DC kicked off day two of New York Comic Con with a Gotham City panel discussion about all things Batman. Moderated by DC Group Editor Rob Levin, the panel discussion began with the announcement of “Sirens: Love Hurts,” a four-issue DC Black Label miniseries by writer Tini Howard and artist Babs Tarr coming this February.
The creative team described the series as focusing on a group of four female friends (Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Black Canary) and the stresses of their adult lives as they investigate a serial killer. This is a book for all “true crime girls”.
Mr Tarr expressed his enthusiasm for the project and said it was a dream. Each issue features characters wearing different costumes, so the creative team hopes it will encourage new cosplays.
Inspired by books such as The Long Halloween, Love Hurts takes place over the course of a year. Howard said this year is “a long Halloween for the girls.”
The miniseries will consist of four oversized issues, each spanning four seasons. It begins in the summer and ends with Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen’s wedding in the spring. This is a similar approach to Superman: For All Seasons.
Despite the word “love” in the title, Tarr and Howard emphasized that female friendships are at the heart of the book. The main plotline is the conflicting friendship and romance between Ivy and Harley Quinn.
Howard’s favorite panel is Dinah showing off her wedding ring to her friends. The authors cite the influence of various romance manga on this book.
Moving on to the ongoing main title Batman, artist Jorge Jimenez was on hand to discuss the recently relaunched book with author Matt Fraction. Jiménez painted this book over the years and described how he reinvented his style, aiming for something more “classical” and making the colors flatter and less expressive.
Levin teased a new villain named Minotaur who will debut in issue #4. He is the head of a new criminal organization called Taurus. Editors liked the Taurus logo design so much that they created temporary tattoos to give away to panel attendees.
It’s been a year since the release of Absolute Batman by writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta. Snyder said how humbled he remains by the book’s critical and commercial success. Surprisingly, Snyder revealed that he was initially hesitant to work on Absolute Batman. However, his friend and colleague James Tynion IV called Snyder and was able to convince him that he was the right person to take on the book.
Dragotta enjoys playing with the traditional image of Batman. Especially since he and Snyder can break all the rules.
As readers already know, the absolute version of the Joker is very different from the mainstream version. Absolute Joker upends the traditional Batman/Joker dynamic in which the Joker is a wealthy person with unlimited resources at his disposal, and Snyder compared it to the Joker card in a deck of playing cards in that Joker’s value can always change.
Above all, Snyder emphasized that Absolute Batman is a horror book. Fans can look forward to Scarecrow’s appearance in future issues, as well as the return of Poison Ivy. Snyder reunites with artist Jock in issue #15.
Snyder told how he pitched Jock to write a story for the detective comic book “Black Mirror” at SDCC years ago.
The panel then announced Absolute Catwoman, co-written by Snyder and Che Grayson and illustrated by Bengal. The six-issue miniseries reveals Selina Kyle’s origin story as she climbs the social ladder. It’s a reverse Icarus where you have to go all the way to the bottom to win. Snyder praised her idea.
The Absolute Catwoman was designed to be the Absolute Universe’s “Batman” in that she has all the gadgets, suits, and resources. Snyder realized that the character had a lot to offer and needed to expand on her story, which couldn’t be limited to the main Absolute Batman. The miniseries introduces several new characters to the Absolute universe.
Dragotta explained the design of the technology used by Catwoman by asking the question, “What if Apple made a weapon?”
Grayson likened this interpretation of Catwoman to the protagonist of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Finally, “Harley and Ivy: Life and Crime,” a six-issue miniseries from writer/artist Erica Henderson, explores the early days of the iconic couple. The infamous “Faceless Joker”, who was a staple of DC’s New 52 era, makes an appearance, playing the role of a returning toxic ex-boyfriend. Henderson teased the appearance of Golden Age Red Tornado, Ma Hunkle. Henderson admitted that she found herself rewriting the conversations after she had drawn them.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage of NYCC ’25.
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