DC Comics revealed writer John Layman (Chew) and artist Jason Fabok (Batman Annual #1) as the new team on Detective Comics and shared Fabok’s cover featuring the Penguin.
“Obviously, this is a happily surreal and exciting turn-of-events for my career,” Layman tells THE SOURCE. “Not only is this my first work within the DC Universe, but I get to work on one of DC’s undisputedly coolest and highest-profile characters. I’m going to take a look at the role of criminal organizations within Gotham City, hopefully from a perspective that does not get considered very often (if at all). From the symbiotic relationship a master criminal must have with Gotham in order to survive, to the lowly, often faceless criminal underling hoping to rise up the ranks. All that, plus Batman’s gonna play with a bunch of crazy new toys and kick all kinds of butt.”
Fabok impressed with this Batman/Mr. Freeze/Court of Owls story in Batman Annual #1.
“First, I want to express how thankful I am to have this opportunity. I am humbled that DC Comics would entrust me with one of their greatest titles,” continues Fabok. “To work on a Batman title has been the number one goal that I set for my career and I am honored to have this opportunity to make my dream become a reality. I’m really hoping to deliver a dark, epic Batman with hints of the art deco stylings of the old animated series and the more modern take seen in recent incarnations. I am hoping to let my influences gush out onto the page and create something that is familiar, classic and yet my own. As for working with John Layman, I couldn’t be more excited. John is a great visual storyteller and he packs every page with meaningful panels that bring the story forward and add incredible depth. Together we hope to deliver a quality Batman tale, filled with mystery, twists, turns, shockers and most of all, fun!”
Detective Comics #13 with Layman and Fabok arrives October 3rd.
DC Comics The New 52 gave Tony Daniel the creative reigns of Detective Comics as writer and artist. Daniel put Batman on the trail of the Gotham Ripper, introduced a new love interest – TV journalist Charlotte Rivers, gave us the dreaded Dollmaker and left one an absolutely freakish cliffhanger with the Joker.
Daniel’s first seven issue are collected in Detective Comics Volume 1: Faces of Death in hardcover out this month. Batman’s pursuit of the new serial killer in Gotham made him a target while balancing his budding romance with Charlotte, who is out to unmask the killer and the Batman. Here’s the link to buy.
One of Daniel’s triumphs has been the clever use of classic rogues and introducing new enemies in Gotham City. Hypnotic is after Batman and Wayne Enterprises in Detective Comics #10 out this week. This issue continued the back story starring Two-Face.
To see and hear Tony in his own words discuss his villains, the Two-Face story and which old school villain he will reintroduce next here’s the link to my interview with Daniel at Fan Expo Vancouver.
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.
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.
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?
Night of the Owls screeches into comic book shops next. The Council of Owls unleash their army of Talons on Gotham City. The event will slash across all the Batman family titles. DC revealed the cover to Detective Comics #9 by Tony Daniel as Batman battles three Talons.
The battle for Gotham City bleeds into Detective Comics #9 as the Night of the Owls crossover spreads across all the Batman titles. The secret society strikes Arkham Asylum in the issue by written and drawn by Tony Daniel. Sandu Florea co-illustrates the issue.
Here’s what Batman Series editor Mike Marts told The Source:
“In Detective #9, Batman finds himself in the unlikeliest of situations—saving Arkham Asylum administrator Jeremiah Arkham from a mysterious Talon assailant,” said Marts. “What is the secret connection between the Court of Owls and Gotham City’s oldest institution for the criminally insane?”
