Comic Book Resource recently interviewed writer Greg Hurwitz about the current Batman : The Dark Knight .
CBR News: With “The Dark Knight,” you stepped onto a book that had a very specific tone set up by dint of David Finch’s style. How did the comic that this series has been impact how you came to the book?
Gregg Hurwitz: Well, both Finch and I wanted to do something new with the title, but something that was still in keeping with “The Dark Knight” concept – to show some of the darker corners of Gotham, to dig into the psychology of the characters, to flirt a bit with horror here and there while maintaining a fast, actiony pace. After doing a miniseries on the Penguin, I wanted to explore the Scarecrow in equal fashion, but I realized that in exploring the Scarecrow, I’d have to explore Bruce Wayne/Batman in similar fashion, so it was suited to a Bat book rather than another mini.
Speaking of David, he definitely brought a lot of specific ideas to bear earlier as a writer of the book. Now that you’re steering the script, what’s that collaboration been like? And does his shift to inking himself on the book do to guide the feel of the series?
He’s been incredible to work with. I am in awe of his talent, and we’ve found a way to collaborate effortlessly. He makes me look better and really does justice to my scripts, and we talk through each scene closely. His inks have been amazing and help him control the shading and dimensionality he wants for each panel (though I’d like to give a nod to Richard Friend for a great job inking issue #10).
You first stepped into the Batman world with the “Penguin: Pain & Prejudice” mini series. What’s it been like shift into ongoing series mode? Have you been trying to develop some long term threads to use, or has your focus so far been on this first arc as a stand alone tale?
Definitely a different mode – bigger story, wider canvas, all that. And I want “Cycle of Violence” to be self-contained as its own tale, but there are a few motifs and threads there for me to carry forward.
The Scarecrow has gotten a facelift – or should I say facesew – in this story. This is obviously the kind of scary imagery that works well for Finch’s interest as an artist, but for you is at the root of that self mutilation for Jonathan Crane himself?
He is willing to do anything to instill fear in others. And what he is willing to do to himself is pretty scary – especially because it makes his victims contemplate what he’d be willing to do to them. It also contains a strong element of self-mutilation, and I believe he finds some release in the self-inflicted pain.
Ultimately, your Scarecrow is one whose emotional scars we’re seeing much more clearly than we’ve seen before. How does his own childhood provide some clues as to what his ultimate plan is in stealing children, Commissioner Gordon and Batman himself?
Oh, just wait! Issue #13 has my favorite spread in the arc – we’re gonna go down that hatch and see what lies beneath. And soon enough, we’ll learn why he’s taking those kids – and what he’s taking from them.
Another critical piece of your run so far has been Bruce’s relationship with his pianist girlfriend Natalya. Unlike a lot of his signature flings, Natalya seems to understand something about Bruce’s past that both brings them together and keeps them at a distance. How do you bring a new wrinkle into that idea?
Natalya is as smart as Bruce and perhaps more emotionally incisive than him – and she’s from a hard-as-nails background growing up in Kiev. She raises hard issues about intimacy (issues I’ll further explore in “Tec” #0) with him, and these of course tie into his (unspoken, unconscious) fears that the Scarecrow will bring to light. But I also simply like writing intelligent, quick-witted women, and I feel like having her be sophisticated and sharp makes Bruce look all the better for dating her.
On the flipside, you’re also taking occasion to dig deeper into Batman himself through the story. We’ve seen hints at how fear has shaped his own creation so far – a common trope for the character. How does Crane’s kidnapping of him help peel away the layers of Bruce’s mind moving forward?
I am interested in seeing all the armor stripped away from Batman and getting to what drives him. Much of that derives from a devastated, terrified kid in an alley outside a movie theater, on his knees, seemingly broken. I think he made some quiet vows to himself in that alley—not to become Batman, but to feel less, to strive to be indomitable so he wouldn’t have to feel pain like this ever again.
Speaking of Bruce’s origins, your #0 issue is coming up as well. We know you’ll be focusing on Joe Chill in the story. How did you take on the challenge of visiting that most pivotal of points in Batman’s legend in terms of making this story feel new while not erasing the core of what we know about it?
With great hesitation and (I hope) great sensitivity. We’re gonna see a key defining moment in Bruce’s life and in the legend. That’s a lot of responsibility, and I took it very seriously.
How did you approach “Dark Knight” #0 in terms of Batman himself – the vigilante I mean. Is this all young Bruce Wayne and his parents and Joe, or is there a way the final form of the Dark Knight works in?
It’s both – and I’m gonna be purposefully vague here. It is mostly Bruce, but we will see shadows of the life to come.
For the whole story check out the source .
Source – CBR
– Adam
