Fabian Nicieza answers some questions about Tim, Steph and Jason
First off, I'm going to recommend people pick up this series that's coming out in July:
From DCU's The Source here:
The Red Hood’s very presence haunts the Dark Knight’s every waking hour.
But how did the Red Hood come to be? What trials did he go through before donning the gleaming red helmet, during those formative years before he crossed paths with Batman?
Writer Judd Winick and artist Pablo Raimondi hope to answer that question in June, with the debut of RED HOOD: THE LOST DAYS, a six-issue mini-series revealing the untold story of the man behind the Red Hood. It’s the tale of an angry young man’s transformation into a deadly villain.
What else is there to say? We went straight to, well, the source on this one - writer Judd Winick. Take it away, Judd:
“I’m thrilled to return to this character, and it’s both a joy and challenge to tackle this new story. LOST DAYS tracks the time from the Red Hood’s rebirth to his return to Gotham. In it, we get to understand this anti-hero in a new way. I think it explains both how he’s sympathetic, and an unrepentant monster. He’s a wonderfully complex character, and I hope this adds some even greater depth to his mythology.”
The series will ship its first two issues in anticipation of the arrival of BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD DVD arriving in stores. The DVD, the next entry in the popular ongoing series of DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movies, hits this summer from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation and showcases Batman confronting new enemies, old foes and painful memories as a powerful vigilante with a penchant for violence comes to Gotham to stake his claim on the city.
And hey, Judd’s got a few things to say about the DVD, too:
“I can barely describe the fun and terror that went into adapting two years worth of story into one film, but the results will be something that will knock everyone on their cans. I couldn’t be prouder, and I’m itching for everyone to get a look.”
Fabian Nicieza is an awesome writer who wrote Cable and Deadpool and will be taking over writing Red Robin. He answered some questions on Jason, Tim and Steph.
Here they are. The final three questions were asked by me:
Q. Just wondering,...how long have you been a fan of Tim Drake/Wayne (which is right to you by the way)?
I've been a fan sInce his first appearance.
I was not a fan of how they'd turned Jason Todd into a jerk post-Crisis (nor was I too happy with original red-hair Jason as he was too much a duplicate of Dick).
I found the "call in to kill Robin" marketing stunt pretty distasteful, so when they cleared the detritus to allow for a new Robin to be slowly introduced, I enjoyed how they handled it and especially enjoyed Tim's intelligence and rationale for pursuing the gig.
(and I continue to think of him as Tim Drake. IMO, he wouldn't forsake his father's name just because Bruce adopted him, but we'll probably try to have our cake and eat it too, He will likely call himself Tim Drake, but the media and other people will likely call him Tim Drake Wayne
Q. Did you know how drastically different DC was gonna write Jason Todd in BFTC and Revenge of the Red Hood when you wrote the setup to get Jason into and out of Jail and the hologram scene at the cave? I thought you tried to keep Jason mostly in the spirit of the character established by Winick [which mostly I think is the right choice for Todd] and things just sorta dove off a cliff right after that.
Are you partial to either version of the Todd Red Hood?
I think Judd has consistently shown the best understanding of how to handle the fine line Jason walks. He is a villain now, but not in his own eyes, and that's a hard balance for some writers to handle. I think I understood that balance when I wrote Jason and, given the opportunity, could handle the character (having written plenty of "grey" characters in the past, between Nomad, Thunderbolts, Cable, etc.).
the truth is, I'm looking forward to Judd's upcoming Red Hood miniseries far more than I would be the chance to write Jason myself! I have wanted to see those "holes" filled in for a long time now and I think he should be the writer to plug `em!
Q. Hey Fabian. I really got into Red Robin during its first year so I'm hoping you'll be able to do as great of a job. I know you probably can because I was a huge fan of your stint on Robin before all the Bat-Titles got flipped around. A big highlight for me when you wrote Robin was how you wrote Jason. It seemed like you really knew and understood the character and it seemed like he may finally be going somewhere...and then he got turned evil in Battle for the Cowl and continued to be that in B&R. I'm a HUGE Jason Todd fan. What's not to like about a Robin gone off the good path but I just want to ask if you have any plans on having him show up in Red Robin? I think it would be awesome to have him show up.
A. With Judd Winnick's miniseries coming out now, and I consider him the best writer by far to have handled this character since his return, I will wait until the series is done to get a better idea of where the character stands. I'd love to use him, but I might have to get behind other people who would get dibs over me. --fabian
1. So as far as we the fans know, Tim's still very much carrying around that V-card. Are we going to see him lose it under your watch? Hey, nerds like Tim need love, too! <<
The V-card is very much in play, but it's not a hand I had even thought about dealing anytime soon. To tell you the truth, I see Tim as being a bit above all that sort of stuff. Insane by my standards, but not by his.
Not to say he won't be tempted... by several different potential candidates who want to draw that V-card from the bottom of the deck...
>>2. This isn't so much a question as a thank-you: thanks for letting us know you'll keep/acknowledge Steph in Tim's book in some way. Even if they are BFFs who platonically love each other, I'd be happy. I think those two have always had a great chemistry. Since I wasn't alive when Dick was Robin and Babs was Batgirl, I'm excited to see these two be flirty as Red Robin and Batgirl. <<
I certainly don't want to step on Bryan's toes, but I do like the idea of them being friends, so I hope to have her appear whenever possible, even if it's for a panel or two of them touching base.
>>3. I read your comments on Jason and loved them. This is more a question about pointing me in the right direction, perhaps. I've never written a letter to the editor or anything like that, so bear with me. How do we the fans who love Jason and love him as that antagonistic anti-hero -- and not a black and white villain -- let the creators know this? There's many more than just me out there who love the "grey area" Jason and don't want to see him become another Rogue villain. With the Under the Red Hood movie coming out this summer, there'll undoubtedly be more fans who want to get to know the character as he'll be portrayed, or at least close enough to it. <<
You can write about your likes an dislikes on these message boards and others. I guarantee you whether they post or not, most editors and creative people scour the various message boards to see what's being said about their work. The other way to vote is with your wallet. If you like what Judd does with the Jason mini-series coming out, buy it. Talk about it. Tell your retailer you liked it, tell your friends, post on the boards.
If you don't like it, don't buy it.
No message rings louder and clearer to publishing companies than a combination of what people say and what people buy (or don't buy).
And if all else fails, write a letter to the editor of the title(s) you like or dislike care of the address provided in every issue of every comic published by every company. Snail mail is so outmoded that anyone who takes the time to express their views in a mature manner is automatically given credence by the recipient of the letter.
-- fabian
God I <3 him.
From DCU's The Source here:
The Red Hood’s very presence haunts the Dark Knight’s every waking hour.
But how did the Red Hood come to be? What trials did he go through before donning the gleaming red helmet, during those formative years before he crossed paths with Batman?
Writer Judd Winick and artist Pablo Raimondi hope to answer that question in June, with the debut of RED HOOD: THE LOST DAYS, a six-issue mini-series revealing the untold story of the man behind the Red Hood. It’s the tale of an angry young man’s transformation into a deadly villain.
What else is there to say? We went straight to, well, the source on this one - writer Judd Winick. Take it away, Judd:
“I’m thrilled to return to this character, and it’s both a joy and challenge to tackle this new story. LOST DAYS tracks the time from the Red Hood’s rebirth to his return to Gotham. In it, we get to understand this anti-hero in a new way. I think it explains both how he’s sympathetic, and an unrepentant monster. He’s a wonderfully complex character, and I hope this adds some even greater depth to his mythology.”
The series will ship its first two issues in anticipation of the arrival of BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD DVD arriving in stores. The DVD, the next entry in the popular ongoing series of DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movies, hits this summer from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation and showcases Batman confronting new enemies, old foes and painful memories as a powerful vigilante with a penchant for violence comes to Gotham to stake his claim on the city.
And hey, Judd’s got a few things to say about the DVD, too:
“I can barely describe the fun and terror that went into adapting two years worth of story into one film, but the results will be something that will knock everyone on their cans. I couldn’t be prouder, and I’m itching for everyone to get a look.”
Fabian Nicieza is an awesome writer who wrote Cable and Deadpool and will be taking over writing Red Robin. He answered some questions on Jason, Tim and Steph.
Here they are. The final three questions were asked by me:
Q. Just wondering,...how long have you been a fan of Tim Drake/Wayne (which is right to you by the way)?
I've been a fan sInce his first appearance.
I was not a fan of how they'd turned Jason Todd into a jerk post-Crisis (nor was I too happy with original red-hair Jason as he was too much a duplicate of Dick).
I found the "call in to kill Robin" marketing stunt pretty distasteful, so when they cleared the detritus to allow for a new Robin to be slowly introduced, I enjoyed how they handled it and especially enjoyed Tim's intelligence and rationale for pursuing the gig.
(and I continue to think of him as Tim Drake. IMO, he wouldn't forsake his father's name just because Bruce adopted him, but we'll probably try to have our cake and eat it too, He will likely call himself Tim Drake, but the media and other people will likely call him Tim Drake Wayne
Q. Did you know how drastically different DC was gonna write Jason Todd in BFTC and Revenge of the Red Hood when you wrote the setup to get Jason into and out of Jail and the hologram scene at the cave? I thought you tried to keep Jason mostly in the spirit of the character established by Winick [which mostly I think is the right choice for Todd] and things just sorta dove off a cliff right after that.
Are you partial to either version of the Todd Red Hood?
I think Judd has consistently shown the best understanding of how to handle the fine line Jason walks. He is a villain now, but not in his own eyes, and that's a hard balance for some writers to handle. I think I understood that balance when I wrote Jason and, given the opportunity, could handle the character (having written plenty of "grey" characters in the past, between Nomad, Thunderbolts, Cable, etc.).
the truth is, I'm looking forward to Judd's upcoming Red Hood miniseries far more than I would be the chance to write Jason myself! I have wanted to see those "holes" filled in for a long time now and I think he should be the writer to plug `em!
Q. Hey Fabian. I really got into Red Robin during its first year so I'm hoping you'll be able to do as great of a job. I know you probably can because I was a huge fan of your stint on Robin before all the Bat-Titles got flipped around. A big highlight for me when you wrote Robin was how you wrote Jason. It seemed like you really knew and understood the character and it seemed like he may finally be going somewhere...and then he got turned evil in Battle for the Cowl and continued to be that in B&R. I'm a HUGE Jason Todd fan. What's not to like about a Robin gone off the good path but I just want to ask if you have any plans on having him show up in Red Robin? I think it would be awesome to have him show up.
A. With Judd Winnick's miniseries coming out now, and I consider him the best writer by far to have handled this character since his return, I will wait until the series is done to get a better idea of where the character stands. I'd love to use him, but I might have to get behind other people who would get dibs over me. --fabian
1. So as far as we the fans know, Tim's still very much carrying around that V-card. Are we going to see him lose it under your watch? Hey, nerds like Tim need love, too! <<
The V-card is very much in play, but it's not a hand I had even thought about dealing anytime soon. To tell you the truth, I see Tim as being a bit above all that sort of stuff. Insane by my standards, but not by his.
Not to say he won't be tempted... by several different potential candidates who want to draw that V-card from the bottom of the deck...
>>2. This isn't so much a question as a thank-you: thanks for letting us know you'll keep/acknowledge Steph in Tim's book in some way. Even if they are BFFs who platonically love each other, I'd be happy. I think those two have always had a great chemistry. Since I wasn't alive when Dick was Robin and Babs was Batgirl, I'm excited to see these two be flirty as Red Robin and Batgirl. <<
I certainly don't want to step on Bryan's toes, but I do like the idea of them being friends, so I hope to have her appear whenever possible, even if it's for a panel or two of them touching base.
>>3. I read your comments on Jason and loved them. This is more a question about pointing me in the right direction, perhaps. I've never written a letter to the editor or anything like that, so bear with me. How do we the fans who love Jason and love him as that antagonistic anti-hero -- and not a black and white villain -- let the creators know this? There's many more than just me out there who love the "grey area" Jason and don't want to see him become another Rogue villain. With the Under the Red Hood movie coming out this summer, there'll undoubtedly be more fans who want to get to know the character as he'll be portrayed, or at least close enough to it. <<
You can write about your likes an dislikes on these message boards and others. I guarantee you whether they post or not, most editors and creative people scour the various message boards to see what's being said about their work. The other way to vote is with your wallet. If you like what Judd does with the Jason mini-series coming out, buy it. Talk about it. Tell your retailer you liked it, tell your friends, post on the boards.
If you don't like it, don't buy it.
No message rings louder and clearer to publishing companies than a combination of what people say and what people buy (or don't buy).
And if all else fails, write a letter to the editor of the title(s) you like or dislike care of the address provided in every issue of every comic published by every company. Snail mail is so outmoded that anyone who takes the time to express their views in a mature manner is automatically given credence by the recipient of the letter.
-- fabian
God I <3 him.