Ask any artist and they'll tell you that nothing is ever a "finished product," but their works are instead the most complete version of the product they intended to put into the world. Chuck Palahniuk understands that better than anyone else, and is showing us what happens when old friends once more come to play in the playground that is the creative mind. While it's been on the books for a while now, we've got an exciting update on one of those sequels nobody ever thought would exist: Fight Club 2
USA Today sat down with Mr. Palahniuk as he prepares to attend this year's Comic Con to promote his limited Dark Horse Comics series, set after the ending of Fight Club. More specifically, it takes place a decade after The Narrator and Marla were last seen – holding hands at the assumed collapse of society. Much like art, revolutions never really conclude, and as such, Project Mayhem is still in motion. This time though, our narrator isn't quite as up to speed with how the organization is operating, and it now poses a threat to his son, Junior.
Of course, what's a Fight Club sequel without its most famous character, Tyler Durden? Chuck Palahniuk admits that not only will the soap-making, chaos-loving, porn-splicing hellion be back, but we'll get to peek behind the curtain and see where his legacy began. According to the author, there's a lot more to Tyler than we think there is, as he describes the infamous anarchist as:
"... something that maybe has been around for centuries and is not just this aberration that's popped into his mind."
Does this mean we'll see Tyler Durden pop up during historical moments like The Crusades or the French Revolution? If so, then this comic has already given itself more than enough reason to exist. Of course, it's not all fun and games when Palahniuk puts pen to paper, and in the interview he expressed that the reason he started writing Fight Club 2 (besides accidentally promising it to fans at last year's New York Comic Con) was that he wanted to re-examine the themes of the first novel, but at a later point in time – a time where Palahniuk feels you have to ask the following question:
"If you suppress that wild, creative part of you — that Tyler part of you — do you lose the best part of you? Sure, your life is more stable and safe, but is it a better life?"
At the very least, Fight Club 2 sounds like it's got the right idea in its head moving forward. Rather than being a cash grab with no artistic value, it's a continuation that nagged at its creator (much like Tyler Durden would) to bring it to life. We'll see if it's worth the wait when Fight Club 2 hits shelves next May.
