Earlier this week, we showed you an exclusive preview of BATMAN #12. A stand-alone issue starring the esoteric Harper Row, BATMAN #12 comes to you from the creative team of New York Times bestselling writer Scott Snyder and acclaimed guest artist Becky Cloonan.
“If I could go back in time and tell myself ten years ago that I would be drawing Batman ... well I don't know if I would because I might mess up continuity, so here I am,” Cloonan told THE SOURCE. “I admit that I had some stage fright going in to this book, but Scott Snyder wrote an awesome script about a character that I could instantly identify with, and was on top of that, fun to draw. Harper is my kind of girl- I even had a similar haircut when I was 20, although I was admittedly not as cool."
"Scott had me drawing her in such cool environments too, from living in her crappy slum apartment to working on The Grid – even stealing cupcakes at Wayne Manor (what did I tell you? She's my kind of girl!). Every scene had me thinking of how Harper would react in each new environment."
"A lot of time was spent thinking about her facial expressions and hand gestures, how she does her hair and what her posture is like, building on what Scott had told me about her and using Greg Capullo's amazing designs to help inform my sense of who this character is. I had a great time drawing this book, and I can't say how happy I am to have the opportunity to help bring Harper to life. Also, BATMAN!!”
“This is an issue that means a lot to me for a couple reasons,” added Snyder. “First, I got to work with an artist I've looked up to for a very long time – Becky Cloonan. I first became aware of Becky nearly ten years ago, with the great series, DEMO. What I've always loved about her work is its emotional expressiveness. She has an incredible ability to convey emotion in story. Not just through her characters - their facial expressions and nuanced body language - but also through her storytelling, through the directorial choices she makes, the angles chosen, the lines (sometimes crisp and dark, sometimes lush with brushwork). The bottom line is she's an incredibly empathetic storyteller, someone who brings a story to life on the page in such emotionally enveloping ways."
"Which is why I thought she'd be perfect for this story. BATMAN #12 properly introduces a character I care a lot about, Harper Row. You saw Harper briefly in BATMAN #1 and in BATMAN #7 (when she basically jump-started Batman's heart), but her story - her relationship to Gotham and Batman - has yet to be told. So this is where you'll learn all about her, and why she seems so familiar with the Dark Knight. Hers is also a story that matters a lot to me. She's a young woman facing tremendous odds. She's emancipated from her parents, living and working in Gotham, struggling to get by and take care of her younger brother, Cullen. She's got a lot of problems, a lot of issues, and a lot of heart. And like I said, with Becky on art, Harper practically jumps right off the page. So check out BATMAN #12 - I can't wait for you to see how Becky has brought this story to life."
"And a final note: I've been told that Becky is actually the first woman to draw Batman in the main series. Which stunned both me and her. But if that's so, I just want to say that I'm really happy and proud that she's the one to do it. And Gotham is a better place for having her in it.”
Below, take a sneak peek at some of Becky’s stunning art from BATMAN #12 and don’t forget to pick up the issue, in stores today!
