Riri Williams is back as Ironheart in her own ongoing series with an interesting creative team in tow.
Marvel Comics announced the new ongoing book on Monday with playwright Eve Ewing and artist Kevin Libranda onboard as the creative team. “Periodically I have to sit back and go, ‘Omigosh, I’m a Marvel writer’ — there’s nothing more implausible and more amazing that’s ever happened to me,” Ewing told the Chicago Tribune. “When you’re a writer, oftentimes you’re grinding away and there’s a short list where you can tell your mom, grandma or your brother and they fully understand what it is. But this is something where everybody gets it; everybody understands the pop culture resonance with Marvel – what it means and what it stands for, so it’s really exciting.”
Ewing hails from Chicago, as does Riri, and the plan is to play that angle up. “She was born and raised in Chicago, but because she’s a superhero, her adventures take her all over the place. She also had a lab at MIT, that’s also kind of her headquarters,” said Ewing. “Her mom still lives in Chicago. I decided specifically that she’s from South Shore. Previous writers put in so much, in terms of beginning her autobiographical details, but as a Chicagoan, I want to get down and dirty — like where did Riri go to high school? What bus does she take? Does she eat hot chips? These are the things that are really going to make her a full three-dimensional person. I’m really excited about putting in some of those little Chicago details.”
There had been a campaign for Ewing to write a story for Riri in Invincible Iron Man, but Marvel instead though it might be a better fit if she tackled a solo title. “It’s really special, because this is a character that has some groundwork laid already but is still very new in terms of her role in the Marvel universe; it’s almost like getting into business on the ground floor. I get to play a role in really shaping who she is and who she’s going to become.”
Ironheart will hit the racks in November.
