Dan Slott Discusses Batman's New 'Gotham Adventure' - by Jim Harvey

The Creeper, Batman, Scarface, and the Ventriloquist - a crazy mix right there. Throw in writer Dan Slott, and you get Batman: Gotham Adventures #58. Hitting stands Wednesday, January 22, 2003, it is expected to be one of nuttiest issues of the acclaimed animated comic ever. Hold onto your seats, folks, you're in for one crazy adventure!

"Batman: Gotham Adventures #58 features a lot of fun team-ups!" said Slott. "The story teams Batman up with Gotham's funkiest super-hero, the Creeper! It teams me up with one of my favorite pencilers, James Fry (Birds of Prey, Moon Knight, Star Trek)! It teams James up with everybody's favorite Bat-Guy, Ty Templeton, who did an amazing job on the inks! And, weirdest of all, it teamed me up with Young Dan Slott! What?! Hunh?!"

"You see, this job isn't just my first Batman story, it was my first DC super hero assignment," said Slott. "It was commissioned by original Batman: Gotham Adventures editor, Darren Vincenzo, and I was so eager to impress him that I poured all my youthful zeal into each and every panel, packing page after page with bits, twists, and zany Creeper-style humor."

"Cut to modern day. I unearthed the script and asked Batman: Gotham Adventures' current editor, Joan Hilty, if James could take a whack at it," Slott continued. "James has always been a huge Creeper fan, and when I told him some of the story beats he said he just had to draw it!"

"I plotted the story 'Marvel style,' so when the art came in it was time for me to script it, adding all the text and dialogue," Slott said. "This is where things got bizarre. Just like in Justice League Adventures #11 where Old Chronos worked side-by-side with Young Chronos, I was collaborating with my earlier self."

"You know, we worked so well together I'm thinking of trying that again!" joked Slott. "As soon as some time opens up in my schedule, maybe I'll try writing Batman Adventures #75 and then mail it, Doc-Emmet-Brown-style, to the Dan Slott of 2008!"

The issue will feature the first Batman collaboration between Dan Slott and Ty Templeton, who will be working together on the new Batman Adventures comic, slated to begin in May with a free first issue. Batman Adventures will, of course, replace Batman: Gotham Adventures, which ends its run with issue #60 in March.

While this issue is slated as a fill-in by DC Comics, that doesn't mean it is not important. Slott said that there are a couple of surprises in this issue that could have an affect on the future.

"On a side note, very observant readers will be able to catch a quick glimpse of a secret 'something.' I'll be picking up on it in Batman Adventures #2. It will also play an important part in my first big story arc (Batman Adventures #5 through #8)! So what are you waiting for? Get your copy right away!" Slott concluded.

Interview originally appeared on Toon Zone News on January 21st, 2003.

 

Slott Discusses New 'Batman Adventures' Series - by Jim Harvey

Readers new and old will be hitting comic book stores today as apart of the annual Free Comic Book Day event. Comic companies will be giving out free issues in an effort to bring in new readers. As apart of the event, DC Comics will be providing free copies of Batman Adventures #1 to comic stores nationwide. Dan Slott, one of the writers for Batman Adventures, talked to Toon Zone about the much anticipated relaunch of the animated Batman comic series.

"Ty and I are approaching the relaunch of this series as if it were a relaunch of the cartoon," said Slott."In the same way that character designs and status quos changed when The New Batman Adventures followed The Adventures of Batman & Robin, our new Batman Adventures comic will be a departure from the continuity of Batman: Gotham Adventures. A year has passed and things haven't exactly gone the Dark Knight's way.

"Batman's Rogues Gallery is expanding as we bring in more Bat-villains, who have yet to make appearances into the animated comics," said Slott. "Some existing rogues have received new looks, outlooks, or in some cases powers. And, thanks to a surprising new Mayor, relationships have changed in Gotham's Police Department with how the officers relate to Batman and each other."

The relaunch of the series also strays from the "family" focus that was introduced in The New Batman Adventures. Batman's sidekicks will still be present, but the focus will shift back to the title character.

"Through out all of these shake-ups, the lens is going to stay sharply focused on Batman/Bruce Wayne," said Slott. "One of the main goals of this new title is to return Bruce to star status. This is his book. It's not about the 'Batman Family,' it's about the man himself! Batgirl and Robin might show up on occasion. Nightwing might be mentioned. But, at the end of the day, you're going to get three things out of this book: Batman, Batman, and - last but not least - Batman!"

Creators Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, Terry Beatty, Lee Loughridge, Phil Felix, Harvey Rickards, and Joan Hilty are all returning to the animated universe as apart of the Batman Adventures creative team. Slott is a bit intimidated to be the newest member of the creative team, but is confident he'll fit right in.

"I just got Batman: Gotham Adventures #58 and four issues of Justice League Adventures to my meager bat-credits," said Slott. "Everyone else on this book? Mighty sequoias. Me? Tiny sapling.

"Pressure? Sure. But hey, look at the support group I got!" said Slott. "How can I possibly fail when I've got these guys watching my back? I feel awesome about this. And besides, I'm a Batman Adventures freak. Got every episode on tape. Watched 'em a zillion times. Heck, once in a blue moon, someone from the team will ask me continuity questions!"

Batman Adventures will feature a new format for the animated Batman titles. A regular comic will consist of a seventeen page regular story, followed by a five page back up. The format, similar to the format featured in Batman: Detective Comics and Batman: Gotham Knights, offers new challenges for the writer.

"This new format is really forcing us to boil all the fat off of the stories," said Slott. "With seventeen pages for leads and five pages for back-ups we gotta stay mean and lean. That said, we are cramming a ton of stuff in there. The full-page splash into a double-page-splash format of Batman: Gotham Adventures? Gone! We are really going to see how many Dark Knights can dance on the head of a pin.

"The new Batman Adventures is a comic you are going to have to sit down to read," said Slott. "Each seventeen-page lead will be worthy of a twenty two-page comic! Another aspect about the leads is that they will be 'modular.' Each story will stand alone. But each arc of four will "link together" to form a larger, more complex epic.

"The back-ups will be companion pieces. Sometimes they will stand alone. But more often then not, they will complement the lead feature. In these back-ups you'll see interesting character studies, side-stories from off panel, set-ups and epilogues to larger tales, or flashbacks to what occurred during the 'missing year.' All of these back-ups are self-contained, well-polished gems!"

Slott is confident that the series will play well for all readers, no matter what age they may be. He believes that titles dubbed "all ages" may not be getting the attention they deserve.

"This Batman Adventures is for adults," said Slott. "And still for kids. Somewhere down the line the phrase 'all ages comic' got a bad rap. Like sticking a 'G' rating on a movie.

"An on-line columnist recently wrote that DC made a mistake by making Batman Adventures #1 their give-away for Free Comic Book Day," said Slott. "His argument was that Batman Adventures #1's cartoonish style would only appeal to youngsters and 'put off' more 'mature' readers. I find that opinion bizarre. My favorite DCU book right now is Catwoman. Using the talents of Adventure-style artists like Darwyn Cooke, Cameron Stewart, and Javier Pulido, this book tells gripping crime stories in a noir setting. The subject matter is very mature, and thanks to the talents of Ed Brubaker, it's sometimes brutal and horrifying.

The "animated comics", or "Adventures Universe" titles, have proven to be the breeding ground for some of the best Batman stories ever told.

"Even comics clearly in the Adventures Universe are deserving of highest praise from the adult set," said Slott. "How many awards did the superlative The Batman Adventures: Mad Love win? I've lost count! And does anyone out there remember Ty's Adventure story where Bruce Wayne is held up in a dark alley while he's on a date with a single mother and her child? My god! That was one of the single best Batman stories of all time - animated or otherwise!

"This is what we're trying to achieve," said Slott. "Batman stories for adults. And kids. We're out to make this an 'all ages comic' again. And that means respecting both sides of that spectrum."

Batman Adventures will also feature Batman's redesigned costume, which debuted on the animated Justice League series. The redesign makes slight modifications to the suit, including longer ears, heels on the soles of his boots, and a slimmer overall look.

"Look, kids -- Batman is now in his current costume!" said Slott jokingly. "So of course we have to start over again. More than anything, it gives us an excuse for the revamp. Why that goes without saying!"

Interview originally appeared on Toon Zone News on May 3rd, 2003.

 

Templeton and Slott on "Batman Adventures #2" - by Jim Harvey

Following the successful launch of Batman Adventures on Free Comic Book Day, the latest issue of the new animated series has arrived, continuing the storyline started in the premiere issue. Ty Templeton and Dan Slott discussed Batman Adventures #2, which hits shelves on May 21st, with Toon Zone.

Cover Art"It's a Riddler story, and he's tied for first place in my favorite DC characters-to-write list," says Templeton. "Riddler stories are especially fun for me, because of the puzzles involved. When I write a story, I always think of the creation of a script as the solving of a puzzle without having a picture on the box to guide you. There's much time spent looking for all the pieces that fit into a story, and discarding the pieces that don't."

It's that "puzzle" aspect that appeals to Templeton. "A Riddler story is a terrific place to play with that form," he says. "I get to give the readers a puzzle to solve along with me. What's the hidden piece? What's the clue hidden inside the clue you only think you're getting? What's the Riddler up to? What pieces fit? Which ones don't? What part is Ra's playing in all of this? Can you wait until issue #4 to find out? You're going to have to, unless you can solve the clues.

"I always play fair. I always drop the clues. But I hope you don't figure out what's going on in issue #2 until page 17."

Not everything that looks important is important, though. and sometimes it's not even intentional. "Accidents happen in a busy schedule and we're sorry," Templeton says. "But ignore the color of everyone's jackets and ties. There's no clues to be had in the jackets. That's all I'm saying."

Readers will notice right away that the Riddler has a new look. Many fans were displeased by his redesign for television's The New Batman Adventures, so, with the editorial staff's encouragement, Templeton decided to give the character a bit of a revamp.

"He looks different, he's got a new lifestyle," said Templeton. "But is he the same old Riddler? Editor Joan Hilty has encouraged us to tweak and play with the characters since there's no TV show continuity to weld them to anymore, and you've seen a bit of that already in issue #1. So Riddler gets more than a new hairdo in issue #2."

Templeton has nothing but praise for the artwork of Rick Burchett, one of the regular artists for the series. Burchett provides artwork for the main story, and Templeton provides artwork for the back up stories featured in the series. The back-up stories, written by Dan Slott, provide more information on story elements that may be glossed over in the main feature. The back-up stories may be only five pages long, but it packs a wealth of information.

"A lot of readers have been chiming in about the biggest change to Batman Adventures," says Slott. "Penguin is now the Mayor of Gotham City! In the back-up story you'll get to see just what this fowl little politico is up to behind closed doors! And if that's not enough enticement, you'll also catch a glimpse of an important element for the second story arc, starting in #5!"

Interview originally appeared on Toon Zone News on May 19th, 2003.