Gregory Graves

Gregory Graves
Date	2017
No. of issues	1
Publisher	SBI Press
Creative team
Writers	Dan Harmon Eric M. Esquivel
Artist	Brent Schoonover
Penciller	Brent Schoonover
Inker	Ted Naifeh
Letterer	Rob Leigh
Colorists	Rebecca Nalty Paul Mounts

Gregory Graves Vol. 1: Interview with a Supervillain (or just Gregory Graves) is a graphic novel co-written by Dan Harmon (creator of Community and Rick and Morty ) and Eric M. Esquivel. ^[1]

Published by SBI Press, the publishing house of Starburns Industries, the comic serves as a darkly comedic deconstruction and satire of the superhero genre, specifically focusing on the relationship between an all-powerful hero and his skeptical, genius arch-nemesis. ^{[2] [3]}

The comic parodies the classic DC Comics dynamic of Superman/Lex Luthor, but flips the perspective, telling the story from the villain's point of view to question the nature of heroism, unchecked power, and humanity's need for saviors.

While Esquivel and the publisher explicitly stated their intention to continue the series, no second volume has been officially announced or released. However, with Harmon's significant commitments to television projects (Rick and Morty and others), and Esquivel's other writing projects, a follow-up book has not yet materialized.

Plot

The story begins with the main character, Gregory Graves, a brilliant but self-proclaimed "insane scientist" and supervillain, awaiting execution on death row. In his final hours, he grants a tell-all interview, offering his life story and his side of a decades-long conflict.

Graves' central motivation is his deep-seated, paranoid distrust of the world's greatest hero, Luminary. Throughout the narrative, Graves attempts to prove that Luminary, despite his friendly, public image, is an existential threat to humanity due to his immense, god-like power. The core conflict is not merely one of good versus evil, but of ideology: Graves believes he must force humanity to question their heroes before they are inevitably betrayed or wiped out.

References

1. "Gregory Graves [graphic novel]. Book one, Interview with a supervillain / script, Dan Harmon & Eric M. Esquivel ; art, Brent Schoonover with Gavin Smith & Mark Stegbauer ; color art, Rebecca Nalty ; lettering, Rob Leigh". onecard.network. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
2. "Gregory Graves Vol. 1: Interview with a Supervillain - Harmon, Dan; Esquivel, Eric: 9780988936355 - AbeBooks". www.abebooks.com. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
3. Shannon, Hannah (2018). "Starburns Is Set To Unleash Humor-Driven Comics – Talking With Trevor Richardson And Eric Esquivel". Comicon.com .