DC Comics imprint Milestone Comics is making a triumphant return to the spotlight with the debut of several "Season One" mini-series -- featuring several of the publisher's most popular characters. Originally founded in 1993 by a number of veteran African-American creators that included Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan, Milestone focused on the creation of minority and marginalized characters in their quest for representation in the comic book industry.
The publisher's most successful creation, the African-American teenage hero Static, was the first character to be given a Season One title, followed by Icon and Rocket. Another respected Milestone property, the hi-tech hero known as Hardware, is now returning with his own self-titled mini-series debuting on Aug. 10. In anticipation of Hardware: Season One #1's release, CBR took part in a roundtable discussion with two of the creators of Hardware Season One, writer Brandon Thomas (Infinite Frontier, Skybound X) and artist Cowan (Black Panther, Detective Comics). Notably, Cowan was also a co-creator on the original Hardware series from the 90s. In a very passionate, yet relaxed discussion, the two creators discussed what the future holds for Hardware, teased what the series will cover, and offered insight into the overall success of the publisher over the years and its impact on the current generation.
When asked about the success of Milestone's original mission of diversity and its impact on the current era, Cowan replied first. "Back when we started Milestone in 1993, our goal was to get black talent, gay talent, women, and minorities to work with us," he said. "To us, getting those people in this business was an important part of changing the face of comics. How much of that has changed in 2021? Not much in my eyes, so our mission remains the same."
While Thomas conceded that there is much that has not changed, he also acknowledged how much Milestone positively affected his career. "I'm here because of Milestone," the writer said. "I am working for DC right now because of what they did. I put out a book through Image Comics called Excellence with Khary Randolph and Emilio Lopez that would not exist had they not paved the way. When I pitched Excellence, I said I wanted an all-black and brown creative team, and without the success of Milestone, I don't know if it would have happened."
With Hardware essentially being a high-tech hero, the creators were asked how the character compares to Marvel's Iron Man. "Hardware is Hardware," Cowan answered excitedly. "There's a black man in that suit. He has a different, much more powerful mindset. He's no Iron Man. Tony Stark was the son of a rich inventor who was basically handed all that he has. Tony's smart, but he's not self-made. He has no history of pulling himself up by his bootstraps."
"Curtis Metcalf is a whole different dude who should just be seen for who he is," he continued. "He was a child prodigy, brought up in a corporate environment. He's a super-smart, young, black radical who was lied to his entire life about his true potential. He'll never work for the government. He's just not that kind of character. He's very much the opposite of anything Iron Man is. The only thing they have in common is that they both have armor... And I would argue that Hardware's armor is superior. It would be great to see these guys go toe to toe one day."
After confirming that Hardware Season One would run in the same six-issue, self-contained format as its predecessors Static: Season One and Icon and Rocket: Season One, the creators were asked if there were any particular moments in the series that stood out to them. "I felt very good about the first issue," Thomas answered. We know who Curtis Metcalf is, but we wanted to do a book for people who might not know, who might be reading Hardware for the first time. That's why it was important for me to include the parakeet monologue as a part of the very first issue."
The parakeet monologue in the first issue occurs in Hardware's mind and is instrumental in explaining the mindset of the character. "Without that story, without that metaphor, there's no way to really understand Hardware's perspective," Thomas continued. "I wanted to show the violation and rage this black man felt after his white mentor told him that he made Curtis matter. That was so emotionally important to me because I think a lot of us have felt that way in our own lives. Those feelings had to stay plugged into this character, and I'm really proud about how it all came out."
When the creators were asked about their work dynamic and how difficult it was for Cowan to translate what Thomas wrote into artwork, Cowan replied, "I'll be honest, that has been a thing. Brandon wrote a scene where Curtis jumped off a rooftop, his armor comes underneath him, and he actually rides it. I remember looking at that and thinking, 'What does that even mean? Is he riding the suit like a surfboard? Is that even possible?' That forces me to think about the suit and what it can do in entirely different ways."
Thomas added a little more information about the suit as the roundtable concluded. "In the first season, Hardware's suit is pretty much how it was originally," he said. "There's a plasma knife and a whip, but for the most part, it's pretty similar. But a lot of things are available now that did not exist in the early 90s. His A.I. operating system speaks to him in his father's voice and does things it couldn't do before, and the character as a whole is still developing. By the time we get to issue six, Curtis will be in a different phase of his life, and things will be much different for him and the suit moving forward."
Hardware Season One is written by Brandon Thomas and illustrated by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz. The first issue is on sale on Aug. 10 from DC Comics.