frazer irving | DC Comics

Medicine Soldiers

(Standard cover by Chris Burnham and Nathan Fairbairn; Variant Cover by Frazer Irving)

Man-of-Bats and his son Raven discover that their attempts at fighting crime on their Sioux reservation have had deeper consequences than even they imagined. Including even potentially permanently severing the ties between the two of them. Can Batman save the team before they fall out completely?

BATMAN INCORPORATED #7 is written by Grant Morrison and features art by Chris Burnham. NEWSARAMA has the exclusive preview pages.

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Batman, batman incorporated, chris burnham, frazer irving, grant morrison, man-of-bats, nathan fairbairn, raven

BATMAN solicits for August

Here’s a first look at the BATMAN titles coming out in August:

BATMAN INCORPORATED #10

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Art and cover by CHRIS BURNHAM

1:25 Variant cover by FRAZER IRVING

In “LEVIATHAN STRIKES,” Batman realizes to his horror that he’s been outwitted as the true identity of Leviathan continues to elude him. Is his deadly adversary an old foe with a grudge to settle, a new face of evil or something completely different? One thing is for sure: The surprise ending will not soon be forgotten!

On sale AUGUST 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BATMAN #713

Written by FABIAN NICIEZA

Art by STEVE SCOTT and RYAN WINN

Cover by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN

Over the years, Dick Grayson has worn several guises: First, he was Robin the Boy Wonder, then Nightwing, and finally Batman. But now that Bruce Wayne has donned the cape and cowl once again, Dick finds himself at an identity crossroads.

On sale AUGUST 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #5

Written by DAVID FINCH

Art by JAY FABOK

Cover by DAVID FINCH

1:25 Variant cover by ANDY CLARKE

David Finch’s brilliant take on Batman continues to explore the darker corners of Gotham City in the penultimate chapter of “Golden Dawn,” now featuring art by Jay Fabok (Soulfire)! As The Dark Knight suffers one of his worst defeats, Jason Blood makes an unexpected move. With a surprise funeral and guest appearances by Etrigan, the Demon and Ragman, this series continues to heat up!

RESOLICIT • On sale AUGUST 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BATMAN 80-PAGE GIANT 2011 #1

Written by VARIOUS

Art by VARIOUS

Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN

Don’t miss this new helping of short stories featuring Batman and his partners in crimefighting, told by some of comics’ newest voices and freshest talents.

ONE-SHOT • On sale AUGUST 3 • 80 pg, FC, $5.99 US • RATED T

DETECTIVE COMICS #881

Written by SCOTT SNYDER

Art by JOCK and FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

Cover by JOCK

This is it – the finale so twisted, so shocking we can’t even begin to give away details here! Be there for the extra-sized conclusion of the acclaimed run by Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla. DETECTIVE COMICS #881 is the issue everyone will be talking about. Believe it.

On sale AUGUST 10 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

BATMAN AND ROBIN #26

Written by DAVID HINE

Art by GREG TOCCHINI

Cover by CHRIS BURNHAM

1:10 Variant cover by J.G. JONES

Le Jardin Noir – France’s very own Arkham Asylum – falls under siege! Someone has freed the lunatics, and unless they can be stopped, they’ll turn Paris into a surreal Hell on Earth! Batman and Robin join Nightrunner in a mind-bending battle with the strangest lineup of villains this side of Bizarro World.

On sale AUGUST 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM #4-5

Written by SCOTT SNYDER and KYLE HIGGINS

Art and covers by TREVOR MCCARTHY

1:25 Variant covers by DUSTIN NGUYEN

Batman, Red Robin, Robin and Black Bat are all thrown into a race against time as The Architect’s true plan is revealed! But what does that mean for Oswald Cobblepot and Tommy Elliot? And just how does the first Super Villain of Gotham City factor into The Architect’s plot to destroy the city’s first families? Be here for the exciting penultimate issue!

And in issue #5, it’s Batman vs. The Architect! The downfall of a major Gotham family! The betrayal of Damian Wayne! It’s all here in this final issue, plus the untold fate of Gotham City’s first Super Villain! Be here as GATES OF GOTHAM sets the stage for a bold new direction in the Bat books!

Issue #4 on sale AUGUST 3

Issue #5 on sale AUGUST 17

4 and 5 of 5, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY #5

Written by PAUL DINI

Art and cover by CARLOS D’ANDA

The miniseries that leads you into the video game comes to its dramatic conclusion. The die is cast and the criminal gulag known as Arkham City is now in place. But even with its imposing walls and security measures, is anyone in Gotham City really going to feel safe with a legion of criminals living next door? Batman’s determined to enter the belly of the beast and find out just who is pulling the strings.

On sale AUGUST 24 • 5 of 5, 32 pg, FC,

$2.99 US • RATED T

BATGIRL #24

Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER

Art by PERE PEREZ

Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN

Stephanie Brown has done her best to put her past behind her, but as the Repears’ mysterious client stands revealed, Batgirl’s going to learn the hard way that those who fail history are doomed to repeat it. This issue has it all: Secrets unearthed! Alliances broken! Splash pages!

On sale AUGUST 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BATMAN BEYOND #8

Written by ADAM BEECHEN

Art by CHRIS BATISTA and RICH PEROTTA

Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN

Batman’s slipperiest foe steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight for a “Legends of the Dark Knight” issue that reveals, for the first time, the full story of Inque! Her past is blacker than anyone ever knew... and considering the new ally she’s fallen in with, her future could be darker still!

On sale AUGUST 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

RED ROBIN #26

Written by FABIAN NICIEZA

Art and cover by MARCUS TO and RAY MCCARTHY

Ready to operate from his new HQ, Red Robin knows that before he can fulfill his crimefighting destiny, he must close out one outstanding issue. His father’s killer, Captain Boomerang, was brought back to life... The time has come for him to return to the grave!

On sale AUGUST 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #26

Written by PETER CALLOWAY

Art by ANDRES GUINALDO and LORENZO RUGGIERO

Cover by GUILLEM MARCH

A secret that goes back to the very first issue of GOTHAM CITY SIRENS will be revealed at last! But will it spell the end of the Sirens? One thing is certain – none of them will be the same!

On sale AUGUST 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

BIRDS OF PREY #15

Written by MARC ANDREYKO

Art and cover by BILLY TUCCI

In the concluding chapter of “War and Remembrance,” Lady Blackhawk and the original Phantom Lady are in the clutches of an enemy whose evil has lain dormant for decades! Can the Birds of Prey find and rescue their captured compatriots before it’s too late for them...and the world? This is the thrilling conclusion to a story fifty years in the making! Written by fan-favorite MANHUNTER scribe Marc Andreyko and featuring breathtaking artwork by the amazing Billy Tucci!

On sale AUGUST 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

A faction of heroes take on Scorpiana in BATMAN INCORPORATED

BATMAN INCORPORATED #7 variant by Frazer Irving

In the next issue of BATMAN INCORPORATED, Batman, The Hood, El Gaucho and Batwoman are after an ultimate weapon, and the main thing standing between them and their goal is the dangerous assassin, Scorpiana, who's set on stopping the the combined force of four Batman Incorporated members on her own.

Grant Morrison's BATMAN INCORPORATED #5 features art by Yanick Paquette and Michael LaCombe.

BATMAN INCORPORATED #5 is on sale tomorrow.

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batman incorporated, batwoman, el gaucho, frazer irving, grant morrison, michael lacombe, scorpiana, the hood, yanick paquette

Critical acclaim for XOMBI, plus some brand new Frazer Irving art

The cover for July's XOMBI #5 by Frazer Irving

The first issue of John Rozum and Frazer Irving’s XOMBI arrived to a lot of great reviews from the comics press. What did the critics have to say about XOMBI #1?

Here’s a sampling...

"I haven't read a book this intriguingly and engagingly weird since I first dropped into Grant Morrison's THE INVISIBLES."

-Ain't It Cool News

“We're getting into Grant Morrison-esque avant-garde weirdness here, and somehow, the nanite-injected, super-powered, and immortal David Kim is the calm epicenter at the eye of this weirdness, and the reader's doorway into the world. I love it."

-Newsarama

“The team-up of John Rozum and Frazer Irving, for this book, makes it a must read. It's a refreshing break from all the super-hero books swarming the shelves, and it will captivate you from the get-go.”

-Comic Vine

“The story that Rozum has begun to craft is intriguing, and should engage readers old and new alike ... Everything has a sense of the surreal, and Irving's knack for creating disturbing facial imagery is put to great use.”

-IGN

"Irving can draw the dark and gloomy, but more importantly the crazy and fantastic. So when a Rustling Husk shows up out of nowhere, it's creepy and surprising, and his depiction of Mr. Hyde is gruesome. But at the same time, Irving's people are rooted firmly in reality, looking remarkably life-like. I think that's a perfect touch for "Xombi," since it makes the nastiness rising up around them feel that much more dangerous."

-Comic Book Resources

"Xombi is away to the races with a first issue that's gorgeous, gripping and something different to everything else in my weekly stack."

-iFanboy

"Rozum does a great job at reintroducing the character to both new and old audiences, and Irving’s artwork is amazing ... a great starting point."

-Platform Nation

"I’m going to recommend picking up Xombi #1. The groundwork is firmly in place for an adventure and some solid storytelling. I believe wrier John Rozum and artist Frazer Irving will take us readers on a great ride."

-ScienceFiction.com

"We could have a real winner on our hands."

-Comics Bulletin

It’s not too late to jump on board – XOMBI #2 hits stands later this month.

We have an extra treat for Frazer Irving fans here: his variant cover to BATMAN INC. #6, on sale in May!

Tags:

ain't it cool news, batman inc., comic book resources, comic vine, comics bulletin, frazer irving, ifanboy, IGN, john rozum, Newsarama, platform nation, sciencefiction.com, xombi

XOMBI is in stores today!

The first issue of John Rozum and Frazer Irving's brilliantly weird XOMBI is in stores today. If you haven't seen them yet, check out the first seven pages and an interview with writer John Rozum about the book over at IO9, or another insightful interview about the new series at iFanboy!

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frazer irving, john rozum, xombi

Frazer Irving on The Return of Bruce Wayne

[Note: To celebrate the release of BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE DELUXE EDITION – now available in comic shops and book stores everywhere – we’ve asked the artists on each chapter to give us a few words on what it was like to work with Grant Morrison to adapt one of the world’s greatest superheroes to different periods of history. Keep watching The Source throughout the day for more from these spectacular artists!]

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Frazer Irving, artist on THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, PART II: UNTIL THE END OF TIME:

"Making Bruce Wayne fit into the mould of a puritan adventurer wasn't too difficult...the self-righteous, single-minded attributes I always saw in Batman fit in quite well with the fictionalized puritan world Grant had cooked up. I'd had some brushes with this period before, and had done a small amount of research which consisted mainly of other works of modern fiction set in the same era, which I felt would be more in keeping with the dramatic tone of the series. To me, the most important aspect of the job (aside from the deadline) was capturing the eerie flavour of a man out of time, adrift in some strange world he thinks he knows but knows he doesn't...the colours jumped from hot to cold, panels were shrouded in dark confusing details, the outfit Wayne wore was an almost direct copy of the important men around him yet he wore unusual pouches almost like he was compelled to do at least One Thing different..."

- Frazer Irving

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Batman, batman: the return of bruce wayne, frazer irving, grant morrison

DC Nation: John Rozum on the return of Xombi

A few words from writer John Rozum on the return of Xombi on this week’s DC Nation page:

"If you’re thinking rotting corpses shambling around looking for living bodies to dine on then you’d be wrong, though it’s possible those sorts of zombies will show up at some point.

XOMBI centers around David Kim, a medical researcher who was attacked in his laboratory by strange creatures and left for dead. His supernaturally induced mortal injuries were repaired by nanomachines injected into his body. The combination of science and the supernatural has had two consequences: 1. He cannot die. Ever. He can self-heal any wound, any disease, never has to brush his teeth, diet, worry about aging, or use a toilet. The nanomachines in his body process everything and keep him in peak physical condition. This condition brought on by artificial means is what makes him a xombi. 2. He has now become a weirdness magnet. All manner of really strange stuff occurs with him somehow winding up in the center of it.

Both of these conditions provide the fuel that drives XOMBI. While David’s powers seem really advantageous on the surface (being in peak physical condition without ever visiting a gym, never worrying about losing your hair or needing a root canal, having your head crushed under the wheels of a bus and simply regenerating), there are some serious downsides. If David is in the process of regenerating, don’t touch him. The nanomachines in his body will most likely devour you as raw material with which to implement the repairs. As the series progresses, the nanomachines will prove far more dangerous.

David’s condition as a weirdness magnet is the other driving force in this series, weirdness being the key word here. How weird? Well, there’s the Startling Parade, an occult organization commanded by oppressive rod puppets papier-mâchéd out of discarded religious and political tracts; James Church, a model student turned supernatural mass murderer by a college reading assignment gone terribly wrong; the Rustling Husks, homunculi assassins crafted from ghost swarms of angry, frustrated insects driven mad with desperation to get through window glass to the world outside. Those are just some from the first issue.

The weirdness of XOMBI is the most fun aspect to write, and hopefully for you to read. For David Kim it’s something he would do anything to be rid of so that he could just go back to being regular pre-nanite-infested David Kim. His struggle to maintain a place in the mundane, ordinary world that we live in while trying to master the bizarre world he now finds himself a part of is one that will lead to some heartwrenching tragedy as the series progresses.

This brings me to the final and most important aspect of what XOMBI is about, and that’s the characters. None of the weirdness, creepiness, or tragedy would mean anything if there weren’t fully realized characters that you could invest in at the heart of it. I couldn’t have a better partner in bringing XOMBI to life than artist Frazer Irving. While it’s obvious that he’s going to excel at the weird, creepy stuff, what I really appreciate is his dedication to understanding the characters and their relationships with one another and developing unique performances for each of them. This is where the real magic is, in bringing characters to life, not just resurrecting them."

- John Rozum

XOMBI #1 hits stores in March.

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david kim, frazer irving, john rozum, xombi

From the Editor's Desk: Rachel Gluckstern

David Kim is not a hero.

He is - was - a scientist with no intentions of dabbling in powers or fights between good and evil. He just wanted to do his research and marry his fiancée and have a normal life. Eventually, he planned on aging, retiring and dying. But sometimes, fate steps in, infects you with nanotechnology and robs you of life and death forever.

Now David is a XOMBI, permanently infected with a nanotech virus that regenerates his tissue no matter what happens to him. And he has been drawn into a world that makes no sense at times, and forced to confront things no scientist should ever have to contemplate. With his powers, he protects his friends, but he lives his unlife detached from the real world. Will he ever find a connection back to the life he once knew?

Creator and writer John Rozum returns to the fan-favorite title to continue the story of David, and to give the DCU a new corner of urban horror to explore. Right from the start, John's throwing David in over his head, giving new readers and old friends alike the chance to dive into a new story and hold on for the ride. Joining him will be the excellent star artist Frazer Irvingon all visual duties to create a world few have seen and fewer still dare to dwell. There's nothing like XOMBI you've ever read before, and you won't believe what's to come. Step through the door with David Kim and join him on his journey to destinations unknown. We promise you'll be safe. Absolutely. After all, the XOMBI will protect you - as long as you don't get too close.

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david kim, frazer irving, john rozum, rachel gluckstern, xombi

THIS JUST HAPPENED: A startling revelation concludes Grant Morrison’s run on BATMAN AND ROBIN

First off – have you read BATMAN AND ROBIN #16? If not, take a moment, step away from your computer (how often will I tell you to do that, huh?) and head to your local shop. Pick up the issue, read it and come back.

All done?

How about that last scene? Brings new meaning to the term “This Just Happened.”

Alright, let’s roll. Click below.

Over at THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, the news is out – and it changes the status quo for the Dark Knight drastically.

Bruce Wayne is back, and after teaming up with the Dynamic Duo of Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian as Robin to defeat the haunting Dr. Hurt – who’s plagued Batman since the very beginning of Grant’s run on Batman and throughout the pages of BATMAN AND ROBIN v1 and v2, the billionaire playboy made a startling announcement:

“Some of you may have wondered…How does a man like Batman afford to constantly update his crime-fighting technology? Where does his money come from?

“Well, the answer is me.”

That’s right. In front of a shocked crowd, Bruce Wayne returned to the city he called home after a mysterious absence (one chronicled in the pages of Grant Morrison’s multi-part epic BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE) to not only reveal he’d been funding Batman for years, but also that he planned to expand said funding to create the multinational organization known as BATMAN INCORPORATED.

This turn of events marks the latest chapter break in what has become an epic, novelistic take on the Dark Knight crafted by the kinetic genius that is Grant Morrison. And there’s no better time to jump onboard and join the story – today marks the end of Grant’s impressive run on BATMAN AND ROBIN, but also signals the beginning of a new, exciting era in the pages of BATMAN INCORRPORATED – where the after effects of this issue will ring out for quite some time.

Not caught up? You’re in luck. BATMAN AND ROBIN v2: BATMAN VS. ROBIN, a Deluxe Edition collecting the second storyline from BATMAN AND ROBIN by Grant and some of the best artists in the business hits comic shops today and bookstores next Tuesday.

What better time to sign up for BATMAN INCORPORATED?

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Batman, batman and robin, batman and robin v2: batman vs. robin, batman and robin: the deluxe edition, batman reborn, bruce wayne, cameron stewart, chris roberson, frank quitely, frazer irving, grant morrison, the associated press

Grant Morrison exits BATMAN AND ROBIN in style

I just finished reading this issue and…well: Wow.

This is it. Batman vs. Dr. Hurt and the grand finale of Grant Morrison’s masterful run on BATMAN AND ROBIN. But, thankfully, not the end to his over-arching Batman opus, as he and artist Yanick Paquette move over to BATMAN INCORPORATED later this month.

So…what happens? How does it end? I’m not telling. It’s something you have to see for yourself on Wednesday when the book comes out. Until then, enjoy the first few pages from the issue, which features the artistic handiwork of Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving and Chris Burnham.

And stick around The Source for more BATMAN AND ROBIN goodness, as we spotlight an important part of BATMAN AND ROBIN v2: BATMAN VS. ROBIN later today.

Also, a hat tip to BATMAN AND ROBIN for their three Eagle Award wins.

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Tags:

cameron stewart, chris burnham, frank quitely, frazer irving, grant morrison