COMING MID-2015!
In another exciting teaser for the continuation of the JUSTICE UNIVERSE comes the next adventure for the Batman! In this crime-centered story, you will see Batman face what he originally was created for, kicking gangsters' butts and taking down organized crime in Gotham City. This story is more or less a more grounded reboot almost of the DARK KNIGHT series. While everything that has come to pass still exists, it's time to let Batman become the dark vigilante in the shadows rather than the hero who goes up against fantastical villains.
The main villain will be the Black Mask, a crime lord who will probably become the most destructive person in Batman's life, save for Ra's al Ghul. This Black Mask is different, very different. As hinted throughout the first three DARK KNIGHT adventures, the Black Mask has been building his reputation slowly and is lurking in the shadows. But...(in case you read your comics and know the history) Roman Sionis and Black Mask are two different people in my universe. They share similarities as they are both gangsters but they are rivals in this story. Why the change? I guess I just wanted to change up the history and give the readers something fresh rather than something memorable to the point where the plot is predictable.
So, to change those possible predictions, along with the Black Mask, another group of villains will be showing up to increase the stakes. If any of you missed the drama and intrigue of the League of Assassins... let's just say that they'll be influencing the plot in a big way.
Speaking of that, I'm assuming you all know that Dick Grayson will finally show up. And don't worry. He won't be a sweatsuit-prototype Robin-in-training throughout the book. He becomes who we love and will have the same personality. But... the origin will not be the traditional circus parent tragedy as I think it has been done to death. I don't want to spoil it but I will tell you that the origin will be radically different and it will give Dick a more personal story on why he wants to fight crime. And this story will also expose my own opinions on the whole 'adoptive kid' act that Bruce pulls to keep Dick. There will be a different but equally senseful reason for how the two can operate together. I'm excited for this story and I can't wait for all of you to see the Dynamic Duo for the first time.
As for the title, Paralells; this refers to the fact that as seen at the end of DARK KNIGHT: FROZEN ENIGMAS, Harry Strange uncovers a hidden memory Bruce had kept hidden for a long time. Jason Todd. For those who read the comics, Jason Todd was the second Robin after Dick Grayson and throughout his career, he showed that he had a temper and was more aggressive than Dick. Mirrored events will bring back memories of Bruce's time away and the mistakes he made that led to the death of a young teenager. I'm changing the known canon of Batman's universe but I swear, I'm respecting the other stories and am only trying to bring something new to something that is something so well loved.
So, yeah. I'm hoping this next story will really bring the fanbase because people tend to really like Robin. Robin himself was never a favorite character of mine because I couldn't imagine the idea of an eight year-old boy bouncing around in tights and fighting crime. Let's just say that for this version of Dick Grayson, he'll evolve as the series goes on along with Barbara Gordon.
This story is all about how Bruce learned to accept help and create the Bat-Family. Not only will Robin and Barbara Gordon have bigger roles, expect to find out more about Gordon's past (and a possible promotion?), Harvey Dent's character, how the world reacts to the Dark Knight, and more depth into these villains than ever before. It will be fun, action-packed, full of excitement and twists that no one will see coming. This is probably going to be the best crime story I'll ever write.
I hope you enjoy...
-MS777