We recently caught up with Alex Irvine who is currently promoting Deus Ex: Children’s Crusade which is available from Titan Comics. Check out the interview below and then go and check out Deus Ex: Children’s Crusade at your local comic book store.

SHS: Did you read comic books growing up? If so which books/characters were your favorite?
A.I: I loved Dr. Strange more than any other character, but also, in no particular order, Micronauts, ROM, Spider-Man, Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, Conan…

SHS: In a nutshell, what is the story behind your book Deus Ex: Children’s Crusade?
A.I: It’s the story of a terrorist group creating augmented child soldiers, and Task Force 29’s response to their first attack. There are also subplots about media influence on public opinion, the integration of augs and normal humans, etc.

SHS: Deus Ex: Children’s Crusade obviously takes place in the Deus Ex Universe, most people know about Dues Ex from the video game series. How closely does this book tie into the video games?
A.I: The book takes place very soon before the story of Mankind Divided, and it’s definitely woven into that game’s backstory. I don’t want to say too much more.

SHS: How much freedom were you guys give to play in the world of Deus Ex? Did you have any of your ideas vetoed?
A.I: Any licensed project has lots of discussion about how particular story elements work with the broader plans for the universe. I had all the freedom I needed to tell the story I wanted to tell, and Eidos has been terrific about sharing the information and assets I need to keep everything lined up.

SHS: When you guys work together do you work full script or do you collaborate back and forth allowing the art in some way to tell the story?
A.I: I like to work full script, but every once in a while I’ll drop a note in a script for John to let him know that a certain passage just has to convey a certain feeling, so he can figure out the best way to do it. The art always has to tell a big part of the story in a comic, and John’s been perfect for this book.

SHS: What is your personal measure of success in life?
A.I: Whether my kids run to meet me when I get home.

SHS: We at Super Hero Speak have a motto of “Don’t let your cape get caught in the door” which basically means don’t let your own foibles, insecurities, or hang-ups get in the way of your own success in life. What is your “cape” or Achilles’ Heel that you have to work to prevent holding you back?
A.I: As a writer you have to be careful about self-censoring, telling yourself not to pursue an idea because nobody would want to read it. I wrestle with that. It’s always better to write the story the way you would want to read the story, and then let the audience question take care of itself later.

SHS: For those interested in reading Deus Ex: Children’s Crusade, how will people be able to get a hold of it? When will it be released?
A.I: The first issue was out in January, and there are more coming! Keep an eye on your LCS (Local Comic Shop)!

SHS: Do you have any other current or upcoming projects people should keep an eye out for?
A.I: I’ve got the meta-novel New York Collapse just coming out, tied into Tom Clancy’s The Division game from Ubisoft. That was a complex and really rewarding book to work on, not at all your typical tie-in. Also I recently finished the novelization of the next Independence Day movie, and my newest project is The Comic Book History of Baseball, which I’m just starting. It’ll have art by Tomm Coker and CP Smith. Plus I’ve got a few other things cooking that I can’t talk about yet.

Alex’s website: http://alexirvine.blogspot.com/
Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexirvine

Titan Comics Website: http://titan-comics.com/

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