Paul Dini to Write True, Personal Batman Story
By Skip Harvey
Paul Dini to Write True, Personal Batman Story
Legendary writer and co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series Paul Dini is set to return to the Caped Crusader.
Dark Knight: A True Batman Story is a self contained graphic novel that comes from a very real place for Dini. In 1993 the Harley Quinn creator suffered a horrible trauma during a mugging that changed his life forever.
On his walk down La Peer Drive in LA one evening Dini was robbed and assaulted by 2 men. His injuries were so severe that doctors needed to perform surgery on parts of his skull that were ‘powdered’ on impact.
Now Paul Dini is drawing on that horrible event to write a personal tale of crime, heroism and tragedy.
"What makes Batman and what makes other superheroes work is the myth that when life is at its lowest, and when you need a hero, a hero swings down and helps you. And I didn’t have that.Here I am writing these stories for an audience that loves this form, in comics, in animation, but now I was saying to myself, ‘I can’t go on with this. I don’t believe in it anymore. There is no hero for me. Where is my hero?’The answer is: You have to be your own hero."
The often self deprecating book stars a fictionalized version of Dini himself and the foibles of a flawed life. Serving as a sort of Greek chorus and (more contemporary) angel and devil influences, the Batman cast of characters speak to him as he tries to negotiate his existence.
"I’m not saying I talk to cartoon characters all the time, but the characters are very real to me. In a very non-insane way."
The process of writing the book was cathartic but difficult for the writer, hence the 2 decade gap before tackling this project.
"When I first downloaded the pages from the attack, I looked at them very quickly once, horrified. Then I put them away for a week. I burst into tears. I couldn’t look at them."
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But Dini isn’t about to let the horrible event defeat him. He’s doing what all real artists do: drawing on real pain to make art.
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"I feel like, even if it hasn’t completely, I feel stronger and I can carry it better. I feel like it’s not going to crush me."
Drawn by 100 Bullets artist Eduardo Risso, Dark Knight: A True Batman Story will run 121 pages and will (strangely) be published under DC’s Vertigo label. You can expect it on shelves in June of 2016.
Source: THR.