DCnU Reviews, Week 2: Batman and Robin; Batwoman

(Back in June when the new DCU titles were announced, I ranked all 52 titles on my likelihood of buying them. Only fair then to look back and see if my initial assessments hold up. My plan is to review each of the new titles as they come out.)

Batman and Robin #1
by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason & Mick Gray

Original Rank/Assessment: 24 (Maybe/Provisional) - If this can maintain the punch and action I expect, then I'll stick around.

The last time we had a first issue of Batman and Robin it was by Morrison & Quitely, and they quite simply knocked my socks off. Tomasi & Gleason can't match that, but then I wasn't really expecting them to. They do perfectly fine job here, establishing the plot and characters and the new status quo while inserting plenty of action. However, I found the coloring to be too dark (yes, even for a Batman title!) And a plot point bothered me: While Gleason was absolutely correct to depict the research reactor at Gotham U. as a swimming pool reactor (I visited the one in the building next door to where I work, back before they dismantled it a few years ago...), there's a reason why security is light at such reactors: there is nothing there worth stealing! That aside, I'm interested enough to stick around through the first arc; after that, we'll see.

Rating: 2.5 (of 5).

Batwoman #1
by J. H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman

Original Rank/Assessment:  3 (Definitely Yes) - Finally! And with Williams switching off story arcs with Amy Reeder, this will likely be the best looking book on DC's slate.

One of the most anticipated of the New 52, the first issue of Batwoman finally sees the light of day after several delays. A handful of changes will obviously have to be made to align the story with the new reality; the most major here being the recasting of Maggie Sawyer from a captain to just a detective, which should change the dynamics of her relationship with Kate Kane somewhat. Oddly other key plot points are not adjusted, notably Bette's former career as a Teen Titan. It's probably best to just ignore such things and go with it. Last month the book our graphic narrative discussion group discussed by Batwoman: Elegy, and while I liked it a lot before we discussed it, after our discussion I really really liked it. That book had layers and there was plenty to sink our teeth into. So I was very interested to see how Willaims & Blackman would do taking over the writing duties from Rucka. They do a good job. It won't be the same book as it would have been with Rucka at the helm, but it still looks fantastic and is easily one of the strong entries in the DCnU. So far so good, and I have no reason to expect anything less from the forthcoming issues.

Rating: 4 (of 5).

Q&A with Jennifer & David Skelly

I've known Jennifer Skelly for a very long time—since our days in elementary school. When I learned that she and her husband/writing partner David Skelly had a story in the recent Batman 80-Page Giant, I took the opportunity to contact them to see if they would be willing to answer a few questions about their experience. They graciously agreed to take time out of their busy schedules to respond to my questions over email:

Am I correct that this is your first published comic book work?

DS: Our first published comic was a book called Zevo-3. It was a tie-in to an animated teen superhero TV series that we worked on for Nicktoons. After we had written several episodes of the show, the producer came to us and said, "Do you guys know anything about comic books? We're thinking about promoting the show with one."

JS: Considering our closets are filled with comic boxes, not clothes, we said, "yes..."

DS: The show, Zevo-3, was produced by Skechers Entertainment. They created original characters and backstories to go along with their different lines of kids' shoes.

JS: So we wrote a comic book that went into bazillions of Skechers shoe boxes!

DS: That book was so well-received that they asked us to write comics for all the rest of their properties. (I drew the breakdowns for those as well.)


What interested you in writing for comics?

DS: They say you are what you eat, and I ate a lot of comics as a kid.

JS: *snort*

DS: I love comics. I've read them all my life. It was a huge part of my childhood. They were my escape, my refuge from the real world. I started with Golden Key and Disney comics. I loved them, and in particular, the Uncle Scrooge comics that were written and drawn by Carl Barks. Even as a four- and five-year old I could recognize the quality of his work and distinguish it from other artists'. And then some years later, I discovered people like Chris Claremont, Walt and Louise Simonson, Wendy and Richard Pini, and Bill Sienkiewicz. Their work had such a huge impact on me — and helped shape me as a storyteller.

JS: My mom collected comic books, and as a little kid I had Archie and Donald Duck... but it was in college, when I met David, that my real love affair with comics began.

DS: And our love affair...

JS: Be quiet. I'm talking now. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Growing up, I knew and loved the DC characters. I was obsessed with comic book heroes on TV and in the movies — Richard Donner's Superman, Superfriends, Wonder Woman, Kenneth Johnson's The Incredible Hulk. But I didn't read comic books! And when David introduced me to the X-Men... wow. The characters were so flawed, so real, so human (even though they are super-human). I was hooked.

DS: In high school and college I wrote and drew a comic strip that was published in various papers, including University of Michigan's campus newspaper, The Michigan Daily. It was called Backyard Infinity. That was a great training ground for me. I learned a lot about storytelling in a visual medium, and in particular I learned a lot about brevity — making a point or making a joke with some very simple drawings and a few words. In fact, for a while, I challenged myself to write my strips with five words or less.

JS: And yet we tend to go on when being interviewed...

DS: In any case, drawing those comic strips was a direct link to the work I would later do with the Jim Henson Company and Pixar Animation Studios.

JS: As for writing comic books — we love the immediacy. In TV animation, it can be months —

DS: — or in the case of films, years —

JS: — before you see your work on the screen. In comics, there's such a fast turn-around from idea to finished product.

DS: Working on a film is like telling a joke and waiting three years to see if anybody laughs.

JS: Hahaha! That's funny!

DS: That's why I love you. You laugh at my jokes right away.



How did you get the Batman gig? Did you approach DC, or did they approach you? (Or perhaps your agent sacrificed a mint-condition copy of Giant-Size X-Men #1...)

JS: No, we approached DC.

DS: We’ve always found our own writing assignments — we’re blessed with an amazing network of friends and colleagues.

JS: One of those friends, a veteran in the comic book industry, was kind enough to introduce us to some editors at DC.

DS: We corresponded with those editors for quite a long time — months — waiting for the right opportunity to come along...

JS: I think we wore them down!

DS: Editor Rachel Gluckstern read our work and contacted us. She asked us if we’d like to pitch her a few Batman short stories.

JS: And we said, “Absolutely!”

DS: We wrote a few treatments — about a half a page each — and sent them to Rachel. She picked her favorite and we were off to the races!



How does writing a comic script compare to writing a film script?

JS: In terms of storytelling — there's absolutely no difference for us. We break the story for a 10-page comic exactly the same way we do for a 90-page feature film.

DS: Every story is about transformation. How does a character change? That's what's most interesting for us as storytellers.

JS: Though there are a few differences in the way we actually write the script.

DS: A comic book script is like personal letter to the artists. Even with artists that we never meet, we feel there's a kind of intimate collaboration. There are so many people involved in the production of a television show or film, but in its purest form, a comic book is made by a very small group of people.


Tell me more about breaking your Batman/Catwoman story. Where did the idea come from? Why did you decide to do it as a 'silent' story?

DS: Larry Hama's wordless story, "Silent Interlude," for G.I. Joe #21 really made an impression on me as a kid. I've always remembered that, and thought it would be a fun challenge to write a script with no words — and no sound effects.

JS: Film and TV are a visual medium, and for us, the acid test to know whether or not a story works is by turning the sound off. Do the images alone convey the story?

DS: Alfred Hitchcock said dialogue should be one of the many background noises in a film. We adhere to that when we're writing a script for film or television, and we feel the same about writing a script for comics. How can we keep the exposition to a minimum, and still tell a compelling, emotional story? That's the challenge.

JS: Partners and lovers have a short-hand that they use to communicate: half-sentences, looks, gestures —

DS: — and Batman and Catwoman have such a long history — they don't necessarily need to speak with one another to convey a variety of feelings. This felt like the perfect opportunity to tell a story with no words.


Did you know ahead of time who your artists were going to be? Did you have any direct communication with the artists, or was it all through the script and the editor?

DS: For this story, we didn't know who the artists would be. And because of that, we knew the script had to convey as much as possible. But we're always careful to leave room for the artists' interpretations. This is a collaborative medium, and everyone involved in the process brings their own point of view and artistry. The result is inevitably even better than what we'd imagined!

JS: This is the editor's show. For the Batman 80-Page Giant, Rachel Gluckstern was responsible for hiring us, and finding just the right artists for our story.

DS: The editor is like the producer of a film. They're responsible for deciding which stories will be made, putting the team together, and making sure it gets done on schedule and on budget.



I've often said that everyone has at least one Batman story in them; was this your definitive Batman story, or would you want to work again with the character?

DS: We have countless Batman stories we'd like to tell! We hope this is the first of many.


The two of you together teach a workshop on improv for writers; how did your improv talents come into play in writing this story? (I have visions of the two of you acting out the plot in your living room, with your son looking on with bewilderment...!)

JS: Well... we didn’t act out THIS script in front of him...

DS: Yeah, it’s kind of all sex and violence. He's only two.

JS: Improv, for us, is a way of life. Which was made especially clear to us after we had a kid.

DS: Being willing to play, being flexible, being open to new ideas — that’s what improv is all about.

JS: And that informs everything we do — including our writing. We let the characters talk to us. We write from their point of view. And we let them lead us down unexpected paths.

DS: There’s an improv game called “New Choice.” It’s one of our favorites. Whether we’re on stage performing, or at our laptops writing — we make an “offer” (a character does or says something in the context of the scene) and someone else yells, “new choice!” at which point we have to immediately — without thinking — rewind to the last action or line and redo it.

JS: And then we have to justify that new information. It’s the ultimate test of flexibility.

DS: So we play a lot of New Choice when we’re writing. We push each other to come up with something else, something better, something unexpected (but still truthful).

JS: We’re constantly asking ourselves, can that line of dialogue be funnier? More dramatic? Can this scene be more emotional? And the answer is almost always “yes.”


Why Batman? What interests you in Batman as a character?

JS: Oh! Me first! I've loved the Batman family of characters since I was a kid. I was Batgirl for Halloween in Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade.

DS: Did you wear the same costume every year?

JS: Yes. I grew slowly. Anyway... I watched the 60's TV show religiously (and screamed in joy when Batgirl's motorcycle drove into the opening credits). And then, years later, Tim Burton's Batman rocked my world.

DS: For me, Batman is cathartic. He's the antithesis to the work I've done with Sesame Street or the Toy Story characters. Bruce Wayne is so screwed up. So tormented. So dark. And I can relate with that on a deep level.

JS: (He says while wearing a Muppet T-shirt.)

DS: I'm not saying I don't love that stuff, too! But reading — and now writing — Batman stories is a great way for me to exorcise those dark demons inside.

JS: Is that "exorcise" or "exercise?"

DS: C'mon. I'm being serious.

JS: Me too. I'm serious. See? I have Batman and Catwoman Lego figures on my desk.

DS: That is a weird non-sequitur. You and your Lego.


What would you say is your all-time favorite Batman story, and why?

JS: I'd have to go back to the movies... Batman Forever, but not the Penguin stuff — he was gross (no offense, Danny DeVito, you were supposed to be gross) — but ANY of the Catwoman/Batman stuff. The scene where they've just kicked the bleep out of each other, then have a date and start getting all touchy-feely but each is trying to keep the other from discovering their new scars. And then the scene when they're dancing and realize who each other are, and Michelle Pfeiffer says, "Does this mean we have to start fighting?" and Michael Keaton just pulls her close... makes me cry every time.

DS: My go-to is still Frank Miller's The Dark Night Returns. It's just great storytelling. Makes me cry every time.


What are some comics that you particularly enjoy? Who are the comic creators that you admire?

DS: We've both really been enjoying Brian Michael Bendis' work. His scripts for The Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Scarlet, have been particularly compelling for us.

JS: Geoff Johns' Flash and Green Lantern. Joss Whedon.

DS: Mark Millar, Frank Miller, J. Michael Straczynski. And as far as artists go, Alex Maleev, John Romita, Jr., Jim Lee, Mike Mignola...

JS: ...Frank Cho, Gurihiru's work on the Power Pack cross-over series.

DS: There are so many! And of course, the people we mentioned before — The Simonsons, Bill Sienkiewicz — were and continue to be so influential on us and on our work. We were so thrilled that Bill wanted to do the finishes on our Batman story for the 80-Page Giant!

JS: We're huge Bill Sienkiewicz fans, both professionally and personally.

DS: We're often fans of the people we're collaborating with. It's out of respect for what they've done, and who they are as human beings. And even though we may also be fans of the source material that we're helping to shepherd, we're aware that as fans, we run the risk of being too precious with the work.

JS: And the last thing we want to do is be too careful or cautious to take risks —

DS: It's our responsibility as storytellers to stay true to the tone and spirit of the source material, but also to push the boundaries.

JS: To take risks!

DS: To explore new aspects or dimensions of these characters we love. To tell stories that are relevant to today's audience, not just to rehash old material or preserve something from the past. We're not archivists, we're architects —

JS: — building on a foundation that someone else has laid.

DS: Hey, that sounds pretty good!

JS: We're passionate about what we do. We're passionate about telling great stories.

DS: And we're honored to be contributing to DC's long legacy of great storytelling.


Are there other comics characters that you would be interested writing?

JS: How much time do you have?

DS: Should I list them in alphabetical order? Seriously, there are so many. Top of my list would be more Batman... and then Spider-Man, Daredevil, Dr. Strange, Superman...

JS: I see a pattern here. For me, Wonder Woman, Kitty Pryde, Dazzler, Barbara Gordon, Rachel Summers...

DS: I'd love to write a Barbara Gordon story! Let's do that! And we've always wanted to write a Cloak and Dagger story.

JS: And the New Mutants.

DS: Love Illyana Rasputin.

JS: And the Lone Ranger.

DS: Really? I didn't know that.

JS: There should always be mystery in a relationship.


Both comics and film are visual storytelling mediums. What do you see are some of the strengths and weaknesses of comics as compared to film for telling stories?

JS: They're so different. Do you like ice cream or pudding?

DS: Huh? Um. Ice cream?

JS: The experience of seeing a movie is so different than reading a comic book. As those experiences are different from playing a video game or seeing a play. But it's all storytelling. How we choose to enjoy those stories is a matter of preference that can change from person to person or day to day.

DS: That's true. Some days I prefer pudding.


What is up next for the Skellys? Any more comics gigs on the horizon? (Plug away!)

DS: We’ve got several feature films projects that we’re developing. We’ve just started pitching them to the major studios and producers in Hollywood.

JS: We’re collaborating with some of the most talented filmmakers and conceptual artists in the industry.

DS: And we’ve got a few television projects in the works as well. We've also been doing a lot script doctoring...

JS: We’re teaching an ongoing Improv for Writers workshop in Los Angeles. (improvforwriters.com)

DS: And we’re continuing to write comic books! Wow! I guess we’re kind of busy... We should probably get back to work!





A big thanks to Jennifer and David for taking the time to talk with me. You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @jenniferskelly and on the Web at http://jenniferskelly.com ; and follow David on Twitter @davidlskelly and on the Web at http://davidskelly.com. And hopefully find their next comic book on the shelves of your local comic shop soon!

DCnU Reviews, Week 1: Batgirl, Batwing, Detective Comics

(Back in June when the new DCU titles were announced, I ranked all 52 titles on my likelihood of buying them. Only fair then to look back and see if my initial assessments hold up. My plan is to review each of the new titles as they come out.)

Batgirl #1
by Gail Simone, Adrian Syaf & Vincente Cifuentes

Original Rank/Assessment: 7 (Yes, with Reservations) - Yes, I wish she were still Oracle as much as the rest of you. But I will read a Gail Simone Batgirl comic staring Barbara Gordon.

Of all of the New 52 comics, this is the one that has received the most pre-publication scrutiny, with disfavor coming from fans of both the former Batgirl Stephanie Brown (or even Cassandra Cain) and of Barbara Gordon's previous incarnation as Oracle. I doubt that either of those contingents will be mollified here, as both the previous Batgirls and Gordon's Oracle career appear to have been erased in the reboot timeline squeeze. What we are left with is a comic that tries to accomplish a lot: setting of Barbara's new status quo, explaining her back story & her miraculous healing, setting up a new threat in the villain Mirror, and including plenty of action. It makes for a very cramped twenty pages, with density often appearing where clarity instead is called for. But we'll see where it goes from here.

Rating: 3 (of 5).

Batwing #1
by Judd Winick & Ben Oliver

Original Rank/Assessment: 25 (Maybe/Provisional) - 'The Batman of Africa' could be a good concept, but I'm not sure that Winick is the best choice for it.

Though previously introduced a few months ago in Batman Inc.,  Batwing is essentially a brand new character, one of the few headlining a title in the New 52. As such, Winick doesn't need to worry about cuing us in on what is and isn't continuity and can get right into introducing Batwing and his world. And it's a dangerous one, in which insurgents and revolutionaries and military dictatorships battle with little regard to the civilians caught in the crossfire. It could make for some interesting stories. But I'm unhappy with the level of graphic violence displayed in the ending, which smacks of the worst excesses of the recent DCU (i.e. beheadings and swords through the chest, with plenty of blood on display). Oliver's art is a pseudo photo-realistic style that is in vogue with many, but sacrifices storytelling clarity. I want this book to be better.

Rating: 2.5 (of 5).

Detective Comics #1
by Tony S. Daniel & Ryan Winn

Original Rank/Assessment: 34 (Maybe/Provisional) - I've been floating along with Daniel's work on Batman, but this may be a good place to drop off.

I suppose that the DCnU could have gone in a different direction with The Joker; there have been so many different interpretations over the years and this would have been the perfect excuse to try something different and unexpected. Instead, this is the same old Joker as maniacal serial killer that has been on display for the past couple of decades. A shame really, because it is getting quite old. Artwise, Daniel seems to kick it up a notch: his action scenes are mostly followable and he mixes up large and small panels to effectively control the pacing. It's better than I thought it would be, and I'll admit that the shocking ending, while unnecessarily gory, has me curious as to what will happen next. So mission accomplished, but this title is on very thin ice with me.

Rating: 3 (of 5).

Friday Night Fights: Batman vs. Solomon Grundy

From Batman: The Long Halloween #2 (1996). Art by Tim Sale. Story by Jeph Loeb. Colors by Gregory Wright. Letters by Richard Starking. (click pics for larger)

Jamming something up the nose? It's a Free-for-All!

Friday Night Fights: Batman vs. The Hulk

From Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk (DC Special Series v. 5 #27). Art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Dick Giordano. Story by Len Wein. Colors by Glynis Wein. Letters by John Costanza.

DC vs. Marvel? It's a Free For All!

Friday Night Fights: Batman vs. Ra's al Ghul's Goons

From DC Special Series vol. 2 no. 15 - Batman Spectacular (1978). Art by Michael Golden & Dick Giordano. Color by Cory Adams. Story by Denny O'Neil.

Who has Feet of Fury? Batman!

(click pic for larger)

Quick Reviews: Awesome Batman Comics

While the regular in-continuity Batman titles take a rest for the 3-month-long "Battle for the Cowl" angst-fest, a couple of out-of-continuity Batman titles are giving us all the Caped Crusader awesomeness we need.

Batman Confidential #28 is the conclusion of "A New Dawn," the three-part story that features the first comics-based appearance of King Tut, the villain from the 60s Batman TV show. Writers Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir give us Batman teaming up with his old foe The Riddler to try to unravel Tut's scheme. Their Egyptology seems to be on the money, or at least good enough to fool me in fiction. The real awesomeness of the story however lies with legendary penciller José Luis García-López, who hasn't lost a step and can draw dynamic scenes of talking and fluid scenes of action like nobody's business. His art meshes surprisingly well with the inks of Kevin Nowlan. The only thing missing art-wise is the yellow oval around the bat-insignia, because: a) the grey-and-blue coloring for the costume looks odd without the yellow oval; and b) this is totally the kind of story that needs the yellow oval.

Even more awesome? Batman: The Brave and the Bold #3--story by Matt Wayne & art by Andy Suriano & Dan Davis--guest starring Green Arrow in the story "President Batman!" (exclamation point in the original, and mandatory.) How awesome is it? In just the first few pages: Green Arrow lands the Arrow Plane on the lawn of the White House; to foil a kidnapping plot, Batman assumes the identity of the President with the help of a holographic image projector; Batman & Green Arrow break up a floor fight in Congress while disguised as the President and a Secret Service agent--with their fists!; I could go on, but won't save to mention that the baddie is a Golden Age Superman villain with an albino gorilla sidekick. Batman + Gorillas = great comics!

Looking forward to the new Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely Batman and Robin comic, which will surely also be awesome even if it only comes out three times per year. But in the meantime, there's plenty of great Batman stories hiding out there if you know where to look!

Rating for both: 4 (of 5).

Friday Night Fights: Batman vs. Street Thug

From Batman: Death Mask #1 (2008). Story and art by Yoshinori Natsume. (click pic for larger)

A classic? Whump!

Batman RIP Sells

Disclaimer: obsessing over Diamond Sales Figures is bad for your health, bad for comics, and most likely contributes to global warming.

Lost in all the hubbub over the fact that Final Crisis #1 fell short of Secret Invasion #2 (though I'll get to that in a moment...) is that fact that the first 2 chapters of "Batman R.I.P" sold surprisingly well, right up at the 100,000 mark. Whatever disappointment DC might be feeling over Final Crisis numbers should be tempered a bit by this fact.

I'd chalk up the good sales on "Batman R.I.P." to the confluence of: Batman fans + Morrison fans + Tony Daniel fans + Big-ish Event fans + pre-Dark Knight movie excitement. "Batman R.I.P." could trn out to be this year's "Sinestro War"; maybe DC will learn that these minor-sized big-ish events will work for a better long-term strategy than the massive Crisis crossovers.

The other big sales surprise was the strong showing for Avengers/Invaders #1, proving that just about anything that Alex Ross is involved in is Direct Market gold.

As for the Final Crisis numbers: it's debuting at about 100,000 units less than Infinite Crisis did, which has to be disappointing. This is the first time that Marvel & DC have had their big event crossovers go head-to-head, so there was bound to be an effect. (We should also note that FC came out the last week of the month, so there are no re-order numbers included in the total, while SI came out the first week of the month so there is like a boost from re-orders there.)

It will be interesting to see the June figures: will Final Crisis take the same size drop that Secret Invasion did? Will Batman remain strong? How will Trinity do? (I think it was a mistake to start the weekly Trinity at the same time as Final Crisis; they each draw attention away from the other, and an eight-month break between weekly series was warranted.)

Christmas Covers - December 7

For each day of December until Christmas I'm featuring a Comic Cover Advent Calendar. Just move your mouse over the image to reveal today's special Holiday comic cover. Click on the image to get a larger version. (If you're on a feed reader you may need to click through to the blog to get it to work.)

It's Ha Ha Ho from Tim Sale and The Joker on the cover to Batman: The Long Halloween #3 from 1996.

Come back tomorrow, and every day this month, for a new Christmas cover.


Just 18 more 'get-ups' until Santa!

(2006: Sgt. Rock #21)
(2005: Pinky and the Brain #19)
(2004: Alf Holiday Special #1)


(Polite Dissent's 2007 Comic Book Cover Advent Calendar)

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

From 1965, Carmine Infantino draws the cover of Detective Comics #339, with Batman fighting the Living Beast Bomb, a gorilla with a bomb strapped to its chest!

(Standard disclaimer about terrorist gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

Dave Dorman paints the cover to 1999's Batman / Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman #2, featuring the dark knight and the lord of the jungle battling a big ol' mean gorilla.

(Standard disclaimer about a big ol' mean gorilla not really being a monkey applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.