With the return of Bruce Wayne to DC we thought we'd put up one of our favourite Batman DC Covers over the past 12 months. - Enjoy!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Return of Batman
With the return of Bruce Wayne to DC we thought we'd put up one of our favourite Batman DC Covers over the past 12 months. - Enjoy!
Batman 3 Rumours
A third chapter in the revamped Batman franchise is probably one of the most highly-anticipated films in comic book movie history. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, it is also one of the most discussed, rumored about and debated films, as well. To cut through the confusion (or add to it, depending upon how you look at it), here's a compilation of the news and rumors fanning the debates.
Will Christopher Nolan return to direct?
YES Batman on Film (February 2009)
"According to three separate BOF sources, director Christopher Nolan’s recent deal with Warner Bros. for the film INCEPTION, at least includes an agreement between the studio and the acclaimed director to helm his second sequel to BATMAN BEGINS."
MAYBE Christian "Batman" Bale (April 2009)
"Will we do a third movie? It's got to be the right story. You can't make something like The Dark Knight and then come out with something disappointing.
"I would like it if people say, 'You'll never make a good third movie.' I say, 'OK, let's make a third movie in that case, let's prove them wrong. But that's just me. The fact is, I have to! I've signed up! Chris doesn't. So I'm in a bit of a fix if he says he doesn't want to!"
MAYBE Christopher Nolan Representative (February 2009)
"He is doing Inception next. We haven't announced any deal or anything on the next Batman as that is all speculation."
YES Gary "Commissioner Gordon" Oldman (July 2009)
"[Yes,] but you didn't hear that from me."
YES (SOMEDAY) Gary Oldman (July 2009)
"Well, I'm sure they want to do another one... it might 2 or 3 years..."
YES (MAYBE) David S. Goyer (June 2009)
"Well, I believe he said if we can find the story that he's happy with, that he would return. And unfortunately, respecting Chris… You know, talk to him after he finishes Inception, which he's shooting right now. That just started shooting.
You know, we've been talking [about story ideas]."
NO (MAYBE) Michael "Alfred" Caine (November 2009)
"As for the future... if they ever make another Batman I will be in, I will be the butler..."
"But I don't know if they are ever going to make another Batman. If they do it won't be for quite a while."
YES Morgan "Lucius Fox" Freeman (December 2009)
"I know—I just know—that Chris is working on number three. He couldn't possibly not be."
UPDATE 5: YES (Well, his brother is, so...) Deadline Hollywood (February 2010)
"Now FlashForward showrunner David Goyer has left with 5 episodes still to shoot. Of course, Goyer's feature career is really heating up, since he co-wrote Batman Begins, and penned the story for The Dark Knight, and is now writing the third Batman installment with Chris Nolan's brother Jonah."
UPDATE 6: YES (If he's mentoring Superman, then...) Deadline Hollywood (February 2010)
"Warner Bros is trying to ready its DC Comics stalwart Superman to soar again on the Big Screen, and the studio has turned to Chris Nolan to mentor development of the movie. Our insiders say that the brains behind rebooted Batman has been asked to play a "godfather" role and ensure The Man Of Steel gets off the ground after a 3 1/2-year hiatus... now [Chris Nolan's] brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan, and David Goyer who co-wrote and penned the story for The Dark Knight, are off scripting it."
UPDATE 7: YES Nestor "Mayor Anthony Garcia" Carbonell (February 2010)
"That was an awesome gig. It was such an incredible experience to work with not only Chris Nolan, but the incredible cast, and, yeah, to be part of the Batman...I guess now it will be a trilogy. It was great to get to put on the suit and represent the city."
UPDATE 8: YES (CONFIRMED) Christopher Nolan (March 2010)
"My brother is writing a script for me and we’ll wait to see how it turns out.... He's struggling to put it together into the epic story that you want it to be.
"Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.
"We have a great ensemble, that's one of the attractions of doing another film, since we've been having a great time for years."
Will we see Two-Face and The Scarecrow again?
Aaron "Two-Face" Eckhart (September 2009)
"If Chris called me, I would certainly do it.
As far as I'm concerned, my character's dead. I've sort of just gone on with my life. I don't have any expectations of being in the next Dark Knight, if there is a Dark Knight. I have no knowledge of one.
I would do anything for Chris. If Chris wanted me to ... I don't know, bring his tea or something like that, I would do it. I had such a good time making that movie, and he's such a great filmmaker."
Cillian "Scarecrow" Murphy (October 2009)
"I hope they make a third one. I think The Dark Knight was one of the greatest films.
[But, Nolan and I] don’t talk about those things. It's out of my control.
"[The Dark Knight is] one of the greatest blockbuster mainstream movies. If anyone can match that or top that it’s Chris. Fingers crossed."
Who will play the villains?
Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Phillip Seymor Hoffman as The Penguin
Michael Caine (September 2008)
"When Christopher said we were going to do The Dark Knight next, I didn't what that meant in Batman terms. I said, 'What's the story?' and he said The Joker. I said, 'Oh, s--t! How are you going to top Jack [Nicholson]?' He said, 'Well, I've cast Heath Ledger. And I went 'Ha! I couldn't top Jack, but if anyone could, maybe Heath could.' And he did.
"I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, 'Are we going to make another one?' They said yeah. I said, 'How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says 'I'll tell you how you top Heath -- Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.' I said, 'S--t, they've done it again!'"
Johnny Depp (June 2009)
"I'd definitely juggle it."
Michael Caine (September 2009)
"There is nobody, there's no script, there's nothing. It can't possibly be made before 2011 because Inception is such a big picture.
"Johnny Depp is great in anything, but there is no Johnny Depp in this Batman. They tell me in no uncertain terms."
UPDATE 1: Dane Cook as The Riddler
Dane Cook (November 2009)
"If they brought back The Riddler — a new Riddler the way they did with The Joker — that would be badass. I would do that.
"When they were making the new one and they were doing The Joker, I always thought it [should be] kind of like The Crow — having that dark element but still comedic. It would probably have to be something in that vein, even though I think what Heath Ledger did with the Joker was the greatest comic book villain ever."
UPDATE 2: David Tennant as The Riddler
David Tennant (December 2009)
"I probably should be [playing The Riddler]. But, you'd think my agent would have mentioned something if it was true."
UPDATE 3: Sienna Miller as Catwoman
Sienna Miller (January 2010)
"[I would like to play] Catwoman. I actually love Catwoman. I just think the idea of being half-cat and half-woman is a great kind of villain-esque persona. It's the age-old thing of a femme fatale."
UPDATE 4: Will Batman 3 even happen?
Morgan "Lucius Fox" Freeman (February 2010)
"Well... I always say, now I've been asked this question a number of times, and I don't think that Warner Brothers... the board of directors... the chairman or the president... or any of those people are stupid.
"Which means there's going to be another Batman movie.
"Now, [my involvement is] not carved in stone. We'll only know that when the script is written and the same guy's writing the third script, if there is to be one."
UPDATE 8: YES (CONFIRMED)
See above.
Will Christopher Nolan return to direct?
YES Batman on Film (February 2009)
"According to three separate BOF sources, director Christopher Nolan’s recent deal with Warner Bros. for the film INCEPTION, at least includes an agreement between the studio and the acclaimed director to helm his second sequel to BATMAN BEGINS."
MAYBE Christian "Batman" Bale (April 2009)
"Will we do a third movie? It's got to be the right story. You can't make something like The Dark Knight and then come out with something disappointing.
"I would like it if people say, 'You'll never make a good third movie.' I say, 'OK, let's make a third movie in that case, let's prove them wrong. But that's just me. The fact is, I have to! I've signed up! Chris doesn't. So I'm in a bit of a fix if he says he doesn't want to!"
MAYBE Christopher Nolan Representative (February 2009)
"He is doing Inception next. We haven't announced any deal or anything on the next Batman as that is all speculation."
YES Gary "Commissioner Gordon" Oldman (July 2009)
"[Yes,] but you didn't hear that from me."
YES (SOMEDAY) Gary Oldman (July 2009)
"Well, I'm sure they want to do another one... it might 2 or 3 years..."
YES (MAYBE) David S. Goyer (June 2009)
"Well, I believe he said if we can find the story that he's happy with, that he would return. And unfortunately, respecting Chris… You know, talk to him after he finishes Inception, which he's shooting right now. That just started shooting.
You know, we've been talking [about story ideas]."
NO (MAYBE) Michael "Alfred" Caine (November 2009)
"As for the future... if they ever make another Batman I will be in, I will be the butler..."
"But I don't know if they are ever going to make another Batman. If they do it won't be for quite a while."
YES Morgan "Lucius Fox" Freeman (December 2009)
"I know—I just know—that Chris is working on number three. He couldn't possibly not be."
UPDATE 5: YES (Well, his brother is, so...) Deadline Hollywood (February 2010)
"Now FlashForward showrunner David Goyer has left with 5 episodes still to shoot. Of course, Goyer's feature career is really heating up, since he co-wrote Batman Begins, and penned the story for The Dark Knight, and is now writing the third Batman installment with Chris Nolan's brother Jonah."
UPDATE 6: YES (If he's mentoring Superman, then...) Deadline Hollywood (February 2010)
"Warner Bros is trying to ready its DC Comics stalwart Superman to soar again on the Big Screen, and the studio has turned to Chris Nolan to mentor development of the movie. Our insiders say that the brains behind rebooted Batman has been asked to play a "godfather" role and ensure The Man Of Steel gets off the ground after a 3 1/2-year hiatus... now [Chris Nolan's] brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan, and David Goyer who co-wrote and penned the story for The Dark Knight, are off scripting it."
UPDATE 7: YES Nestor "Mayor Anthony Garcia" Carbonell (February 2010)
"That was an awesome gig. It was such an incredible experience to work with not only Chris Nolan, but the incredible cast, and, yeah, to be part of the Batman...I guess now it will be a trilogy. It was great to get to put on the suit and represent the city."
UPDATE 8: YES (CONFIRMED) Christopher Nolan (March 2010)
"My brother is writing a script for me and we’ll wait to see how it turns out.... He's struggling to put it together into the epic story that you want it to be.
"Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.
"We have a great ensemble, that's one of the attractions of doing another film, since we've been having a great time for years."
Will we see Two-Face and The Scarecrow again?
Aaron "Two-Face" Eckhart (September 2009)
"If Chris called me, I would certainly do it.
As far as I'm concerned, my character's dead. I've sort of just gone on with my life. I don't have any expectations of being in the next Dark Knight, if there is a Dark Knight. I have no knowledge of one.
I would do anything for Chris. If Chris wanted me to ... I don't know, bring his tea or something like that, I would do it. I had such a good time making that movie, and he's such a great filmmaker."
Cillian "Scarecrow" Murphy (October 2009)
"I hope they make a third one. I think The Dark Knight was one of the greatest films.
[But, Nolan and I] don’t talk about those things. It's out of my control.
"[The Dark Knight is] one of the greatest blockbuster mainstream movies. If anyone can match that or top that it’s Chris. Fingers crossed."
Who will play the villains?
Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Phillip Seymor Hoffman as The Penguin
Michael Caine (September 2008)
"When Christopher said we were going to do The Dark Knight next, I didn't what that meant in Batman terms. I said, 'What's the story?' and he said The Joker. I said, 'Oh, s--t! How are you going to top Jack [Nicholson]?' He said, 'Well, I've cast Heath Ledger. And I went 'Ha! I couldn't top Jack, but if anyone could, maybe Heath could.' And he did.
"I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, 'Are we going to make another one?' They said yeah. I said, 'How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says 'I'll tell you how you top Heath -- Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.' I said, 'S--t, they've done it again!'"
Johnny Depp (June 2009)
"I'd definitely juggle it."
Michael Caine (September 2009)
"There is nobody, there's no script, there's nothing. It can't possibly be made before 2011 because Inception is such a big picture.
"Johnny Depp is great in anything, but there is no Johnny Depp in this Batman. They tell me in no uncertain terms."
UPDATE 1: Dane Cook as The Riddler
Dane Cook (November 2009)
"If they brought back The Riddler — a new Riddler the way they did with The Joker — that would be badass. I would do that.
"When they were making the new one and they were doing The Joker, I always thought it [should be] kind of like The Crow — having that dark element but still comedic. It would probably have to be something in that vein, even though I think what Heath Ledger did with the Joker was the greatest comic book villain ever."
UPDATE 2: David Tennant as The Riddler
David Tennant (December 2009)
"I probably should be [playing The Riddler]. But, you'd think my agent would have mentioned something if it was true."
UPDATE 3: Sienna Miller as Catwoman
Sienna Miller (January 2010)
"[I would like to play] Catwoman. I actually love Catwoman. I just think the idea of being half-cat and half-woman is a great kind of villain-esque persona. It's the age-old thing of a femme fatale."
UPDATE 4: Will Batman 3 even happen?
Morgan "Lucius Fox" Freeman (February 2010)
"Well... I always say, now I've been asked this question a number of times, and I don't think that Warner Brothers... the board of directors... the chairman or the president... or any of those people are stupid.
"Which means there's going to be another Batman movie.
"Now, [my involvement is] not carved in stone. We'll only know that when the script is written and the same guy's writing the third script, if there is to be one."
UPDATE 8: YES (CONFIRMED)
See above.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Batman 3 Has An Official Release Date!!
Chris Nolan-directed Batman film, Warner Bros. has set the official release date to July 20, 2012.
The studio is in the very early stages of development, yet Nolan has said this is most likely the last film in the series.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Ironman 2 Trailer from our friends over at IronmanFlicks
Our sister site, Ironmanflicks.blogspot.com emailed us this new Ironman trailer. We had to put it up given the lacking news on the current Batman Franchise.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
The Break Down of the Batman Franchise over the past few months
The last several months have been rather chaotic for the Batman franchise, and things are only going to get worse in the months ahead. In November, the Dark Knight was mentally torn apart by an ultimate evil. He then squared off with a god, and won, but not without cost. Bruce Wayne is now stuck in another time; when he'll return is anyone's guess.
Batman's absence from Gotham has plunged the city into chaos. The question on the minds of heroes, villains and the average citizen is: Will there be another Batman? And, more importantly, can there be another Batman? If so, who will take up that responsibility?
Tony Daniel is leading up the mini-series that will answer those very questions. The second issue of the series hit just last week, and the action kicked into high gear as Tim Drake confronted Jason Todd, the man behind the Armored Dark Knight. How will things shake out? We'll find out in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, IGN tracked down Daniel to get his thoughts about working on this pivotal project, and what's in store for the future.
IGN Comics: I guess there's no better place to start our discussion than Jason Todd. In the recent past his characterization has wavered quite a bit. We've seen him played as both a grim-and-gritty antihero and well-meaning yet misguided hothead. Here we see him portrayed as more of a full-blown villain than ever before. Can you talk about your take on Jason in Battle for the Cowl?
Daniel: Jason in his own mind thinks that he's taking the necessary steps to combat the evil in Gotham City. In his mind he's not doing anything wrong, he's fighting fire with fire. The big difference between Jason and Bruce is their approach. Jason was always a little bit more on the reckless, daring side, and he obviously has a screw loose after coming back from the Lazarus Pit. When you do come back from the Lazarus Pit, you're not one hundred percent right in the head, and Jason really wasn't all that right in the head to begin with. What I like about his character is that he really believes in the way he's going about his business, and in his mind he's right. In his mind he's not a bad guy.
IGN Comics: Anytime you work with an anti-hero character I think you always run the chance that some fans will embrace his or her willingness to go the extra mile and actually kill. When I was talking to Judd Winick about his initial run resurrecting Jason, he mentioned he was a bit surprised at fans' willingness to get behind Jason. By pushing him further towards the side of villainy than ever before, were you purposefully trying to make it clear that Jason is not a good guy and is in fact off his rocker?
Daniel: Yes. At this point he is beyond the point of no return in terms of ever being considered even remotely a hero. What I wanted to do here is put him in a place that he can't come back from. The things that he does here in Battle for the Cowl are things that can never really be forgiven. The only outcome would have to be imprisonment or something worse. But from this point on for Jason the gray area between good and bad has disappeared. It's crystal clear now that he is on the dark side.
IGN Comics: I think one of the reasons fans have been unable to accept Jason is because he's never really been given a clear direction and characterization. I think pushing him in this direction will go along way towards allowing fans to accept him.
Daniel: The way I look at it is I find him very intriguing because he's evil in the sense that anyone else might be evil. In his case, childhood events and the way he was brought up led Bruce to try and take him under his wing and steer him in the right direction, but the events that happened early to this guy really shaped him into what he is now.
I think that's true in the case of any evil person – they had to have something happen to them that turned them bad. And Jason has such a history in the Batman lore that there are so many things that I can draw upon, from his jealousy of the other Robins to his animosity towards Bruce. I get to play around with his point of view, and we get to read his captions where he describes some of his feelings that we may not have had the chance to hear until now.
IGN Comics: There's one fantastic line in particular where Jason claims that Bruce took him under his wing to prevent him from becoming another one of his enemies. We all remember that great introductory scene of a young Jason stealing the hubcaps off of the Batmobile, and I think it says a lot about Jason that he'd think of Bruce's motivations as being selfish.
Daniel: Right. That says a lot about Jason's own inflated ego, conceit and self-importance. Obviously his captions may not necessarily really be the truth.
IGN Comics: Yeah, he's not the most reliable narrator.
Daniel: Exactly. So we're reading his captions, and they're the truth as Jason knows it. It might not necessarily be the way Bruce thought or the way things happened to him, but they are coming from somebody who feels wronged and feels people owe him. It's twisted.
IGN Comics: Moving on to Dick Grayson. In this issue we see Dick finally begin to accept his possibly destiny as Bruce's heir, and when he finally takes those bold first steps towards the costume trophy room, he finds Tim's note. There's a lot of emotion in his one-panel reaction. Is that dismay we're seeing? Is it anger? What's Dick's reaction to Tim's decision to step up?
Daniel: His reaction is disbelief that Tim went ahead and went out on his own without telling anyone. He took the mantel without any warnings or discussion. Also, Dick is worried, because from his encounter with Jason on the rooftop of the abandon steel mill he sees that the guy is completely gone. Jason tries to kill Damian just to force Dick to make a choice, and he knew the choice would be to save Damian. In his own twisted way he was proving a point to Dick about how dangerous and unpredictable he is. That has Dick scared, because obviously Tim doesn't know of that experience on the rooftop and might be unprepared for what he's up against.
IGN Comics: It's been fun noticing each character's choice of Batman costumes. Obviously Jason's choice matches his dark, twisted mindset, but I love how Tim chose a costume from the Jim Aparo, Neil Adams-era of Dark Knight Detective stories. I think that definitely says a lot about Tim's unique personality and skills. If Dick does indeed decide to put on a Bat costume next issue, what would it be and what would it say about him as a character?
Daniel: Dick would probably go for the most effective and practical for him. He doesn't rely on as many tricks and toys as Batman did. His first go around would probably be something that's a little more streamlined and black – the most barebones costume that would cloak him in shadows and utilize his own strengths. Not that we'll see that… `
IGN Comics: You seem to have a lot of fun utilizing some C-list villains in this issue, most notably Mr. Zsasz, Jane Doe and Firely. Some writers really thrive on and enjoy working with more obscure villains. Do you like writing some of the lesser-known rogues?
Daniel: Yes. Because basically it's easier for me to put a stamp on them since they might not have been as developed over time as others. I don't have as many boundaries personality-wise, so I can read these guys' old appearances as a reference but also update them at the same time. Whereas with a character that's very well known like Two-Face or Penguin, there are very definite guidelines that they have to stay within to be in character. So it's a little more fun in terms of having more freedom to interpret the characters, but I also enjoy working within a set framework as well. I basically only had a handful of recognizable or semi-recognizable characters in Arkham at the time that I could work with, but I would have loved to have gotten my hands on guys like the Mad Hatter or Mister Freeze. I did my best with the C-listers, though.
IGN Comics: Speaking of Mister Freeze, this issue seemed to work really nicely with the Commissioner Gordon one-shot. I'm always curious about how all the pieces are assembled in a crossover like this. Did you see the script to that issue before you wrote Battle for the Cowl #2, or did you simply know that Commissioner Gordon was going to be coming off of an important run-in with Mr. Freeze?
Daniel: I knew beforehand what was going to be happening to him, so I knew to make a quick reference to his ordeal with Mister Freeze. It's just a quick statement, but it lets you know that something just happened and will hopefully make you want to pick up the book and see what he's talking about. It's important because it greatly affects Gordon's thinking. After his run-in with Mister Freeze there's not much he's afraid of now. He's even deeper in his hard-shell than ever before, if that's even possible with a character like Jim Gordon.
IGN Comics: As quick and throwaway as those sorts of lines might be, I think they are important to giving fans the sense that the whole crossover is organic and worth their attention. I think you did it well in this issue.
Daniel: Thanks. It's word economy, as I like to call it. I can only devout a certain amount of pages to setting up scenes like that, because it is a three-issue miniseries. I have a very limited number of pages I can spend on something like that, so I have to make it clear and to the point quickly without it looking jammed in there. I think if you do it right people will get it, understand it and move on to the next scene. As long as you have enough room to digest it and understand what's being said, I can make small scenes like that work within a story that's so compacted.
IGN Comics: Speaking of space constraints, as much as you're telling a big, action-packed free-for-all to decide Bruce's heir, you also seem to be setting the table for the future state of Gotham City and the Batman line. That being said, how much should fans expect to be wrapped up next issue and how much should they expect to carry over into the Batman books come June?
Daniel: Basically the main thing that is wrapped up, which is what the story is about, is who if anyone will wear the cowl. There are aspects that are going to have to be dealt with in the ongoing series such as the Two Face/Penguin war. That's a subplot that needs to play out in its own storyline. Same with the aftermath of what happens to Tim, Damian and Alfred as well as the state of Gotham City. For instance, the military is going to have a presence in Gotham much like what you'd see with something like Katrina. We're going to see that remain a background element for future storylines for a little while until things are under control. It's going to take a little while for Gotham to be reined in, which would be the first of the new Batman's challenges – get Gotham back under control.
IGN Comics: I definitely want to touch on that final climactic battle scene, because there seems to be a couple of different levels of irony at work there between Tim picking up the crow bar and Jason using a batarang against him. Can you talk about how you arrived at that scene?
Daniel: Well I wanted Tim to lose control. Tim is very much a calculating character, and he's never really snapped before as far as I know. I wanted him to snap. The fact that Jason is wearing the costume of a person Tim considers as a father, the fact that Jason is basically ruining his father's name and legacy has hit Tim harder than anyone else. And even though he doesn't say it, sometimes your actions can say more than your words. When Tim realizes that the only person that could possible be behind this suit is Jason, he gets angrier and angrier, and by the time they come face-to-face Tim just loses all control and reason. And when he picks up that crowbar and tells Jason that he wants to kill him, it could be anger or he could really mean it. What's important is that he's lost all control at that moment, which I think anyone could under those circumstances. And we don't know how far he would have gone if not for what happened to him at the end.
IGN Comics: Can you talk at all about the art in this issue? You seem to have opened-up and stretched your legs in the issue's action sequences more than I've seen from your work in the past, particularly in that final battle. How did you approach the visuals in that final confrontation?
Daniel: I wanted to have a sense of aloneness where it's just these two characters facing each other in kind of an epic, Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader-type fight. This is a deeply personal battle. I just wanted to create that epic moment that people can hopefully look back on as being memorable. Also, I wanted to show Jason's attempt at being Batman beyond putting on a suit. He's also trying to preplan, and that's where we see the maze he's constructed of those gray tarps that match the color of his costume. He lures Tim down there because that's the best way he knows how to fight – dirty. It almost plays out like a horror movie, where Tim doesn't know which way to turn and doesn't know where the voice is being thrown from. That's kind of what I was going for with that scene – something more scary than a typical superhero fight.
IGN Comics: Can you leave us off on a few teases for Battle for the Cowl #3?
Daniel: Let's see…next issue we get to see some more of Squire. We get to see a character named Batman Jones. And finally, the battle between Dick and Jason will make the fight between Tim and Jason seem small in comparison.
IGN Comics: Thanks so much for taking the time, Tony. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to talking to you about issue #3!
Daniel: Thanks, Dan.
Batman's absence from Gotham has plunged the city into chaos. The question on the minds of heroes, villains and the average citizen is: Will there be another Batman? And, more importantly, can there be another Batman? If so, who will take up that responsibility?
Tony Daniel is leading up the mini-series that will answer those very questions. The second issue of the series hit just last week, and the action kicked into high gear as Tim Drake confronted Jason Todd, the man behind the Armored Dark Knight. How will things shake out? We'll find out in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, IGN tracked down Daniel to get his thoughts about working on this pivotal project, and what's in store for the future.
IGN Comics: I guess there's no better place to start our discussion than Jason Todd. In the recent past his characterization has wavered quite a bit. We've seen him played as both a grim-and-gritty antihero and well-meaning yet misguided hothead. Here we see him portrayed as more of a full-blown villain than ever before. Can you talk about your take on Jason in Battle for the Cowl?
Daniel: Jason in his own mind thinks that he's taking the necessary steps to combat the evil in Gotham City. In his mind he's not doing anything wrong, he's fighting fire with fire. The big difference between Jason and Bruce is their approach. Jason was always a little bit more on the reckless, daring side, and he obviously has a screw loose after coming back from the Lazarus Pit. When you do come back from the Lazarus Pit, you're not one hundred percent right in the head, and Jason really wasn't all that right in the head to begin with. What I like about his character is that he really believes in the way he's going about his business, and in his mind he's right. In his mind he's not a bad guy.
IGN Comics: Anytime you work with an anti-hero character I think you always run the chance that some fans will embrace his or her willingness to go the extra mile and actually kill. When I was talking to Judd Winick about his initial run resurrecting Jason, he mentioned he was a bit surprised at fans' willingness to get behind Jason. By pushing him further towards the side of villainy than ever before, were you purposefully trying to make it clear that Jason is not a good guy and is in fact off his rocker?
Daniel: Yes. At this point he is beyond the point of no return in terms of ever being considered even remotely a hero. What I wanted to do here is put him in a place that he can't come back from. The things that he does here in Battle for the Cowl are things that can never really be forgiven. The only outcome would have to be imprisonment or something worse. But from this point on for Jason the gray area between good and bad has disappeared. It's crystal clear now that he is on the dark side.
IGN Comics: I think one of the reasons fans have been unable to accept Jason is because he's never really been given a clear direction and characterization. I think pushing him in this direction will go along way towards allowing fans to accept him.
Daniel: The way I look at it is I find him very intriguing because he's evil in the sense that anyone else might be evil. In his case, childhood events and the way he was brought up led Bruce to try and take him under his wing and steer him in the right direction, but the events that happened early to this guy really shaped him into what he is now.
I think that's true in the case of any evil person – they had to have something happen to them that turned them bad. And Jason has such a history in the Batman lore that there are so many things that I can draw upon, from his jealousy of the other Robins to his animosity towards Bruce. I get to play around with his point of view, and we get to read his captions where he describes some of his feelings that we may not have had the chance to hear until now.
IGN Comics: There's one fantastic line in particular where Jason claims that Bruce took him under his wing to prevent him from becoming another one of his enemies. We all remember that great introductory scene of a young Jason stealing the hubcaps off of the Batmobile, and I think it says a lot about Jason that he'd think of Bruce's motivations as being selfish.
Daniel: Right. That says a lot about Jason's own inflated ego, conceit and self-importance. Obviously his captions may not necessarily really be the truth.
IGN Comics: Yeah, he's not the most reliable narrator.
Daniel: Exactly. So we're reading his captions, and they're the truth as Jason knows it. It might not necessarily be the way Bruce thought or the way things happened to him, but they are coming from somebody who feels wronged and feels people owe him. It's twisted.
IGN Comics: Moving on to Dick Grayson. In this issue we see Dick finally begin to accept his possibly destiny as Bruce's heir, and when he finally takes those bold first steps towards the costume trophy room, he finds Tim's note. There's a lot of emotion in his one-panel reaction. Is that dismay we're seeing? Is it anger? What's Dick's reaction to Tim's decision to step up?
Daniel: His reaction is disbelief that Tim went ahead and went out on his own without telling anyone. He took the mantel without any warnings or discussion. Also, Dick is worried, because from his encounter with Jason on the rooftop of the abandon steel mill he sees that the guy is completely gone. Jason tries to kill Damian just to force Dick to make a choice, and he knew the choice would be to save Damian. In his own twisted way he was proving a point to Dick about how dangerous and unpredictable he is. That has Dick scared, because obviously Tim doesn't know of that experience on the rooftop and might be unprepared for what he's up against.
IGN Comics: It's been fun noticing each character's choice of Batman costumes. Obviously Jason's choice matches his dark, twisted mindset, but I love how Tim chose a costume from the Jim Aparo, Neil Adams-era of Dark Knight Detective stories. I think that definitely says a lot about Tim's unique personality and skills. If Dick does indeed decide to put on a Bat costume next issue, what would it be and what would it say about him as a character?
Daniel: Dick would probably go for the most effective and practical for him. He doesn't rely on as many tricks and toys as Batman did. His first go around would probably be something that's a little more streamlined and black – the most barebones costume that would cloak him in shadows and utilize his own strengths. Not that we'll see that… `
IGN Comics: You seem to have a lot of fun utilizing some C-list villains in this issue, most notably Mr. Zsasz, Jane Doe and Firely. Some writers really thrive on and enjoy working with more obscure villains. Do you like writing some of the lesser-known rogues?
Daniel: Yes. Because basically it's easier for me to put a stamp on them since they might not have been as developed over time as others. I don't have as many boundaries personality-wise, so I can read these guys' old appearances as a reference but also update them at the same time. Whereas with a character that's very well known like Two-Face or Penguin, there are very definite guidelines that they have to stay within to be in character. So it's a little more fun in terms of having more freedom to interpret the characters, but I also enjoy working within a set framework as well. I basically only had a handful of recognizable or semi-recognizable characters in Arkham at the time that I could work with, but I would have loved to have gotten my hands on guys like the Mad Hatter or Mister Freeze. I did my best with the C-listers, though.
IGN Comics: Speaking of Mister Freeze, this issue seemed to work really nicely with the Commissioner Gordon one-shot. I'm always curious about how all the pieces are assembled in a crossover like this. Did you see the script to that issue before you wrote Battle for the Cowl #2, or did you simply know that Commissioner Gordon was going to be coming off of an important run-in with Mr. Freeze?
Daniel: I knew beforehand what was going to be happening to him, so I knew to make a quick reference to his ordeal with Mister Freeze. It's just a quick statement, but it lets you know that something just happened and will hopefully make you want to pick up the book and see what he's talking about. It's important because it greatly affects Gordon's thinking. After his run-in with Mister Freeze there's not much he's afraid of now. He's even deeper in his hard-shell than ever before, if that's even possible with a character like Jim Gordon.
IGN Comics: As quick and throwaway as those sorts of lines might be, I think they are important to giving fans the sense that the whole crossover is organic and worth their attention. I think you did it well in this issue.
Daniel: Thanks. It's word economy, as I like to call it. I can only devout a certain amount of pages to setting up scenes like that, because it is a three-issue miniseries. I have a very limited number of pages I can spend on something like that, so I have to make it clear and to the point quickly without it looking jammed in there. I think if you do it right people will get it, understand it and move on to the next scene. As long as you have enough room to digest it and understand what's being said, I can make small scenes like that work within a story that's so compacted.
IGN Comics: Speaking of space constraints, as much as you're telling a big, action-packed free-for-all to decide Bruce's heir, you also seem to be setting the table for the future state of Gotham City and the Batman line. That being said, how much should fans expect to be wrapped up next issue and how much should they expect to carry over into the Batman books come June?
Daniel: Basically the main thing that is wrapped up, which is what the story is about, is who if anyone will wear the cowl. There are aspects that are going to have to be dealt with in the ongoing series such as the Two Face/Penguin war. That's a subplot that needs to play out in its own storyline. Same with the aftermath of what happens to Tim, Damian and Alfred as well as the state of Gotham City. For instance, the military is going to have a presence in Gotham much like what you'd see with something like Katrina. We're going to see that remain a background element for future storylines for a little while until things are under control. It's going to take a little while for Gotham to be reined in, which would be the first of the new Batman's challenges – get Gotham back under control.
IGN Comics: I definitely want to touch on that final climactic battle scene, because there seems to be a couple of different levels of irony at work there between Tim picking up the crow bar and Jason using a batarang against him. Can you talk about how you arrived at that scene?
Daniel: Well I wanted Tim to lose control. Tim is very much a calculating character, and he's never really snapped before as far as I know. I wanted him to snap. The fact that Jason is wearing the costume of a person Tim considers as a father, the fact that Jason is basically ruining his father's name and legacy has hit Tim harder than anyone else. And even though he doesn't say it, sometimes your actions can say more than your words. When Tim realizes that the only person that could possible be behind this suit is Jason, he gets angrier and angrier, and by the time they come face-to-face Tim just loses all control and reason. And when he picks up that crowbar and tells Jason that he wants to kill him, it could be anger or he could really mean it. What's important is that he's lost all control at that moment, which I think anyone could under those circumstances. And we don't know how far he would have gone if not for what happened to him at the end.
IGN Comics: Can you talk at all about the art in this issue? You seem to have opened-up and stretched your legs in the issue's action sequences more than I've seen from your work in the past, particularly in that final battle. How did you approach the visuals in that final confrontation?
Daniel: I wanted to have a sense of aloneness where it's just these two characters facing each other in kind of an epic, Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader-type fight. This is a deeply personal battle. I just wanted to create that epic moment that people can hopefully look back on as being memorable. Also, I wanted to show Jason's attempt at being Batman beyond putting on a suit. He's also trying to preplan, and that's where we see the maze he's constructed of those gray tarps that match the color of his costume. He lures Tim down there because that's the best way he knows how to fight – dirty. It almost plays out like a horror movie, where Tim doesn't know which way to turn and doesn't know where the voice is being thrown from. That's kind of what I was going for with that scene – something more scary than a typical superhero fight.
IGN Comics: Can you leave us off on a few teases for Battle for the Cowl #3?
Daniel: Let's see…next issue we get to see some more of Squire. We get to see a character named Batman Jones. And finally, the battle between Dick and Jason will make the fight between Tim and Jason seem small in comparison.
IGN Comics: Thanks so much for taking the time, Tony. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to talking to you about issue #3!
Daniel: Thanks, Dan.
The Blackest Knight Recap - The Dark Knights Role
April 17, 2009 - After two years of waiting, the moment Green Lantern fans have been waiting for is almost here. This July, Blackest Night will sweep across the DC Universe, summoning a horde of intergalactic zombies to devastate the living.
IGN has been at the front line of Blackest Night coverage exclusively revealing covers and information pertaining to the big event. Today we're debuting even more. You've seen the covers to Blackest Night #1 and the Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps mini-series, but new today are the covers to all three Green Lantern books shipping in July. Be sure to check out the cover for GL #43. It's absolutely wicked.
There's plenty more on the way from IGN, so be sure to check back often as DC's big summer storyline approaches.
BLACKEST NIGHT #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Variant cover by Ethan Van Sciver
Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis raise the dead in the most anticipated comics story of the year!
Throughout the decades, death has plagued the DC Universe and taken the lives of heroes and villains alike. But to what end? As the War of Light rages on, the prophecy of the Blackest Night descends upon us, with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps at the center of it all.
Don't miss this 8-issue epic taking the DCU beyond the grave!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver). For every 250 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 15 - 1 of 8 - 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
GREEN LANTERN #43
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
The official prologue to BLACKEST NIGHT starts here as the first Black Lantern is born! Black Hand has been an enemy of Hal Jordan since Hal's early days as a Green Lantern. But even Black Hand is unaware of the true power he holds that will connect him to the Blackest Night! Discover this villain's connection to death and the Black Lantern Corps!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 8 - 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
GREEN LANTERN #44
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
"Blackest Night" continues! As Hal Jordan and Barry Allen investigate a bizarre crime in Gotham City, they come face to face with one of their oldest allies – J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter! But their old friend is not there for reunions; he's come for much more. Meanwhile, Sinestro seeks to rebuild his army and take his revenge on the being who would usurp it – Mongul!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 22 - 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #38
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Patrick Gleason & Rebecca Buchman
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
"Emerald Eclipse" hits its shocking conclusion leading directly into BLACKEST NIGHT. The sciencell riot causes a new law to be doctored into the Book of Oa as Kyle and Guy fight against it. What fate awaits the honor guards, and who will be left standing from the riot that shook Oa to its core?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Patrick Gleason & Rebecca Buchman), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 1 - 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #1-3
Written by Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Rags Morales, Chris Sprouse, Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke and others
Covers by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter
Variant covers by Gary Frank, Francis Manapul and Doug Mahnke
In this 3-issue miniseries, writers Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) reveal the secrets behind the Lanterns of BLACKEST NIGHT!
Bear witness to Blue Lantern Saint Walker's pilgrimage of hope, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris' sacrifice for love, Green Lantern Kilowog's courageous beginnings, Red Lantern Vice's source of rage, Orange Lantern Blume's bizarre creation, and the first appearance of the mysterious Indigo, leader of the Indigo Tribe!
Retailers please note: These issues will each ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with covers by Gary Frank, Francis Manapul and Doug Mahnke). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
Issue #1 on sale July 15; Issue #2 on sale July 22; Issue #3 on sale July 29 - 1-3 of 3 - 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
IGN has been at the front line of Blackest Night coverage exclusively revealing covers and information pertaining to the big event. Today we're debuting even more. You've seen the covers to Blackest Night #1 and the Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps mini-series, but new today are the covers to all three Green Lantern books shipping in July. Be sure to check out the cover for GL #43. It's absolutely wicked.
There's plenty more on the way from IGN, so be sure to check back often as DC's big summer storyline approaches.
BLACKEST NIGHT #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Variant cover by Ethan Van Sciver
Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis raise the dead in the most anticipated comics story of the year!
Throughout the decades, death has plagued the DC Universe and taken the lives of heroes and villains alike. But to what end? As the War of Light rages on, the prophecy of the Blackest Night descends upon us, with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps at the center of it all.
Don't miss this 8-issue epic taking the DCU beyond the grave!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver). For every 250 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 15 - 1 of 8 - 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
GREEN LANTERN #43
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
The official prologue to BLACKEST NIGHT starts here as the first Black Lantern is born! Black Hand has been an enemy of Hal Jordan since Hal's early days as a Green Lantern. But even Black Hand is unaware of the true power he holds that will connect him to the Blackest Night! Discover this villain's connection to death and the Black Lantern Corps!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 8 - 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
GREEN LANTERN #44
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
"Blackest Night" continues! As Hal Jordan and Barry Allen investigate a bizarre crime in Gotham City, they come face to face with one of their oldest allies – J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter! But their old friend is not there for reunions; he's come for much more. Meanwhile, Sinestro seeks to rebuild his army and take his revenge on the being who would usurp it – Mongul!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 22 - 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #38
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Patrick Gleason & Rebecca Buchman
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
"Emerald Eclipse" hits its shocking conclusion leading directly into BLACKEST NIGHT. The sciencell riot causes a new law to be doctored into the Book of Oa as Kyle and Guy fight against it. What fate awaits the honor guards, and who will be left standing from the riot that shook Oa to its core?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Patrick Gleason & Rebecca Buchman), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale July 1 - 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #1-3
Written by Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Rags Morales, Chris Sprouse, Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke and others
Covers by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter
Variant covers by Gary Frank, Francis Manapul and Doug Mahnke
In this 3-issue miniseries, writers Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) reveal the secrets behind the Lanterns of BLACKEST NIGHT!
Bear witness to Blue Lantern Saint Walker's pilgrimage of hope, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris' sacrifice for love, Green Lantern Kilowog's courageous beginnings, Red Lantern Vice's source of rage, Orange Lantern Blume's bizarre creation, and the first appearance of the mysterious Indigo, leader of the Indigo Tribe!
Retailers please note: These issues will each ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with covers by Gary Frank, Francis Manapul and Doug Mahnke). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
Issue #1 on sale July 15; Issue #2 on sale July 22; Issue #3 on sale July 29 - 1-3 of 3 - 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
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