Artistic change on BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #4

We’ve got a simple good news/bad news situation for you all this morning.

Bad news: Artist Cameron Stewart won’t be handling the art chores on the fourth issue of BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. We’ll have more Cameron news, however, in the coming months, so — as usual — keep it locked here at The Source. So, wait. That’s not bad news at all.

Good news: Stepping in to take on the artistic duties on the issue? Georges Jeanty, who’s done a masterful job on Buffy the Vampire Slayer over at Dark Horse and for the initial installments of the MANHUNTER co-feature with us. So, it’s a win-win, right? We cornered Batman Group Editor Mike Marts about the change. Take it away, Mike:

“We were lucky enough to sign on Georges Jeanty--hot off his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer— to pencil the fourth installment of Grant Morrison’s RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE! In this chapter, Georges gets to illustrate Bruce Wayne in the “Wild West” period from Gotham City’s past.”

And because this is how we roll, we’ve got a few pages from Georges' issue for your perusal:

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Who's drawing BATMAN AND ROBIN next? Plus some BRUCE WAYNE news...

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Speculation's been bouncing around for a while now as to who's going to take over the artistic reins after artist Andy Clarke's stint on the series comes to an end, and we're happy to confirm that the next artist is none other than Frazer Irving, who's no stranger to collaborating with BATMAN AND ROBIN writer Grant Morrison, having teamed for the KLARION THE WITCH BOY mini-series during the SEVEN SOLDIERS event.

But what hasn't been talked about much is just how integral Irving's upcoming arc is to Grant's other Bat-series. Namely, BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. In fact, Irving will be pulling a bit of double-duty, as he'll be handling art on the second issue of the six-issue mini-series. We checked in with Bat-editor Mike Marts to give us the lowdown on Irving's artwork:

"Frazer’s a unique comics creator in that he handles all aspects of the art chores—pencilling, inking and colors—which gives him the best creative control an artist could ask for. And with fantastic results! Readers will drool when they see Frazer’s amazing pages to both BATMAN projects he’s working on."

Thanks, Mike. And because we're in a generous mood, we managed to put together a list of the artists contributing to each issue of RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. So, here goes:

#1: Chris Sprouse

#2: Frazer Irving

#3: Yanick Paquette

#4: Cameron Stewart

#5: Ryan Sook

#6: Lee Garbett

Pretty impressive lineup, no? We'll have art to show from each issue as we get closer, but in the meantime, enjoy Frazer's variant to BATMAN AND ROBIN #13 above and the variant to BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #2 right here:

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How about some BATMAN AND ROBIN pages?

Did the RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE covers from Friday sate your hunger for Batman news? We didn't think so.

Luckily, BATMAN AND ROBIN double-ships this month, and the creative team supreme of Grant Morrison and artist Cameron Stewart continue the "Blackest Knight" storyline with #8.

Only months into his new role as Batman, Dick Grayson faces perhaps the biggest threat of his life. In hopes of attaining his heart's desire, has Dick instead unleashed a terror the likes of which the world has never seen?

Meanwhile, back in Gotham City, Alfred and a recuperating Robin are at the mercy of someone both fearsome and familiar. But don't let my words sell you on how great this issue is. Check out some pages below.

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THIS JUST HAPPENED: A Batman rises?

So, new comic book day is almost over. Did you get a chance to swing by the shop? If not, you really should. It's a busy week for the DCU, with a ton of books shipping, and lots of stuff happening in said book. One title featuring some major shakeups is BATMAN AND ROBIN #7, which kicks off an arc that teams artist Cameron Stewart with regular writer Grant Morrison.

We showed off the first page of the issue on Monday along with a preview yesterday, but those of you that have the issue in hand know that there was one page in particular that stood out. For more, click below. Spoiler alert, and all that, if you haven't made it to the shop yet.

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Yeah. Batman vs. Batman. Is it what we think it is? Or something even more sinister? Well, knowing Grant Morrison, it's probably a combination of both, with a heavy dose of the unexpected and mind-blowing. Stay tuned.

DCU IN 2010: WE KNOW WHO THE NEXT ARTIST ON BATMAN AND ROBIN IS

And, if we know, you’ll soon find out. Usually.

But before we go ahead and give you the news, we want to remind you that superstar artist Cameron Stewart is locked and loaded as the artist on BATMAN AND ROBIN for three issues, the first one of which hits next month. We’ve been super-careful about showing any art until the perfect time – now.

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Can’t wait? I know. It’s tough. But you’re welcome to revisit these images as often as you like, ok?

As some of you loyal SOURCE-ers know, this week is all about announcements, pointing to the big stuff happening in the DCU in 2010. It’s hard to argue that there’s a bigger title than BATMAN AND ROBIN, which has been rocking the new Dark Knight’s universe with regularity. So, who’s the next artist that’ll pair with the hyper-talented Grant Morrison?

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None other than Andy Clarke, coming off a spectacular stint on R.E.B.E.L.S. with writer Tony Bedard. What’s the arc about? Who does Andy get to draw? Too early to say, folks. But we did snag some of Batman Group Editor Michael Marts’ time to give us his two cents. Take it away, Mike:

“After Andy’s recent work on R.E.B.E.L.S. And BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL, we were dying to get him on to one of the main BATMAN titles. And this storyarc of BATMAN & ROBIN is the perfect fit for him—Grant Morrison actually tailored the script toward Andy’s artistic strengths.”

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And to hear more about the move from Mr. Marts and Andy himself, stroll over to AOL’s COMICS ALLIANCE blog.

What else is going on in the Batman universe in February?

Well, a ton, dear Source reader. Too much to capably sum up in one blog post. It's also way too early to give too much away. But, we can showcase some of the lovely artwork gracing the covers of the Bat-titles hitting in February, featuring the talents of Frank Quitely, Dustin Nguyen, Phil Noto and many more. So, take another bite of your lunch and look 'em over.

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