Hello and welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, where today I’m talking to Jaleigh Johnson about her Marvel prose novel Triptych, which is part of Aconyte Books’ range of Marvel: Xavier’s Institute novels. If you’re a fan of Marvel’s X-Men then this series is the perfect opportunity to learn more about some of the lesser-known characters from the comics, and dig into them in longer-form stories. In the case of Triptych it’s Fantomex’s turn in the spotlight, so read on to find out more about what you can expect from the novel. I’m also delighted to be able to offer a couple of sample chapters from Triptych, courtesy of Aconyte Books, so once you’ve finished the interview you can get a taste of the novel itself!
Triptych is available now as a global ebook and US paperback, with the UK paperback due in February 2022. Without further ado, let’s get straight on with the interview to find out more.
Track of Words: To start things off, could you give us an overview of what Triptych is about?
Jaleigh Johnson: Without giving too much away, there are clones. And heists. And fine art. Chronic snark. Struggles with identity and finding where you belong and the people you belong with. If any of those things appeal to you as a reader, you’ll probably find something to enjoy in Triptych.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?
JJ: The big three are of course the clones: Fantomex, Weapon XIII, and Cluster. They’re having an epic identity crisis when we meet them at the beginning of the novel, and they all have very different ways of dealing with that, and all of it comes with its fair share of collateral damage to the other characters in the novel, like E.V.A., Fantomex’s companion and friend, techno-organic being and scene-stealer.
Last but certainly not least is Avery. She’s trying to come to terms with a mutant power no one truly understands, least of all herself. She has problems of her own, and she is having none of Fantomex’s drama. That’s a good place to start with the cast.
ToW: Where is this set, and how does it fit in with the timeline of the X-Men and the Xavier’s Institute range?
JJ: Most of the action takes place at the New Charles Xavier School for Mutants in Canada, although Fantomex and Co. do get around. As for the timeline, I don’t want to say too much about where exactly the novel fits so I don’t inadvertently put constraints on future books. I can say that it takes place after the events of Liberty and Justice for All [by Carrie Harris], because there are references to the events of that story in the novel.
ToW: Were you already a Marvel fan before you wrote this? How does it feel to have written a Marvel novel?
JJ: Oh yes, I grew up on a steady diet of Marvel and DC stories, so to have now written a Marvel novel, particularly an X-Men novel, is wonderful and surreal to say the least.
ToW: Of all the Marvel characters you could have chosen to write about, what made you choose Fantomex, and want to tell this particular story?
JJ: Have you read Fantomex’s origin story? Go ahead and Google it, I’ll wait. But if you’re in a rush, let’s just say it’s a wild ride, a weird, twisty, James Bond, gentleman thief sort of story by way of the looking glass, and just when you think it can’t get wilder, there are suddenly three versions of the character running around. When I got to that moment, I knew I wanted that story. What happens after you’re literally torn apart and your identity and essence is shattered? How do you put that back together? Can you? I wanted to tell my own version of that story.
ToW: How much fun did you have researching different museums for your characters to explore, and artifacts for them to fight over?
JJ: Oh my. I love museums. I’m sure it shows when you read the novel. I tried to put a little bit of every museum I’ve ever visited into the novel, especially that idea of a museum being a place of comfort, as it is to Avery. Fantomex’s delight over the Miniatures room in my fictional museum is my own love of the Miniatures collection at the Chicago Art Institute, just to pull one example.
ToW: Found family seems to be a recurring theme in the Xavier’s Institute series so far – is that a theme you’ve explored in Triptych as well? If so, could you talk a bit about how you’ve incorporated it into the novel?
JJ: Found family seems to be a theme in most of the novels I’ve written over the course of my career – that’s a whole different bundle of stuff – so it’s no surprise to see it crop up in Triptych as well, and I think it’s part of why I’m drawn to the X-Men so strongly. Finding people who accept you just as you are, with no expectations placed on that bond, can be so difficult and so precious when you do find it. It’s part of what drives Avery to want to fight for what she’s built in her own relationship.
ToW: How did you find the experience of working on a Marvel story? Did you come across any new challenges while writing it, or interesting opportunities that were different to writing your usual stories?
JJ: It’s always a huge challenge to write in an established franchise like this, but I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much freedom I had to explore aspects of the characters’ personalities that we might not have seen before. I loved having the chance to put my own mark on a character with such a wild history.
ToW: If someone loves this and wants to read more about Fantomex, do you have any recommendations for where they should look next?
JJ: Check out Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender, Volumes 1 & 2 if you want to see the events leading up to the novel and get some insight into Fantomex’s relationships with other mutants before his separation.
ToW: What do you hope readers will get out of Triptych by the time they’ve finished it?
JJ: Mostly I hope they have a fun escape that makes them laugh, leaves them thinking a bit about identity, and if I’m very lucky, they’ll get some warm fuzzies too. We all need some warm fuzzies right now.
ToW: Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on with Aconyte for future release, or anything else you’ve got in the pipeline in general?
JJ: If you want more X-Men goodness from me, check out the anthology School of X, coming in December from Aconyte, which includes a short story contribution from me, although it’s unrelated to this novel. Alas, my lips are sealed on other future projects, but as soon as I can announce anything, I will shout it from the rooftops!
ToW: Lastly, if you could choose just one of Fantomex’s powers for yourself, which one would you choose and why?
JJ: Oh, that’s a tough one! I think it has to be the misdirection power – it’s an introvert’s dream! Can you imagine?
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Jaleigh Johnson is a New York Times-bestselling fantasy novelist living and writing in the wilds of the Midwest. She has also written several novels and short stories for the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms fiction lines. Johnson is an avid gamer and lifelong geek.
Check out Jaleigh’s website for more information.
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Many thanks to Jaleigh for taking the time to chat to me for this interview, and for giving us the lowdown on Triptych. If this has piqued your interest, then check out the PDF reader below to read the first couple of chapters!
Many thanks to Aconyte Books and Marvel for providing these sample chapters. For more Marvel-related reviews and author interviews, check out the main Aconyte Books page on Track of Words.
Triptych is available as both a global ebook and US paperback right now, with the UK paperback due out on the 3rd February 2022.
Check out the links below to order your copy* of Triptych:
*If you buy anything using one of these links, I will receive a small affiliate commission – see here for more details.
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