Ray Fawkes on Writing 'Batman Eternal'

Toronto’s Fan Expo Canada was a big draw for Batman fans over the weekend. DC once again put the spotlight on the Caped Crusader, culminating with the Batman 75: Eternal Night panel. Guests included Bat-artist Jason Fabok (Batman Eternal), writer/artist Francis Manapul (Detective Comics), and writers Ray Fawkes (Batman Eternal) and Greg Pak (Batman/Superman). Some of the highlights included Fawkes talking about one of the best Bat-books around in Batman Eternal.

"We wanted to create the most insane Batman story of all time, one that would include every single major character in the Gotham world and that would give every single one of those characters their moment. In fact, readers who have been enjoying the book so far can see this is the first moment in the series, where we get Alfred in one of these moments. We get to see, Alfred used to be Special Services. He’s not just an old man in a cave; he’s a man who can handle threats well. This is something that a lot of Batman villains don’t know, is that all of Batman’s friends and family are very capable warriors.So, we all came together and we sat down to present Batman with a kind of question: Do you think you are eternal? Do you think you will last for ever? Because here comes something that is going to threaten to stamp out you, your city, all of your friend, and your legacy. It will be as if you were never even there. Destroyed. Everything. Batman is only now figuring out that all of these threats that have been unveiling themselves in last 20 issues are actually part of one large threat. This is the story of how Bruce and Alfred and Alfred’s daughter and Stephanie Brown and everyone rally and fight back."

Stephanie Brown, like Wally West, was a controversial omission from the New 52 reboot. I’m glad they’ve found a place for her, though I’m not sure the new Stephanie carries the same emotional weight that made her the cult figure she was. This will determine that and many other characters’ place in the New 52 universe.

Ray Fawkes on Writing ‘Batman Eternal’

By Skip Harvey | Sep 3, 2014