PicoBlog

I was three years old when Batman hit theaters in 1989. While I was too young to remember the hype around the movie, the shockwaves it sent through pop culture were still being felt while I was growing up.

I had watched our copy of Tim Burton’s film so many times that I had all of the lines memorized by the time I hit kindergarten. Which is why I was so excited when Batman: The Animated Series was announced.

Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski’s version of Batman, and subsequently Superman, the Justice League, and Batman Beyond, became the blueprint on what I based my view of the DC Universe and its characters. It’s what made me fall in love with some of the greatest heroes in all of pop culture or literature.

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From there, I started exploring the comics. I didn’t get really deep into DC Comics lore until about 2006 when I started reading the ongoing Batman and Green Lantern titles. These were game-changers for me and I soon spiraled out into as many DC titles as I could get my hands on.

After hyperextending my knee in someone’s basement while dancing to “Thriller,” I ended up on the couch for a couple of weeks. In that time, I made a run to the bookstore and bought as many graphic novels and trades as I could. Once I had gotten through the pile, I decided then and there I was going to write comics.

It took over a decade of honing my craft and learning as much as I could about making comics. There were plenty of times I wanted to give up. In fact, I nearly did quit before my wife convinced me to do Barnstormers!. But one problem I’ve always had was that I don’t often take stock and appreciate what I’ve accomplished. I’m always so excited to make new stories and books that I don’t stop and live in the present.

I did that this weekend and came to a startling realization--the boy who grew up loving Batman just wrote a Batman story.

Now granted, it’s not a huge story. But having been given the chance I gave it my all. Just like when I got to write Green Lantern for the first time, or Superman, and even Dex-Starr. No story is too small, and no comic is unimportant. Every comic is going to be someone’s first, and they deserve every ounce of energy, skill, and craft that you’d put into a graphic novel when it comes to shorts, one-shots, or even graphic novellas.

I had always dreamed of getting to tell a Batman story. I’m extremely lucky that Baldemar Rivas and I got to do an original take on such a cool version of the caped crusader. We put a lot of heart and soul into this. And while I know that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I hope that the people who do enjoy it feel even a sliver of the amount of care and excitement we put into every panel and page.

I’m 35-years-old now. If I could travel back in time to tell myself that I was going to write a Batman story, I’m sure he’d be shocked. Probably even more shocked that an adult man would appear out of thin air in his room and start talking about Batman, but after that initial shock, the second big realization of working on The Dark Knight would hit him, too.

If there’s something you want to achieve with your art, don’t settle for anything less. I wanted to draw comic books as a kid, and while I traded my drawing skills for writing, I’m still doing what I wanted to do when I was first introduced to Batman. And I couldn’t be happier.

Batman: Urban Legends #7 hits the stand this coming Wednesday. Make sure to support your local comic book shop and pick up a copy. I’m going to be signing copies for Vault of Midnight in Grand Rapids, Michigan. But any comic book store should be able to get you a copy (or order one online).

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