"Little did I suspect when I accepted the BATMAN writing assignment back in 2006 that I’d wind up spending the next six years writing the longest continued comic story I’ve ever attempted. I thought I’d said most of what I had to say about the character with Arkham Asylum, Gothic, and Batman’s appearances in JLA. Clearly, I was wrong.  

The original pitch was for 15 issues winding up with BATMAN R.I.P. but something happened along the way and, as I was researching his rich history, I became fascinated by the idea that every Batman story was in some way true and biographical - from the savage, young, pulp-flavored “weird figure of the dark” of his early years, through the smiling, paternal figure of the 1940s and the proto-psychedelic crusader of the ‘50s, the superhero detective of the ‘60s, the hairy-chested globetrotting adventurer of the ‘70s, to the brutally physical vigilante of the ‘80s and snarling, paranoid soldier of the ‘90s.

By taking his entire publishing history as the story of his life, I was able to approach Batman from a different angle and the multifaceted character that was revealed became the subject of my story.

What would such a man be like, realistically? This was a man who had saved countless lives, faced innumerable perils, and even prevented the destruction of the world itself. This was a master of martial arts, meditation, deduction, yoga and big business. This was a man who had tamed and mastered his demons and turned personal tragedy into a relentless humanitarian crusade.

Taking that man seriously meant I had to throw out a few of the accepted ideas about Batman as a semi-unhinged, essentially humorless loner struggling with rage and guilt. The totality of his history and accomplishments made that portrayal seem limited and unconvincing, so instead, my Batman was a true superhero at the height of his powers and the peak of his abilities, surrounded by a network of friends and associates, all of whom had been inspired by his lead.

I chose to build my story around the basic trauma, the murder of his parents, that lies at the heart of Batman’s genesis. It seemed to me there would be a part of Bruce Wayne that resented his parents for leaving him and especially resented his father for not being Batman that night, so the principal villains were an archetypal bad father figure in the form of Dr. Hurt and a dark mother in the form of Talia, our villain for the concluding chapters of the story.

This master theme of damaged and ruined families was nowhere more in evidence than in the creation of Damian, the first “Son of Batman” to be acknowledged in the canon. In many ways this has been Damian’s story as much as it has been the story of Bruce Wayne and it’s a story that had its end planned a long time ago - for what son could ever hope to replace a father like Batman, who never dies?

And so, via Batman, Batman and Robin, Return of Bruce Wayne and Batman Inc. this epic tale has finally reached its finale.

Thanks to all the artists who helped realise the story – Andy Kubert, JH Williams, John Van Fleet, Tony Daniel, Ryan Benjamin, Lee Garbett, Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, Cameron Stewart, Andy Clarke, Frazer Irving, Scott Kolins, Chris Sprouse, Ryan Sook, Yanick Paquette, Georges Jeanty, David Finch, Scott Clark and of course, Chris Burnham.

Thanks to the inkers, colorists and letters and to my indefatigable editors.

Thanks to the readers who joined in the fun and contributed to the thought-provoking debates and analyses online.

The conclusion is finally here, with only four more issues to go. Four issues which take Batman to dark places he has never had to visit before. Four issues and I’m done, while Batman himself continues into as yet unimagined future adventures. He’ll still be here long after I’m dead and forgotten; long after all of us have come and gone, there will be Batman. It’s been a joy and a privilege to spend so much time in the company of pop culture’s greatest character but it’s going to feel weird waking up and not having Bruce Wayne’s calm, commanding, ever-so-slightly cynical voice in my head.

Batman forever…

- Grant

Scotland, December 2012"

Welcome back for another installment of Preview Monday! This week, we’re giving you exclusive first looks at THRESHOLD #2 and SAUCER COUNTRY #12.

Following last month’s action packed debut issue of THRESHOLD, the hunt is on for the newest contestants in “The Hunted,” a reality TV style competition show that expands an entire alien solar system! This week, the show introduces its latest contestant: Jaimie Reyes (a.k.a. Blue Beetle)! What do the producers have planned for this reluctant Reach warrior? Could they involve Green Lantern Jediah Caul? Also, be sure not to miss the latest chapter of Larfleeze’s back up story! Will Larfleeze ever find the thieves responsible for stealing all of his treasures, and most importantly, his power battery? Find out in THRESHOLD #2, in stores this Wednesday, written by Keith Giffen and illustrated by Tom Raney, Phil Winslade, and Scott Kolins. Click here for an exclusive preview of the issue.

Also this week, “President’s Day” begins in SAUCER COUNTRY #12. While Arcadia races to close the gap on her rival in the election, Professor Kidd’s life is falling apart. Will Arcadia continue to trust him after he reveals a startling secret about himself? Written by Paul Cornell and drawn by Ryan Kelly, SAUCER COUNTRY #12 lands in stores this Wednesday. Click here for an exclusive preview of the issue.

Welcome back for another installment of Preview Monday! This week we’re giving you exclusive first looks at GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS ANNUAL #1 and FAIREST #11.

Following the exciting events of GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #15, Kyle Rayner must travel through space on a mission to recruit allies against the unstoppable Third Army. While on his mission, he meets Jediah Caul, an undercover Green Lantern who is not what he seems. Will Jediah agree to help Kyle and the rest of the New Guardians? Or will the Third Army reign triumphant? You won’t want to miss this key issue that leads directly into the new series, THRESHOLD, on sale next week!  From writer Keith Giffen and artists Scott Kolins and Andrei Bressan, GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS ANNUAL #1 flies into stores this Wednesday. Click here for an exclusive preview of the issue.

Meanwhile in FAIREST #11, “The Hidden Kingdom” continues. In this chapter, Rapunzel hatches a desperate plan to steal Tomoko’s foxfire back from the conniving shogun Ryogan. Everything leads up to a terrible, bloody invasion filled with murder, scheming, poisonings, safe-cracking, vengeful ghosts, and treachery revealed! Written by Lauren Beukes with art by Inaki Miranda, FAIREST #11 hits stores this Wednesday. Click here for an exclusive preview of the issue.

For this week’s installment of Preview Mondays, we’re giving you exclusive first looks at THE FLASH ANNUAL #1 and THE NEW DEADWARDIANS #6.

Last week, we teased THE FLASH ANNUAL #1 right here on THE SOURCE. The Rogues have reassembled and are ready to take on The Flash in a free for-all brawl with double-crosses galore. But what unlikely alliances will be formed when the Rogues turn on one another? And don’t miss the climatic battle fought in the maze-like and chaotic Mirror World! THE FLASH ANNUAL #1 spans across 48 pages and comes to you from the creative team of Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato, Wes Craig, Diogenes Neves, Scott Kolins, Marcus To, and Marcio Takara. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

Meanwhile in THE NEW DEADWARDIANS #6, Inspector Suttle circles in closer to the mystery surrounding “The Murder That Should Not Be.” Following the trail of the esoteric symbology that haunts the murder, Suttle finds himself back in Zone-B and in the company of an ornery poet named Salt. But what is Salt’s connection to the murder and what is he hiding? THE NEW DEADWARDIANS #6 is written by Dan Abnett and is illustrated by I.N.J. Culbard. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.