“Whoever commits the crime deserves the punishment” takes on a whole new meaning in LIFE, a brilliant new science fiction series out today from DSTLRY. Created by the all-star team of 100 Bullets creator Brian Azzarello, current Phoenix writer Stephanie Phillips, DMZ artist Danijel Žeželj, and colorist Lee Loughridge, the series presents an innovative take on the crime story.
LIFE is in the form of a flip book, with each page following a different character. In one page, ex-con Bobby dreams of a fresh start, but inevitably finds himself drawn back into a dangerous final heist – a robbery that could prove fatal. In the other, mass murderer CJ, nicknamed the “Cassanova Killer,” is sentenced to 32 life sentences – and he’ll feel every minute of it.
How these two stories collide in different and surprising ways is the crux of LIFE. Newsarama caught up with Azzarello and Phillips to learn more…
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Newsarama: Brian, Stephanie, congratulations on the excellent first issue of LIFE! I’m curious to know where the idea came from to present this comic as a flipbook and how that affected the two main stories you’re telling here?
Brian Azzarello: Thank you. The idea for LIFE actually came from two ideas and probably a few beers at the Cigar City Tap Room in Tampa. Stephanie told me about a project she wanted to develop – a futuristic, interplanetary heist story. As she was telling her story, it dawned on me that an idea I was working on about prisoners forced to serve multiple life sentences could tie into her idea, so I mentioned it. Luckily for us, she felt the same way I did – maybe even more excited. I think she was the one who came up with the flipbook idea as something DSTLRY would like. She understands what makes Chip and David so excited.
Stephanie Phillips: This all sounds absolutely right. We worked on it for a long time before bringing it to DSTLRY and making it a reality. It’s exciting to see it in print and out in the world.
The book has two protagonists, Bobby, who takes on the legendary “last job,” and the Cassanova Killer – an unrepentant murderer. What can you tell us about these two very different characters?
Azzarello: Well, Bobby wants out of the life but agrees to the job to make his accomplice Jax happy and rich, probably in that order. Bad decision, heart in the right place. CJ – The Cassanova Killer… he’s heartless and incredibly charismatic. A deadly combination that landed him in prison hundreds of years ago and took him up the ranks to the top of the pack. He always has a plan to get what he wants.
Phillips: Right, and there are moments where you love and hate all of these characters equally. I think that makes the questions we ask about justice even more powerful because we question our own relationship and understanding of the characters.
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The ethics of criminal punishment is a clear issue here. How does LIFE address this issue and what inspired you to tell this story?
Azzarello: Well, that’s a question that has been around for ages. How does a moral society deal with immoral people? And who can even say what is immoral? Is the death penalty immoral? Is life imprisonment moral? What if there was a way to keep criminals alive and lock them up for hundreds of years to serve their sentence? Does that make immortality immoral? My head hurts…
This is both a prison break and a heist story. Does mixing these two genres give you the opportunity to tell a new kind of crime story?
Azzarello: Is there a new kind of crime story? Maybe AI, maybe. I think what we’re doing is a new kind of setting for a crime story. The interplanetary aspects, serving multiple life sentences, things like that. But at the core of every crime story is an ego and a mistake. It’s been that way since Cain murdered his brother.
This is the first time you’ve written together. How does your collaboration work? Did you each take on half of the book or did you work on both stories?
Phillips: It’s a mix. We work really closely together on everything, swapping roles as needed and trying to switch between different scenes for Danijel. It’s definitely different to anything I’ve done before and I’m glad about it.
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How was it working with Danijel Zezelj and Lee Loughridge on the book? What do their art and coloring bring to LIFE?
Azzarello: It was fantastic to work with Danijel again after so many years. Back then, I thought he was an artist who “got” me. Well, he still does. His work is dense and atmospheric; perfect for these stories. When we asked him for a colorist, he immediately said Lee. When you look at the work the two of them do together, it’s easy to see why. Another thing that “gets” me, right?
Phillips: This is my first time working with Danijel and it’s been a great experience. Brian mentioned his work as someone he thought would fit in immediately and seeing him and Lee create this world was inspiring for us too.
No spoilers, but the first issue ends – no matter how you read it – with these two storylines about to collide. What can you tell us about issue 2?
Azzarello: That it follows No. 1? You see, the strands will cross and diverge and events that seem to be going in a certain direction for one side may go completely different for the other. But let’s never lose sight of the fact that both sides are criminals, people who have little respect for the law, so anything can happen. And anything does happen. I don’t want to say anything about No. 3.
Phillips: I’m not sure I could give a better teaser…
LIFE #1 is now available from DSTLRY.
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