All-Star Batman and Robin to Conclude Next Year…Sort of

DC announced today that Frank Miller and Jim Lee are getting the band back together and finishing the story that began five years ago in the pages of All-Star Batman and Robin. The high profile series is less famous for its story or visuals than its many publication problems, from severe delays to botched censor bars over all the cussin'. The series disappeared after its tenth issue hit the stands in the summer of 2008. It was never formally cancelled, but this was kind of a Jimmy Hoffa situation. Those final issues were buried out there under a stadium never to be seen again, not hiding out in Argentina, biding their time. 

Or so we thought.

The story of the God Damn Batman and his reluctant ward will reach its conclusion, says Lee, but under a new banner. In 2011, a new monthly series will pick up where All-Star left off. The new title? Dark Knight: Boy Wonder. Six issues and a definitive ending. A new issue every month, promises Lee. 

 

     

 

It's probably a good idea to ditch the original monicker, given all the toxicity. But that's not the only reason this is interesting. Branding the series as a Dark Knight title is an assertion on Miller's part that this story is part and parcel of his landmark works like The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, and the Dark Knight Strikes Again. These are all meant for the same row of real estate on your top shelf. 

Lee writes: 

“I feel terrible about how late the book fell behind. 100 percent of the blame falls upon my shoulders, so one of the reasons we chose the February, 2011, start date was to ensure that DARK KNIGHT: BOY WONDER would ship regularly and on-time. There are a number of reasons for it’s incredible delay but rather than focus on what cannot be changed, I want to promise fans that they will see cool snippets and exclusive previews on this very blog [DC's The Source] in the coming months to whet their appetites for the the next chapter of the story of the Dark Knight and Robin, the Boy Wonder.”

 

What'ya say, old chums? Give some ol' pro's a second chance? 

Comments

  1. That’s cool … I will look forward to this!

  2. I’m really hyped for this–I must admit I really loved the series and it’s probably the closest thing I have to a guilty pleasure. 😀

  3. Not sure if want… oh, sorry, not sure if I GODDAMN want.

  4. It’ll be interesting to see how it is…

  5. Was really hoping DC would just cut their losses when AllStar went on hiatus and end it. Oh well.

  6. You sure this isn’t some late goddamn April Fool’s Day joke?

  7. Avatar photo JFernandes (@jdfernandes) says:

    I’ve learned never to trust any solicitation with Jim Lee’s name in it.  I’ll buy any book he draws, he just needs to draw a book’s worth.

  8. "second" chance?

    I think your counting is off, Montgomery.

  9. I doubt im going to be picking this up. However I would really want these guys to work more (in comics that is.) Especially Miller, the man is a legend in the comic book world yet seems to have abandoned it for the world of film.

  10. I’ll buy this right after I get my second issue of WildC.A.T.S. v.4. 

  11. I mean, I’m pretty invested into the book.  I’ll give it a go.  It’s always a nice surprise whenever it DID show up at the shop.

  12. After the pile of garbage that was the original, I have very low expectations.

  13. Yeah, you know what? No! How’s about that, Jim? No!

     

    You had your chance to finish this long ago, and you decided a video game that you’ve been talking about for YEARS was more important. Any other job, your ass would have been fired LONG ago. 

    So no, Jim. No. 

  14. never gonna happen… on time

  15. I’m all for this wrapping up rather then just have it hanging. I understand some people hated this series, and that’s totally fine. And it is a bit of a joke as far as the delays go. But there were some of us out there that wanted to see what happened next. I won’t say it’d ever win book of the year, or I’ll hold it up as a classic, but I enjoyed it for the kind of down and dirty, R-rated, Grindhouse Batman that it was. I’m glad it’s coming back and wrapping up. (Now to just dig through my long boxes to find issues 1-10)

  16. I kinda fucking hate this batman, and if all these issues are going to be is him being a. Dick and firing robin, i’m not sure whether or not I will read them.

  17. Meanwhile, Jim Lee’s love for comic books remain in question.

  18. The rebaranding sounds like a really neat concept. But I’m still gonna be skeptical of this ever coming out.

  19. Boo.

    Just let everyone move on and try to forget the horrible mess that was ASBAR. Just a waste of time for everyone, even for the men doing the title.

    I like Frank Miller, don’t get me wrong. But like Jeph Loeb he’s gotten a bit….what’s the saying? "Gone a bit batshit crazy" over the years. So I don’t trust him at all to make anything readable or enjoyable from now on.

    Count me out. 

  20. Yeah, I say just forget about the whole series.

  21. Hot dog. I can’t wait to pick up the trade.

  22. All Star Batman and Robin#1 was the first current "ongoing" series I ever bought…It got me into buying single issues…this is like having my daddy finaly come back from that cigarette run he went on all those years ago.

  23. This could be good. Robin might finally eat that rat! Bruce might kick some guys in wheelchairs down flights of stairs! Black Canary might show up at a comic book convention and kick the shit out of everyone! More awesome swastika breasts! Speedy overdosing and given a shot from a big ol hypodermic thru his sternum (stat!)! More! Hot! Buff! Alfred!!!

  24. I can’t wait I was a sucker for the original and was dissapointed that it took so long to come out.

  25. I read the paperback vol. 1.  It was good enough.

  26. nice, there been a lot of batman news lately, neal adam’s batman and now this, I can’t wait for both xD

  27. I’ll give it a chance…..more for Lee then Miller.

  28. FANTASTIC!! This sounds great. I Can’t wait for this to come out. The first 10 issues was the freshest take of Batman and the Batman/Robin relationship that has ever been produced. Its not canon, but with something like thsi you dont really want it to be, but you most definatly want it to be out there to consume.

     

    I am so glad that Lee returned to this title now that his schedule is clearing up.

     

    Oh, and to the haters……HA! you’re hilarious. 

  29. I don’t know why, but I really dislike that title. Also, I think this series will be late and a disaster.  Count me out.

  30. Whatever they call it, as long as it picks up where ASB&RtBW left off, I’ll read it. It’s just a shame there’s that dangling, uncollected #10 issue that didn’t make it in the collected edition. Maybe they’ll eventually put that in the following collection with the new series?

    Yeah it has it’s shortcomings, but the story Miller is telling really is overall "worth it", in my opinion. It’s still interesting stuff, even when it’s somewhat stupid.

    And I have to mention, I hated Dark Knight Strikes Again when it first came out, but when you get more perspective, stop evaluating it in terms of DKR, and think of it in itself, I really think it’s one of the best and most influential comics of the 2000s. It did superhero politics, new-media, decompression and big cartoony art before and did them better than most of the other usually-named series did. Stuff like The Authority, Ultimates get a lot of props, but I really think a lot of those themes (minus the realism) are used better in DKSA.

    That said, I doubt All Star Batman will ever grow on me as much as DKSA did, but it’ll still probably read better once you put it in historical perspective and stop being frustrated with it for whatever reasons (delays, profanity, etc).

  31. The delays didn’t bother me much. Not, that is, until they became permanent. I’m happy to hear that this is going somewhere.

  32. All Star Batman #1 came out shortly after "Batman Begins". Nolan and crew were able to create another (amazingly awesome and successful) movie before this story could reach a conclusion. No thanks. 

  33. I would say there are few poorer written comics out there these days and few better drawn. I’ll probably read this for Lee’s art even though Miller has been way off his game on this series. Then again Miller’s game is pretty weak in general…

  34. Hhahaha… no, no no.  No way in hell. 

  35. I’ll believe this in nine freakin’ months.

  36. The real joke here is that #10 can’t find a collection. The current collection is 1-9 and now the new title relaunch.

  37. I’ll pick up #1.

  38. I can’t wait. I wasn’t crazy about the first half of All-Star, but damn it I’ll buy almost any book for Lee’s art!

  39. I never stopped loving this book and I can’t wait.

  40. This party is back on!

  41. Sigh…

    This get’s a return, yet the WILD CATS with Lee and Morrison is shelved and Captain Britain get’s cancelled.

    Not to mention Shadowpact is gone but Deadpool get’s 8 books or whatever.

    I should really start forcing myself to love more popular characters….

  42. I will wait for tpb in 2012.

    Matthew

     

  43. I liked All-Star Batman and Robin at first and really like the story with Green Lantern. However, the series was plagued with lateness and the last issue was pure crap.  I hope this is a return of something good.

  44. All Star Wonder Woman by Adam Hughes is on it’s way next maybe?

    Or was that a myth…(no pun intended, or was it…?!?!?!)

  45. I can’t wait, I thought this books was awesome. I’ve never had that much fun. It’s my guilty pleasure, I know it’s bad but it’s so much fun.

  46. I say: Bring it on!.

    I’ve been waiting the conclusion for 2 years now.  I didn’t hate All Star Batman as most fans did.  I thought it was good and different but I also felt the characters were going nowhere.  I hope there’s more development in the next 6 issues.

    If everything goes well I hope they make an absolute edition that include the 16 issues and Batman: Year One.  That’ll make a kick ass collection since I already have Absolute Dark Knight. 

    There’s a lot of work for Miller here given that he will have to make everything works:  Why and how Robin goes roge, goverment law prohibiting masks, Superman corruption, his retirement, etc, etc, etc.

  47. I know this is old news for many people, but this is incredibly new to me:

    Out there exists All Star Batman and Robin Vol. 10, 11 and 12.  Volume 10 (as we all know) was taken out of the market because of the cursing, but volumes 11 and 12 never reach out general public.  They written, penciled, inked and colored them but both titles were resolicite and orders were cancelled.

    Knowing that now, I wonder, will DC publish Volume 10, 11 and 12 first and then start with the 6 new issues for Dark Knight: Boy Wonder OR volume 10, 11 and 12 will be part of the "new issues"?.

    I really hope Dark Knight: Boy Wonder start after volume 12.

  48. Has anyone ever asked Jim Lee whats the status on this? Granted the writing was bad but I still them want to complete this run because of Jim Lee’s art.