Official website of writer Aaron Johnston

Ender's Game

Formic Wars: Silent Strike #5

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Today the last issue of the second arc of Formic Wars hits comic shops. I’m proud of this issue. The art by Giancarlo is incredible. This concludes the First Formic War. There is a still another war before Ender Wiggin is born. It’s called — can you guess? — the Second Formic War. Fans of Ender’s Game know that war well, or at least know some of what happens in the war. It’s at the end of the Second Formic War that  Mazer Rackham defies orders and fires upon the queen’s ship, killing her and ending the war. That’s not a spoiler, folks. We’ve known that all along. It’s in Ender’s Game.

In any event, Scott Card and I are excited about telling that story. As all Ender’s Game fans know, the asteroid Eros will play a critical role. That’s where the Formics set up a base from which to orchestrate their invasion of Earth. Should be fun.

Here’s a description of and credits for issue five.

Writer:  AARON WILLIAM JOHNSTON, Orson Scott Card

Artist: GIANCARLO CARACUZZO

Colorist: JIM CHARALAMPIDIS

• The Shocking Conclusion To The First Formic War, A Prequel To Orson Scott’s Card’s Science-Fiction Classic Ender’s Game.

• The Formics Fight To The Bitter End. But Is It The End?

• The Hegemon Of Earth Is Revealed!

Marvel announces FORMIC WARS: BURNING EARTH

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Just announced at Comic Con in San Diego: Orson Scott Card and I will be writing a new limited series for Marvel in the Enderverse entitled FORMIC WARS.

Check out an interview I did for Marvel.com here.

As any fan of Ender’s Game knows, Ender Wiggin destroyed the Formics in the Third Formic War. But what about the First and Second Formic Wars? What happened during THOSE conflicts? How did the world get to the state it’s in when Ender is born? What did the formics do to our planet that led to all-out war?

Well, the answers will come in this new limited series, including the story of young Mazer Rackham.

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be working on this. I’ve been a life-long fan of Ender’s Game, and to work in the Ender universe now is absolutely incredible. I still can’t believe it myself. Look for more news about the upcoming series in the future.

Orson Scott Card’s Ender in Exile #1 (Now available)

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The direct sequel to Ender’s Game begins now! Thirteen-year-old Ender Wiggin has saved mankind from an alien threat. His reward? Exile. Branded a monster by those who feel threatened by his military genius, Ender is suddenly a hero without a home. Consumed with guilt, Ender must face his own demons and the people who are bent on stripping him of power. Based on the bestselling novel by science-fiction master Orson Scott Card.

Written by AARON JOHNSTON
Penciled by POP MHAN
Cover by SEBASTIAN FIUMARA

Preview Ender’s Game: The League War (Now available)

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My newest one-shot in the Marvel Enderverse is now available. Ender fans (like myself) do not want to miss this one. This is an original story that Scott Card and I developed that’s never been told before: How did Peter and Valentine start and end The League War. Fantastic art by Timothy Green.

Check it.

Ender’s Game: League War

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I’ve long been a fan of Ender’s Game, and working on the League War comic for Marvel was a real treat. Not only because I got to work in the Enderverse, but also because I got to help develop the story for this one.

As any fan of Ender’s Game will tell you, the League War was the five-day conflict that occurred within the International Fleet immediately after Ender destroyed the Formic home planet. Nations of the Earth were scrambling for power, and Peter and Valentine were mostly responsible for initiating the war and then bringing about its peaceful resolution. The details of this war and how it came to be have never been explored in the Enderverse until now!

Here’s the solicit text that went out to comic shops:

Ender Wiggin is not the only genius child to influence the course of Earth’s history. Not even the only one in his family. After the end of the final Formic War, the nations of the Earth are scrambling for power…and Peter and Valentine Wiggin, Ender’s older and equally intelligent siblings, will start and end a world war with nothing more than words. This ALL-NEW, action-packed followup to Ender’s Game fills in new detail between the pages of the multiple Hugo Award winning Ender Wiggin series by Orson Scott Card.

COVER BY: Pasqual Ferry

WRITER: Aaron Johnston

PENCILS: Timothy Green

INKS: Janice Parker

LETTERED BY: Jared Fletcher

Ender’s Game: Mazer In Prison (Now available)

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I’ve long been a fan of Ender’s Game. In fact, if I were I to list my top five favorite books of all time, I would be tempted to name Ender’s Game twice. I love and adore this book that much. I never knew it was possible to become so emotionally invested in a character until I read EG. I was Ender. Or at least I liked to think I was–as every other kid who has ever read this book has.

So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this one-shot. Next to Ender, Mazer Rackham is my favorite character in the series, and “Mazer in Prison” is an incredible story. Scott Card allowed me to read it a few years ago before it was published, and I felt like I was holding a precious gem. “Mazer in Prison” takes place before the events of Ender’s Game as Mazer is hurtling through space at relativistic speeds. The International Fleet is cheating time and trying to preserve Mazer’s age so that he can lead the fleet when it reaches the Formic planet. The only problem: Mazer doesn’t want to lead the fleet. He wants to find his replacement, someone who exemplifies the characteristics of a true commander. Unfortunately, no one in the International Fleet currently fits that description, and if things continue as they are—under the rule of self-serving careerists—Mazer won’t have a replacement in time. So Mazer takes the appropriate action to ensure the search for his replacement begins in earnest.

The short story is mostly epistolary and takes place entirely in the cramped space of Mazer’s tiny starship. For the comic, however, we knew we needed to do something a little different; we couldn’t have all 22 pages take place inside this starship. The artists would go crazy. So to give the comic more visual diversity, we follow Graff’s point of view as well as he works on Eros, interacting with the bureaucrats who currently run the International Fleet.

Pop Mahn did an amazing job with the art. It looks incredible. What I enjoy most about this story is that it shows us what soldiers give up when they go off to war; we see the sacrifice that Mazer made, the family he left behind. Anyone who reads the short story—and hopefully the comic—will come away with a renewed sense of gratitude for those who sacrifice so much to keep us safe and free.

Creative Director & Executive Director: Orson Scott Card
Script: Aaron Johnston
Pencils: Pop Mahn
Inks: Norman Lee
Colors: Jim Charlampidis
Lettering: Cory Petit
Cover: Pasqual Ferry & Frank D’armata
Editor: Jordan D. White