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The Weatherman writer talks redemption in exclusive first look at Vol. 2 interiors
This summer, Mars' once-favorite meteorologist, Nathan Bright, returns in Vol. 2 of The Weatherman, the hit sci-fi comic series from writer Jody LeHeup and artist Nathan Fox. This time around, they're joined by new colorist, Moreno Dinisio.
Last year, we were lucky enough to get an exclusive first look at the interiors of the comic's first volume run. One winter later, and our good fortune continues with yet another never-before-seen glimpse inside Vol. 2's Issue #1, which will be published by Image Comics.
"We pick up with Nathan Bright as he struggles to find his niche in the Disco Queen crew and wrap his mind around the idea that they’re headed to Earth — the planet where his past self was party to a terrorist attack that nearly wiped out the entire population. Now due to an apparently self-inflicted mind-wipe, Nathan doesn’t remember doing any of that, but that isn’t stopping him from feeling extremely guilty and conflicted about going back," LeHeup tells SYFY WIRE.
Why is Nathan headed back to Earth? Well, it all has to do with another extinction-level attack from the Sword of God that could be prevented. In the futuristic world of The Weatherman, the cosmos is being colonized by humanity, meaning that many people can still stand to lose their lives.
"Agent Cross believes that the hard drive containing Nathan’s past identity is on Earth and that by retrieving it, they might get the information they need to stop a second mass attack," adds LeHeup. "The problem for Nathan being that in order to get the intel off the hard drive should they find it, Nathan’s own mind has to be overwritten, which will effectively kill him. And that’s if they win."
The only caveat is that the planet is not as dead as everyone believes.
"There are still pockets of elite survivors fighting for their existence and those folks are not going to be as warm to Cross and her crew as one might think," continues LeHeup.
"As for what the survivors are surviving, it’s not just the flesh-eating mist that we saw in issue #4 of Vol. 1, it’s something far, far more terrifying. The mist is made up of organic particles that flash feed on animal DNA. Those particles have learned to combine and mimic the DNA they’ve consumed on Earth. So more than the form of mist, the particles can take the form of a dog or a bird or a human--to lure prey close to them. But beyond that, they can also take the form of enormous, complex, genetic abominations—i.e. MONSTERS. So, things are going to get very, very real very fast for the crew of the Disco Queen. It’s going to be a blast."
Also, get ready for what the writer describes as an "Oh sh**!" moment in Issue #2. Plus, he can't wait for you two meet two characters who go by "Pace and Pickles."
Like its predecessor, the follow-up series will be asking: Can Nathan be redeemed?
"That’s one of the many questions The Weatherman is asking. Nathan committed a horrific crime but has no memory of having done it. So should he be held responsible?" Jody muses. "Is his new life less valuable than the information his old one can provide? Is the chance to stop another horrific crime worth the death of one good man? How responsible is her for the actions of his past self? What kind of peace can he possibly find? On and on."
Issue #1 of The Weatherman Vol. 2 goes on sale this June. Just make sure you're prepared for things to get totally nuts. As Jody puts it:
"Vol. 2 is completely bonkers in the best way. Vol. 1 was just a warmup compared to what we have in store with Vol. 2. Higher stakes, more drama, more action, and incredibly fun, relentless antagonists. Everything is amped up. I didn’t even know that was possible but here we are."
