“Ordained” is a new offering from the folks at Bad Idea, with a screenplay by Robert Venditti and art by Trevor Hairsin and Dave Stewart. The story of a priest who is called to perform the last rites of a dying man, finds out more than he should, and ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Venditti caught up with The Beat to talk about Bishop Roy and his dark past, and get a sneak peek into Colin Farrell’s preparations following the recent announcement of the film adaptation of Ordained.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
ORDAINED #1 Jorge Fornes cover
Javier Perez: “Ordaned” feels very intentional in its story and presentation. It’s truly noir. I love to dwell on the moment of conversation, which helps emphasize the seriousness of what’s at hand. How did you approach this story?
Robert Venditti: It started with the idea of a priest performing the last rites and taking on the final confession of a dying patient, but he soon learned that the patient was a notorious gangster. The mob then miraculously recovered and decided that they must kill the priest who had confessed all their sins. It’s a concept that lends itself to a noir street-level story, and one that I haven’t really had a chance to write since my first series, “The Surrogates.” Since then, I’ve spent most of my career in space.
What’s appealing to me about writing a story like “Ordained” is how up close and personal it is. So much of the story hinges on the nuances of the dialogue and the expressiveness of the characters in the art. As much as possible, I wanted to draw the reader in and make them feel like they were part of the characters’ conversations, or at least like they were eavesdropping on the same elevator ride.
Right down to the action sequences. Once that happens, the story begins like this
Double page spread, all bets are off. After so much tension and inner conflict, action becomes a release.
Perez: I love the art, the use of shadows. It has weight. What is it like working with Trevor Hairsin?
Venditti: Trevor is great. I only worked with him once before Ordained and for a few issues back in the first year of XO Manowar. I have been trying to work with him again ever since. He is that rare type of talent whose action sequences are dynamic and explosive, yet the quiet moments really make you feel the emotion and acting. He also uses a lot of ink, and the solid black color is the perfect tone for a crime novel. Especially if the main character is always wearing a monk’s black clothes and white collar.
As a collaborator, Trevor is everything you could ask for. My scripts tend to focus on:
Express a mood or emotion and let the artist draw from it. On page 3 of the first issue, Trevor drew an image of Father Roy walking away from the church. It could be a simple shot that just establishes the appearance of the church and gives the reader a bit of geography. Instead, Trevor gave this story great weight, from the look on Father Roy’s face to the subtle way he grips the straps of his sacramental travel bag with both hands. Is he guarding the contents of the bag, or is he clutching the bag to receive protection from the contents? Visuals like this add a lot of complexity to the storytelling.
Perez: I like the themes of fate and faith that are dealt with here. It will be interesting to see what circumstances led to the father receiving that call, or if a miracle happened to the villain.
Venditti: I think the theme is more about faith than religion. What do we believe? Father Roy believes in God. Gangster Cormac Byrne believes in himself. Byrne’s subordinates believe in him. And a hitman known as “The Machine”… well, The Machine believes in nothing but doing his job. How do what we believe lead us to the choices we make, and how do those choices affect us and those around us?Every character in the story believes something, even if those beliefs change.
Perez: I really liked the first issue and all the questions it raised. I think I have the answer, but please tell me something about Father Roy.
Venditti: Father Roy wasn’t always a priest. He is a former Navy SEAL who found his faith in the midst of combat and promised himself and God he would never kill again. Cormac Byrne probably wishes he had known this before ordering all the henchmen and hitmen in St. Louis to kill Father Roy.
Father Roy will be tested. All the lethality and combat training that lurks within him.
He wants to see the light of day again, especially when it’s the innocent people around him who are hurt. That noisy internal conflict is harder for him to grapple with than the external one.
Perez: Can we get information about Ordained Presents: The Machine and will it be part of the ordained book?
Venditti: The Machine is a top-notch hitman, a blue-collar man who works with his hands and takes pride in his work. Between issues two and three of the main series, we thought it would be fun to follow The Machine and find out why Cormac Byrne has such a hard time answering the phone. It turns out that even hired assassins have their busy seasons.
In the series’ original synopsis, The Machine remained largely a mystery.
A force of nature rather than humans. But once he started writing, he realized there was more to him and hiding it from the audience would be detrimental to the story. What we learn about The Machine is essential to the Ordered and the larger mythology we’re building.
Perez: How do you think this book will add to the ongoing Bad Idea lineup? I’m really looking forward to the final issue of Survive!
Venditti: I try not to think about that. I’m very proud that titles like “Ordained,” “Planet Death,” “Survive,” and “Pizza Detective Hank Howard” all hit stores in the same year.
There are many types out there. The good thing about Bad Idea is that the story always comes first. They are not looking for a specific genre or to fill a specific slot in a publishing plan. They just want a good story, in whatever form it takes. This is a great place to work.
ORDAINED #2 Jorge Fornes cover
Pérez: Is there any news about the film adaptation of “Ordained”? Is there anything you can tell us?
RV: We’ve already announced that John Wick series creator Derek Kolstad will be writing the adaptation, with Colin Farrell playing Father Roy. In both cases they were our first choice. Colin is very enthusiastic and has already discussed the training he received for John Wick with Keanu Reeves. Beyond that, I can’t say much more. I’ve gone through this process with surrogates in the past, but these things are complicated and time consuming. But we’re all happy with where we are.
ORDAINED #2 Alex Maleev C Cover
Perez: It’s almost the new year and convention season is about to start. Will we ever see the “Bad Idea” and “Ordained” crews on the streets?
Venditti: That’s right. I know that I will be attending C2E2 in March and SC Comic Con in April. On top of that, I’m still planning next year’s tournament schedule. However, in addition to promoting “Ordained,” we are working on several new projects that are yet to be announced.
Perez: Is there anything you would like to add?
Venditti: As always, nothing happens without our retailers and readers who support our work. I hope everyone who reads “Ordaned” enjoys it. As I type this, I’m putting together a second issue for printers, and the story gets bigger from here.
ORDAINED #3 Alex Maleev C Cover
Something like this:
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