As Assassin & Son moves to Scout Comics, we refect back on our conversation with Shad Gaspard about this project…
ASSASSIN AND SON #1
Written by Shad Gaspard and Marc Copani and Illustrated by Eder Messiah
Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99
On Sale Date: April 15, 2020
April is WrestleMania season! Featuring the comic writing debuts of former WWE wrestlers, Shad Gaspard (member of Cryme Tyme) and Marc Copani (Muhammad Hassan)! ASSASSIN AND SON is a gritty urban-western set in present-day New York. Donovan Braddock is a one-man killing unit who works with a team of covert assassins known as “The Horsemen,” When Braddock attempts to live a normal life and leave his old violent life behind he discovers that violence still follows him as his wife is cold-heartedly murdered in front of both him and his young son. Now with nothing to live for, this tragic event sends father and son on an epic journey of revenge and consequence that becomes their “Path of Vengeance.”
Retailer Incentives: Retailers purchasing ten copies of Cover A (1:10) of ASSASSIN AND SON #1 will unlock unlimited orders of Cover B by series artist Eder Messiah. Please reach out to your CS rep with questions about retailer incentives.
WWE Superstars Shad Gaspard and Marc Copani are working on a graphic novel about and an assassin and his son, aptly named Assassin and Son. To get a better understanding of what the whole project is about, Shad Gaspard stopped by First Comics News to catch our readers up to speed on Assassin & Son.
First Comics News: What brought you to comics?
Shad Gaspard: My boy Michael when I was 11yrs old took me to a comic store in Brooklyn called Bulletproof comics. Before then I had only read a few comics here and there, but that store introduced me to Graphic novels, anime, manga, DC, Marvel, Millstone, dark horse and more. Growing up I was given a comic education by everyone there.
1st: How did you and Marc Copani decide to work together?
Shad: Mark had just left wrestling and was pursuing an acting and writing career. I came up with the idea while on the road and sent it to him. He said, “It sucked”. So I reworked it and sent it to him again, this time he was interested. We started working together and created a really good story.
1st: I had heard that Assassin and Son was originally planned as a movie, what changed?
Shad: It was, several major film companies’ read the script thanks to my connections, but I wanted to push Marc and me out of the picture. Neither of us wanted that so we decided that the story was compelling enough to be a graphic novel
1st: What is Assassin and Son about?
Shad: You’ll have to read it to find out, but it essentially is about the journey of a man and his son seeking revenge. Let me say all the critics & cynics who think they know this story by saying this is not Lone wolf & Cub, though we to pay homage to them in the first issue. This is a totally different story all within itself. The structure we used will seem familiar, but you will note and be surprised at how we drastically change things up as the story goes on.
1st: Who are the Horsemen?
Shad: The Horsemen are a group of assassins led by Lorenzo who pretty much take over New York. Pretty much a group of Bad Mother F—.
1st: Braddock and Matthew are on a path of vengeance, do they find redemption along the way?
Shad: You’ll have to read to find out, but what we did for our story was put a good twist on everything at the end.
1st: After the graphic novel will there be more stories with Braddock and Matthew?
Shad: That depends on who is left alive at the end of Path of Vengeance.
1st: For fans that are not sure about the series, what is so cool about Assassin and Son that every fan needs to buy a copy?
Shad: Ok let me get smart guy on you for a second…This is a raw, gritty, graphic novel, if you’re looking for sunshine and butterflies, you won’t get it here. Assassin & Son is an engrossing tragedy told in a modern forum that makes the reader play the game of cat and mouse on every page, whilst always asking which is which. As the story progresses you will be drawn in by each character’s unique styles, finding your self liking both their heroes and villains. How was that?
Assassin and Son Preview from AssassinAndSon on Vimeo.
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