Broken Frontier

Joining the auspicious ranks of ex-Marvel creators now working with the Bat family (including the Kubert brothers) Fabian Nicieza is at the helm of the multitude of characters surrounding the Dark Knight post Batman: R.I.P. Nicieza charted the epic adventures of the X-Men and X-Force during the 1990s, including such highs as co-creating Deadpool and helping to craft the Age of Apocalypse x-over. The Argentine scribe has also written for Acclaim Comics and DC, but now looks set to have a bright future with the latter publisher. Writing Nightwing and Robin before both series were cancelled to make way for the new Batman status, Nicieza is also writing the weekly series Trinity as well as the three issue mini-series Azrael: Death’s Dark Knight.

However this isn’t the same Azrael that was introduced in 1992 by Denny O’Neil and Joe Quesada prior to taking Bruce Wayne’s place as Batman, after Wayne suffered a back breaking injury at the monstrous hands of Bane. That Azrael, Jean-Paul Valley was part of The Order of Saint Dumas and went on to star in his own series until its end in 2003 with the character’s supposed death. But the legacy lives on. Nicieza is also carving up a larger slice of Bat pie by writing two one-shots focusing on various members of Batman’s supporting cast in Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead? and May’s Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive. Nicieza chats to BF about all this and more as he gears up for more turmoil in Batman’s world.

BROKEN FRONTIER: Did you read the Sword of Azrael series when it was first released? If so, what were your thoughts?

FABIAN NICIEZA: I read the original miniseries by Denny and Joe, then the first 2 years of his monthly title. I thought it was a very interesting concept, with a very flawed, "Denny character," namely an intelligent, introspective individual who is formed and torn by events that are out of his control, then he tries to get control over them as he gains control over himself. I thought Joe and Barry Kitson did some kick-ass art (as they always do).

BF: The 90s were quite a tumultuous time with all the relaunches, deaths, x-overs and chromium, but it was also a great time for your career. How do you feel looking back at the 90s now?

FN: I feel fine. Thank you. How do you feel? Seriously, "how I feel looking back" is not a question I can answer in one pithy paragraph, as much as I'd like to. How we look back versus how we lived at the time are usually two very different things. What I thought was smart, right and profitable then might not fit into how I think now, and vice versa. I will say that there are very few people in our industry with the experience I had in the 90s, not only working as a freelance writer on the top selling books -- titles that outsold today's top titles by 4 or 5 to 1, but also being an editor with an internal access to the business and editorial policies of the time. What that experience amounts to now though, is little more than mild bemusement when I hear any freelancer or fan today comment on the early 90s. :-)

BF: Did Dennis O’Neil give you the thumbs up regarding the latest incarnation of the Azrael concept?

FN: Not that I'm aware of. I hope that if he reads it, he likes it, but it is a different book and a different protagonist than he created, so I'm not sure how vested he will be in it. Writers tend to write the man, not the costume/name and since the man in the costume is different, his emotional attachment might be limited.

BF: Have we seen the man behind the new Azrael costume before in the DCU, or is he a completely new character?

FN: He is a completely new character that we have seen before. ; )

BF: What similarities will this series have with the Jean-Paul Valley incarnation, and how will it differ?

FN: Similarities include: clandestine organizations looking to use an experienced soldier as their "weapon of God." A main character who is conflicted by the lives he can save and the sins he must commit while doing so. A cool flaming sword. Differences include: a very different lead character in terms of personality, family and history. A tone that is less world-spanning and an Order of Purity that is less messianic and inscrutable and a little more "normal people thrown into an abnormal responsibility."

BF: With the two Gotham Gazette one-shots, as well as Trinity, how do you keep track of all the characters you’re dealing with? I suppose your X-Men experience helps!

FN: I have to be honest, the older I've gotten, the harder it's been to do that mental juggling, especially with Trinity being weekly and dealing with alternate worlds. I always thought I could pull old characters out of my butt with ease, but let me tell you, I can't come close to Kurt's ability. "Do you know Madame Zodiac?" "Uhm... yeah, damn, I actually do... I got the World's Finest issues in the basement..." Which means I have to go down to the basement to find them... Luckily, I'm working with lots of editors and writers who are able to catch my many mistakes and fix them. So if I confused Talia al Ghul and the Atom, they are usually good about spotting a subtle goof like that...

BF: How do you feel about Deadpool's big screen debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine?

FN: Curious, but trying to remain emotionally detached. I'll withhold judgment until I actually see the movie, and more importantly, to see if proper respect is given to both the character and his creators.

Azrael: Death's Dark Knight #1 goes on sale March 18 from DC Comics priced $2.99.