In the gripping final issue of Scott Snyder, Jock, and Francesco Francavilla’s critically acclaimed run on DETECTIVE COMICS, all bets are off. We caught up with series writer Scott Snyder to discuss the epic finale and what the experience of working on this book has been like for him.

“881. I can't believe we're here... The end of our 11-issue run. It's so strange,” series writer Scott Snyder told us. “It was literally a year ago, at San Diego Comic Con 2010 that -after introducing myself on the phone a week earlier- I tracked Jock down in person (I'd never met him) and told him how I thought he'd be perfect for the run. He suggested we talk story and we headed to a bar near the convention center with Dave Baron (our great colorist). I explained the entire run to them both: this notion of Gotham being a Black Mirror to its heroes, the inclusion of James Jr. and the Joker finale. Jock and Dave Baron couldn't have been cooler or more enthusiastic about the ideas and the story. I, for one, was so excited I went back to my hotel room, typed an email to Mike Marts (our editor) that said "I had a great meeting with Jock and Dave B. I think they're in!"

As for Francesco Francavilla, I knew he was perfect for the Jim Gordon parts of the story and so I pushed him hard to Mike Marts. Mike (being the great editor he is) was receptive, but Francesco was also less of a known quantity a year ago, and so he asked to see some pages. In response, Francesco sent this:

And the rest is history.

Anyway, from that suspicious start came our "Black Mirror" run. And it's a run I couldn't be prouder of. It's about something that's at the core of my love of Batman - Gotham, and the way it generates nightmares for Batman and his allies: the way it creates villains and events that speak to their personal greatest fears, trying them by some kind of holy fire over and over again. And more than this, I'm proud of the work my teammates on this book have done. We've all become friends over the past year, and it's been a joy and a constant inspiration working with these guys. They worked around the clock for double ships, they did covers, they did everything and then some - because they believed in the story, and I can truly say this is our book, something we made as a team, in contact and collaborating every step of the way, and so I want to thank them - Jock, Francesco Francavilla, Dave Baron, and Jared Fletcher too.

But most of all, I - and we - want to say thanks to you, the fans. The comments and reviews and discussions we've gotten from you have been an inspiration to us all. For those if you who've been there with us from the start - thanks for taking this journey down the dark, and twisted rabbit hole with us. And for those of you just now picking us up, thanks for giving us a chance. The truth is, we're Batman- super-fans, too, and just hearing that you think we did Batman (whether Dick or Bruce) justice, means the world to all of us. Can't thank you enough. This has been a dream from true for all of us. Now, to our crazy finale!

Jim Gordon's estranged son, James Jr. has poisoned his mother, framed the Joker, all to get to his half-sister, Barbara (Oracle). At the end of the last issue, he attacked her, and now, at the start of this issue, no one knows where he has taken her. All they know is that they're dealing with someone very deadly. And that they're running out of time. So, to Gotham!”

DETECTIVE COMICS #881, the follow up to the sold out DETECTIVE COMICS #880, goes on sale this Wednesday.

DC Comics

Whether hero or villain, everyone has an origin story. In BATMAN BEYOND #8, writer Adam Beechen and artists Chris Batista and Rich Perotta weave together the never-before-told full tale of the misunderstood anti-hero Inque.

When a young girl is torn apart by personal tragedy, she does not turn onto the path of justice like her nemesis Batman once did. Instead, she channels her suffering into an involuntary transformation that results in her becoming a member of Gotham’s criminal underbelly.

BATMAN BEYOND #8 is the final issue of this run of the series. BATMAN BEYOND will return with an all-new #1 and story arc, “10,000 Clowns,” in 2012.

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A new Reaper is on the loose, but is he a vigilante or villain? With both of the men who previously masqueraded as The Reaper dead, Batman must reveal the killer’s identity before he massacres every mobster in Gotham City.

This all-new criminal mystery is written by Mike W. Barr with art by Jerry Bingham. DC RETROACTIVE: BATMAN – THE ‘80s, on sale this Wednesday, also features another Reaper story (the start of the BATMAN: YEAR TWO storyline) by Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis, and Paul Neary, originally published in the 1980’s.

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When Batman found Dawn, he thought he was finally bringing her to safety. But when she reveals the origins of a hell-bent vendetta against her soul, Batman quickly learns that no matter where she is, Dawn will always need protection. Meanwhile, Gotham’s mayor mandates that Jim Gordon go on leave and gives his position to the scheming Lieutenant Forbes. And deep in the underbelly of the city, Etrigan the Demon’s loyalties are tested to the max, resulting in him unleashing a war against The Dark Knight.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #4 comes from the creative team of David Finch, Jay Fabok, Ryan Winn and Matt Banning, and lands on shelves tomorrow.

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