When Tini Howard talks about Marian Heretic, you can say that this is not just another project – the book she has been waiting for years to make.
The series is located in the city of Vesper, a shadowy Gothic city, and follows the sister Marian, a powerful witch hunter, her respected mother, Superior, and heretics led by the Forbidden Goddess. When the church brands her orders as a blasphemous person, Marian makes hopeless bargains to become their holy enforcer and makes judgments every night. However, each execution is not only sacrificed to the victims, but also to the very soul of Marian.
Howard first brought the concept to the boom! The studio, via editor Jon Moisan, hopes that the pair will ultimately be the perfect project to collaborate with.
“John liked the idea of starting with what the Marian Sisters already established,” Howard said. “She looks cool, she’s a hero, she’s the person on the cover. That’s part of the selling point.”
After years of prominent runs in Big 2, Howard says he was ready to return to creator-owned work for the first time since Eouthanauts in 2018.
“I wanted to do my thing again, but now I’m doing it in a few different ways,” Howard said.
And that’s part of why Marian’s heresy is so perfect. It is one of the rare projects that naturally brings together a balance between story and style.
“To be honest, I didn’t really need to find a balance,” Howard said. “This book is one of the beautiful things I rely on my desires, on the right and good, on the amazing things. Listen to my inner cool rules, what sounds good, what is the good time?”
Thematically, Marian herself acts as both a savior and an exile. Howard resonates essentially.
“It’s very Christ-like,” Howard said. “The Messiah must be tested and rejected, or no one believes them.”
It’s a heavy setup, but Howard admits that the writing process is not easy.
“Putting things on the page is a wrestling match with my soul,” Howard said. “But the worse thing than the nagging act of writing stories is that you want them to buy them, a feeling that you will die so that the story is not told. So, my broken soul, and I am writing.”
Courtesy of the boom! studio
Vespers itself plays the lead role. Howard calls it the “Gothic Vatican.”
“I love custom built cities that tell part of the story,” Howard said. “In the comics, you can literally bending it to your will, and (artist Joe Jaro) does very well. You can feel the city approaching her.”
Marian Heretic also shows Howard’s return to writing with complete creative control, from gore and blasphemy to title treatments and typography.
“When I came to Catwoman, I learned that you need to define your way,” Howard said. “I want to see ‘all sliders’ like a character creator in a video game. You don’t need to adjust everything, but you need to know what you can fine-tune. Every aspect tells part of the story, and in books owned by the creator, it is double true.”
The visual language was extended to variant cover, with Howard and Jaro actively reviewing each during the sketching stage.
“When introducing new characters, I want to make sure the visual language is correct,” Howard said. “People really get her. Some of the variations are amazing. Our editor, Elizabeth Bray, pitched the idea that connects me today. It’s perfect for this book.”
Ultimately, Howard hopes that readers will leave thinking about vocation not as destiny but as a work that calms the inner hunger.
“What can we do with this planet that will soften the yawning of my soul?” Howard said. “For me, it tells a story.”
She pauses before adding immediately. “And hopefully your profession includes asking your local comic shop to reserve a copy of Marian Heretic #1 on October 1st.
