While at FanExpo Canada, we had a chance to sit down with Tony Daniel, one of the most pleasant guys in comics. That stands in direct conflict with the intense, jaw-dropping issue of Batman: Detective Comics #1 that hit stands this week… And though we hadn’t read the issue yet when we talked to him, we did chat about the future of the Bat-title, how he approaches mysteries, and the question of Detective Comics #900:
MTV Geek: What is YOUR take on Batman for this title?
Tony Daniel: My take is to concentrate on shorter stories, a lot of detective work. The main focus is Bruce Wayne, Batman, and his world of solving mysteries and crimes in Gotham City. It’s a little bit more of a serious tone than the Dick Grayson stories that I wrote had, mainly because Bruce is a lot more serious of a character. But I’m establishing a very big, bold take on the character that I hope the fans enjoy.
Geek: Mysteries are a tricky thing to write, and a tricky thing to build… How do you approach building a mystery for this title?
TD: My technique is to have plenty of red herrings and layers to look under, or unravel, or peel back to expose the full story. Where all the clues are there in the first scene, and little by little you can see the story unfold – or not – until the very end. What I like to do is have the reader discover clues and evidence as Batman does. Maybe they can piece it together for themselves, or maybe not. Read More...