'Adler' Interview: Lavie Tidhar Pits Moriarty vs. The League of Extraordinary Gentlewoman!
Dec 18, 2019
Uncover the hidden story behind one of the most famous female characters of Victorian fiction in Adler #1 (DEC191887).
For Sherlock, there was only ever one woman who could match his wit. Now Irene Adler is on a journey to bring together a host of famous Victorian heroines from science, history, and literature featuring iconic figures such as Jane Eyre, Lady Havisham, Marie Curie, Carmilla, and Ayesha!
We sat down with World Fantasy Award-winning writer Lavie Tidhar to learn more about this exciting new title that he created alongside artist Paul McCaffrey.
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PREVIEWSworld: You have written across multiple genres and styles. Is there anything you particularly enjoy about writing comics that you do not find as much in novels or short stories?
Lavie Tidhar: Obviously, the art! It’s a much more collaborative form of writing and I love working with artists. There’s a magic in writing something and then seeing it come to life (even if Paul complained I made him draw some super-complicated stuff!). It’s a very different way of writing, but very satisfying!
PREVIEWSworld: What was it that first attracted you to the story of Irene Adler?
Lavie Tidhar: I’m a big Holmesian fan and I’ve always loved the character. She briefly pops up in my Bookman Histories trilogy, too, so it was great to kind of re-imagine her here.
PREVIEWSworld: Did you work closely with the original source material when developing these characters or did you want to have more of your own take on their background?
Lavie Tidhar: It’s pretty revisionist, obviously – which is part of the fun! But at the same time I think, at least as the writer, you should be aware of your source material as well as the history and politics of the era. The fun thing with London is, much of that history is still around you. I get an enormous kick from going to Simpson’s in the Strand, which was Holmes’ favourite restaurant. It’s still there! So we put it in the comic too.
PREVIEWSworld: Without revealing too much, what can you tell us about the focus of the story?
Lavie Tidhar: I think Paul put it best once, describing it as hopefully an entertaining action romp with some degree of political relevance.
PREVIEWSworld: Are there any characters that feature in the comic that you wish you could have explored further?
Lavie Tidhar: Well, we have tentative plans for more Adler (if we get the chance!). I’d love to see more of our version of Queen Victoria, for one. She’s so wonderfully monstrous!
PREVIEWSworld: How have you enjoyed working alongside Paul McCaffrey and what do his illustrations add to the comic?
Lavie Tidhar: I worked with Paul before and we’re very in sync, which I think is important! I adore his work. I think it would be fair to say his artwork is the comic. Honestly, I think it’s stunning. He could well turn out to be one of the great comics artists of our time... If he’d only listen to me!
