by Ryan McLelland

She’s killed all the superheroes in New Port City. She’s changed all the laws to suit her needs. She’s made herself dictator for life over the fair city. And the people she governs over wouldn’t have it any other way. Thus is the life of an amazing villain in Jimmie Robinson’s Bomb Queen from Image Comics that can only be described as Mussolini meets Astro City.

While Bomb Queen isn’t the first time readers have seen a comic book where the bad guy is reigning on top, it is the first where we see a hot chick in spandex taking charge while the citizens of the city are actually rooting for her. Robinson admits that the book’s origins all started with one simple name. “To be honest, it all started with the name itself, ‘Bomb Queen’,” says Robinson. “I don't normally work from the title forward, but in this case the name begged the question; how would you employ bombs in your career, and why on Earth would you claim the title of, ‘Queen’? I wrestled with this and then turned Bomb Queen into a villain - which then, made sense. However, I couldn't create a suitable Hero to combat her - so I tossed the hero concept out and switched everything to the villain. It was all-natural.”

Robinson had his name and his first ideas of what his character was all about when he decided to turn to his peers to see what they all thought of the concept. “They laughed,” Robinson notes. “They said I can't make a book about a villain! I had to at least give her some redeeming qualities, or she needs to change along the way, or learn a valuable lesson in the story.”

Redeeming qualities? Valuable lessons? While that might be good for other comic villains Robinson knew that what he had in Bomb Queen was special, “To all that I said, no. She's a psychotic villain. She doesn't change her ways. I look at a Batman book and I don't expect him to change. Batman has psychotic issues that drive his career - and when writers do something out of character the readers slam them for it. So why not the villain? She's evil, she's bad, that's just how it is. I don't expect the Joker to learn compassion, why should my villain change?”

With that idea in mind Robinson began looking for influences from television and film for his newest comic opus but two of those influences might seem a bit strange when put next to one another, “(I took) Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and, believe it or not, Bugs Bunny. In Henry, killing is just what he does; it's his nature. His moral compass is off-center. The viewer wants him to grow and change, but he doesn't and that becomes more disturbing than the acts of violence. With Bugs Bunny comes the idea of always being on top. Bugs is never in the wrong, and never in trouble; he continues to wipe his enemies off the map with a nod and a wink. The viewers accept not only Bugs' executional style, but also the environment and characters that support it. We believe Daffy Duck deserves the pain and misery - even when Daffy is in the right. Bomb Queen, much like Bugs Bunny, dances through her environment untouched by public opinion.”

Robinson continues, “This brings up the society that Bomb Queen rules. Of course I couldn't just drop her into any city, USA. Often I find that's the trouble with many hero comics today. The city and environment is just a backdrop for the things that happen to them. Switch that around and make the environment the reason for them and you'll find a completely new take on what is means to be a hero, or villain. Places like this exist all over the globe. Go to Nevada and gambling and prostitution is legal, yet cross the state line into Utah and the Mormons are writing the laws. In Pennsylvania it's the Amish communities. Go to Amsterdam and drugs are legal. It's the classic "Cabin in the Woods" in horror films. Make a wrong turn and end up where the rules are different and if you don't play by them then get the hell out before it's too late. This can be said for comics as well. Go to Gotham City and you deal with Batman. Metropolis is Superman's turf. Avengers have their own place, and the JLA has a watchtower. So what does a villain get? What if there was a place "bad people" chose to live? Where heroes aren't wanted and the rules were different? Who would rule that city? A villain, of course.”

With the lunatic having taken over the asylum we now have the beautiful woman who rules over a city with an iron fist, bombs at her disposal, and a skimpy uniform that leaves little to the imagine. Robinson is quick to note that everything he has written was done for a reason, “Well, while it is fun to see a hot chick blow things up, that's not the case here. Bomb Queen is as flamboyant as the Joker but for a reason. Bomb Queen is the icon of New Port City. She represents all that might be considered ‘wrong’ about the society she rules. She kills people and doesn't care while wearing next to nothing, and people love it. We're talking about a person who has a webcam and sex toys in her bathroom. Bread and circuses. She is giving the people of New Port City what they want and reminding them all the time that you're not in Kansas anymore. The reader is just witness to it all.

”Her aggressive sexual behavior stems from outright power and is made clear in her representation and clothing. Men have taken advantage of power and sex throughout history. Reverse the gender and it wouldn't change. Bomb Queen is sexually open and an exhibitionist. She, just like Bugs Bunny, fears nothing... and it literally shows.”

With the bad girl making all the rules and villains free to run amok, what can one expect from the mini-series itself? “The main story arc of this 4-issue series will do two things,” says Robinson. “First (it will) introduce the reader to Bomb Queen and her ‘cabin in the woods’. Second bring conflict to her well-run machine. A politician from ‘outside’ wants to clean up New Port City as the new Mayor. This of course doesn't sit well with Bomb Queen and the sparks fly. It escalates when the Mayoral candidate hires a Hero and actually makes an impact on the people. Bomb Queen is nothing without her support - just as the Greek gods can't exist without belief. Someone has to die, and everything need to be set back to (being) ‘wrong’ again.”

Continues Robinson, “I hold back a tiny bit in issue one, but after the introductions are made and characters have their place on the set I really let go. People die. A lot of people will die. A lot of building will be leveled. As for quiet moments in the park, believe it or not, Bomb Queen has those moments to herself. We get to see her at home, relaxing, watching TV, reading her fan mail. Trust me, you will love this villain - even with all the ugliness and violence. I didn't paint a cardboard villain. The book is about her. We follow her around on her exploits; listen to her theories and philosophies. But at the same time she is not a sappy villain. This is not DC's Villains United with reluctant, blackmailed characters doing things to save their family and loved ones. This is not Mark Waid's Empire where she has troubles with her staff and family, and a world that opposes her taken by force. This is Bomb Queen, ruler of New Port City... and the people that love her violent ways.”

With all of the energy put into the book we all would expect that the Queen of New Port City might make a return sooner rather then later. Robinson, of course, loves to entertain this theory. “A sequel? We will have to wait on that announcement. I do have stories lined up, and I have entertained the idea of an on-going series of story arcs. I also have (scripted even) the origin story of how Bomb Queen came into power. But I'm not big on prequels, if anything I might impart some of this in flashbacks in future series. Recently, I've toyed with the concept of bumping her into a few other Shadowline characters in (Shadowline creator) Jim Valentino's universe. Blacklight, in particular. Not sure if I would make Bomb Queen a fish out of water, or bring Blacklight to Bomb Queen's ‘Cabin in the Woods’. Perhaps both. But Valentino has shown some interest. It would be a collaboration. It all depends on the success of the first series. Either way I'm going to have loads of fun here.”

Readers can drop in on Bomb Queen when issue one hits this February from Image Comics’ Shadowline Imprint.