OK, here's the rundown of how things are going to be in Gotham, according to the New York Post and The Source.
Bruce Wayne is going to be Batman.
Dick Grayson is going to be Batman.
Bruce will have the yellow thing around his chest bat.
Dick will not.
Damian Wayne will be Robin.
Bruce is going to handle the worldwide franchising in Batman, Inc.
Dick is going to remain the Batman for Gotham City.
Dick 'Batman' Grayson will be featured in Scott Snyder and Jock's Detective Comics, Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Batman and Robin, and Tony Daniel's Batman.
Bruce 'Batman' Wayne will be featured in Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette's Batman, Inc. and the David Finch written and drawn Batman: The Dark Knight.
It all starts in November.
Also, Frank Quitely didn't get the memo about the yellow bit around the bat. But it doesn't matter, because he rules both heaven and earth with his pencil and brush and we are all but lowly serfs here to admire him and brandish furs and virgins upon him.
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Interesting. Two Flashes and two Batmen. Could make for an interesting (and fast and intelligent) Justice League.
Freaking awesome! this is exactly what i wanted
Bring it on, let’s shake this baby up and keep it fresh
So happy Dick is still under the cowl in Detective and B&R, I’m loving him as Batman and really happy we’re going to have more stories with him in that role for a while.
Does this mean the the new suit designs have been trashed? I’m glad that Dick and Damian are still going to be Batman & Robin and had a feeling this was going to happen.
This is gonna make seating even weirder at the JLA/JSA/Titans dinners
Can’t wait for the Brave and the Bold: Batman/Batman team-up! 🙂
My brows are furrowed until further notice.
I’m really not as keen on this as I was hoping to be. Can’t we just bring Bruce back and let Dick go back to being Nightwing?
I’m looking forward to the new BATMAN AND BATMAN series that is sure to follow if the sales are up.
But really, this is an interesting time to be a Batman fan. I know that I’m looking forward to November even more now.
I…I really hate to fight against the fanboy tide but am I the only person who doesn’t gush over Frank Quietly’s art? He does have amazing skill (much better than myself) but for every great panel, page, or cover I see from him there are huge stacks of just…meh. That image above just hurts.
That being said, the concept of two different Batmen seems like it will be interesting for awhile at least. Dick and Damian have a good dynamic together. I’m glad to see will continue at least for the short term.
This is all really great, but I’m concerned about how Tim will fit into all this. I’d like to see him traveling the world with Bruce as Red Robin, but something tells me I’m not going to get my wish. With all this exciting news, it’s a great time to be a Batfan, but I’d hate to see Tim get benched Wally West style.
Is he riding Damien?
From how big Damien looks in comparison I’d say Dick is just behind him
@JesTr Didio said this weekend at Fan Expo that all costumes would be staying the same. the DC booth even had the Paquette cover of Bruce as Batman with the yellow symbol on display, so i can’t see it going.
@Pyre
no, you’re not. I really don’t get it. I think his art is crap but that’s just me.
I’m glad I dropped the Batman books!
Huh….I swear Snyder said in some effect that he was gonna work with Bruce in Detective. Guess not..
@Wheelhands Don’t expect to see Tim get benched, DC said they plan on keeping him in the Red Robin costume, and even had Marus Tao at the DC Universe panel talking about what’s going on in Red Robin right now, and some things to expect, which is more of Tim planning out the big picture.
@WheelHands – I don’t expect Tim to go away either. Red Robin was in the top 50 in sales (just above Action Comics) in July, so it is doing quite well. I can’t imagine they would want to lose that.
Source: http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2010/2010-07.html
@stuc Yeah, RR is still my favorite bat-book thus far. It has a very unique flavor.
Who is writing Batman and Detective?
I think they’re gonna get me to read a few issues of Batman inc. dammit.
Glad to see Dick staying on as Batman. He deserves to be at the centre of big titles like Batman and Detective Comics.
Can you imagine coming into a JLA meeting late and realizing that not only are there two Batmen, but one of them has taken your chair? Sad day.
Wow . .. this idea just sux ass. With the exception of the missing Bruce Wayne books I haven’t touched a Batman book in a while, and this whole storyline is why. Its just annoying. I know they want to try to do something new, but it turns an old fan like myself off.
I like the idea of an international Batman and a Gotham Batman, and I think keeping Damien as Robin is a smart choice. I’m really excited to see Tim as Red Robin still. I’m planning buying on a majority of these titles much to the chargin of my wallet.
I’m glad Dick & Damian aren’t being split up just yet. I love their chemistry and dynamic, and was dreading that it would end when Bruce came back.
@ActualButt – Scott Snyder on Detective, Tony Daniel on Batman.
@Neb, it’s interesting to see Batman going International while Superman walks america.
Am I correct in assuming the Batman Inc artist has not yet been announced?
This ends with Dick dead and we all know it. I think they wrote themselves into a corner and there’s nowhere left for Grayson to go. They can do two Batmans for awhile, but after awhile one will have to go. Just like the Flash sitch, I don’t see Wally living through Flashpoint. I’d love to be wrong, but there’s no way the multiple Batman thing will last very long.
Updated with all the creative teams.
Yannick Paquette? He’s good right? *googles* Yup he’s good!
Thank god a writer i like is replacing grant on BR. i thought i was going to have to drop that book
@ TNC – I could have sworn I read that too, I thought it was on the PR announcement that he was writing it, I’ll have to go and check.
I do really like the idea of them keeping both as Bats, but I wish they had done some consolidation instead of just adding Bruce to two more books. I mean, until the last couple of issues Dick has had nothing to do with Detective, Bruce could have been put in their, instead of Dark Night.
In my mind I agree with the logical advice around here of only read what you like and don’t worry about the continuity of a family of books. But, being a fairly new monthly reader (started mostly with the relaunch last year of the bat books) I was kinda enjoying keeping up on the "bat world" as a whole. However, I see now with as many books as they are going to have out I’m going have to be a bit pickier, I never did pick up Azreal, and I just dropped Sirens. I guess I’ll give it all a look after the new shakeup and see what I like.
I really like where the Batman books are right now, hopefully the return of Bruce won’t upset the balance too much. But it seems like he’ll be overseeing everything, so he’ll be like Cap’n Steve over at Marvel.
But with Bruce going corporate, hopefully Dick will say "You’ve sold out, man! You used to be about the vigilantism!"
i want to see Bruce Wayne Batman and Dick Grayson Batman get into a verbal fight during a JLA meeting….the argument must end with Bruce telling Dick something to the effect of "pipe down kid" The entire JLA would be puzzled.
I double checked the PR about Scott Snyder on Detective and I was wrong, not in there. But, what came up was also the full list of Bat-world titles. I know I looked at it before, but 18!!! And I believe all but 4 in current continuity. I guess all I can say, is I’m glad I’m not the editor that has to keep all that straight.
I don’t think this will last more than one story arc, because there shouldn’t be even a single jaywalker left in Gotham City after that. If there is, either Gotham criminals are really, really, really stupid, or the Batmen are the most ineffective crime fighters in the history of superheroing. Seriously, two Batmen, Red Robin, Damien-Robin, Oracle, Batgirl, Batwoman, Huntress, Manhunter, the Question (Sandra Montoya), plus occasional players like Zaranna, Catwoman, Black Canary and the Outsiders: How does Gotham have any crime left? Add to that the more-than-capable GCP (a la Gotham Central), and Gotham should be a modern utopia and a beacon of light to all.
That aside, I can’t afford to get every Bat-related book. It’s going to be hard to decide which ones to pick up and which ones to leave come November.
@Weakly and stuclach: My post was kinda misleading. I know that Red Robin is sticking around, and I’m glad the sales have been positive. What I really meant is that I’d hate to see Tim confined to his own book and not get to play with the rest of the team. Sure, he’ll have guest appearances by Dick and Damian and others, but frankly I’m a little tired of the brotherly tension between the three, with Dick acting as a mediator for Tim and Damian. It was fun at first, but it’s getting stale.
In my opinion, Tim belongs with Bruce. To work this hard to bring him back just to let him run off and roam the globe by himself seems out of character for Tim. Then again, I have no idea how they’re planning on handling that first interaction between Bruce and Tim, so I guess I’ll have to wait and see. And I will. Happily.
Basically my rant all boils down to wanting the best of both worlds. I want my local Dick and Damian Duo, and my global Tim and Bruce Duo.
Who gets the keys to the Batmobile? the Batcave? Alfred will be a very busy butler.
@WheelHands – I’d like to have Tim back with Bruce too. They’ve always had an interesting relationship.
I just want to know how this ties into <a href="http://www.batmanbatmanbatman.com">batmanbatmanbatman</a>.
Oh crap, I thought I knew how this site does links. I stink.
Highlight the word, hit the link button. Paste, and enjoy. Also, no biggie.
I believe you wanted to link this.
I’ll keep getting Batman, pretty much because I’ve been buying it consistently since 1989, and I’ve gotten an open mind to check some of them out. With that being said, initially, this idea does not interest me one bit. It’s very much like what’s going on in Captain America. They replace the hero, people like the replacement a lot so they just keep both of them. Doesn’t that take a little of the fun out? Maybe it’s just me.
Will Dick have to give Bruce 10% credit for every crime stopped? I don’t like the idea at all. If they want Bruce to be more "international", then why not just have him do that and Dick can protect Gotham as Nightwing? Because a Batman book will sell better than a Nightwing book.
Why can’t Bruce be Batman in Batman and Detective and let Dick be Batman in Batman and Robin. Detective isn’t so great after batwoman left and who reads Batman anymore. Too many Bat book. I feel like we are going to od on Batman books because they are going to turn out bad.
I like this idea, though if we are going to have 5 Batman books it seems like Bruce should be the one in three of them. Also, I kind of wish Bruce would have gotten at least one of the two long-running titles. Oh well, looking forward to this!!
@Pyre I’m the same. I don’t quite get why people love his art. But then, I’m not an art person.
I love it! I kinda want Dick to stay as Batman. Who know how long it will last thought. This is gonna be fun!
@HailScott: I think they’ve done a good job of establishing that Gotham needs a Batman. Dick might be able to protect the city just fine as Nightwing, but the symbol is what’s important. Criminals and citizens both need to know he’s out there blah, blah, blah. You know the drill. You could argue that they use that angle solely because "a Batman book will sell better than a Nightwing book", but I disagree. I think it works well from a storytelling perspective.
@AalbatrOss – Yes, Robin is being ridden…by Batman. It’s the Robin tradition.
@Wheelhands i was just about to post the same thing. If everyone knew that Nightwing was the guy on the job and that the bat was gone, they’d take that city over so fast it would make your head spin. The Joker would probably just leave to go find batman.
@WeaklyRoll: Good call about the Superman/Batman role reversal.
@WheelHands: That would be a great idea, I’d still read Red Robin too.
Two words: stoooo piiid!!!
Sorry … I hate being negative like that …
Omega’d characters should stay omega’d …
Spoilers!
Does anybody remember how artists seemed to draw Dick bigger (snicker) when he became Batman? It now seems that Quitely is keen on drawing him a little bit slimmer for differentiations sake? I’m not sure I like this direction, especially with Tony Daniel taking over on art and writing duties on Batman. I really wish Morrison was staying on Batman and Robin.
@WheelHands – I’d love to see Tim team up with Bruce. I think it would be colossally bad for Damian to leave Dick and team up with Bruce. His link with Dick is the best part of Batman & Robin.
@ato220> wait no Morrison on Batman and Robin? what’s his last ish?..No Quietly, No Morrison, no thanks DC
Pretty cool, though to limited funds I’ll stick with Bruce. Somehow this feels like only a 1-2 year thing.
I was hoping the Snyder/Jock book was going to be Bruce, never mind. I’m still going to get it. I’m not a fan of the Inc. artist, or David Finch (they’re ok, just not my taste), so for me it’s still no Bruce Wayne 🙁
I’ve decided to leave Batman and Robin after Morrison leaves, nothing against Tomasi, I liked his GLC, but I’m getting too many books at the moment and Detective with Jock is something I can’t miss out on.
I love the idea of multiple Batmans. It makes the most sense with the type of vigilante justice/persona Bruce keeps up, it seems like the next logical step for him to share the moniker with Dick. Very awesome.
@stuclach: Absolutely. Bruce would get nothing accomplished if Damian went globe trotting with him (though it would be cool to have a father/son B&R). Bruce and Tim on the other hand have always been the most collaborative duo. I agree that Damian’s loyalty to Grayson is one of the best parts of B&R. It would be a tragedy to break up that team. I think there are still years worth of potentially awesome stories featuring Dick and Damian.
"Frank Quitely didn’t get the memo about the yellow bit around the bat."
He didn’t need to. That’s the cover for Batman & Robin #16, right at the point of Bruce’s return but before he has the time to redign the costume.
I mean, dude’s going to be flying out of a time-portal right into the thick of Dr. Hurt and the Joker, with Damian captured and Dick about to be shot. He’s not gonna take the time to grab a yellow oval before proceeding with the rescue bit. 😉
Two Batmans? Ok.. As long Dick and Damian get to stick together. Also keep JMS away from any Batman titles!
Interesting idea. At least they just didn’t cast Dick the wayside given the superb book that has been Batmant & Robin.
So we are adding 2 more books to the batworld, and are any getting cancelled? I’m already reading Batgirl, Red Robin, Streets of Gotham, Gotham City Sirens, Batman, Detective Comics, B &R, and Birds of Prey. I think it’s a bit of a stretch for me to add to more. I may give Sirens the axe since the Catwoman/sister storyline really lost me. It did have a nice little run going for the first 6 or 7 issues.
I love this set up. It doesn’t feel like it invalidates anything we’ve been reading the past two years and feels like it’s maintaining the momentum Morrison’s worked up. It’s nice to see DC doesn’t feel the need to take this opportunity to revert everything to it’s old comfort zone where nothing changes.
Man, that is a lot of Bat books. I am glad I can follow the Dick books (hee hee) and skip the Inc./Finch stuff if I want to. Good to have Bruce back either way.
awesome! I can’t wait!!
If it makes good stories I’m all for it but to date the Bat books haven’t tied together as much as Green Lantern. If there’s a but more of an effort to gel the titles together it could be something special.
This way DC can have it’s cake and eat it to. I really don’t like the idea of having two people named Batman in the DCU
Awesome, my biggest fear was that we would loose the Dick and Damian dynamic duo when Bruce came back
Didn’t morrison do a thing called X-Corp in he’s X-men run? X-corp, Batman, Inc. Hmm?
and if i remember correctly the story became really confusing around that point.
There was a brilliant bit of his Marvel Knights Marvel Boy story, where there wasn’t a Supreme Intelligence, but rather a living Corporation. It’s a thing in his mind, I think.
yeah, i actually loved that issue of Marvel Boy. It was right after Fight Club came out and every hipster was talking about No Logo. So teenaged Edward was in he’s anti-corporate warrior phase.
But the X-corp story was rubbish. Just saying
You know what I want when this is all done?
I want Bruce to come back, look at Professor Pyg, and state: "What the fuck are you?"
dynamic duo indeed . . .
The parallels to Captain America are staggering.
So what happens to Streets Of Gotham after House Of Hush is over? If House Of Hush is ever over, I meant.
@Robby Yeah, good call. STREETS OF GOTHAM is not on that list. Perhaps that one is getting cancelled. Or becoming a non-Batman book. Or… some other third thing.
I do enjoy me some random speculation.
I love Dick! I love Dick sooo much. I love it when Dick gets all over Damian…
Ok, I couldn’t help myself. Sorry!
I haven’t cared much for Batman for years, but Dick stepping into Bruce’s shoes along with his relationship with the troubled Damian… It’s been awesome. Dick seems to be the only character in all comics that has really grown and developed in a realistic way. I can totally see the Dick from New Teen Titans growing into the Dick we see today as Batman. I kinda feel like bringing Bruce back cheapens Dick’s journey. Oh, well…
"I love Dick! I love Dick sooo much. I love it when Dick gets all over Damian…"
Thats pediphilia, homosexuality and ..in a sense insest…you nailed all three in that statement..i lov you
Great – I love having the next 3-6 months of Batman stories and the resolution of 3 different series which are already pre-ordered spoiled for me!
Man, I understand the need to publicize and promote, but just once I’d like to see this stuff play out for me in the actual books i’m reading, instead of in the pages of Previews!
I’m thinking after all of the dust settles, Dick will go back to Bludhaven as Nightwing and Damien will join him as a (non-Robin) sidekick
Will Grant still be writting Damien – thats all I care about. All other Non-Morrison Batman books are unimportant.
@edward: The whole X-Corp thing consisted of one little 3-issue story arc where Prof X and Jean Grey went to France. Yeah, REALLY confusing!
If anything he could have done more with the idea.
(The stuff with Sublime was where New X-Men got confusing, imo.)
@SamMorgan: Absolutely.
I was always sad there wasn’t more information about the structure of X-Corp. Who are the officers? What are the bylaws? Is it a FOR PROFIT corporation and if so what do they make a profit on?
This is totally not a joke, I would have read about that. (I’m a nerd.)
Let’s face it this cover looks like "Dick" is giving it to Damien.
I agree Quitely art can be interesting especially the colors are unique.
But all his characters look doughy and pudgy and his Batmobile looks like a clown car-
His fame is largely fan boy love.
@ericmci-Doesn’t every single comic creator (both Artist and Writer) owe all their fame to ‘fan boy love’? How else would they get famous in this niche??
You know what I’m saying –
The phenomena of trend- it’s how some great artists go over looked and some are artificially inflated by reviewers opinions and how that snow balls into the popular opinion.
The community latches on to something and it gets traded like currency that isn’t backed in the reserve.
Someone says "That art is gorgeous" or "he’s really doing yeoman’s work" and it’s the phrase and opinion that is repeated over and over again.
Hell we’re even starting to call artist’s cartoonists again
even if they’re style has nothing to do with cartooning.
I love Quitely in general, but this isn’t one of his best images. Didn’t much like his cover to the most recent issue either. That said, there’s a reason he’s so popular. But it’s not blind faith. There are many that find his style repulsive. I think people either really latch on to his style or try to avoid it all costs. This isn’t a Kool Aid situation in the least. Sometimes people really do just like something for their own reasons.
As for cartooning, that’s a question of telling a story through images. In a way, all comic book artists are cartoonists. Some are just more expressive than others. I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to refer to Quitely in those terms, but there are plenty of modern comic artists of different styles who are exceptional cartoonists.
Oftentimes people who don’t like things that lots of other people like blame the "herd mentality" when in fact they just have different tastes than other people do. It’s fine to not like things other people like. It’s not fine to blame some artificial outside influence for disagreeing with other peoples’ tastes.
And there are plenty of people who don’t like Frank Quietly’s work.
I don’t blame herd mentality. I blame aliens.
Quitely really grew on me over time. He’s good with the details. On the X-Men (don’t remember the proper title) I liked how he could show action like a high speed camera, with details in high focus and everything just frozen.
I really like how his "super-suits" (costumes) don’t look like sprayed on outfits, and have folds and crinkles.
Okay, okay, his faces took a long time to get use to, but it was All-Star Superman where I really accepted the art as a whole.
This is going to sound a little strange, but I like his style and Alex Ross’s style for many of the same reasons, even though they are really very different artists.