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The Bat Is Out Of The Bag…

Saturday April 03rd 2010, 12:39 pm

…so to speak I guess. As of this weekend Greg Rucka, who I’ve enjoyed working with very much, has announced his intentions to leave DC Comics, and in turn leave Batwoman behind. I was afraid something like this was going to occur but held out hope that it wouldn’t happen. That DC and Greg could come to some sort of agreement, apparently not going to happen. So what does this mean for Batwoman and the project I’ve spent a decent amount of time and thought on? I don’t know. I do know that DC is firmly committed to this character from what I hear from them. So where does all of this leave us? I believe DC will want the character to continue somehow. In what form? I’m not sure, but she’ll be back, I’m sure of it. This character has too much potential to just go by the wayside. So we should be hearing some sort of news at the appropriate time I assume.

In the meantime I’ve had to take on some other work while all of this is coming down around me. These consist of several covers and some smaller story projects. I’m doing variant covers for American Vampire, Tom Strong, Batman Beyond, Wonder Woman, and DC Legacies. I’m also working on one of the DC Legacies co-features, a story based on the original Seven Soldiers Of Victory and is written by Len Wein, I’m about half done with it. The mentioned above variant cover for DC legacies is for this story. The other thing I’m working on is another issue of Jonah Hex, which I’ve been itching to do ever since the first one I did that came out last year. I love this book! So I’m thrilled to be doing another issue Justin and Jimmy and I’ll be providing the cover to that as well.

I will post some images from some of these things soon, but let’s start off with the Tom Strong variant, this is for the new number 1 issue that is just now being solicited, The regular cover is by Chris Sprouse of course. The main thing I wanted to do with this was get it to feel like a propaganda poster design. I hope you all will like it…
TomStrong(A-T-R-O-D)variant-1-logoA



41 Comments so far
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Blimey that’s a blow, I’m sure you’ll be onto a big new project very soon but you and Greg had made Batwoman into something special.

Comment by Karl 04.03.10 @ 1:55 pm

Thanks, Karl
I’m sure something positive will develop rather rapidly.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 2:29 pm

I bought Detective Comics regularly during your run (the only mainstream comic I bought), but only because of the beautiful artwork by you and Dave Stewart. I know a lot of people like Greg Rucka’s writing, but I found most of it cliched and the rest of it ridiculous (an entire story arc hinging on somebody not being able to recognize her identical twin sister?). So I hope you’ll continue to work on the character whatever writer comes along.

Comment by Kim Scarborough 04.03.10 @ 3:06 pm

Sorry to hear about the Batwoman news, but I’m glad to hear about all the other work you’ve been up to! Looking forward to the Seven Soldiers story; are you going for any particular style with that one?

Take care, and thanks so much for all the art. I can’t get enough!

-Craig

Comment by Craig 04.03.10 @ 3:29 pm

Thanks for sharing this information, JH. You and Greg clearly poured all your passion and energy into this character and story. It’s unfortunate that such a vibrant collaboration will end for now. One positive: the entire 7-issue story will fit into one beautiful hardcover! I’ll pray to any and all appropriate gods that Greg returns some day — with you! — to continue Kate’s story.

Till then, news of your next trip to the Old West with Jonah Hex is most welcome. The first was a gritty blast!

Comment by Fey 04.03.10 @ 4:16 pm

Hey there Kim
Thanks for all your support of my work and I hope to gain your trust on future projects. As for Alice not being recognized by Kate, to be fair she last saw her sister something close to 20 years in the past as a little redheaded girl, and then there was all of that make up with the blonde hair. Just a thought.
😉

But either way, thanks again for your support and I hope I can get you interested in whatever my next projects will be.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 5:05 pm

Hey there Craig
I’m glad you’re into the idea of a new 7 soldiers story, although it will be the original retro version. I’ll be using several styles through the meager 8 pages. It will make sense when you see how the story is set up.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 5:08 pm

Even though this is very sad news, Your Tom Strong cover is simply amazing. I have followed your work since promethea and you have never let me down. I REALLY appreciate the art you create. I hope someday we will get to see what you have been working on with Batwoman, I would hate to know that you have pages that will never print. Thank you again.

Comment by Tom Devine 04.03.10 @ 5:08 pm

Hello Fey
Thanks for your kind comments and support. We’ll see what happens with the character of Batwoman. Hopefully something positive will develop from this. And nice to see desire for another Hex story from me. I’d could draw that character for ever I think.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 5:10 pm

Bummed. You guys really expanded what is possible. Every issue was exceptional. A perfect match of talents and character. People will look back on these issues as modern classics. DANG!

Comment by Quinton Peeples 04.03.10 @ 5:45 pm

Hey there Quinton
Thanks for the comment. I can only hope that the next thing I do will be as well received.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 6:23 pm

Such a shame. Although the Batwoman arc in Detective was a sublime unity of pictures and words, the innovative artwork JHW3 was creating shouldn’t have to end.

Whether JHW3 reunites w/ Rucka down the road with another publisher, or continues in Detective with the caped crusader with a Y chromosome, or does something else entirely different, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the news.

I hope that aspects of the style JHW3 was exploring in Batwoman/Detective finds its way into his next work. The visual grammar of the comics medium itself was undergoing some sort of revolution underneath the stroke of JHW3’s pen – the singular unit of sequential art, the panel, was evolving from its usual status as a barrier between moments of art to become a membrane, creating a new sensation, a continuity of experience – retaining the essence of storytelling while expanding the very idea of what a comic could be.

Best of luck to JH, Rucka, and everyone who made the Detective run so memorable.

Comment by milton 04.03.10 @ 6:24 pm

Hey there Milton
Thanks for the very thoughtful comment.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 6:57 pm

I was devastated by this news right up until the phrase “Blade Runner meets Blake’s 7” came up.

But now, as long as that happens, I’m fine. 🙂

Comment by Phil Sandifer 04.03.10 @ 9:00 pm

While I am sad to see your Batwoman work interrupted, I’ll gleefully pick up your other projects.

Comment by taterpie 04.03.10 @ 10:05 pm

Hi JH3,

I’ll take seven good stories and hope for more in the near future. Maybe, Batwoman will meet up with Chase down the road too. In the meantime, I’ll just have to wait for Absolute Promethia Book 2, Seven Soldiers and Jonah Hex. Thanks for keeping us in the loop! Wayne

Comment by wayne beamer 04.03.10 @ 10:58 pm

Hey there Phil
Thank you much.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 11:47 pm

Hello there Taterpie
Thanks for your support, I hope you find some enjoyment from the new stuff when it comes out.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 11:48 pm

Hey there Wayne
Sure thing, I think things will develop into something cool down the road here very shortly.

Comment by jhw3 04.03.10 @ 11:50 pm

In a perfect world DC would let YOU write and draw a Batwoman series or graphic novel or write and draw whatever you wanted to do. If I didn’t turn down the co-publisher offer from DC (I couldn’t take the pay cut, ha-ha), I’d have made that happen (grin)!

Comment by Ralph Mathieu 04.05.10 @ 5:38 pm

Hey there Ralph
Thanks for the supportive statement. Although weirder things have happened, right?

Comment by jwh3 04.05.10 @ 9:39 pm

Hey there Tom
Thanks so much for the kind words. Sorry for the delayed reply, somehow I missed your comment. But I do appreciate you taking the time for what you had to say.

Comment by jhw3 04.05.10 @ 9:54 pm

Wow. This is one of those good news / bad news kinds of things. I’m so very sad to see Greg Rucka leave the Batwoman “family” but I sincerely hope that DC allows the character and her story to continue…and that you’ll be involved with the title.

Comment by Pam 04.07.10 @ 3:54 am

Hey there Pam
Let’s keep our fingers crossed
🙂

Comment by jwh3 04.07.10 @ 4:09 pm

Sorry to hear the news, J. There’s only a handful of books from DC that I’ve got much interest in at this point, and that was one of them. Hopefully the story will be picked up again and the character will be handled with a degree of sensitivity that matches the care of the artwork, but I’ve learned not to hold my breath in these sorts of situations.

Comment by Matthew Maxwell 04.08.10 @ 7:57 am

Jim and Wendy are in the air flying to Boston right now so I would be happy to announce Jim has received an Eisner nomination for Best Artist for his work on Detective. I am not sure he even knows this yet. Well deserved and congratulations, Jim.

Comment by Michael Anton Smid 04.08.10 @ 11:19 am

I only want to repeat what has been repeatedly stated. I’m very sorry your and GR’s time on this book has ended. The story was intriguing and made me care for a character that felt like a joke in the beginning. Rucka did great work. But your art … was stellar, unparalleled. A feast for one’s eyes and maybe even better than your Desolation Jones. Hopefully this “affair” won’t keep you from working for DC in the future.

Comment by Lukas 04.08.10 @ 11:57 am

Hey there Matthew
Thanks for all your support, but I’m SURE the character will be back.

Comment by jhw3 04.13.10 @ 1:25 pm

Hey there Michael
Thanks for letting people know. We didn’t find out till late Thursday night.

Comment by jhw3 04.13.10 @ 1:26 pm

Hello there Lukas
Thank you.

Comment by jhw3 04.13.10 @ 1:27 pm

I’m sure there’ll be a blog post in due course, but I just wanted to say congratulations on the nomination and the Batwoman announcement! Great news.

Comment by James 04.14.10 @ 6:22 am

Congratulations on Batwomen #1 announced…looking forward to it!

Comment by Craig 04.14.10 @ 6:45 am

Truly a good news/ bad news thing. Great that you will be writing AND drawing that first arc of BATWOMAN and I hope to see you return on art later down the road. I vow to stick on the title until you do so, ansd want to see what you have up your sleeve story-wise. And congrats on the EISNER! I hope you win.

Comment by sean wasielewski 04.14.10 @ 7:57 am

Hey there James
Thank you.

Comment by jhw3 04.14.10 @ 10:24 am

Thanks Craig

Comment by jhw3 04.14.10 @ 10:25 am

Hey there Sean
Thank you very much. The plan is for me to draw the first arc, Amy the second, and I return at the 3rd, and so on.

Comment by jhw3 04.14.10 @ 10:27 am

Looking forward to your rendering(s) of Wonder Woman. All the best.

Comment by kudamono 04.15.10 @ 3:01 pm

Another reaction blog from AfterEllen.com –

http://www.afterellen.com/blog/stuntdouble/batoman-lives-kate-kane-is-finally-getting-her-own-title

Comment by Pam 05.06.10 @ 5:52 am

Hi

After reading your post, I think that its a fresh news for everyone. I am also interested in latest news, sometimes I posted on http://TheArtGallerist.com/

Comment by Art For Sale 05.10.10 @ 11:55 pm

[…] insieme le dichiarazioni del disegnatore J.H.Williams III (direttamente dal suo sito/blog ufficiale), che ha colto l’occasione anche per parlare dei suoi prossimi progetti: Questo weekend Greg […]

Pingback by RUCKA E BATWOMAN: QUALE FUTURO? » DC Leaguers 02.27.13 @ 2:35 pm

[…] insieme le dichiarazioni del disegnatore J.H.Williams III (direttamente dal suo sito/blog ufficiale), che ha colto l’occasione anche per parlare dei suoi prossimi […]

Pingback by RUCKA E BATWOMAN: QUALE FUTURO? « 08.29.13 @ 12:09 pm



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