Batwing Vol. 1: The Lost Kingdom (The New 52)
Q & A with Judd Winick, the author ofBatwing Vol. 1: The Lost KingdomQ:What's it like working on a huge initiative like The New 52?Judd Winick:When it came toBatwingit was a chance to take on an entirely new character on a whole new playing field. The mission was to create stories that felt inventive, present, topical, and just knock folks right over with surprise.Q:What would you say defines the character you are working on?JW:Batwing is very much like Batman, but very, very different. They are both men who have been forged in tragedy. But Batwing is the "Batman of Africa." And his life and upbringing are culturally based. That isn't to say that readingBatwingis like a trip to a social studies class. This is still about super heroes fighting super villains, but it's set in the realistic landscape of Africa. We take our hyper reality of superheroes and marry to the real-world drama of Africa.Q:What have you thought about the response so far for The New 52 and your title(s) as whole?JW:I was delighted how surprised folks were withBatwing. I think they were expecting something very clichéd, with Batwing flying through the jungles of Africa and battling alongside lions and giraffes. But instead they found the birth of this character, and this world we’ve built around him. It's both beautiful and horrific. Terrifying and surprising.Q:The New 52 was a huge success for DC, but how to you think it affected the comic book industry as a whole?JW:I think it's first time in a very long time that we are looking to bridging the gap between new readers and long-time readers. We are telling stories that are accessible to people who've never read a comic, or aren't familiar with these characters, but we don't turn our backs on what's made these characters great in the first place.Q:With over 75 years of stories, is it difficult discovering new ideas and places for these characters to go that haven’t already been done?JW:No. The truth is, in all storytelling, there are only a few places you can go. This isn't about finding a new plot, or inventing a new bad guy. It is simply about looking at the characters and finding the best story we can tell.  I think The New 52 is doing that.