Batman and Robin #9 is in stores now, but issue ten is just around the corner. Peter Tomasi talked with Newsarama about what is coming in the series. Here are the highlights from the interview.
Newsarama: What did Damian mean by saying "protect our castle" and "our kingdom?" Is that simply a boy's view of the mantle they carry? Or was it related more to the triumph of the "house of Wayne" over the "house of Ducard?"
Peter Tomasi: It was a combination of both actually. And also in that moment of extreme duress I used it to peek into Damian's psyche a bit to show that there is a part of him that considers himself a boy-warrior-poet-king due to the way he was raised by his mother, Talia, who saw him as sort of a new Alexander the Great.
Newsarama: You've made it clear in our past interviews that you wanted the relationship between Bruce and Damian to be the main dramatic focus of this comic, which was obviously the case in this first storyline. Will that continue to be the central theme going forward?
Peter Tomasi: Yes it will, but I'll also be escalating the action scenes in the upcoming issues and placing Batman and Robin into some intense situations that will showcase their relationship in a big way.
Newsarama: We talked a little before about how much Bruce's experience with the other Robins has influenced his relationship with Damian. But we'll find out more about Damian's relationship with the other Robins in issue #10. Who's involved in that issue, and what can you tell us about the premise?
Peter Tomasi: Issue #10's got our usual cast of characters along with Nightwing, Red Robin, and Red Hood. The premise is about a character called Terminus who wants to inflict some special pain on Batman and Gotham while the interaction between the former Robins is based on Damian wanting to prove something to them.
Newsarama: Issue #11's solicitation indicated Damian isn't exactly friends with the former Robins. Is it safe to say Jason Todd and Damian are at odds in that issue?
Peter Tomasi: Damian's most definitely not friends with the other former Robin's, especially Jason and Tim. I would say that he has respect for Grayson since they spent some time together as the dynamic duo. Damian's out to prove that he's the best Robin not only physically, but mentally. And he's prepared to make them jump through his own hoops.
Newsarama: Will this Robins storyline continue for awhile? (And is this your uber-story?)
Peter Tomasi: This 'Robin' aspect of the story is on the table for issues 10 and 11 along with some of 12. It's not the uber-story per se, but it's a piece of the big picture that I'm constructing to delve into how Damian sees himself in relation to the other members of the Bat family and what his role/place in it is.
For the entire interview, including talk about Night of the Owls, head over to Newsarama. Batman and Robin #9 is in stores now.
Posted by Dustin Fritschel
