I am a big Batman fan and have started reading the Battle for the Cowl series and Final Crisis, I am a little behind. Here are some excerpts from Dan Didio about the post-battle for the cowl Batman. Here is what he had to say.
When asked about the reaction to Dick Grayson becoming Batman, Didio says "We had a lot of speculation about who was going to be the new Batman, and one of the things that I found most surprising was that most people were trying to guess in a different direction. But from our standpoint, we were always pretty locked in on the fact that Dick Grayson was going to be the new Batman... the legacy aspect plays into everything that makes DC great, where we have so many characters that have moved from one generation to another. People have become very invested in [Dick Grayson] character over the years, and interested to see how he accepts the mantle."
Didio is asked about Damain being a volatile Robin, and he responds " That's something that Dick is trying to prevent. That ultimately becomes one of the centerpieces of the storyline between him and Damian as they develop their own relationship. You have to realize, Damian for the most part has only interacted with Bruce Wayne's Batman, so putting on the Robin costume and operating side-by-side with Dick Grayson -- there's no precedent for them working together, so there'll be a real learning process taking place."
Didio is asked about Damian believing he should be Batman, he says "Damian believes he should be Batman at some point. Damian believes that he is going to be able to step into every role that Bruce Wayne had at some point. Whether or not it's going to be this very moment or years from now is the point of discussion between Damian and Dick Grayson at this moment."
Here is what Didio has to say about Jason Todd, being a villain from this point on. "One thing that Jason Todd does not think of himself at any point is a villain, that being said, he will be very much involved in the events that are taking place with Dick Grayson's Batman. He's going to be defining himself as his own person away form Batman, but still feeling that he is the better of the two."
This is what Didio has to say about Damian always being thought of as Robin. " Grant always saw Damian as a little angry Robin from day one. That was part of his pitch with Damian. He wanted Damian coming up to Bruce Wayne and saying, "I make a better Batman than you!" "Prodigal" was a wonderful story, but it didn't really get to the meat and bones of what the world would be like with Dick Grayson as Batman, and I'm happy to see they we're finally getting there now.
The most important thing is that the other members of the DC Universe believe that Batman is dead, so because of that there'll be a level of acceptance, and a level of reluctance at a new Batman. Batman, more than any hero except Superman, mark on the superhero community that his presence and absence leaves such a huge footprint. Dick Grayson being bold enough to fill his shoes is what's going to be the core of both the contention and the acceptance."
Here is the a little insight for those who believe Bruce will be in the Black Lantern Corps. Didio says this "Well, Black Hand has been seen holding the skull of what is believed to be Bruce Wayne. Plus, he could be disappointed, or this could be a new wrinkle to everything that's been created in the Black Lantern's world. But that will be addressed early in the story of "Blackest Night."
This is what Didio has to say about the Joker finding out Batman is dead. " There are a lot of events going on that take Joker out of the mix for these early stories, and allow some of the other villains of Batman's world to take up the time of the new Batman and Robin. That said, there is a place for the Joker in this story, and it will be a major moment the Joker confronts the new Batman."
Didio has this to say about the Tim Drake going forward. " Tim is basically -- not that he's turned his back on Dick Grayson, but Tim has refused to accept the fact that Bruce Wayne is dead. And of all the characters out there, Tim is the only one who still thinks that he's alive, and Tim is now out basically going around the world trying to look for signs and clues to whether Bruce Wayne may still be alive and where he might be. During this road to finding Bruce Wayne, he also comes across a lot of things that complicate his life."
This is some pretty good insight, with, of course not saying very much. I like Grant Morrison and he certainly knows what he is doing in terms of Batman. I think this rebirth of Batman is in the right hands. I am looking forward to picking this series up next time I hit the store. What do you think?
- Aaron
P.S.
For those of you looking to read the rest of the interview. Without having to find the little link after this post. Here is the site. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2009/06/04/dan-didio-talks-batman-and-robin-and-the-all-new-dynamic-duo/