Westfield: Why bring back the Micronauts now?

Scott Wherle: I've been asked that question a lot. My answer is always the same: why not? Visually and conceptually, there are some pretty cool things to play with in the Micronauts universe. The opportunity presented itself and as a fan of the toys and comic, I couldn't pass it up. I figured I might be able to help inject some life into the property.

Westfield: For those unfamiliar with the Micronauts, what can you tell us about them?

Wherle: Well, I guess that depends. We're not following the continuity from the Marvel series, so in effect, no one's really familiar with these Micronauts. But I'll give you a couple of nuggets to chew on. Micronauts will focus on Ryan Archer, an irresponsible twenty-something from Earth who gets sucked into a universe ruled with an iron fist (literally) by the evil tyrant Baron Karza. Through Ryan's eyes, we see the sick, twisted things that Karza does to his "subjects" and he quickly becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the despot with the help of several members of a rag tag revolution.

Westfield: This series will feature some of the classic toy characters. Who will be involved and who are some of the new, original characters you'll introduce?

Wherle: We're using Acroyear, Baron Karza, Biotron, Microtron and Space Glider to start. Others will make their way into the series along the way. Some new characters you'll see are: Knave - an acrobat in an intergalactic traveling circus, Persephone - whose story I'd prefer not to reveal just yet, Azura Nova and Maruunus Ki - generals in Karza's army and Ordaal - a spacefaring pirate whose motivations are strictly the bottom line. You'll see a few others, old and new over time.

Westfield: What can we look forward to storywise in the book?

Wherle: First things first, it'll be a very character driven book. I intend to get inside the minds of these characters and find out who they are and how they fit into the big picture. Karza is a sick, sick individual and we'll see how that affects those that choose to side with him or against him.

The one main thing I want to do is not dumb this series down because it's based on a toy property. That's what everyone expects and it's been written off already by a number of people, pro and fan alike, in the comics community. We're going to take a few risks. Hopefully, people will check it out and let the story stand on its own merits instead of dismissing it based solely on where the subject matter comes from.

Westfield: Some people will probably pick this book up because they were fans of the 80's Marvel series. Was it difficult to devise a story that will appeal to these fans while being accessible to new readers at the same time?

Wherle: Definitely. We've retained elements from the original series, while trying very much to establish our own voice. I think we've been successful, but it wasn't easy getting there. The creative team went through several brainstorming sessions in order to take this beyond what you've already seen. As I said, you'll recognize a few basics from the original series, but we're taking it to the next level.

Westfield: Any closing comments?

Wherle: When you read the first arc of Micronauts, approach it with an open mind. You're gonna need it.