Who doesn’t enjoy an engaging spy story? Espionage and intrigue. Assassins and subterfuge. High action and higher drama. This fall, Dark Horse Comics delivers a dynamic dossier of derring-do in the new miniseries The Guy in the Chair, offering a fresh spin on the tried-and-true spy trope. From the creative team of writers Hannah Rose May and Utkarsh Ambudkar, Guillermo Sanna, colorist Dearbhla Kelly, and letterer Steve Wands, The Guy in the Chair follows Abhi, the titular guy who works as a tactical analyst for a private military company. Still, as much as he might enjoy his job, he takes greater joy in Merlin, the field operative he assists on field missions. While the two have never met, Abhi has unrequited love for Merlin; he’s never even met her in person, for that matter. However, when she ends up at Abhi’s apartment bloodied and beaten, the two of them find themselves partnered to stop a plot that might spell doom for all of humanity.
I spoke with Hannah Rose May and Utkarsh Ambudkar recently about the conceit of The Guy in the Chair, the dynamic between Abhi and Merlin, working with the rest of the creative team, and the bombastic and intimate moments of the book.
This book has been a joy so far and we’re just one issue in. I love a good spy/assassin story and The Guy in the Chair’s unique slant on the genre is compelling in its own right. But as much as I adore the action popping off every page, what hooked me is the relationship between Abhi and Merlin, a novel interpretation of the “will they, won’t they” trope. In the hands of these nimble creators, this mesh of romance, action, and intrigue soar as high as a lovelorn heart or a contract killer’s roundhouse kick.
The Guy in the Chair #1 cover
FreakSugar: Before we get into the comic itself, can you talk about the genesis of The Guy in the Chair?
Utkarsh Ambudkar: Hannah and I ran into each other at SDCC and she said, “Hi, nice to meet you! I’m coming to shoot Ghosts on Monday!” And the rest is history haha.
Hannah Rose May: Yes! It was so serendipitous. I was at SDCC promoting my debut comic, Rogues’ Gallery, when I ran into the entire Ghosts cast. I’d literally just booked Molly the Maid that day and had to cut my con short to fly to Montreal for shooting. On set, Utkarsh and I bonded over comics. When he mentioned wanting to write one, I pitched him a tiny seed of an idea and suggested we collaborate. Two years later, that seed blossomed into Guy in The Chair.
FS: I love Abhi and Merlin’s dynamic and back-and-forth. It’s so freaking fun. What can you tell us about them and how you construct their relationship?
UA: The idea here was to draw from our favorite rom-coms and unlock that beloved “will they/won’t they” dynamic that is heartbeat of all great love stories.
HRM: We wanted to create a dynamic duo who are basically work husband and wife, but the danger and classification of their work prohibits them from ever meeting in person. You know those two friends who should obviously be together but the timing’s never right? We wanted to play with that tension and bring those characteristics to the forefront.
The Guy in the Chair #2 cover
FS: It’s early in, but have the characters made choices so far that surprised you?
UA: I think I was surprised at Abhi’s reaction to Merlin showing up at his door. She’s clearly in need of help but he’s so love-struck that he can only think about what she might be thinking about his apartment. I thought that was funny.
HRM: I second this! It’s such a relatable moment—having your crush come over and suddenly seeing your space through their eyes. Doesn’t matter if they’re on the run; Abhi’s ‘do you like me?’ fear still creeps in.
FS: The art is so expressive and dynamic. I felt my eyes pulled everywhere on the page—in a good way. What is your collaboration process like?
HRM: Guillermo is the best! We’d script these big swings and eagerly wait for pages to hit our inbox. After issue #1, we learned his style and started writing to it. Same for him—once he saw our pop culture references, he started adding his own easter egg to the panels.
UA: We truly lucked out with Guillermo. He has needed very little direction in bringing this world to life. He immediately knew what the book needed.
The Guy in the Chair #3 cover
FS: Following up on that, the comic feels BIG and small at the same time, if that makes sense. Bombastic and intimate. I feel like that makes the comic works so well.
UA: That’s my favorite part. Seeing how mundane Abhi’s life is when he takes the headset off. Watching him have a life that we can all relate to is something I really enjoyed exploring.
HRM: So glad that came through, we worked hard on that! So many people have mundane office jobs but live vibrant lives online through games or Discord. We inverted that with Abhi: his work life is awesome but his home life is mundane. Then those worlds collide, and that’s where my favorite moments in the series happen.
FS: What are some of your favorite spies and assassins tales?
UA: I loved The Thomas Crown Affair, Enemy of State, and 80’s spy-comedy classics like Top Secret! And If Looks Could Kill (major guilty pleasure) … we’ve got a lot True Lies mojo in this one, too.
HRM: Mission Impossible and Mr. & Mrs. Smith have always been favorites. I also just recently discovered Slow Horses. It’s excellent at bringing together lovable misfits who have to save the world. Honorable mention goes to Totally Spies!
The Guy in the Chair #4 cover
FS: Is there anything you can tease about what we can expect to see in the comic?
UA: Bulletholes, Blood, Redheads, Katana Blades, Gunfight kisses and some stale Ramen Noodles.
HRM: ..and lots more “live, laugh, love!”
FS: This book looks like it’d be a ball to work on. What’s been your favorite part of crafting the comic?
UA: How easy it is to build with Hannah. She is an amazing collaborator who is so experienced (and has been incredibly successful) in the genre already. Having a “yes, and…” partner like her is THE gift!
HRM: Utkarsh’s voice notes! They usually start with ‘Before you say no…hear me out.’ But in all seriousness, this is only my third original series but it’s Utkarsh’s first and there’s nothing quite like the excitement of your first. So getting to see that through Utkarsh’s eyes has made this beyond fulfilling. Also working with Guillermo and Dearbhla has been incredible. This whole process has been such a blast. Every time we get pages, I’m floored by their talent. The book is gorgeous!
FS: If you had a final pitch for the comic, what would it be?
UA: You’ve never read a book like this before – and after you do – you’re going to begging for a sequel! We’ve got everything a comic book lover wants in a story. If you’re getting tired of capes and tights and need a new pull – try us.
HRM: We really tried to create something that stands out among the tentpole franchises hitting shelves every Wednesday. Give issue #1 a read. We promise you’ll fall for Abhi and Merlin as much as they’re falling for each other while trying not to die and save the world.
The Guy in the Chair #2 goes on sale Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from Dark Horse Comics.
From the official issue description:
Ripped from his comfortable place behind a computer screen, former tactical analyst Abhi must enter the fray with Merlin, the field agent that has stolen his heart (and top-secret government assets).
Transitioning from a behind-the-scenes “Guy in the Chair” to a front-row seat to danger, Abhi must now face more direct threats to life and limb as the two of them outrun their former employer the Observatory . . . who will stop at nothing to eliminate the two before they threaten the organization’s well-planned global takeover.