Batman Black and White

Batman Black and White

Cover of Batman Black and White 1 (June 1996).
Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
Schedule Monthly
Title(s) Batman Black and White
Formats Limited series
Genre
Publication date June – September 1996
Number of issues 4
Main character(s) Batman
Creative team
Writer(s) Archie Goodwin, Jan Strnad, Chuck Dixon, Neil Gaiman, Andrew Helfer, Denny O'Neil
Artist(s) Ted McKeever, Bruce Timm, Joe Kubert, Howard Chaykin, José Muñoz, Walt Simonson, Richard Corben, Jorge Zaffino, Simon Bisley, Klaus Janson, Tanino Liberatore, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Bolland, Kevin Nowlan, Brian Stelfreeze
Editor(s) Mark Chiarello
Scott Peterson
Darren Vincenzo
Reprints
Collected editions
Volume 1 ISBN 1-4012-1589-0

Batman Black and White refers both to a four-issue comic book limited series published in 1996 by DC Comics, and three collections of 8-page black-and-white Batman stories, comprising the limited series and backup features from the Batman: Gotham Knights comic.

Publication history

The origin of the series is told by editor Mark Chiarello in his introduction to the first collection, in which he writes about a dinner table-discussion with "a few famous comic-book artists," at which they pondered the "desert island" question in terms of a single complete run of comics one would be happy to be stranded with.[1] Ultimately, with "half a minute"'s thought, they "amazingly... all agreed, pound for pound, page for page" that the unequivocal choice was Warren Publishing's Creepy, a high point unmatched since "there has never been such a collection of stellar artists assembled under one banner publication" as in Creepy, whose pages were host to (among others) "Toth, Frazetta, Williamson, Torres, Colan, Ditko, Wrightson, Corben[, etc.]."[1] Chiarello notes that "most of those stories" were written by one man: Archie Goodwin "probably the very best editor ever to work in comics, probably the very best writer ever to work in comics," (and early mentor to Chiarello when the two worked at Marvel) whose Warren work was itself an "homage to the favorite comics of his youth, the E.C. line."[1]

When Chiarello became a Batman editor "a whole bunch of years" later, he naturally "pitch[ed] the idea of a black and white anthology."[1] Told by many colleagues that it wouldn't sell - both as an anthology and a black-and-white title, neither purportedly widely liked by comics readers - the idea was green lighted, and Mike Carlin and Scott Peterson joined Chiarello to "make sure [he] didn't destroy the integrity of [Batman]."[1] Chiarello's initial thought - "to hire the very best artists in the business" led to he and Peterson assembling a wish list and contacting artists.[1] The series ultimately became "a creative and financial success," when the first four-issue volume was published between June and September 1996.[1] (There was also a free Preview issued in 1996.[2]) Each of the four issues featured several self-contained short-stories, all written and drawn by a diverse group of comic artists and writers, most of whom had previously worked on Batman comics. Each story varied in theme, setting, and tone (depending on the creative team involved), offering multiple interpretations of Batman - and, in some cases, his supporting characters - usually by exploring their inner pathos and relationships.

Contents and synopses

Volume 1

This contains all-new material.

Issue #1 - June 1996

Issue #2 - July 1996

Issue #3 - August 1996

Issue #4 - September 1996

Pin-ups

The first volume also included single-page pin-up renditions of the Caped Crusader by:

Volume 2

Collects backup stories from Batman: Gotham Knights #1-16[4] with five new tales.

Contents

Volume 3

Collects backup stories from Batman: Gotham Knights #17-49. (Mostly edited by Mark Chiarello, Bob Schreck & Michael Wright)

Contents

NOTE: "The Gasworks" is the only "Black & White" story to include color - red permeates the story, the color of both the hallucinogen and the blood. This is likely the reason this story was moved to the end of the volume.

Collected editions

Volume 1 was subsequently collected as an oversized hardcover and then reprinted as a trade paperback in 1998. In September 2007, it was reissued in a "new edition", in normal comics TPB format (ISBN 1-4012-1589-0).[6]

Volume 2 was initially published in September 2002 as a hardcover book (ISBN 978-1-56389-828-0). It collected black-and-white Batman backup stories from the first sixteen issues of Batman: Gotham Knights, as well as five never-before-published tales. The five new stories were subsequently included in later issues of Batman: Gotham Knights. Volume 2 was released as an oversized softcover in October 2003 (ISBN 1-56389-917-5).

Volume 3 was published as a comics-sized hardcover in May 2007 (ISBN 1-4012-1531-9). It collected the black-and-white Batman backup stories from Batman: Gotham Knights #17-49. A softcover edition was released in 2008 (ISBN ISBN 978-1-4012-1354-1).[7]

Motion comics

Warner Premiere, Warner Bros Digital Distribution, and DC Comics produced semi-animated adaptations of several of the Black and White short stories and released them as motion comics. The motion comics were produced and directed by Ian Kirby and feature an original musical score by composer Adam Fulton and voice-actors, such as Michael Richard Dobson as the voice(s) of Batman, The Joker, Thomas Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth, John Fitzgerald as Commissioner Gordon and Two-Face, Janyse Jaud as Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Martha Wayne and Joseph May as Superman. Currently 10 episodes divided into 2 seasons are available via online streaming off of TheWB's website. The episodes are also available for purchase online via Apple's iTunes Store and other distribution channels, such as Amazon's Video On Demand for $0.99/2-episodes.

Season 1 Episode List (debuted on 12/8/2008):

Season 2 Episode List (debuted 7/23/2009):

Critical reaction

IGN Comics ranked Volume 1 of Batman: Black and White #13 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying: "Though having just eight pages to tell a story can certainly be confining, it also proves to be liberating. Forced to scrap complex plots but create something indelible, these tales are often parables, send-ups or unforgettable vignettes surrounding the Batman."[8]

Merchandise

Statues

Artist David Mazzucchelli with the statue based on his artwork in the series at a June 28, 2012 book signing at Midtown Comics in Manhattan.

Several Batman: Black and White statues have been released by DC Direct. Most of these are based on the Batman designs used by various artists for their contributions to the three volumes of Black and White stories. Artists' interpretations of Batman (along with other characters) currently released include:

Awards

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chiarello, Mark "Introduction" in Chiarello, Mark and Peterson, Scott (ed.s) Batman Black and White (DC Comics, 1998) ISBN 1-56389-439-4
  2. Batman Black and White Preview (1996) at the ComicBookDB. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 1997 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners, Comic Book Award Almanac
  4. DCU Guide: Gotham Knights. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  5. DCU Guide: Gotham Knights #9. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  6. Batman: Black & White Volume 1 - New Edition, DC Comics.com. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  7. Batman: Black and White Volume 3, DC Comics.com
  8. The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels, Hilary Goldstein, IGN, June 13, 2005
  9. 2003 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners, Comic Book Award Almanac

References

External links

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