many blonde white guys around 30 feel under-represented when they pick up comic or watch a movie. Being older or younger or female or African-American just seems more interesting to me as a writer because this character is quite unique and opens up story possibilities that haven’t been tried in almost eighty years of superhero fiction. This woman has a completely different take on Kick-Ass.

And Millar just dropped the mic on all the haters who believe comics can and should be only one way while also offering up valid reasons for his creative choices that even the most die-hard, one-way thinkers would have trouble arguing against. In yo' face, haters.

The new KICK-ASS will take place in a new city with an entirely different crop of characters surrounding his heroine. To Millar, it is less about telling one continuous and connected story than it is about opening up doors for himself as a storyteller to explore those which keeps things fresh and interesting and exciting.

Kick-Ass is like James Bond or Doctor Who, where with a new face and a new situation and it suddenly feels very exciting. Every four volumes or so I want a different person in the mask. Sometimes it might even only last a single volume or even a single issue.

John Romita Jr., who co-created KICK-ASS, will be back to draw the books, committing to the property for the next three years. But Kick-Ass isn't the only character getting a relaunch. Hit Girl will be getting a fresh spin-off as well with Rafael Albuquerque handling the drawing. Millar will be behind the first creative story arc there before giving way to Daniel Way as the regulr author.

Both books are being primed for release in January.