CBR: Morrison Goes Corporate in "Batman, Inc."

[CBR News]

Grant Morrison spoke with CBR News, revealing that by the end of the first year of "Batman Incorporated" readers will find out why the agents Bruce Wayne is recruiting in these very specific locations are so important.


Full article here.

[Retro315]

Holy crap! Morrison's going to bring in The Hood from Shadow of the Bat? Stellar ... I sincerely hope that arc is where Jason Todd resurfaces as well. (I always thought it'd be cool if Jason was secretly The Hood during Knightfall, but even appearing and maybe having Hood be "England's Red Hood" compared to The Knight, and getting Cyril and Beryl's POV on the whole Jason Todd thing could be stellar).

[Kimi]

Interesting;

I'd suspect some might be a bit disappointed that Inc is not just a mere "better idea" of crime combating but indeed belongs to the big picture of a plan that Bruce schemed.

[Free-Man]

Holy crap! Morrison's going to bring in The Hood from Shadow of the Bat? Stellar ... I sincerely hope that arc is where Jason Todd resurfaces as well. (I always thought it'd be cool if Jason was secretly The Hood during Knightfall, but even appearing and maybe having Hood be "England's Red Hood" compared to The Knight, and getting Cyril and Beryl's POV on the whole Jason Todd thing could be stellar).

I'm lost. Who is the Hood?

[gwangung]

Heh. Now I've got this question...who was taking out all the unauthorized Batman merchandise during the years Bruce Wayne was incognito? Wayne Enterprises using some cut out corps? Or something smarter?

[Retro315]

I'm lost. Who is the Hood?

In Shadow of the Bat 21-23, Bruce (still not fully recovered from his spinal injury) goes to England to save Shondra Kinsolving from kidnappers or something of that nature. He teams up with a younger vigilante hero called "The Hood" who seems very much in the vain of the "Inspired by Batman" types we've gotten lately.

Obviously there are "Robin" parallels. He calls himself "Hood" after Robin Hood (Whereas Robin chose "Robin"). He wears red pixie boots (and a red hood, but it's circumstantial). I've always thought it'd be hilarious to find out it was Jason Todd. He's actually got an identity, though - that of George Cross, an environmental activist. Rather a bit like Ollie Queen in that regard.

[RubberGhost]

I can't ask you about long-term plans for Batman without asking you about the Joker. Will he play a role in the new series?

So far, I don't have the Joker in it. I wanted to go in a different direction. I've already done three big Joker stories, and for me, I feel like I've said enough. If I come up with some way of using him that feels a bit different or I come up with a new Joker persona, I might do it, but right now I feel like he was part of the whole "Batman: R.I.P.," Dr. Hurt thing and I feel like I've kind of wrapped that up.

I realize Morrisons already done a lot with the Joker in his run but I really REALLY hope he finds a place for him in INC.

[RonnieThunderbolts]

Holy crap! Morrison's going to bring in The Hood from Shadow of the Bat? Stellar ... I sincerely hope that arc is where Jason Todd resurfaces as well. (I always thought it'd be cool if Jason was secretly The Hood during Knightfall).

I don't think that is where he is going with it based on the interview, although it could have been an interesting story idea, it seems more like the Hood is going to be an additional 'Batman of England.'

He seems like a great addition. All of the characters named in interviews and solicits so far are great fits. I've been slightly hoping to see Bruce re-team with the Hood as a potential member based on the first interviews that were coming out sometime in August.

I've been trying to think lately of characters that fit the bill, masked crime fighters, but it seems like mostly (exclusively?) non-powered vigilantes. I personally prefer it that way, and by all indications, as it is customarily with the Bat-Family, members are regular humans rather than super-powered individuals. That could change, but at this point everyone mostly fits that bill.

Who else exists that fits the bill? Does DC still have the Midnight character that used to be a sort of Spirit knock-off? A legacy for the old Dave Clark masked mystery man type character could be turned into an interesting new hero.

I wonder if Morrison will finally do an updated version of Bat-Hombre. He mentioned in interviews when he added Chief Man-of-Bats and Little Raven to the team for the Club of Heroes arc that he wanted to use Bat-Hombre originally but he ended up not doing so because he actually turned out to be the criminal El Papagayo. But, the creation of the Bat-Hombre identity was from a government/law enforcement establishment who wanted to create their own foreign Batman, and as such, he is a perfect fit for the current Batman, Incorporated status quo. Change his name to Hombre Murciélago, have Batman select an earnest candidate for the real deal after subduing Papagayo as he did in the original telling, and revisit him in the modern day! It probably isn't worth it, as it is an extremely absurd concept, but it matches Batman, Inc. so well, and it was something Morrison expressed interest in before.

[Retro315]

I realize Morrisons already done a lot with the Joker in his run but I really REALLY hope he finds a place for him in INC.

Especially considering that the Club of Villains were all inspired by Joker ... and each one seemed to be reflective of a certain part of Joker's themes ... Sombrero specialized in Joker-style death-traps ... Scorpiana in Joker-style poisons ... Pierrot in Joker-style "killer clown routine" ... Caligula in Joker-style "flamboyance" ... Hunchback's "inner monster torturer" he was ranting about and the others - Swagman and Kraken, certainly share some themes with Joker although they stand out a little bit because of their differences.

Somehow it's hard to see Joker mirroring Batman and going the "satire" route again by forming a "Joker, Inc." so if he turns up again I suspect it'll be in a surprise role.

[mpgeist]

I'm just excited that Catwoman will be appearing more after her great reception!

[Philosophía]

I can't ask you about long-term plans for Batman without asking you about the Joker. Will he play a role in the new series?

So far, I don't have the Joker in it. I wanted to go in a different direction. I've already done three big Joker stories, and for me, I feel like I've said enough. If I come up with some way of using him that feels a bit different or I come up with a new Joker persona, I might do it, but right now I feel like he was part of the whole "Batman: R.I.P.," Dr. Hurt thing and I feel like I've kind of wrapped that up.

It would be a shame if things don't go full-circle with the Joker, considering he's been present throughout the whole run, which has practically started with him and the now infamous scene with Gordon and "I killed Batman in front of a bunch of vulnerable and disabled kids! Now get me Santa!".

And seeing his reaction to Bruce being back and Batman going international would also be quite something.

[Retro315]

I don't think that is where he is going with it based on the interview, although it could have been an interesting story idea, it seems more like the Hood is going to be an additional 'Batman of England.'

...

I've been trying to think lately of characters that fit the bill, masked crime fighters, but it seems like mostly (exclusively?) non-powered vigilantes. I personally prefer it that way, and by all indications, as it is customarily with the Bat-Family, members are regular humans rather than super-powered individuals. That could change, but at this point everyone mostly fits that bill.

Agreed. I expect a Knight and Squire appearance when Batman attempts to recruit Hood, but I doubt he'll try to cram a Jason Todd return in there, thematic similarities or not. Just can't help but point out that opportunity.

As for why he's organizing non-powered crime-fighters rather than super-heroes ... I have strong suspicions there's a reason for that in particular - just the same as why the mysterious "Number One" in charge of Leviathan/Kultek seems like he might have links to standard non-powered master criminals (despite the Heretic and the designer metahumans we met) (Drawing a line to your various Lord Death Man, Pearly King or Old King Coal, and guys like that.)

Something's happening beneath the radar of the superheroes.

[Doug Strange]

the mysterious "Number One" in charge of Leviathan/Kultek seems like he might have links to standard non-powered master criminals

Where do you get that from? I may have to reread "The Return" now.

(Oh, how horrible!)

[bongoes]

It would be a shame if things don't go full-circle with the Joker, considering he's been present throughout the whole run, which has practically started with him and the now infamous scene with Gordon and "I killed Batman in front of a bunch of vulnerable and disabled kids! Now get me Santa!".

And seeing his reaction to Bruce being back and Batman going international would also be quite something.

Honestly I wouldn't mind if the Joker was almost completely absent from Inc. Until Morrison's last issue, because it has to end with Bruce coming back to Gotham for some reason and fighting the Joker, even if it's just a tease at the end.

[jgiannantoni05]

Interesting interview.

Highlights:

-"And I'm definitely going to be expanding the mythos and taking it in a different direction. The last one had the depth of history and the supernatural and the kind of sci-fi side of Batman, this one [Inc] is a lot more geo-political and techno and that kind of aspect, so it's a bit more, I wouldn't say James Bond because it's nothing like James Bond, but more like "Mission Impossible" or something like that."

- On Joker: "I feel like I've said enough. If I come up with some way of using him that feels a bit different or I come up with a new Joker persona, I might do it"

- On established Bat-Rogues being in Inc: "I kind of prefer to do new stuff....couple of villains that pop up from "Batman: R.I.P.," but beyond that, I'll mostly be doing new stuff."

- On bringing more international or older stories back into play: "I plan to do a lot more of that."