DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 2 Debuts at #1 on THE NEW YORK TIMES’ Hardcover Graphic Books Best Seller List

On Friday, THE NEW YORK TIMES published their Graphic Books Best Sellers Lists, and debuting at #1 on the Hardcover list was BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS, VOL. 2: SCARE TACTICS!

An armed robbery carried out by gunmen dressed as Batman. A string of similar-looking corpses turning up in morgues … then disappearing. An experiment gone dangerously awry, carried out in Bruce Wayne’s own company tower. Somehow, all of these events are tied together, orchestrated by a terrifying killer known as Mr. Toxic, and the fate of Gotham City—and the world—is on the line. Can the Dark Knight piece together the mystery, while also dealing with a gang of fear-gassing Scarecrows, an attack on Arkham Asylum by the Court of Owls and the escape of one of Arkham’s most dangerous inmates—the hypnotic Black Mask?

In BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS, VOL. 2: SCARE TACTICS, writer/artist Tony S. Daniel (SAVAGE HAWKMAN) and artists Ed Benes (RED LANTERNS), Szymon Kudranski (PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE), Julio Ferreira (TEEN TITANS), Romano Molenaar (BIRDS OF PREY), and Pere Perez (BATGIRL) put Batman to the fearsome test in the new DC Universe! Plus, witness the deadly final lesson in Bruce Wayne’s training before he became Batman, from writers Gregg Hurwitz (BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT) and James Tynion IV (TALON) and artists Tony S. Daniel and Henrik Jonsson! This hardcover books collects DETECTIVE COMICS #8-12 and #0, and DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #1.

Click here to read THE NEW YORK TIMES’ full list of Hardcover Graphic Books Best Sellers, which also includes BATMAN, VOL. 2: THE CITY OF OWLS, 100 BULLETS: DELUXE EDITION BOOK FOUR, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, VOL. 5, BATMAN, VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS, and BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE. And click here to see THE NEW YORK TIMES’ list of Paperback Graphic Books Best Sellers, which includes the debuts of SWAMP THING, VOL. 2: FAMILY TREE and WORLDS’ FINEST, VOL. 1: LOST DAUGHTERS OF EARTH 2, as well as PUNK ROCK JESUS. Congratulations to all!

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detective comics, Tony S. Daniel, ed benes, szymon kudranski, Julio Ferreira, Romano Molenaar, pere perez, Gregg Hurwitz, James Tynion IV, Henrik Jonsson, Batman, 100 bullets, american vampire, batman: the killing joke, swamp thing, Worlds' Finest, punk rock jesus

Talking BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #16 with Gregg Hurwitz and Ethan Van Sciver

Back in October, we announced that industry legend Ethan Van Sciver will be the new ongoing series artist for BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT. Flying into stores at the end of the month, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #16 is not only Van Sciver’s first issue of this revered series, but it also reintroduces one of the Dark Knight’s most notorious adversaries: The Mad Hatter.

 

“With this first issue, I think I really just found a Mad Hatter that makes me happy and I think a lot of other people are going to like him too. He's creepy and cooky and silly and fun and mean all at once,” Van Sciver teased to MTV GEEK. “Part of keeping a readership on their toes, part of keeping them scared, part of keeping Batman heroic is constantly reinventing them, rethinking the villains that have become maybe too familiar.”

 

“For me, the Hatter is a character who I was always interested in. He was always running around. He was obsessed with reclaiming his Alice or finding his Alice. He has this incredible fixation. He's interesting. He's a household name, in comic book households. I never felt he was granted an overall narrative that really explains and defines him and shows who he is. One that shows why he's a force to be reckoned with. I think that's one of the things that Ethan and I are really trying to do,” revealed series writer Gregg Hurwitz to COMIC VINE about the creative team’s upcoming arc. “If people are going to have a New 52 brand new version, brand new reinvention of the Hatter, we hope it will be the definitive one. They understand where he came from, they understand his past. And they understand why he's such a huge threat. This guy, all 4'6" of him is going to put a plan into motion that's going to rattle Gotham to its cornerstones in our arc.”

 

For more from Van Sciver and Hurwitz about BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #16, The Mad Hatter, and more, read the full interviews that ran with the duo today on MTV GEEK, IGN, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES, NEWSARAMA and COMIC VINE. And be sure to visit each of these outlets for a few sneak peeks at Van Sciver’s interior art for issue #16, which hits shelves on January 30.

 

(A sneak peek at Ethan Van Sciver's interior art for BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #16)

Tags: 
batman: the dark knight, Gregg Hurwitz, Ethan Van Sciver

Ethan Van Sciver To Draw BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT

This morning, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES exclusively announced that industry legend Ethan Van Sciver will be the new ongoing series artist for BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT.

 

Joining New York Times bestselling writer Gregg Hurwitz, Van Sciver will make his debut on the series with issue #16, which travels into the twisted world of the Mad Hatter. In the issue, Batman discovers a trail of bodies but no leads as he realizes that this is unlike any Mad Hatter case he’s seen before.

 

“With Scarecrow, a lot has already been said about who is he, but not a lot has been said about the villain we've chosen: the Mad Hatter,” Van Sciver told COMIC BOOK RESOURCES. “It really is going to be a revelation to a lot of Batman fans who have seen this villain around for a long time but haven't given as much thought as to what makes him tick. We're inventing a lot of things as we go along with it.”

 

Head on over to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES to read the full interview. And while BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #16 doesn’t hit stores until January 30, take a first look at the issue by checking out Van Sciver’s cover for it below.

 

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batman: the dark knight, Ethan Van Sciver, Gregg Hurwitz

Preview Mondays: BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #12 and THE UNWRITTEN #40

For this week's installment of Preview Mondays, we're giving you exclusive first looks at BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #12 and THE UNWRITTEN #40.

 

Captured by The Scarecrow, Batman is forced to confront his fears and his dark past – namely the murder of his parents. At the same time, The Scarecrow reveals his own tortured upbringing and the events that led him to become a murderous villain obsessed with fear. From New York Times bestselling writer Gregg Hurwitz and acclaimed artist David Finch, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #12 goes on sale this Wednesday. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

Meanwhile, “The Wound” story arc in THE UNWRITTEN comes to its exciting conclusion! As Tom Taylor addresses an audience of his fans, the extremist Church of Tommy circles in on the proceedings when Pastor Filby takes the stage with a mysterious briefcase. But what’s inside and why does it scare Tom so much? In stores this week, THE UNWRITTEN #40 comes to you from the creative team of Mike Carey and Peter Gross. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

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Preview Mondays, batman: the dark knight, the unwritten, Gregg Hurwitz, david finch, mike carey, peter gross

Countdown to Comic-Con: Gregg Hurwitz on SDCC

Every day until the start of Comic-Con, we’re bringing you something cool to help you count down the days to the start of the big show. Last week we debuted our new Comic-Con print ads. For this week, we reached out to some of our favorite writers and artists to ask them what they enjoy most about San Diego Comic-Con.

 

Our first creator is Gregg Hurwitz, bestselling author and our brand new writer on Batman: The Dark Knight (be sure to pick up or download his debut issue, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #10, which came out last week). Here’s what Gregg had to say about Comic-Con:

 

“I know there’re all the fancypants fandangled film and TV booths, but my favorite part of Comic-Con is still the old-school lanes—artists’ alley, toys and comics, zombie T-shirts and steampunk She-Hulks, some teenage kid sketching a ninja next to a master drawing Batman lassoing the moon. It’s the wonder. The possibility. I marvel at seeing so much creative expression displayed with so little self-consciousness. Most of all, it’s the vibe. Everyone is there because there’s nowhere else they’d rather be. The artists and writers, the shop owners and distributors, and most of all, the fans—they all love what they do. And Comic-Con SD is the best and biggest place to do it.”

 

 

Gregg will be signing in the DC booth and participating in the Batman: Beyond the Night of Owls panel on Thursday, July 12th at 2 p.m. (Room 6DE). If you can’t make the panel, we’ll be covering it live as it unfolds right here on DCComics.com. Don’t miss it, and be sure to swing by THE SOURCE again tomorrow for our next Countdown to Comic-Con feature!

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Comic-Con, countdown to comic-con, San Diego Comic-Con, SDCC, Gregg Hurwitz

Exclusive Preview of the Final Issue of PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE

Earlier today, we announced that acclaimed novelist Gregg Hurwitz will be taking over as the series writer for BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT, beginning with issue #10 in June. But in the meantime, don't miss the miniseries Hurwitz is currently writing, PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE.

In PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE, readers were introduced to a new side of Oswald Cobblepot, one of the most notorious and treacherous members in Batman’s gallery of rogues. In the miniseries’ epic finale, it’ll be up to The Dark Knight to save the children of Gotham City. But will he be able to put a stop to Penguin’s plan for revenge before it’s too late?

“Living with Oswald Cobblepot for five months—you'd think it'd be an unappealing proposition,” Hurwitz exclusively told THE SOURCE. “But it was the most fun I've had in comics. I hope you enjoyed my and Szymon's dark little tale of the dark little man. I can promise you this: it's about to get even darker, so buckle up!”

“Gregg’s story was a perfect match for my art. He had very clear and detailed visions for each panel,” continued series artist Szymon Kudranski. “There doesn’t necessarily need to be dialogue or narration in every scene/panel. Artwork should speak for itself and I hope that showed in this miniseries. Sometimes silent panels have bigger impacts and can replace 1000 words. Mostly, I try to operate with shadows and catch the mood. My biggest challenge was to draw Penguin as a child – how to make him scary without gore and blood, but also in a way that would make him sympathetic at the same time. I was also very happy with John Kalisz on board as the series’ colorist. It's not easy to color my art but John always found the perfect colors to not ‘destroy’ the greyscaled art. His palette for Penguin is exactly how I envisioned it.”

Pick up PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #5 when it hits stores next Wednesday.

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Gregg Hurwitz, John Kalisz, Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, szymon kudranski

NOVELIST GREGG HURWITZ JOINS BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT CREATIVE TEAM

Acclaimed novelist Gregg Hurwitz will be taking over as the writer for BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT beginning with issue #10 in June. Hurwitz is the internationally bestselling author of YOU'RE NEXT. No stranger to the shadows of Gotham City, he is also currently writing PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE, a five issue mini-series which explores the dark and peculiar past of one of Batman’s most iconic rogues.

“Okay. So this is the job I've been waiting to get since I was eight years old. I'm thrilled to be tackling one of the world's greatest characters with one of the industry's greatest artists,” said Hurwitz on his upcoming run on BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT. “Finch and I are very fired up to take the Batman into dark and dangerous new terrain, presenting a story that'll be epic and sweeping and juuust a little bit twisted. We're gonna see a cornerstone villain from a whole new angle, too. I've always been fascinated by Jonathan Crane—not just what makes him tick, but what could have happened in his past to make him obsessed with fear at the expense of all else. And perhaps that particular obsession isn't so different from the demons that drive the Dark Knight. As I discovered when writing Penguin: Pain and Prejudice—Batman fits uniquely with the villains in his rogue's gallery. They are two sides of the same coin, yin and yang, ego and shadow. But in some cases, maybe the match is even closer. Maybe instead of ego and shadow, it's shadow and shadow. Maybe when Batman looks in the mirror, the Scarecrow's face is looking out. We're used to Batman teaching his villains a lesson, but this time the Scarecrow might have something to teach Batman, too. Right now, I'm knee deep in straw and burlap, trying to stitch together a tale I hope you'll find familiar yet new, a twist on a classic. It's gonna get bumpy and scary and bit unhinged, so buckle up for the ride.”

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #10 won’t be out until June, but you can check out Hurwitz’s work in the climactic final issue of PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE, out next week.

Tags: 
batman: the dark knight, DC Comics-The New 52, Gregg Hurwitz, Penguin: Pain and Prejudice

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #4

Can the Penguin have finally found love? Despite his harsh childhood and his brutal leanings, Oswald Cobblepot has a new raison d’etre in the feminine form of a potential soulmate – but the balance between his courtship and his life of crime is undermining his bid for power in Gotham City.

The penultimate issue of the critically acclaimed series from bestselling novelist Gregg Hurwitz and artist Szymon Kudranski, PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREDJUDICE #4 goes on sale tomorrow.

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Gregg Hurwitz, Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, szymon kudranski

Exclusive Preview of PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #3

In the wild, when penguins mate, they stay together for life. One of the few monogamous animals, penguins are exemplary models of the idea of soulmates.

While observing penguins at the zoo, Oswald Cobblepot meets Cassandra, a blind woman whom he invites both to dinner and to share his life with. Yet with new love comes a new crime spree as Oswald rallies up Gotham’s criminal underworld to steal innocent citizens’ most prized possessions to gift his new love interest with – putting him directly on the Dark Knight’s radar. But has Oswald really found his soulmate if she cannot see him for the monster he really is?

PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #3 is written by bestselling novelist Gregg Hurwitz and is illustrated by Szymon Kudranksi. Look for it in stores tomorrow.

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Tags: 
Gregg Hurwitz, Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, szymon kudranski

Exclusive Preview of PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #2

In the first issue of PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE, you read the beginning of Oswald Cobblepot’s origin story. And if you thought that was dark, just wait until you read issue #2.

PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #2 lifts the curtain on Oswald’s disturbed childhood even higher, revealing the root of his evil. Through the issue’s fragmented parallel stories, see young Oswald discover his thirst for blood and witness how he sheds it on the streets of contemporary Gotham.

Written by Gregg Hurwitz and illustrated by Szymon Kudranski, PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #2 is a twisted and fascinating character study of one of Batman’s most iconic nemeses. Look for the issue in stores this Wednesday.

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Tags: 
Gregg Hurwitz, Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, szymon kudranski

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