Jason Starr is best known for his line of noir bestselling prose (Panic Attack, Twisted City, The Follower), so he was a natural for the newly launched Vertigo Crime line. But Starr turned in more than a noir work; The Chill is actually a riveting paranormal thriller rich in character and setting (Ireland and New York City) and brilliantly illustrated by Mick Bertilorenzi. It's a rollercoaster ride with some truy unexpected twists along the way. We caught up with Starr to talk about his first foray into graphic novels.

Had you been a fan of comics and graphic novels before working on The Chill?
I've been a big comics fan for years. I have so many favorites I'm sure I'll leave some out, but some favs include Ms. Tree, Preacher, 100 Bulllets, Y: The Last Man, Punisher MAX, DMZ, Criminal, A History of Violence, and the list goes on. I think we're really entering a golden age for the graphic novel right now. Some my favorite writers include Jason Aaron, Brian Azzarello, Ed Brubaker, Brian Wood, Gregg Hurwtiz, I could keep going.

What made you decide to do a graphic novel now?
The timing was right. I'd been wanting to get back to comics for a long time, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to the new Vertigo Crime line. Also, I think comics and crime fiction are starting to overlap—not only with readership, but with content—so this was a natural evolution for me.

Even apart from being a graphic novel, The Chill is a bit of a departure for you. What inspired the story?
I've always had big a fascination with Druid mythology—maybe it started with seeing Excaliber years ago. All of the Druid magic is so visual, it seemed perfect for a graphic crime novel. I'm not sure this book would have worked as well, or at all, as a prose novel.

Do you have Irish in your background? The Irish history and lore is part of what makes The Chill so interesting and unique from you.
No Irish background, but I cowrote three novels with Ken Bruen, and that definitely had a big effect on me. While I had a personal interest in Irish lore, particularly Druid mythology, I did a lot of research for The Chill, perhaps more than any other book I've written. While the book is pure fiction, all the supernatural elements in the book are from actual Druid mythology. I just sort of picked and chose what I thought would best serve the story.

What was the research like? Did you travel to Ireland to get the setting right?
I had been to Ireland recently, so that definitely helped for the setting. But since much of the novel takes place in New York, I'm not sure that ultimately had much effect on the book. Also, the beauty of a graphic novel is that the artwork can bring out so much of the setting.

How did you and illustrator Mick Bertilorenzi meet?
We hooked up via Will Dennis at Vertigo and instantly hit it off. We haven't met in person yet, but we email constantly. The important thing is that Mick and I had the same vision for The Chill, and I felt he totally understood the subject matter from the get-go.

Were people surprised when you told them you were working on a graphic novel?
No, not surprised, but I sensed a lot of anticipation about the book. I think people who know me for my crime novels were curious, and I think there's just a general buzz about graphic novels in general that gets people excited.

Did you have any reservations about doing a graphic novel at this point?
No, just the opposite. I loved the whole experience. It was a total blast.

The Chill has a great ghost-story kind of appeal. Are you drawn to those types of stories?
Yes, I love stores that give me a, well, chill. I grew up on Stephen King, and I am a big horror fan in general. I love everything from Wes Craven to Dario Argento. But I should stress that with The Chill, I didn't set out to write a horror novel, or a supernatural story for that matter. I really just wanted to write a modern-day thriller immersed in Druid mythology. In Druid mythology, there is a lot of horrific, supernatural stuff, so I was just being true to my subject matter.

What are you working on next? Do you have more graphic novels in your future?
I have written a five-part miniseries of Justice Inc. (starring The Avenger), which is out right now for DC as part of the new Doc Savage series. This has been a very exciting project, as I'm thrilled to have gotten the chance to help reinvent The Avenger and the other fantastic Justice Inc. characters for a new generation. I also have new projects forthcoming for Marvel and Vertigo and I'm completing a new novel called The Pack for Berkley, which will be published in 2011.