cmurdur
11-05-2008, 09:18 PM
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/110804-GothamCancellations.html
While fans are still up in the air about whether or not Batman will actually die at the end of Grant Morrison’s “Batman: R.I.P.” arc, DC has confirmed three casualties for Newsarama.
According to the publisher, the February-shipping issues of Robin, Nightwing and Birds of Prey will be the final issues of the respective series.
As well as being the final issues, Robin #183, Nightwing #153 and Birds of Prey #127 will end eras for Batman-related titles, as each stretches back at least nine years.
Birds of Prey (which debuted in 1999) is currently written by Tony Bedard and follows the adventures of Barbra Gordon, the former Batgirl (now “Oracle”), Black canary and a rotating cast of DC’s female heroes; Nightwing (which debuted in 1996) is written by Peter Tomasi, and Robin (which debuted in 1994) is currently written by Fabian Nicieza.
The three series – coincidentally all originally written by Chuck Dixon, fleshed out the world of Batman in the comics, showcasing the original Robin, Dick Grayson, as Nightwing, Tim Drake as Robin and Barbra Gordon in Birds of Prey.
The three titles were roughly in the middle of DC’s lineup, sales-wise, with Nightwing seeing sales of over 50,000 copies to comic shops for September, while Robin and Birds of Prey saw sales of 32,000 and 21,000 copies, respectively.
DC declined to say if the series’ cancellations were due to sales, or if the three titles would be replaced by three new titles in 2009.
Meanwhile...at the Neil Gaiman interview-
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/10/15/neil-gaiman-writing-batman-as-we-speak/
One of the biggest bits of news coming out of Comic-Con was the announcement that Neil Gaiman would be writing Batman — a two-parter, one for Batman, one for Detective Comics, to follow “Batman R.I.P.” For his part, Neil announced that he wouldn’t be talking about it, at least not much.
“So I don’t have to write lots and lots of emails back to all the journalists,” he blogged. “1) Yes, I am writing a two part Batman story. 2) Yes, Andy Kubert will be drawing it. 3) Yes, it will be two oversized issues. 4) No, I don’t plan to say anything else about it until it’s all written and drawn.”
Still, we had to try. So when he was in town for his “Graveyard Book” tour — and the book is number one on its respective list, congrats, Neil — we asked about his “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” two-parter. At first, he sat mute, with an almost smile on his face. Then, after a bit, “Oh, no. I’m not saying anything,” he said. Then, after a bit more, he relented.
“What can I tell you about the Batman thing?” Gaiman mused. “It is a two-parter, it’s being written by me, it’s being drawn by Andy Kubert… I’ve seen the first thirteen pages so far, and the artwork is absolutely lovely, making me feel almost guilty for putting word balloons on it. And my favorite bit so far is the conversation between Selina Kyle and Joe Chill.”
Gaiman anticipates the issues will be out in February.
“It’s one of those things where they phoned me up and said, ‘This is what we’d like you to do,’” Gaiman started to say. “It wasn’t even ‘This is what we’d like you to do,’ it was, ‘This is what’s going to be happening with Batman. Would you like to write the last issue of Batman and the last issue of Detective Comics?’ And when they make an offer like that, you say yes.”
So apparently, "Batman R.I.P" mean rest in peace for the Bat family as well. Hate to see Detective go, considering its DC longest going title. And to make is sound worse, "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is a play on words, taken from "Whatever Happenend to the Man of Steel?", written by Alan Moore and was the last Silver Age Superman story, ending that universe.
While fans are still up in the air about whether or not Batman will actually die at the end of Grant Morrison’s “Batman: R.I.P.” arc, DC has confirmed three casualties for Newsarama.
According to the publisher, the February-shipping issues of Robin, Nightwing and Birds of Prey will be the final issues of the respective series.
As well as being the final issues, Robin #183, Nightwing #153 and Birds of Prey #127 will end eras for Batman-related titles, as each stretches back at least nine years.
Birds of Prey (which debuted in 1999) is currently written by Tony Bedard and follows the adventures of Barbra Gordon, the former Batgirl (now “Oracle”), Black canary and a rotating cast of DC’s female heroes; Nightwing (which debuted in 1996) is written by Peter Tomasi, and Robin (which debuted in 1994) is currently written by Fabian Nicieza.
The three series – coincidentally all originally written by Chuck Dixon, fleshed out the world of Batman in the comics, showcasing the original Robin, Dick Grayson, as Nightwing, Tim Drake as Robin and Barbra Gordon in Birds of Prey.
The three titles were roughly in the middle of DC’s lineup, sales-wise, with Nightwing seeing sales of over 50,000 copies to comic shops for September, while Robin and Birds of Prey saw sales of 32,000 and 21,000 copies, respectively.
DC declined to say if the series’ cancellations were due to sales, or if the three titles would be replaced by three new titles in 2009.
Meanwhile...at the Neil Gaiman interview-
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/10/15/neil-gaiman-writing-batman-as-we-speak/
One of the biggest bits of news coming out of Comic-Con was the announcement that Neil Gaiman would be writing Batman — a two-parter, one for Batman, one for Detective Comics, to follow “Batman R.I.P.” For his part, Neil announced that he wouldn’t be talking about it, at least not much.
“So I don’t have to write lots and lots of emails back to all the journalists,” he blogged. “1) Yes, I am writing a two part Batman story. 2) Yes, Andy Kubert will be drawing it. 3) Yes, it will be two oversized issues. 4) No, I don’t plan to say anything else about it until it’s all written and drawn.”
Still, we had to try. So when he was in town for his “Graveyard Book” tour — and the book is number one on its respective list, congrats, Neil — we asked about his “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” two-parter. At first, he sat mute, with an almost smile on his face. Then, after a bit, “Oh, no. I’m not saying anything,” he said. Then, after a bit more, he relented.
“What can I tell you about the Batman thing?” Gaiman mused. “It is a two-parter, it’s being written by me, it’s being drawn by Andy Kubert… I’ve seen the first thirteen pages so far, and the artwork is absolutely lovely, making me feel almost guilty for putting word balloons on it. And my favorite bit so far is the conversation between Selina Kyle and Joe Chill.”
Gaiman anticipates the issues will be out in February.
“It’s one of those things where they phoned me up and said, ‘This is what we’d like you to do,’” Gaiman started to say. “It wasn’t even ‘This is what we’d like you to do,’ it was, ‘This is what’s going to be happening with Batman. Would you like to write the last issue of Batman and the last issue of Detective Comics?’ And when they make an offer like that, you say yes.”
So apparently, "Batman R.I.P" mean rest in peace for the Bat family as well. Hate to see Detective go, considering its DC longest going title. And to make is sound worse, "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is a play on words, taken from "Whatever Happenend to the Man of Steel?", written by Alan Moore and was the last Silver Age Superman story, ending that universe.