We sat down with husband-and-wife writing duo Claudio Sanchez (The Amory Wars) and Chondra Echert (Kill Audio) to talk about their upcoming miniseries from BOOM!, Translucid. Translucid tells the story of The Navigator and the Horse, a hero and a villain, deconstructing the concept of arch-nemeses. Check out what they had to say: NICK: What kind of world are you building for The Navigator and The Horse?

CLAUDIO SANCHEZ: The world of The Navigator and The Horse is set in NYC, where heroes and villains don't have superpowers per say.  They are just ordinary people inspired to do good and bad.  We wanted to keep the landscape familiar and the story set in reality as much as possible.  

NICK: How many issues are you planning for the series?

CS:  The series will be six issues.  

NICK: How difficult is it making the transition from world-spanning epics and disaster storylines (The Amory Wars and Key of Z) to a more contained world like TRANSLUCID?

CS: It's the difference between a game of chess and a game of checkers.  The board is the same, but the plays and rules are different.   

CHONDRA ECHERT: We like to think we tell stories about people and the dynamics and relationships that transpire within the delicate system of humanity. Our characters are affected by different catalysts in the world of Translucid versus the zombie-infested landscape of Key of Z or the science fiction universe of The Amory Wars, but the human element of the unknown is still there.

NICK: What drew you in to newcomer Daniel Bayliss's art and make you feel he was the perfect choice for TRANSLUCID?

CE: When our editors Ian Brill and Jasmine Amiri over at BOOM! brought us Daniel as a possible artist for the series, we fell in love with his unique, fresh style immediately. His work is a very cool dichotomy of simplistic, yet complex—much like the story we wanted to tell. We eventually did a little digging and found a Batman/Joker fan piece that he had created with Gerardo Preciado called The Deal, basically exploring the relationship and deep friendship between the duo. It's a really beautiful, dark story. We all agreed that he was the perfect artist to capture the feeling of Translucid and the complexities of the relationship between our own hero and villain.

NICK: What is the working dynamic between the two of you as a husband-and-wife duo? Are there things you miss about working solo?

CS: For me, it feels most rewarding when there's a collaborative effort, especially considering I am with my writing partner pretty much 24 hours a day. It's not that we have to communicate over emails or phone calls to make progress. Personally, I feel much more creative when I have free range to be open and productive. Chonny and I have our own projects that we work on alone as well, with other stories in the works and music, of course. Those solo endeavors are fun to work on in another capacity. Collaboration and working alone are just different animals.

CE: As a husband-and-wife writing duo, the dynamic is very streamlined and most importantly, knows no working hours. We are open to brainstorm and be creative any time the mood strikes. It's not uncommon for Claudio to wake up at some ungodly hour and throw ideas at me while I'm half asleep. We're also very in tune with the other's strengths and know what each of us is bringing. I love the complexity that a collaboration brings to a story.

NICK: If there was an opening title crawl to this series, ala STAR WARS, what would it read?

CS: "In a city not far away, a lonely child has grown to become the greatest superhero the world has ever known. Calling himself The Navigator, his bravery inspires millions, none more poignant than a villain known as The Horse, who finds purpose in this fragile hero.   

But as familiarity breeds contempt, so does time change the once dynamic relationship between hero and villain. The Navigator is failing, his reliance on The Horse a detriment to the well-being of the city. In turn, The Horse has decided to cut ties with his once-beloved hero. Only, to do so, he must deconstruct The Navigator's origin to truly put an end to him once and for all..." --- And there you have it! Translucid #1 is out April 16^th from BOOM! featuring one cover by Jeff Stokely and one by Ming Doyle. Check it out!