One of the most surprising books, purely from a structural standpoint, in all of ‘Infinite Frontier’ has been “Batman/Superman.” Gene Luen Yang and Ivan Reis have created a playful, unique, and unexpected story about multiple realities featuring further fictionalized versions of Batman and Superman and their supporting casts. It’s hard to articulate exactly what the book is doing, but once you see it in action, it is a compelling and incredibly fun way to put this book together.
We had the opportunity to, over email, ask Ivan Reis a few questions about the series, new villain Auter.io, and where he’d like to draw inspiration from next. Thanks to DC and Ivan for making this happen, and make sure to pick up “Batman/Superman” #17, out today wherever you get comics.
Batman/Superman #17Cover by Reis, Miki, and Rich
Written by Gene Luen Yang
Penciled by Ivan Reis
Inked by Danny Miki
Colored by Sabine Rich
Lettered by Saida TemofonteIn a world where Superman’s rocket never reached Earth, the Dark Knight and his sidekick discover a startling rift between dimensions. On the other side? A world where Martha Wayne survived, and Bruce never grew up to be Batman! Not only that, but a strange alien has emerged from the rift who’s faster than a locomotive and can leap tall buildings in a single bound…the Superman of Metropolis! When these worlds collide, the architects of this alternate history are revealed, and the only ones who can thwart their deadly experiments are the Batman and Superman of Earth-0! It’s a dynamic dual-world adventure!
Let’s start with last issue; what was your first reaction to seeing the dual structure of issue #16, presenting a Batman and Superman stories running, across double page spreads, concurrently. From a draftsman’s perspective, what challenges did that structure present? What was the most important thing to keep in mind to allow both stories to work properly?
Ivan Reis: It was really fun to dicover how Gene wanted to tell that story. We talked to the editorial team about possibilities and what kinds of things we could do, and then Gene created that world. When I began drawing the film rolls, there was a moment when i decided not to modify the panels composition and to use the film concept not only a aesthetic element. I soon realized that the Film itself would become a character in the page as well. This decision determined how the narrative and the compositions would work. The art wouldn’t be about big scenes, big panels, splashes, but about hou to deal with that within the limited space of the Film. The Film would reign supreme over all aesthetic decisions. This line of thought already gave both stories the same narrative line and a one of a kind feeling when reading.
Gene Yang is one of the most creative minds in all of comics, so it should come as no surprise that he has found an interesting new way to do a Superman and Batman story. What are Gene’s scripts like? Are they hyper detailed, or do they leave a lot of room for interpretation?
IR: I’ve caught myself many a time smiling while reading his scripts. He leads the story in a light, funny way, and he gives the art plenty of space to create as well, so the drawings are active participants in creating the story. He directs brilliantly, providing every information the artist needs, never letting us get stuck in the creation. What I like more is when he makes these little layouts to explain what he can’t describe with words – LOL – thats just brilliant! And he elevates the creative game to a whole different level, helping us undertand how his mind works.
While #17 isn’t doesn’t have as consistent of a presentation as last issue, there are still multiple ‘realities’ that are popping up throughout the issue, and each one has its own tone. What were some of the ways that you were able to create a distinct look and tone to each of the different Earths?
IR: As soon as we decided that the films would be characters and a part of how the story is told, we also decided that they will not be forgotten in the following issues, and they still dictate the narrative’s pace and the story’s unfolding, in a somewhat adapted way. The hardest part is to keep that innocent vibe, so much for the narrative as for the aesthetic, because it needs to be shown in contrast to the way narrative and composition work in the comic’s main universe. In the film, Superman’s world has less shadows and textures, it is a brighter world, whereas Batman’s goes the opposite way, with more shadows and textures.
Continued belowLet’s talk Auteur.io for a minute. Obviously, there are aspects of the character’s look that are meant to instantly evoke film and cameras, but what were some of the other touchstones for you in terms of the visual creation?
IR: The idea was to create character that’s easily annoyed, self-centered, who thinks himself a genius. Gene had a good view on the character and he sent me some references of how the character would behave. When I felt the direction the story was taking, I tried to engage a vision that was comical/retro to match visually with the film rolls and the heroes’ worlds, so the character could evolve naturally in the story. But everything must invariably work in sync with the main universe. His henchmen are grimmer, with more Art Déco line work
What are some of the key elements for the ‘film’ Batman and Superman versus their ‘comic’ counterparts, in terms of how you approach drawing them?
IR: They’re unlike anything. A homage to so many views and revamps. Comics stuff, movies stuff, old tv series’s stuff, all of it coming together and converging into a vision of modern/retro aesthetic. It isn’t simply the telling of a period tale. You can connect with them and have fun with them, as if you’re meeting them for the very first time, but you’ll still feel as if you know them for a long, long time, you still feel that emotional bond. Our challenge here is to keep everything working altogether. All of the worlds. But you can feel the shifts in narrative, composition and closure between them and their counterparts. The main universe is more complex, more detailed in shadows and forms. The Film has more an innocent, clean aesthetic. Miki’s textures and Sabine’s colours are fundamentally important to bringing these transitions to life within the story.
Finally, if you could pick a setting based on a piece of Batman or Superman film or television, where would you like to play around next? I think it could be a lot of fun to see how you’d handle something like the 90s Joel Schumacher Batman, or the Lois and Clark romantic comedy Superman.
IR: I never thought about Schumacher’s world… but now you’ve mentioned it, I think it would be fun. But I’m really into Tim Burton’s Batman universe and Superman: The Animated Series. In a way, all of those iterations are there, all mixed inside this patchwork of references. That’s what makes this universe so unique.
