Though DC is being coy (not really very successfully coy, but pretending to be coy at least) with this week's DC Nation page, this is pretty obviously a preview of the Grant Morrison/Frank Quitely "Batman and Robin" comic, and though it's sometimes hard to tell with Quitely, that looks pretty much like how I'd imagine he'd draw Damian as Robin.
But who's behind that Batman mask?
The smart money is on Thomas Wayne, Owlman! (Just kidding. I really can't imagine it would be anyone other than Dick Grayson.)
OR, this series could just be an unofficial "All-Star" take on the characters, with Bruce and Dick's adventures in the past. Check out those retro vehicles!
20 comments:
I strongly suspect this is an "All-Star"-esque treatment and not an in-continuity series. But the actual "All Star" title seems to be occupied at the moment.
The preview DOES make it look like an "All-Star"-esque treatment, but that would mean that Morrison isn't continuing the story he started in the "Batman" title, and in his interviews he seemed to imply that his return to Batman would follow from the storylines he already established.
I mean, he couldn't be doing this thing PLUS a return to Batman proper, could he?
I really hope this is an out-of-continuity, All-Star Superman style book. As much as I enjoyed the glorious mess that was Morrison's run on Batman (and I enjoyed it a lot), All-Star Superman is probably the tightest superhero work he's done ... well, probably ever, actually. I'd love to see him do something iconic like that with Batman.
i am pretty sure this is an in-continuity book with the Bruce Wayne Batman as Morrison described awhile back but plans could have changed.
Judd Winick is now writing the main Batman ongoing (ugh) so who knows at this point.
That image alone sold me. Whatever it is, I can't wait to see it.
I'd just like to point out that far too much of my life is spent writing about things Grant Morrison has already written and anticipating things he will write.
I know that's obvious to everyone here, but I'm just pointing out my meta-Morrison awareness at this moment.
It's sad that the day the hyped "Battle for the cowl #1" comes out, DC editorial figures out they can squeeze enthusiasm from fans only by producing interest about a product that won't ship until the mini's over.
Not that it means the stories aren't in the past, but, despite the retro cars, that costume looks far closer to Tim's with its collar, gloves, and mask, than it does to any version of the older costumes that I've seen.
I think the retro car (there's only one so far, and the Batmobile fucking hovers!) is just Quitely's style in this case. DC's positioning this as the main bat-book, and Didio said so, so I'd bet a solid amount of cash that this is absolutely not only in-continuity but the book Batman, Streets of Gotham, Gotham City Sirens, Red Robin, etc. will all be taking cues from plotwise.
Morrison will give us the Dick/Damian team-up stories where they take on crazy new psychedelic villains in nu-Gotham; Winick will give us a book actually about Dick Grayson himself, his friends, living in Gotham, all the stuff I am sure Morrison has absolutely no interest in writing.
I *do* wonder if this is the "new Batman costume" Tony Daniel was saying was coming after BFTC, though. I remember Daniel talking about how he wanted to take the blue out of Batman's costume, but I see quite a bit of it in that Quitely cover - could Daniel and Quitely's redesigns be separate? I know Pacheco and Kubert were drawing Superman differently between the two books back in late '06.
Also, gotta plug Chris Randle's awesome Frank Quitely "potato-face" sketch: http://gutteral.blogspot.com/2008/09/all-spud-superman.html
Couldn't this be an in-continuity book with Bruce as Batman i.e. re-living his life in different ways over and over again due to the Omega Sanction?
I both hope and think this book will be in the usual Morrisonian semi-continuity (i.e. it's officially in continuity, but the weirder elements are just discretely ignored/retconned by other writers and editors). I also hope it will star Dick and Damian and be fun as all get out.
One question, though (which has nothing to do with this): Why doesn't DC get John Paul Leon on a bat-book? He'd be a shoe-in.
More support for out-of-continuity: Frank Quitely can't draw more than two or three comic books a year. You can't have an anchor Bat-book with that.
The rumor I heard (and it was floated to me before this announcement was made, so I think it has SOME credit) is that it's going in arcs: 3 Quitely, 3 Philip Tan, 3 Mahnke, 3 Quitely. That he can handle.
Philip Tan? Yeah, did you see "FC: Revelations"? Not good at all.
Mahnke would be great, of course.
Yeah, I'm not especially happy about Tan either; by the time Revelations was ending I thought his storytelling was approaching incomprehensibility. Still, I'd rather have three Tan issues on time than be waiting 2 or 3 months for the next Quitely issue, at least with an in-continuity project like this.
My original post mentioned my dislike of Tan, but I deleted it. FC: Revelations started off pretty good, but collapsed into a rushed and incomprehensible mess. Again: Why doesn't DC put more effort into reigning in top level artists? Scott Hampton should be free if Simon Dark is cancelled. He'd make a good Batman artist. Same with Jean Paul Leon (well, he'd be terrific rather than good, but you see my point). I know it's both popular and predictable to bash on DC these days, but in my opinion, they seriously need to start focusing on the art in order to attract new and casual buyers. I can easily buy mediocre comics with great art. I cannot buy mediocre books if the selling point is somewhat-better-than-average-writing. Marvel seems to have cornered the market on good art, and I think that's one of the main reasons DC is losing the battle.
A Batman book drawn by John Paul Leon or JH Williams or Tommy Lee Edwards or Scott Hampton or CP Smith really has to have horrible writing in order to feel completely worthless. Whereas with the artists DC are featuring on the Bat-line now (with certain exceptions - one being Frazier Irving) need to be very well written in order to rise above mediocrity. Which, quite often, they're not.
(As always: sorry for rambling).
>Why doesn't DC put more effort into reigning in top level artists?
I'm sure they would be happy to, but you have to factor in the financial concerns.
I'm sure the Bat-books have something like an annual budget, and with the way some of them are selling, it would either mean having a couple books with great art, or the way they're doing it now.
Marvel's books sell better, hence that's why you don't see Phil Jimenez and Carlos Pacheco at DC any longer.
That doesn't mean they're better comics, though.
I guess that's correct in regards to the top artists that are actually regarded as top artists. But Marvel seems to be much better at attracting talent that aren't necessarily regarded as such. Marvel seem to be much better at utilizing their artists and raising their profile. Just look at Marcos Martin.
Good art doesn't equal good comics, but it sure doesn't hurt either.
My bet is that this will be Dick Grayson and Damien Wayne (Morrison notes in his interview that the roles are reversed and Batman will be lighthearted while Robin is the scowling badass) and Winick's Batman will be about Jason Todd.
That's right, you heard it here first: two Batmans/Batmen.
Out of curiosity, given Morrison's running theme of referencing 50's era Batman issues throughout his run, do you think these next issues will be an homage to "The Second Batman and Robin Team"? The imaginary stories (I think there were 2?) that featured Dick Grayson as Batman and Bruce Wayne's son as Robin?
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