Peter Tomasi resided in DC Comics’ editorial for a decade and a half before switching to a career primarily as a writer. In that time he spearheaded major developments like reinstituting the Green Lantern Corps, which turned Green Lantern into DC’s hottest title and spawned numerous related titles. For three years now he’s been writinge Batman & Robin, a book that recently lost half of its dynamic duo. But though the latest Robin, Damian Wayne, died a hero, he’s still very much a presence as his grieving bat-father hunts down his body.
Man Cave Daily: As a former editor, is your process different? Do you keep one eye on the stages of production as a whole while you write a script?
Peter Tomasi: It’s kind of weird. After 15 years of editing it’s sort of ingrained in your DNA so it’s tough to get rid of. I always approach it from character first, which I always did as an editor when I was guiding writers or trying to conduct storylines. It was always about character first, plot second. I wanted action to dictate character. It’s been ingrained in me for so long I can’t help but keep those different things in my head–all those hats over the years. I think it helps knowing what an editor wants, needs, doesn’t want, goes through. I’ve been in that trench so it helps in a lot of ways.
RELATED: “Everyone Else is Boned”
MCD: In the recent Two-Face story, it seemed like the ending was pretty clear-cut. At the same time you pulled away from actually showing what happened to Harvey Dent. Was that leaving yourself an escape hatch?
PT: It was done exactly that way for a very specific reason. We’ll leave it there.
MCD: So just as we got a Joker with his face sliced off, we might see a different take on Two-Face?
PT: I wouldn’t be surprised. I believe they’re called “comic books,” and not a lot of people stay dead, and things change…I mean, hell, it’s the New 52. Who knows what’s around the corner?
MCD: But at the same time, were you trying to tell a sort of definitive Killing Joke-type story for this character?
PT: Yeah, because it was the New 52 and we took some other liberties to change the origin somewhat, it was a very directed reason for doing what we did.
The problem with trying to shoot Batman is once you’re close enough so you won’t miss, you’re close enough for him to disarm you.
MCD: I was curious about your vision of Gotham. There’s a long-standing question among nerds as to whether Gotham is more Chicago or New York. For me, your Gotham reads a lot like New York. And what would you call the character of Gotham?
PT: Gotham to me is New York. I’m a New Yorker so it’s not the New York of now; it’s the New York of when I was a kid, which has changed dramatically over the years. So it was dirtier, a lot scarier, but sometimes a hell of a lot cooler.
It’s one of those cities that I think people sometimes play it a little too dark also. It needs to be a vibrant, alive place that also has a lot of positive vibe about it. Why the hell would anybody stay there if it’s just a cesspool of constant corruption and death? I would go find someplace else to live myself if it was like that. It’s key to show visually Gotham as at least being what New York is, which is something of a lighthouse to people.
I’ve always wanted to try to do it but I haven’t had an opportunity yet…in my head when I write the book, Gotham to me has more pros than cons, and Batman is just keeping back that darkness from encroaching on it. There’s a lot of hope there. Because if there wasn’t, there’s no reason for Batman to keep fighting a never-ending battle of complete darkness and loss.
Creepy old guys who take their shirts off at any opportunity are exactly the kind of sleaze Gotham attacks. Ugh. You just know Ra’s al’Ghul smells like scented oils and tries to turn every barbecue into a car keys party.
MCD: We’ll leave it to the internet to draw Batman as a Blue Lantern. I heard someone say once that each Robin is an aspect of Batman: Dick Grayson is an athlete, Jason Todd is a fighter, Tim Drake is a detective…what would you say Damian Wayne represents of Bruce Wayne?
PT: In the end, I think Damian is everything. He incorporates every aspect of Bruce Wayne’s personality. All the things that all those other Robins are is wrapped up in Damian himself. He’s a smorgasbord of all the Robins. And the #0 issue even showed how while he was training–everything form military tactics to science to literature to music–he was taught all of it by his mother. He’s a renaissance kid in a way. You imagine someone like Bruce Wayne growing up was given as many opportunities as possible. And in a weird way, Talia gave those same things to Damian–a sick, perverted way.
RELATED: “Continuity is the Devil”
MCD: One of your first books, Light Brigade, is being re-released. Can you sum it up for the audience?
PT: I did a creator-owned project many years ago with Peter Snejbjerg and Bjarne Hansen. It’s an awesome, beautiful-looking book, really proud of it. The rights reverted back to me recently and Dark Horse was kind enough to do a hardcover edition with a great supplemental section in the back and a really nice presentation. I’d really love fans to rediscover that book. I hope they check it out.
Brendan McGinley is editor round these parts when not writing comics or Cracked columns. You can say a neighborly hello to him on Twitter @BrendanMcGinley.
Brendan grew up a shy nerd reading comics, but now he’s courting actresses to be your special lady in Girlfriend Audition: Jessica Kinni.
She interned at NASA so her nerd credentials rep much stronger than yours.