Sometimes big justice comes in little packages! Lauren Order is the pint-sized police liaison between law enforcement and Earth’s megaheroes. Gladiatra is the leader of the megahero team Argo 5. When Lauren is caught hitting on Gladiatra’s boyfriend, Shazrath, chaos ensues! Well, who could miss that? Dan Sehn was nice enough to stop by First Comics News to tell our readers all about Gladiatra vs. Lauren Order.
First Comics News: How would you describe Gladiatra to someone who’s never read Argo 5?
Dan Sehn: Gladiatra takes her superhero responsibilities pretty seriously as she wants to live up to the legacy of her father, Megamax, the world’s greatest superhero. She is the field leader of Argo 5 with the powers of super-strength, invulnerability, flight, and laser vision.
1st: How would Lauren describe Gladiatra if she were being completely honest?
Dan: Lauren Order is the police liaison to the superhero community. She recognizes Gladiatra’s role as one of Earth’s premier heroes, but is a bit ambivalent towards her in the respect that she believes she is a better match for Gladiatra’s boyfriend, Shazrath. She sees them both as goodie-goodies and believes she is the bad girl Shazrath needs.
1st: What sparked the idea for Gladiatra vs. Lauren Order?
Dan: The above dynamic had me thinking that they needed to hash this out, so this one-shot was born of that. Plus, they are just two of my favorites in the Argo Comics Universe,se so I thought it would be an enjoyable read for those who thought the same.
1st: How important is Shazrath to this story?
Dan: Well, he is the catalyst to their feud. As fellow Argo 5 member Chain Reaction lives in Brooklyn and Lauren Order lives in Queens, Shazrath always runs the risk of crossing paths with Lauren should an emergency break out, as it just so happens in this issue. Gladiatra does keep tabs on him a bit, especially when he’s responding to the New York metropolitan area.
1st: What’s the most fun thing about writing Lauren Order in a world of superheroes?
Dan: She’s a fun character in that she’s a badass but has to deal with her unusually short height. She has no super-powers but does have world-class agility and quick wits, so seeing her navigate these superhuman problems is no short order.
1st: Was this always meant to be a comedic clash, or did that tone develop organically?
Dan: I do have humor in Argo 5, but Gladiatra is usually pretty serious. Lauren is humorous, but not intentionally but circumstances often put her on the receiving end of some comedic situations. I let the story grow organically from their two premises.
1st: The premise has a lot of humor built in. How do you balance comedy with action?
Dan: Finding that balance can be tricky, but I think too much of either would decrease the effectiveness of both elements. I like the end result.
1st: Are there Easter eggs or callbacks for 
longtime Argo 5 fans?
Dan: Yes, there is a bit of an added layer for Argo 5 readers, but the story is a done-in-one issue that allows the new reader to just enjoy this clash.
1st: How does this story fit into the larger Argo 5 continuity?
Dan: Within the price box, I actually have a legacy number of 29.5, so readers can file this after issue 29 in their long box or separately if they so choose.
1st: What will readers need to know from previous issues of Argo 5 to enjoy this?
Dan: Just the simple premise that Gladiatra is a superhero and Shazrath’s boyfriend, and that Lauren is the police liaison to the superheroes, which are pretty much laid out in the story.
1st: What kinds of rewards are you most excited to share with backers?
Dan: We have a tier that includes our trade paperbacks, so readers can get Argo 5 Volume 1 with Gladiatra’s first appearance and Volume 2 with Lauren’s.
1st: What is the URL of the Kickstarter?
Dan: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dansehn/lauren-order-vs-gladiatra
1st: What is the minimum pledge for a digital copy?
Dan: $6
1st: What is the minimum pledge for a print copy?
Dan: $10
1st: What is so cool about Gladiatra vs. Lauren Order that no true comic fan can miss it?
Dan: This book gives you a comic’s bad girl vs a superheroine with some creative action. There is no general release planned, as we try to keep that separate from our Kickstarter releases, so fans of these characters and new fans alike shouldn’t miss the campaign. Also, if the book is reoffered in a future campaign, that is usually covered, so fans of rare variants should get them here while they can.
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