The following is an interview with Melissa Flores regarding the recent release of the comic book series, Xino #1, through Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Flores about the inspiration behind her story – “Hue,” what she hopes that readers may take away from the story and the sci-fi series as a whole, and more!

Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of Xino #1!  For those who may be unfamiliar with this all-new sci-fi series, what can you share with us about your story, “Hue,” as well as its inspiration?

Melissa Flores: Absolutely! “Hue” is the story of a very lucky man named Matteo who gets picked from a waiting list of millions to test a brand new set of eye implants before they go to the direct market in a futuristic world. This kind of technology would only be available to billionaires, and gives Matteo the ability to process every color in the spectrum, beyond what even our own normal eyes can see. But his luck quickly turns sour when he realizes there are some things that he would rather have never seen at all.

I’ve always been fascinated by our own human limits, and that we can only see a limited amount of the color spectrum. What if we could see all of it? What is hidden in those edges of the color spectrum? Would there be beauty or absolute terror at what we discover? Perhaps both!  
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with artist Daniel Irizarri and letterer Jim Campbell to bring “Hue” to life?

MF: It was absolutely incredible. I really wanted to give Daniel as much freedom as I could to create the world as he imagined it, so I purposely wrote my descriptions a bit leading but with no concrete references. How he built out the world and then colored it in was honestly incredible. It was a joy to get every page. He had to create images that were both beautiful, psychedelic, and ultimately terrifying, and man did he pull it off. Jim had to then turn that script and make it as creepy and tragic as possible, and the end result is a beautiful story that I’m so tremendously proud of, with a world that feels real and lived in, and characters that came alive with their words. I’m so thankful to both of them!

I’m also thankful to my two amazing editors helping me, as well, Zack Soto and Gabriel Granillo.

BD: In having worked as a writer on other sci-fi properties like The Dead Lucky, what most excites you about working within the genre for each new story?

MF: The “what-ifs” that come from world-building! The Dead Lucky takes place in a San Francisco that could exist five years from now, and it explores a city that’s been privatized by a corporation, and how that would play out for a soldier coming back to her childhood home. Like The Dead Lucky, “Hue”’s world isn’t meant to be a completely different AU type of fantasy that feature fantastical elements, but one that could very easily exist in the future if we ride on a specific set of rails. What if companies were able to create cybertech elements that would allow us to replace lungs, knees, even brains… but they would only make them available to the very few elite who could afford them? How would the rest of the population have access to that kind of tech? And what would they give up to get it?

Being able to take our world as a blueprint and then add ‘modifiers’ allows us to place characters in different circumstances, affected by the environment around them. They remain relatable, because something like what happens to Matteo could easily happen to any one of us in those circumstances… provided we were lucky enough.

BD: If given the opportunity, would you be interested in returning to the world and characters of your story for an expanded series?

MF: In a heartbeat! There’s a whole lived-in world in “Hue,” and I think there’s a lot we can explore inside of it. Matteo’s story isn’t the only one worth telling, and I’d really love to see the ramifications of Matteo’s choice at the end of “Hue,” and what it means for him and the people he loves.  

BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?

MF: The Dead Lucky’s second arc kicks off with Issue 07 in July, so please keep an eye out for that. You can also pick up Issues 1-6 in a collected trade in any comic book store! Radiant Pink, a Massive-Verse story I co-wrote with my friend Meghan Camarena, will also be releasing its trade that collects the issues in August!

I’m also kicking off an anniversary event for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers called Darkest Hour, just in time for the Power Rangers‘ 30th anniversary. It’s a huge undertaking, and I’m really nervous about it, but I’m so excited for fans to read it!

BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Xino and your other work?

MF: I’m always available on Twitter and Instagram (@misty_flores)! I’ll share any details or convention appearances there!