In a lengthy interview with IGN Comics, writer Bryan Q. Miller has talked more about the introduction of Batman and Nightwing to the Smallville universe. While the show ended its run with a disappointing finale last year (most fans were left fuming that after ten years they didn't get a proper look at Tom Welling in full costume as the Man of Steel) the series has continued in the form of a digital comic book series. The full interview and more artwork can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.
On The Decision To Replace Stephanie Brown With Barbara Gordon As Nightwing:
The editorial staff wanted a more "iconic character" in this case. Given the nature of our female Nightwing’s use in the story, of the available replacements, I leaned toward having Babs wielding the charged-escrima. That really was the beginning and the end of it. he story itself only featured Steph as a supporting player, and was never directly about her, so the adventure was and remains a Superman/Batman World’s Finest action-packed romp in which Bruce is accompanied by a strong, positive, female apprentice.
On The Relationship Between Superman And Batman In The Series:
You will most certainly meet a Batman who is knee-deep in his career within the first 10 pages of the arc. Intergang’s been shipping high-tech anti-hero weaponry to any city with a "cape problem." Batman and Nightwing’s run-in digs up a connection to his parents’ murder, lo, those vaguely many years ago. In Season 10, we saw Clark finally begin to use the knowledge he gained over the course of the entire series to help deal with certain situations. Now that he’s finally in the cape and has taken to the skies, he’s much more in command of how he approaches confrontations/team-ups like these. Clark’s grown up a lot – he isn’t going to immediately jump to the "You’re a villain!" place when another cape passes through. Metropolis is Clark’s city. He’s the superhero sheriff, as far as he’s concerned. If Batman (or any other vigilante) rolls into town, Superman is the one who’s going to strive to take the driver’s seat and set the ground rules. Now, how Batman responds to these "rules" may not be to Superman’s liking.
On The Decision To Gove Batman A Far More Armoured Appearance:
He’s very much just a man, and a smart one at that. And he’s also quite wealthy. Batman doesn’t take his war on crime lightly, and does his best to equip himself for any situation. This isn’t Year One for Batman. We’re somewhere between year 5 and 10 for him. You’ll see a Nightwing who’s far less armored – literally armed with escrima, a few gadgets, and a ton of moxie. She’s the scout. She’s the dancer. Batman – he’s the tank. And Gotham criminals don’t play fair. So Bruce is going to carry around as much with him as possible.
On His Decision To Explore The Relationship Between Batman And Green Arrow:
There’s definite friction between the two, but much more in an Arrow-Batman direction. Bruce in no way takes Ollie seriously. Green Arrow pretty much isn’t on Batman’s radar as either an ally or a threat. This will prove to be a big "growing up" year for Oliver, so that’s only going to help him along.
On The Chances Of Introducing Wonder Woman And Whether Batman Will Reappear:
I wonder if that’s in the cards. It’s really a wonderful idea. Editorial-willing, we’ll definitely see him return for at least 2 more stories this season, but he won’t be around as a fixture. We’ve got our hands full with our ensemble, plus we’ll be revisiting old friends and meeting new allies and enemies. Lots of things to do!
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