With the release of Zero Instance #1 from Comixology Originals, we are delighted to be joined by the co-writers Frank Barbiere and Stephen Rhodes.
Zero Instance is an exciting new five-issue sci-fi horror thriller comic book series from acclaimed storyteller and video game writer Frank Barbiere (Astonishing Times) and award-winning game writer and comics newcomer Stephen Rhodes, making his creator-owned debut with the series. Featuring art by Vic Malhotra for issues #1-2 and Eoin Marron for issues #3-5, colours by Lauren Affe, letters by Taylor Esposito and covers by Vic Malhotra.
Hi Frank and Stephen, it’s so wonderful to have you both here with us.
Could you please introduce yourselves to our readers?
FRANK: I’m Frank Barbiere, a comics and games writer. I’ve been working in comics for most of my adult life, breaking in with Five Ghosts at Image and thankfully working everywhere since. I’ve written a few games including Ruined King: A League of Legends Story for Airship Syndicate and Behemoth for Skydance Interactive.
STEPHEN: Hi there, my name is Stephen Rhodes. I’m a writer and narrative director for video games, but I also write a whole bunch of other things like comics, which is why I am here today! I’ve worked in the game industry for 16+ years now and have contributed to many titles, some people will have heard of, and probably some people haven’t. I’m fairly new to comics, I’ve done a few licensed IP ones, but this is my first creator-owned book and I’m very excited about it.
Can you tell us about the origins of Zero Instance?
FRANK: I’m a big fan of games, sci-fi, and the gaming isekai genre that is prominent in manga and anime. I wanted to do a western gaming portal fantasy, but wanted it to feel unique and more grounded; a thriller seemed more up my alley, and I was glad to meet and start collaborating with Stephen who is cut from very similar storytelling cloth. When we got together, we started assembling and breaking the story, and we went from there.
STEPHEN: Frank and I have known each other for a number of years, but we’ve always wanted to work together on something. We started playing with a bunch of different concepts that we liked, but the idea that would become Zero Instance quickly rose to the top of the pile. It tapped into a lot of themes/genres we were interested in exploring and spoke to our mutual love of gaming.
Who is Rhys?
FRANK: Rhys is a young man who is finding his place in the world and working to figure out what he’s actually good at. As a gamer, he has a lot of proficiencies that don’t seem to translate to the real world. He’s a natural leader and works well with his friends, but he still hasn’t made things “click” as he transitions from college to the adult world. He’s meant to be a much more modern protagonist than we see in some stories, and hopefully feels relatable.
STEPHEN: Rhys is a guy trying to find his place in the world. He knows who he is amongst his friends and in the game he loves to play, but he’s struggling to work out where his life is going and what his purpose is. He’s a team player and a charismatic leader, but he’s grounded and still has things he lacks confidence in which I think makes him relatable.
Do you think your work in the gaming industry helps keep Zero Instance authentic?
FRANK: Yes, but we’re also telling a fictional story in a near future setting. So while things may not be 1 to 1, our experience allows us to be more informed and work in some thematic/personal elements that feel more grounded to our time in the industry. On the dev side, the stress of trying to always keep your audience entertained (and the studio comradery that comes with it) is a part we often don’t see explored. We also want to portray the hobby as positive and modern, as games are mainstream and can use more celebration.
STEPHEN: Absolutely! Being able to draw on our collective industry experience helped us define the way the game world works and Braxir’s technology based origin. We wanted to make sure the game development side felt authentic while still fitting into our near-future alternative world where the technology level is a little more advanced. It was a cool experience to be able to explore the “what if” of what video games might look like in say ten years.
What can you say about Braxir?
FRANK: Braxir is meant to be an intimidating raid boss who changes in exciting, strange ways. He’s the x factor of the story, and a real exploration into more of our sci-fi concepts like what would a game character think about their role as a target for people to kill over and over. He’s meant to be surprising and creepy, and we look forward to readers discovering more about him in the book.
STEPHEN: Braxir is the big bad of the game that Rhys and his friends play together. He’s the ultimate final boss encounter, able to adapt and predict player strategies and counter them. He’s a really interesting character, especially as the story unfolds. He goes on perhaps the biggest journey of discovery of all of our characters. He’s intense, and menacing, but his determination is what really drives him.
What can you tell us about Zero Instance?
FRANK: Zero Instance is a sci-fi thriller with horror elements, and we hope it keeps readers guessing. There are a lot of twists and turns, but ultimately it’s a story about friendship and survival in the modern world. We’re really excited by the character work we’ve done, as well as our fantastic art from Vic Malhotra, Eoin Marron, and Lauren Affe, and hope readers enjoy it as much as we did making it.
STEPHEN: Frank said it best! Zero Instance is a really fun ride with lots of surprising moments and I’m very excited for people to give it a read. Big shoutout to our amazing collaborators, Vic Malhotra, Eoin Marron, and Lauren Affe who have produced an incredible looking book.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
FRANK: We appreciate your support and interest!
STEPHEN: Thanks so much for the support and really hope you enjoy Zero Instance!
We would like to say a big thank you to Frank and Stephen for chatting with us, and we wish them the best of luck with the release of Zero Instance.
