The following interview contains spoilers from Black Adam #1, on sale now from DC Comics.

Christopher Priest is one of the most well-respected writers in comics. Already holding the distinction of being the first Black writer-editor in mainstream comics, Priest has produced work for both Marvel and DC alongside his acclaimed independent title, Quantum and Woody. The writer is known for tackling issues concerning race and diversity in his work, doing so in notable fashion during his character defining run on Black Panther.

Priest sat down with CBR to discuss his latest project, the limited series Black Adam, which focuses on the complexities that comprise the DC Comics character prior to his upcoming film debut. During the course of the discussion, Priest talked about his excitement about having the chance to explore the character, Adam's time as both a hero and a villain, his similarities to Marvel's Black Panther, and returning the complex figure to his roots.

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Black Adam- Travis Mercer and Danny Miki Team Variant Cover

CBR: What do fans need to know going into this new Black Adam series?

Priest: I really feel like the less you know about the character, the more you'll enjoy the series. You won't be looking for things that are not necessarily going to be there or for a continuation of something you've read before. That being said, fans out there who are familiar with my work on Black Panther will recognize shades of that series, as well as those who have read Quantum and Woody. There will be humor in the series that some won't expect because this is not something typically seen from this character. But I hope that readers will just come with an open mind and give us a shot. I'm very excited about this book.

What can you share about this series?

It's an introspective look at a Count Dracula type of character who has been around since the 14th century. It's about a man who has lived too long and what that feels like for him. I've described his immortality as this heavy overcoat that he has to wear everywhere he goes, even though he's longing to take it off. There are people who want to live forever, but I think that if we had a chance to live for centuries, at the least, it would get boring and, at some point, even oppressive.

Adam is a guy who has lived far too long and made far too many mistakes. He's at a point in his life where he is trying to clean up his legacy. He knows he has fewer days ahead of him than he has behind him, and he would like the end of his legacy to be better than the beginning. He is essentially a guy obsessed with cleaning up his act. But my personal point of view is that it's too late for him to undo all that he has done. There are too many bodies left in his trail and too much dirt on this man's soul. So really, there is no redemption for Black Adam, but he's trying nonetheless. It's a kind of a Shakespearean tragedy about a guy trying to redeem himself, but he's started this process much too late.

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Black Adam - Main Cover by Irvin Rodriguez

Do you personally see Black Adam as a hero, anti-hero, or downright monster?

I think he's a monster who's deluding himself. I think he has had a kind of moral awakening where he has realized that he's been a monster all along. He has generally had a sort of self-righteousness about himself and what he has done, but I think that at some point he looked back and realized what he has become. Now he's trying to change course, but to me it would be far less interesting if he actually managed to do so. He's joined the Justice League, and they're all joining hands and singing, but I just don't find that very realistic or as interesting as him trying to change and failing. The latter is basically what this book is all about.

What excites you about writing this Black Adam series?

I don't think DC has ever done what we're doing in this book. It's like we're watching a slow-motion train wreck. We're telling the readers right from the first issue that this is not going to end well. If you're looking for the feel-good book of the year, this ain't it.

Black Adam gives me the chance to revisit some of the themes we did in Black Panther in terms of the geopolitics. This guy is not American, so we should not expect him to conform to our way of life, our way of thinking, or our sense of morality. He's a Head of State who makes his own rules, as we see on page one of the first issue during his Senate hearing.

On top of that, we're giving him a partner who is a person of color and interjects a lot of humor and humanity into Adam's life. This is someone Adam chooses as his successor, and this person comes to represent the hope and whitewashed legacy that Black Adam craves. This is like Dracula finding a good person who can somehow be the key to his redemption, and this creates a very interesting dynamic between the two characters.

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Black Adam - Lucio Parrillo Open Order and 1_100 Foil Variant

What is one moment that you just can't wait for fans to see in your Black Adam series?

In Issue #5, we have Theo Adam confronting Bruce Wayne, and he acknowledges that he knows Bruce is coming after him. Bruce responds by telling Adam that when he decides to come after him, he will certainly know. You really don't want to miss Issue #6 when Batman actually does come after Black Adam. I don't know what's more exciting, the actual confrontation between these two or when they face off against each other in their secret identities. I think that Bruce sees a lot of his mistakes in Theo, and is actually trying to help. But Black Adam is not willing to take help from anybody because he's kind of a jerk. There's a lot of good stuff coming in this series that readers will not want to miss.

Black Adam is written by Christopher Priest and illustrated by Rafa Sandoval. The first issue is on sale now from DC Comics.