DC revealed Detective Comics Annual will hit August 29th. Tony Daniel puts Batman in a battle with The Black Mask. This special Annual is illustrated by Romano Molenaar and Sandu Florea.
Roman Sionis appeared in last week’s Detective Comics #9. I called this one hellish hour in the Night of the Owls. Black Mask was a pawn in Jeremiah Arkham’s insane plan to escape when an army of Talons invaded Arkham Asylum.
If you want to know more of Tony Daniel’s plans for Detective Comics including the New 52 version of an old foe here’s my interview with him from last month’s Fan Expo Vancouver.
Saturday is Free Comic Book Day! Here’s a link to find a participating store near you. Check with your local store for guidelines and rules. Don’t think you’re getting some leftovers!
The big publishers are going all out with brand new stories by big name creators. DC Comics The New 52 will feature a story starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the new mystery villainess, Pandora.
Marvel presents Avengers The Age of Ultron Point One by Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch.
Dark Horse Comics is giving double doses of sci-fi goodness with a Star Wars/Serenity flipbook. One story of Han Solo and Chewbacca and one Mal Reynolds story in one free book! And there’s a Buffy, The Vampire Slayer/The Guild flipbook.
Here are more FREE COMIC BOOK DAY highlights. Since you’re getting a freebie, why not support your local comic book shop and buy a book or two while you’re there? See you Saturday!
I bought Batwing #9 only because it was part of the Night of the Owls crossover. Don’t just me unworthy, even a geek with a blog has a comic book budget. I was impressed with this new hero and enjoyed Judd Winick and Marcus To’s tie-in to the crossover.
Spinning out of Batman, The Court of Owls have unleashed their Talons on targets all over Gotham City. Bruce Wayne’s trusted ally Lucius Fox has been judged unworthy. Batwing must stop the death sentence during a Batman Incorporated event.
The script was tight and action packed but gives you insight into David – and I was immediately engaged. It’s too obvious and cliche to say he reminds me of working man’s Black Panther because they’re both from Africa but I also see the some of Hawkeye’s personality in David. This was my first Batwing issue and the first of many more.
The Night of the Owls crossover events violently tears into Detective Comics #9 as Talons invade Arkham Asylum. The Court of Owls have judged Jeremiah Arkham unworthy. The inmates of Arkham may be the only thing saving him from a death sentence until Batman joins the chaos.
The pencils are plot are eerie and violent mirroring the madness and manipulation inside Gotham’s notorious address. The Black Mask, Clayface and all of Arkham’s “patients” are pawns in his plan to escape the Council of Owls’ assassins. This a thrilling hour during Night of the Owls you don’t want to miss.
In my interview with Tony Daniel (see below) the man behind Detective Comics expressed his hope to work on a Clayface story. In this issue the classic villain has brief moments that are a great tease for what Daniel might do with him.
This issue features a back story starring Two-Face. Tony Daniel (see his interview link below) takes Harvey Dent into a dark, seedy deal with a devil and sets him for an anti-hero to cheer for. Syzmon Kudranski created a murky violent underworld for Harvey to creep through on his mission.
Here’s my interview with Tony Daniel at Fan Expo Vancouver (with more video clips from the creator in his own words.) I asked Daniel about Batman’s Rogues Gallery, the Two-Face back story in Detective Comics, the villains he wants to use next and how rock legends KISS inspired him.
The Dark Knight Rises Teaser Poster from thedarkknightrises.com. Courtesy: Warner Brothers Entertainment
The new The Dark Knight Rises trailer is like a geek seduction. It’s starts as a slow burn and builds into an action packed, awe-inspiring climax. Bane’s voice is menacing and cleared up. Catwoman is sleek and sexy but she’s still a lethal femme fatale and we get to see Anne Hathaway attack and deliver what might be the next best line after “we’ve got a Hulk.” See for yourself – enjoy.
Batman, Incorporated is back with a new number one! It’s part of the DC Comics The New 52: the Second Wave. Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham chronicle the Bat brand gone global. DC revealed this gorgeous variant by Frank Quitely, Morrison’s collaborator on New X-Men and Batman and Robin.
Tony Daniel at Fan Expo Vancouver, photo by ComicsBlend.com
Tony Daniel made a rare appearance at Fan Expo Vancouver, the city’s first major comicon. The creative force of DC The New 52 Detective Comics shared his take on Batman’s foes and the new villains he’s bringing to plague Gotham City.
“Batman has the greatest rogue’s gallery of all the comic book characters in the world probably so it’s easy to use those characters and find something fun and creative that you’ll enjoy as a writer and the fans will enjoy because they love seeing these villains.
What I try to do in Detective is bring in a little bit of the new as well as a little bit of the old. I created a character named the Dollmaker who I think fits in rather well with the other characters, the other villains taking up residence in Gotham City.”
Daniel launched his Detective Comics run with a violent showdown and shocking cliffhanger for Batman’s archrival and his favorite villain.
“My favorite villain…well my favorite villain is the Joker but I’ve only used him sparingly. I worked with the Joker in Grant Morrison’s RIP. That was a lot of fun. (Say Thank you to my gushing!) That was…you know…I can’t believe I was part of that it was just a great experience. I’m lucky to have done the work with Grant on that. And then of course Detective Comics #1 I show a nice fight, battle that goes on between Batman and the Joker and we leave it off with his face hanging on the wallI would love to get back to him. I can’t say when but I’m sure it will be soon because we can’t leave him hanging there so to speak.”
Detective Comics #1 courtesy DC Comics
Detective Comics #8 was the start of a backup story starring Two-Face. Daniel says you may experience conflicting feelings for Harvey Dent with this tale.
“He’s pretty much the protagonist of the story so you gonna end up rooting for him. He’s kind of the good guy in the story but he’s still a bad guy so it’s the perfect noir style story which I absolutely love that. Those old school detective stories. The Jim Thompson stories. He’s a great noir book writer – one of the groundbreaking writers from the 50’s and 60’s. I love that pulp fiction type atmosphere and I’m going to bring that to my Two-Face backup story so I’m having a lot of fun with that.”
Daniel praised artist Szymon Kudransky as the perfect fit for back up story.
September will mark the one year anniversary of DC Comics The New 52 with big plans for Detective Comics. Daniel says he will change-up the villains.
“One of the characters we’ve seen before in the Penguin arc at the Iceberg Casino. He’s the guy that shows up and gives Batman some trouble and we deal with a lot of radiation and villains that are experimental. We have one guy who is a new 52 version of Professor Radium so we haven’t seen that guy in a long time and I kind of breathed new life into that character but he’s new…he’s a 52 version so he’s not the same Professor Radium so hopefully people will like that. It’s a story I’m writing and Ed Benes is doing the art work.”
Daniel expressed his ambition to create a story with Clayface and a bigger arc with the Scarecrow. Detective Comics #1 ended with a shocking fate for the Joker and Daniel hopes to dive back into the fate of Batman’s archenemy.
In the Fan Expo Sketch Duel against Whilce Portacio and Yanick Paquette, Daniel revealed his early comic book dreams were inspired by KISS and how the love of the rock band led to this first commissioned work. I asked if he shared my love for the movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.
“I did and when I was a kid man I loved that show. I like 7-year-old – it was a long time ago. As a kid those guys are like superheroes. They’re more than like rock stars. Every kid in my class loved KISS just because they look crazy and had the makeup on – dragons and space guys and what not. What I remember it was so weird. But back then you didn’t have video recorders, Tivo – you watch it once and when it’s over you’re like, man what did I just see. Today you can rewind and watch it again. It was such a weird – you know maybe that screwed me up or something it was very…I just remember it being very bizarre. I’m sure if I watched it now I might feel disappointed in it (laughs) but it was super cool back then as a child.
(I interject asking about how KISS art was his first paying work so to speak)
Yeah it was my first commission. I drew a giant poster size picture of all of four characters. One kid was gonna buy it from me for like two dollars and another kid was gonna give me a big giant stack of basically the entire collection of KISS trading cards and I went with the trading cards and ended up getting into a brawl afterwords with the guy that lost. So yeah, you know blood, sweat and tears from age 7 on with the art.”
Detective Comics #9 arrives May 2nd featuring Mr. Toxic and the Two-Face backup story.
By Editor
My only regret – not bringing more books to be signed – including Gambit and the X-ternals – anybody remember that one?
Attack on Wayne Manor. Night of the Owls begins in Batman #8. First one, then another, then waves of relentless Talons invade Bruce Wayne’s refuge. Like a creepy hybrid of Aliens and (fast) Zombies from the Dawn of the Dead remake, the assassins keep attacking.
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo create a tension filled masterpiece with this issue as those owl eyes appear and Bruce must fight his way through a relentless series of attacks by the ruthless killers Alfred’s brief moment of glory against the invaders is short-lived as he discovers the horrible truth of what’s in store for Gotham City.
NIghtwing #8 courtesy DC Comics
Nightwing #8 picks up the action as more Talons target Gotham City and Batman’s allies try to stop assassinations. Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows take the ball (or maybe the blade would be a better choice for this story) and run with two stories. One in Gotham’s past and one in the present as Dick Grayson endures brutal, bloody showdown with a Talon tied to Dick’s haunted family history.
Night of the Owls is off to a thrilling start. This crossover may be the cure of event fagitue!
