Daywalker
02-10-2005, 04:54 PM
Another Turn at Bat
Lee, Loeb extend acclaimed 'Batman' run by six issues
Casey Seijas - Wizard #139, April 2003
When DC wanted to get Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee to take on monthly creative duties on Batman for a year, it took a $1,000 bet--which the publisher ended up losing.
Luckily, when DC wanted the superstar creative duo to stay on for another six months, the stakes were considerably lower.
"[DC Vice President of Editorial] Dan Didio was out [in LA] for the retailer's conference, and Jim and I met up with him, and he basically asked us, 'Well, what's it going to take to get you guys to stay on the book?'" recalled Loeb. "Jim and I had been talking about it a lot lately, so we said, 'You just have to ask.'"
With the success of Batman currently at a fever pitch, holding strong at Diamond's #1 selling title for the month of April, it's clear that Loeb and Lee have become DC's franchise players. In addition to turbo-boosting the title's sales, the dynamic duo has also offered up the "Hush" storyarc that's left fans pondering the question, "Who is the mysterious villain?"
Yet despite the fanfare, Loeb and Lee are equally surprised by the success of the run, which they never thought would last a year, let alone 18 months.
"I don't think any of us thought it was going to be a blockbuster, particularly given the marketplace," said Loeb. "Jim had always said that if we really want people to remember this run, then it has to be at least 18 issues. That, if we do 12 or less, then people will sort of think of it as a mini-series. We still would've been happy doing 12, but so much of this from the very beginning began with Jim wanting to say to the comic book community that, 'I'm still a vital force, and this is something I really love and want to do.'"
Meanwhile, Lee is simply surprised that he hasn't hit the proverbial wall in terms of his workload.
"The fact that I have this lead time, we have this cushion that allows me to do other things, take care of business, have vacation time, I don't feel that burned out," said Lee. "The fact that we're so far ahead, I still feel fresh right now and pretty confident."
While both Loeb and Lee are naturally keeping the juicy details about what they have in store for the extra six issues under wraps, Loeb is quick to hint that Robin will play a key role in the upcoming issues, and that, like the year-long "Hush," the follow-up story will be a self-contained, six-issue storyarc. Meanwhile, the two veterans continue to enjoy learning about Gotham's colorful crimefighters and criminals, despite having to make extreme sacrifices to do so.
"I have a full-time job on 'Smallville' so I have to find the time to do this other job--which I love--in writing comics," said Loeb. "For me the secret is, I look at my schedule and said, 'Sleep is not something I really need.' So I get no sleep, and it works out pretty well."
Yet Lee has found a way to continue running Wildstorm, pencil Batman and maintain his sanity.
"I'm in the same boat that Jeph is; I've got a ton of stuff," said Lee. "Drawing a monthly book is a full-time gig, too. I work a lot of nights and I work almost every weekend, and that's how I do it."
Yet despite the grueling hours and black circles under their eyes, both Loeb and Lee are quick to admit that their run on the Dark Knight Detective will definitely be one they remember fondly once all is said and done (which fans hope won't be anytime soon). Above all else though, both creators are happy working with each other, and wouldn't have it any other way.
"Jeph's very hands on," praised Lee. "We'll have these crazy e-mail sessions where we kind of nitpick on the art and I'll nitpick on the writing. It's a really good, creative working relationship, and that doesn't happen all the time. I've been working in the business long enough to know when things are special and this collaboration is a special thing and doing more issues would be a complete pleasure and I look forward to it."
"Basically, all of this was based on Jim," said Loeb. "If Jim wanted to do it, I was there, and Jim wants to do it, so I'm there. I'm really lucky to be a part of this team."
--
Loeb & Lee: What's Next?
Casey Seijas - Wizard #142, July 2003
Wanna know what's in store for Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's next six-issue run on Batman?
So do they.
After it was announced in February that Loeb and Lee would extend their run on Batman by six issues, fans immediately wanted to know what the dynamic duo have in store to top the current and wildly successful 12-issue "Hush" storyarc. Despite the fact that DC, Loeb and Lee won't go on record with specifics--mainly because it hasn't been officially decided--rumors abound what will happen to Batman in 2004, and specifically, what involvement Lee and Loeb will have with the franchise. Possible scenarios include: the Lee/Loeb team returning to the core Batman title once Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's run wraps up in March 2004's issue #625; a six-issue Batman mini-series; or possibly a new ongoing monthly title.
However, according to Loeb, one thing's certain--the Boy Wonder will definitely play a prominent role in the next six issues.
"It'll be a Batman and Robin story," hinted Loeb. "We've been flirting with the idea of starting a new ongoing called Batman & Robin, but if it were up to me, this is not about starting new franchises or doing mini-series, this is about trying to make the monthly books as vital as they can be, which is a philosophy that DC is embracing."
I can't wait!
Lee, Loeb extend acclaimed 'Batman' run by six issues
Casey Seijas - Wizard #139, April 2003
When DC wanted to get Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee to take on monthly creative duties on Batman for a year, it took a $1,000 bet--which the publisher ended up losing.
Luckily, when DC wanted the superstar creative duo to stay on for another six months, the stakes were considerably lower.
"[DC Vice President of Editorial] Dan Didio was out [in LA] for the retailer's conference, and Jim and I met up with him, and he basically asked us, 'Well, what's it going to take to get you guys to stay on the book?'" recalled Loeb. "Jim and I had been talking about it a lot lately, so we said, 'You just have to ask.'"
With the success of Batman currently at a fever pitch, holding strong at Diamond's #1 selling title for the month of April, it's clear that Loeb and Lee have become DC's franchise players. In addition to turbo-boosting the title's sales, the dynamic duo has also offered up the "Hush" storyarc that's left fans pondering the question, "Who is the mysterious villain?"
Yet despite the fanfare, Loeb and Lee are equally surprised by the success of the run, which they never thought would last a year, let alone 18 months.
"I don't think any of us thought it was going to be a blockbuster, particularly given the marketplace," said Loeb. "Jim had always said that if we really want people to remember this run, then it has to be at least 18 issues. That, if we do 12 or less, then people will sort of think of it as a mini-series. We still would've been happy doing 12, but so much of this from the very beginning began with Jim wanting to say to the comic book community that, 'I'm still a vital force, and this is something I really love and want to do.'"
Meanwhile, Lee is simply surprised that he hasn't hit the proverbial wall in terms of his workload.
"The fact that I have this lead time, we have this cushion that allows me to do other things, take care of business, have vacation time, I don't feel that burned out," said Lee. "The fact that we're so far ahead, I still feel fresh right now and pretty confident."
While both Loeb and Lee are naturally keeping the juicy details about what they have in store for the extra six issues under wraps, Loeb is quick to hint that Robin will play a key role in the upcoming issues, and that, like the year-long "Hush," the follow-up story will be a self-contained, six-issue storyarc. Meanwhile, the two veterans continue to enjoy learning about Gotham's colorful crimefighters and criminals, despite having to make extreme sacrifices to do so.
"I have a full-time job on 'Smallville' so I have to find the time to do this other job--which I love--in writing comics," said Loeb. "For me the secret is, I look at my schedule and said, 'Sleep is not something I really need.' So I get no sleep, and it works out pretty well."
Yet Lee has found a way to continue running Wildstorm, pencil Batman and maintain his sanity.
"I'm in the same boat that Jeph is; I've got a ton of stuff," said Lee. "Drawing a monthly book is a full-time gig, too. I work a lot of nights and I work almost every weekend, and that's how I do it."
Yet despite the grueling hours and black circles under their eyes, both Loeb and Lee are quick to admit that their run on the Dark Knight Detective will definitely be one they remember fondly once all is said and done (which fans hope won't be anytime soon). Above all else though, both creators are happy working with each other, and wouldn't have it any other way.
"Jeph's very hands on," praised Lee. "We'll have these crazy e-mail sessions where we kind of nitpick on the art and I'll nitpick on the writing. It's a really good, creative working relationship, and that doesn't happen all the time. I've been working in the business long enough to know when things are special and this collaboration is a special thing and doing more issues would be a complete pleasure and I look forward to it."
"Basically, all of this was based on Jim," said Loeb. "If Jim wanted to do it, I was there, and Jim wants to do it, so I'm there. I'm really lucky to be a part of this team."
--
Loeb & Lee: What's Next?
Casey Seijas - Wizard #142, July 2003
Wanna know what's in store for Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's next six-issue run on Batman?
So do they.
After it was announced in February that Loeb and Lee would extend their run on Batman by six issues, fans immediately wanted to know what the dynamic duo have in store to top the current and wildly successful 12-issue "Hush" storyarc. Despite the fact that DC, Loeb and Lee won't go on record with specifics--mainly because it hasn't been officially decided--rumors abound what will happen to Batman in 2004, and specifically, what involvement Lee and Loeb will have with the franchise. Possible scenarios include: the Lee/Loeb team returning to the core Batman title once Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's run wraps up in March 2004's issue #625; a six-issue Batman mini-series; or possibly a new ongoing monthly title.
However, according to Loeb, one thing's certain--the Boy Wonder will definitely play a prominent role in the next six issues.
"It'll be a Batman and Robin story," hinted Loeb. "We've been flirting with the idea of starting a new ongoing called Batman & Robin, but if it were up to me, this is not about starting new franchises or doing mini-series, this is about trying to make the monthly books as vital as they can be, which is a philosophy that DC is embracing."
I can't wait!