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Dark Horse Prepares for Garden Warfare

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PLANTS VS ZOMBIES GARDEN WARFARE #1 (OF 3)
(AUG150060, $2.99)


Creators: (W) Paul Tobin (A/CA) Jacob Chabot

Details: Based on the hit video game, this series tells the story leading up to the beginning of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2! Written by Paul Tobin (Bandette, Banana Sunday) and illustrated by Jacob Chabot (The Mighty Skullboy Army, SpongeBob Comics), this is a hilarious, action-packed, all-ages, zombie-fightin' adventure!


Interview with Paul Tobin:

What is it about the Plants vs. Zombies franchise that translates so well to the world of comics?

Paul Tobin: I think that, as a team, we’ve managed to capture a good deal of the frenetic action combined with the odd whimsy. We start with the base of what PVZ is, and then we just kick out the storytelling jams. PopCap and Dark Horse have been very supportive of me and artist Ron Chan (for the regular series) just being not quite right in the head, and that’s what a series like this needs.

For readers who may be new to PVZ comics, how does this new Garden Warfare miniseries differ from the previous PVZ comics?

Tobin: One of the consistent story lines that take place in the regular series (and, in fact, in most stories worldwide, in any media, for any type of story) is that the bad guy tries to take over, and then the good guys have to stop the nasty fellow. In our case, of course, the good guys are the plants, along with Crazy Dave and his niece, Patrice Blazing, and her friend Nate Timely. And the bad guys are Zomboss, the zombies, and of course their intense need for deodorant. In the case of Garden Warfare, the story is that Zomboss has already won. We enter the story too late for our good guys to protect the city of Neighborville. This time, the story is that our heroes are already down and out, and can they fight their way back?

How does the story of this comic relate to the new game? Does it work well as a standalone comic?

Tobin: What we tried to do is establish what happens before the game takes place, since comics are a better medium for story than games, which are all about action. A comic can more easily combine action and story at the same time, so we’re explaining just how Zomboss was able to take over Neighborville, where his army of imp mechs comes from, and how this all sets up the chaos of the game. Plus, we have some burping frogs that are immensely important to the plot.

How much freedom did you have crafting the story set between the two games?

Tobin: Quite a lot, really. I work closely with the PopCap gang, in particular A.J. Rathbun and Jeremy Vanhoozer, and we set up the initial “walls” of the story together. After that, I’m free to bounce around however I want and kick down a few of those walls and put up a few others.

Was it fun to take the opportunity to further flesh out the characterization of the two sides, considering Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 takes place in a world dominated by zombies, with the plants on the offensive? What kind of tonal changes did this offer when crafting the narrative?

Tobin: The characters themselves had some changes. In fact, we made big changes with them: since the story has some time-travel aspects, we’re dealing with grown-up future versions of Nate and Patrice, and they have more adult personalities and a greater understanding of the stakes. Plus, we have some plants and zombies that can talk now, so there’s a greater degree of communication we can play with. That was a lot of fun. And then a large part of the changes take place in the world, because Neighborville is largely a ghost town by this point, after it was rapidly evacuated when Zomboss’s plan became clear. The character of a town always imprints itself on the character of a story, and this was no exception.

What is it like to work with Jacob Chabot on this series? How does his distinct style translate to the Plants vs. Zombies world?

Tobin: He’s been great! When I was first assembling a “here’s what I want” packet, I was grabbing good visuals I found online and from material PopCap had already provided me. Basically, with every character introduced, I try to drop any possible images into the script, so the artist has a clear vision of what I want to see. When I was looking through the material, I found a fantastic drawing of an imp mech in battle with Citron, a new character. I was dropping that into a script, with a note to Jacob on how this is how I wanted things to look, when I noticed that the artist for the piece was…Jacob.

Is there anything else you would like retailers to know about PVZ: Garden Warfare before they place their orders?

Tobin: I think one of the things that the combined Dark Horse/PopCap crew and I really wanted to make happen was for these books to not be simply addendums or game tie-ins but individual creations with an immense amount of whimsy that appeal to all readers—whether you play the games 23.9 hours a day or aren’t even aware that the games exist—and it’s been really gratifying to watch readers become aware of how we’re creating something unique and fun. Also, I want to again point out that there will be burping frogs. Because that is entertainment. 


You can get or order these related titles at your local comic book shop! Find a shop!

  • ART OF PLANTS VS ZOMBIES HC - JAN140164, $9.99
  • PLANTS VS ZOMBIES HC LAWNMAGEDDON - JUL130027, $9.99

  • PLANTS VS ZOMBIES HC TIMEPOCALYPSE - SEP140058, $9.99

 

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