Trevor Fernandez-Lenkiewicz’s RISE has been mentioned in our Crowdfunding Round-Up multiple times. It’s a story that follows Jonathon Prufrock as he tries to do good in a world that keeps redefining what that means. Jon Prufrock’s powers only work when he feels good about himself. The problem is, confidence is fragile, guilt hits hard, and the male ego is a frightening thing to behold.
Following another successful crowdfunding campaign, The Beat wanted to know more about Lenkiewicz’s newest addition to this long-running project and reached out over Zoom for an interview to discuss more on the series!
DIEGO HIGUERA: It’s nice to finally meet you over Zoom and I’m glad we can discuss RISE and get that out there.
TREVOR FERNANDEZ-LENKIEWICZ: Man, it’s a pleasure to be here. Like I said offline, you know I appreciated the observations that were made about the book, and you know you sometimes feel like you’re making these things in a vacuum so when people start poking at the little things that are written but are invisible, it’s like, as a creator just kind of gets your brain a little tickled.
HIGUERA: That’s perfect. I had a couple of questions. When we’re talking to each other on Instagram, I feel like we’re going to be able to talk for a couple of hours at least.
LENKIEWICZ: Yeah, I don’t doubt it.
HIGUERA: I wanted to ask what inspired RISE? You have a lot of emotional connection to this project, and I see what the idea is, and I feel like a lot of people don’t like this side of masculinity. I feel like a lot of people focus on one view of it.
LENKIEWICZ: The funny part was, I didn’t want to write this book at first. So I did this book called Area 51, The Helix Project for the first two years of my career. And then I did a collection of short stories to show that I wasn’t just going to be the sci-fi guy, because I went to school for molecular biology. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. I had done a short story in the back of Minutes to Midnight with my collaborator on Rise now, Ryan Best, and we knew we wanted to do something together. And, you know, over the years, everybody and their mom, when you’re doing press tours, is like, “When are you going to do superheroes?” I said, “Well, I’m not.” I don’t have my “in” that makes it feel like it should exist. If I’m going to make something and I’m going to sacrifice blood, sweat, tears, money, sleepless nights, I’ve got to be able to connect with the material in a way that’s powerful and personal. And I’m just like, “What am I going to say about a superhero that hasn’t already been said?” Especially in the indie space, where you don’t have the legacy or the iconicity or the history to bounce yourself off of.
Of course, I want to play with the toys. I would love to write me a Batman. But that’s not what I was doing. It all kind of started at Heroes Con two years ago. Ryan and I had just finished the short story in Minutes to Midnight. I was drunk, and he was drunk. It was after the show, and I just kind of turned and was like, “Shit.” He was like, “What?” And I said, “I have a superhero story. I got it. I found the one.” I knew it was basically going to be my quarter-life crisis book. I didn’t really have a good father figure growing up. I went into COVID a molecular biology student, and I walked out a man in my mid-twenties with the responsibility of making sure anywhere from six to twelve artists and freelancers could put food on their tables while I was trying to put food on mine. I had a reputation and a brand I needed to uphold. I didn’t really get the time to make the kinds of mistakes that young, dumb 20-somethings get to make, you know what I mean? Or else I ruin my life or affect someone else’s life in a major way.
I knew, roughly, the kind of man I didn’t want to be. But I didn’t really know what I wanted to look like on the other side of all of this. That’s kind of what Rise came from just me wanting to really tackle my understanding of the performative nature of masculinity, the perils of the male ego, and to play with the idea of male shame and guilt. And this idea that you’re not living up to this image that everybody else has of what you should be. I think that’s super prevalent. And I think that’s where this story really extends beyond the gender of it all. What is it like when the world, and everybody you grew up with, and all these people you have relationships with, expect a certain thing from you? And what is the performance of responsibility? Because it is a performance, and it’s draining. How much does that take from your sense of self? That’s really where Rise came from. And I think that’s the thing I love talking about most. I didn’t want to write this story. I had to write this story. And it’s the most anxious I’ve ever been making anything, even more than when I sat down to do the first comic book story I ever made. So yeah, I think that just says a lot about the idea and about where we’re going.
HIGUERA: That’s awesome. No, that’s actually a great way to put it. I genuinely wanted to know the story behind it, because stories like these don’t just happen. You have to experience some things to want to put something like this together, or even have the know-how to do it at this level. I wanted to really dig into this, because now you’re on your fourth issue. That’s four different successful projects. I wanted to go over that with you, because I’m curious, what makes this fourth issue different from the rest? And how does it feel to have gotten to this point?
LENKIEWICZ: It’s been crazy. I mean, we’re finally over the halfway mark, right? These are massive issues, 40 pages apiece, so now we’re past the midpoint of the story and moving into that downward push toward the finish line. What makes this moment interesting is that we’re at a kind of reflection point. I’ve written enough of the story, and enough of these characters that they’ve taken on a life of their own beyond what I originally predicted. There are still things that remain true. The ending is still the one I pictured almost two years ago. But so much of how we get there has changed and continues to change. We’ve reached the stage where those changes are beginning to show, which is always an interesting place to be. You never really know if the first idea you came up with was the right one, or if following where the story wants to go is a genuine creative instinct, or just insecurity taking shape as revisions.
That’s the fun of where we are now. Trying to listen to what the story is asking for, even when it surprises us, and being open to that evolution. As for what makes this issue special, we’re finally getting to the core of this character’s emotional scars and inner wounds. We’re really starting to poke at those. I think issue one, for example, was almost emotionally misleading. Everything goes right. The main character makes the right decisions. Things feel good. And then, right after that, we pull the rug out from under the reader and remind them that I don’t write happy-go-lucky stories. This is a gray story. It’s not about being right. It’s about the personal discovery.
What separates this issue from the previous ones is that there’s no major cataclysm. Issue two had the hydrogen bomb. Issue three had a meteor that could have wiped out half of New York City. There’s nothing like that in this one. Instead, we’re sitting with the emotional aftermath of those events. We’re looking at what they meant for John and how he’s been trying to avoid responsibility. There is no huge external threat here to help him run from the weight of what he’s done. He has no distractions left. Now he has to face those mistakes. And it’s much more personal. Because for him, it’s easier to try to leg press some impossible amount of celestial rock than it is to sit down and talk to his wife about what’s really going on in his head. But now, he has no excuses. That’s what I find emotionally interesting. As the writer, this is the material I’m most excited to dig into.
People often think the conflict comes from the big set pieces. For me, the most powerful part is right here. This is the tender part of the meat.
HIGUERA: Going deep into that, too, I mean, straight up, your protagonist John needs therapy. It’s like, it’s kind of the main takeaway, right?
LENKIEWICZ: Yeah, John needs therapy.
HIGUERA: I feel like a lot of people who aren’t really in tune with their emotions, or who can’t relate to the situation John is in, kind of miss it. Like it goes over their head. Since his superhero side is supposed to represent the front that most men put up, the whole “everything’s fine” persona, it hits when you see him struggle with the emotional stressors of life. His marriage, his sense of responsibility, all of it. He’s having a hard time with that, and that kind of thing will absolutely affect how he shows up in his everyday life, or his superhero life, if you want to put it that way.
I related to that a lot. It reminded me of seeing my dad get up every morning for work, completely worn down and broken, but still putting on a strong front to get the job done. Because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? You support your family. In John’s case, it’s not just a family, it’s the whole world he’s trying to support.
How has writing this affected you mentally? I know you explained the arc from issue one to issue four, but what has this done to you creatively or emotionally? What’s it been like carrying this story and these characters in your head for so long?
LENKIEWICZ: Yeah, totally. I mean, it’s affecting me as a human being. For me, everything I’ve written in the four years I’ve been doing this comic book thing has always come from wrestling with a question. I’m trying to find the answer, or at least get closer to it, by writing about it. RISE, more than the others, is different because it focuses on a very specific state of being. It’s made me confront the possibility that maybe there is no answer. Or if there is one, it isn’t clean. When I’m working with John, I can’t give him an easy way out. That’s not how this story works. The truth is, even though his actions are rooted in trauma, a lot of what he’s going through is self-inflicted. He has to own that. Right now in the story, he’s starting to take responsibility for it, but it’s breaking him. He’s going through what feels like a self-imposed spiritual death. He knows what he’s done, and he’s trying to face it, but he doesn’t know how to do that without falling apart. And at this moment in the story, he is falling apart.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that sometimes, in order to truly face something, you have to let it hit you. You have to get your ass kicked by it a little. You have to live with it, understand it, and find your way through it. That’s how you learn to recognize the patterns in yourself and your responses. So next time, maybe you’re better prepared. Maybe you come out of it a little less hurt. Because there is always a next time. The challenges don’t just disappear. They come back, sometimes in a new form, and sometimes exactly the same. So I guess this part of the story is where I’m learning that for myself. I feel like I’m coming out of certain personal things now and realizing that I can’t let those same struggles knock me down again. I’ve seen them before. I’ve lived through them. It’s not about being afraid they’ll come back. It’s about being ready if they do.
And that’s where I’m at.
HIGUERA: That’s beautifully put. That’s exactly my point. I feel like that’s why, to be honest, when I was first shown RISE, what caught me was the art. Because most independent comics have a very particular look. Not that they look weird or anything, but a style that is different from mainstream comics. A lot of people who mainly read mainstream comics don’t really know that look because they have been kind of horse-fed the usual styles, you know? So when I saw the art, it stood out to me. I thought, wow, this looks phenomenal. Then you had the connecting variant with the skulls and the top trees holding everything together, and I was like, Jesus, okay. What’s going on with this? Then as you dig into it, you realize it makes a lot more sense. I had so many questions.
But honestly, going off of that, considering what Rise is about and now dealing with all these fans after four successful runs, how has that been? I’ve been genuinely curious about how it all works. I know you go to Heroes Con and things like that. What has the feedback been like? How do you juggle everything?
LENKIEWICZ: I’m in the middle of learning how to multitask properly. I’ve been getting my teeth kicked in for the last year and a half because I didn’t really know how to juggle everything. I think I’m starting to learn the basics now. But I’ve been fortunate enough to do shows all over the world. I’m on the road at least once a month, traveling anywhere from the US to Canada to the UK. RISE has been the most successful thing I’ve done so far, both in terms of response, sales, and volume. That’s been really cool because I was the most afraid of writing this story. At the beginning, I kept asking myself, am I doing this right? I was worried that some decisions I made might not work. I always kind of describe this book as not contrarian. This isn’t your dad’s superhero book, but it’s also not a contrarian superhero book. I’m not trying to shock anyone. I’m almost doing an autopsy of the superhero, trying to piece it back together around the kind of person it takes to wear the cape.
I still want to show my love for superheroes because that’s how I got into comics. There are still a bunch of great superhero books coming out every month. But I’ve been blown away by how receptive people have been to RISE especially the folks who have been with me from the beginning, from the Helix project and Minutes to Midnight. Whenever I hear from them, several say that this is my opus up until this point. I think that’s unique. I never expected this to be the piece that pushed me over a certain line. It says a lot about being an artist, you never really know what’s going to connect with people. You can’t pick your hits. So yeah, it’s been a real joy. This book has brought me closer to the people who engage with it on a personal level.
The most beautiful part for me is getting messages or seeing people at conventions who tell me how they personally connect with the material and with John’s journey. It feels like they’re connecting with me as a person because this book is me. Everything I make is a piece of me, not just because I made it, but because I know other people are wrestling with facets of what I’m dealing with. It makes you feel less alone. This book is like free therapy for John and for me. It has truly been a joy. There’s no better moment than speaking to someone who loves something you’ve put so much of yourself into.
HIGUERA: Honestly, Rise has been such a joy to check out so far. I wanted to ask about the fan interactions because I don’t often see stories tackle this kind of material or idea. The last time I felt a comic make me this kinda way at least in the mental deep diving, was probably Mister Miracle, especially with that opening issue.
LENKIEWICZ: That’s amazing praise. I really appreciate that. You know, I’ve gotten a few people who kind of resist what we’re trying to do with RISE. To be honest, it’s nowhere near as extreme as I thought it would be. I expected there to be camps of what you might call hyper “masculine” men who would try to reappropriate the story. I thought some people might see what we’re doing in Rise and assume it’s pushing some kind of pale feminist agenda created by a man with a fat face and a beard. But this story always comes from a personal place. I’m selling people on why I’m writing it in the purest way possible. But you still get your detractors. I even had someone who was viscerally angry that John didn’t have a code name in issue one, and that he fell in love with a woman really fast—even though being with her literally made him feel like God. But I digress.
You’ve got to take those things on the chin. You never really know where someone else is coming from. Sometimes it’s worth giving them a real interaction as a human being, and other times you have to step away. But honestly, for the most part, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. People have been very receptive to this book, and I’m just so grateful for that.
HIGUERA: Did you see RISE as a response to a kind of critique of traditional superhero myths?
LENKIEWICZ: Yeah, it’s a response to the deconstruction of superhero comics. I mean, this often gets marketed as deconstruction by others who read it, but I’m not really deconstructing the superhero. I’m deconstructing the man it takes to become a superhero. I’m not trying to deconstruct superheroes better than Alan Moore or Jeff Lemire or anyone else who’s done it incredibly well and inspired me. At the same time, I’m not interested in doing a traditional superhero story. Otherwise, I’d go pitch to another company with a character I love and have something ready for. Even then, I don’t like the idea of being “traditional” because why do something if it’s already been done? That goes against my nature as a creator.
So yeah, this is me throwing fisticuffs at both ends. On one side, the hyper-traditional superhero story, where everything is safe, regimented, and frankly, by now, rather formulaic in our industry. On the other end, there’s the camp of pretty famous creators who say superheroes are dumb and that we should do something really shocking. I don’t think all of that counts as deconstruction. That’s more people misunderstanding what deconstruction really is. Honestly, I’d call this more of a reconstruction of the superhero because we’re dealing with it from the ground up. We’re taking the hero’s journey and flipping it on its head. We’re rebuilding the man so he can be super.
We’re not moving him into the extraordinary and forcing him to take those next steps while losing his mentor. We’re putting him back on the ground so he can learn how to be John Prufrock Best. Only then can he go back and be as extraordinary as he possibly can be, because he already is.
HIGUERA: Toward the end of the interviews, I usually like to ask: Are there any questions you wish I had asked? Or is there anything you want to speak about regarding RISE? I wanted to cover what’s up with the comic, but I also want to make sure I don’t miss anything you want to mention.
LENKIEWICZ: No, I mean, we’ve covered some great bases and I just hope that people check this out. I’m not writing this to please anybody, and it comes from a real place. This story is genuinely trying to be different. Insofar as being individual, not being different for different’s sake. Right. I think that this book is here for the people who are done with the tropes, right? Like, this is my truth through the fiction. And I’m digging through that truth like one flawed ideal at a time. About superheroes, about masculinity, about relationships, like, and if any, like, yeah. And I think the cool thing about this story is, visually it has enough of that great dynamic superhero art for people who want that from your Marvels and your DCs.
In many ways, there’s no version of RISE that I think exists in a traditional publisher’s catalog. It’s too heady. It’s too morally gray. And I think it’s too focused on asking questions about the foundations of power and the male ego and truth and shame. But the great thing is that because we’re telling this story in the independent space, we’re I get to go there. I can tell the stories that major publishers shy away from. And I can bring them to readers who are hungry for something more than the same old power fantasy. I guess that’s the only thing I want to touch on. This story is coming from a personal place, and I think it fits for the people who want to see a superhero story that isn’t the same old? However, It’s still loving to everything that makes a superhero great.
If you want to know more about the project, make sure to check out the campaign before it’s too late!
Lastly, look out for Lenkiewicz and artist Ryan Best at San Diego Comic-Con, don’t miss out on a chance to get the comic in person at Pocket Watch Press!
