James Tynion IV's new series Talon kicks off this Wednesday. In addition to writing Talon, he has also been writing the back-ups in Batman. Newsarama talked with Tynion about his upcoming series and how his Batman back-ups play into Death in the Family.
Newsarama: James, let's just start with a general description of the story in Talon. Give us a set-up for what people will see in next week's #0 issue as we're acquainted with the premise of the comic.
James Tynion: Calvin Rose is a man who has spent his life on the run. He ran from his family, he ran from the life he was building during his time in Haly’s Circus, and ultimately, he ran from The Court of Owls. He, like many others before him, was trained to be the sacred killer of the Court… The Talon… But when he realized what kind of monster they were twisting him into, he knew he had to get away.
The Zero Issue will explore that story of running, and the fear that drives Calvin to act. The interesting thing about him is that unlike any of the Talons we saw during Scott’s epic Court of Owls saga, Calvin Rose was an escape artist. Being able to get away has always been his only defense against his greatest fears.
Issue #0 will introduce the readers to the character and show us why he’s so broken and fearful, but also what makes him strong. Issue #1 will bring us to the present, where Calvin has been living in constant fear of being trapped and killed by The Court for 7 years. The series will explore Calvin learning to deal with that fear and move past it, as he finds the strength within himself to fight back for the very first time.
Newsarama: How much will Calvin and other characters interact with the Bat-family?
James Tynion: All I’ll say here is that there are definitely plans. Coming from the present and not the past means there’s definitely a story in his Haly’s Circus days, and what his relationship with Dick Grayson might have been like. And I can’t imagine Batman is going to be thrilled when he finds out a Talon is running around Gotham and the larger DCU.
Newsarama: Let's talk about your work on the Batman back-ups. I know you guys are heading toward "Death of the Family." How much do the back-up stories have to do with "Death of the Family?" Can you describe their role in the story?
James Tynion: I can’t go into too much detail on these just yet, other than to say that the backups will deal with The Joker interacting with some of Gotham’s most notable rogues. They’ll be stand-alone pieces that should add something to the scale of the story, while keeping a smaller and spookier focus. There’s always something electric when two iconic villains are on a page with one another, and when one of those characters is The Joker, that electricity is quite a bit more deadly.
These little vignettes are coming to life with art by the incredible Jock, who is exactly the guy you want to draw a tense little horror story. Scott and I are really proud of these backups, and I think the fans are going to love them.
For the entire interview, including word on whether or not Talon will have a part in Death of the Family, head over to Newsarama. Talon #0 is in stores this Wednesday.
Posted by Dustin Fritschel
