BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Joining the legendary writer Denny O'Neil for Batman's recent "Last Days of Gotham" two-parter was artist Guillem March. March created all the art from pencils to inks to colors for those issues. March was thrilled to get this opportunity. He told THE PULSE, "Some artists talk about Batman as the Ferrari. As you can imagine, I never expected to drive the Ferrari on my second published work by DC."


THE PULSE: A lot of our readers met you for the first time when you worked on this summer's Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy special. When you finally saw the issue in print, what was it like seeing your work in those pages?

GUILLEM MARCH: Well, I had to wait quite a lot from when I finished that issue to the day I could touch it with my own hands, and the impatience was growing meanwhile. This wasn't my first published work, but it was the first I did for DC Comics and the United States comic industry; and Batman was in there… so there's not much more I could ask for. About the art itself, I am proud of the work I did on the Ivy issue, although now I see things I could do better. But that's something that always happens to me, and I like to think that means I'm improving my drawing skills. I simply do the best work I can at each moment.

THE PULSE: How did it feel getting to work on some of DC's biggest icons right out the gate?


MARCH: Some artists talk about Batman as the Ferrari. As you can imagine, I never expected to drive the Ferrari on my second published work by DC. In fact, I still can't believe I am working for DC. One year ago, I was working in a financial company (boring!). It was incredible to get this assignment, but when they told me Denny O'Neil (O'NEIL!) was the writer… well, I only can thank editor Michael Marts for all this.

THE PULSE: When you were working on the Poison Ivy special, were you already on tap to collaborate with Denny O'Neil on his two part "Last Days of Gotham" story rocking the DCU this December?

MARCH: No, I finished the Poison Ivy issue months before it was announced on the Previews catalogue. After that, I drew another issue that has not been announced yet; so I'm afraid I can't say much. So the Detective and Batman issues are my third and fourth assignments for DC. I had no time to get to the idea I was going to be involved in this great project. I had just finished my previous work, when my editor asked me if I wanted to do “Last Days of Gotham” and some days after, I got some pages from the script to start working. I was lucky I was free at that moment to get this assignment.

THE PULSE: Growing up in Spain, did you have a chance to read a lot of the comics that O'Neil had written? If so, what did you think of his take on some of comics notables? If not, did you read a lot of his books before tackling these issues?

MARCH: Spain has very few own production of comics, but you can find a huge supply of foreign comics, including American comic-books. I started reading these comic-books with Batman's Knightfall storyline. As a kid I've always been a big fan of Batman, I had lots of toys and I loved the old TV show with Adam West; but as reader, I used to read Japanese manga. In fact, my early works have a very strong Japanese influence. It's funny that Denny O'Neil was involved in the Knightfall storyline. After that I began to collect all the Batman stuff and search for older issues, finding artists I deeply admire like Neal Adams. There's nothing I can say about Denny's work that people don't know, his work has determined the character of Batman, but also the work of many other creators after him. I think he's the most important creator for the Bat after Bob Kane. And the “Days of Gotham” script I've been given is a very beautiful self-contained story, a treat for any artist and any reader that I highly recommend.

THE PULSE: You've working on Gotham City facing some grim times, with the Batman apparently gone for good. How is the atmosphere here different than what you were doing in the pages of JA: Poison Ivy?

MARCH: He, he, he. It's funny because on the Poison Ivy's issue I could draw Batman, but now I've worked on the Batman regular series … Batman's not here. I think this is a great opportunity to develop other characters that used to stay behind. I know that some of them have their own series, but now they are focused in the main storyline, and don't have the limits of their own little background. Also I think this is a way to have a deep understanding of their feelings and motivations, maybe with an adult point of view. You know, Batman was something the other characters had for sure, and now Batman's gone, they have to move to their new role in this situation. That means thinking about their identity, a chance for writers to level-up the personality of the characters. This is what Denny has done and, in my opinion, he has done it extremely well.

THE PULSE: What's it like working on Batman and Detective Comics, but not really getting to draw a lot of the Batman? I mean, it must be thrilling to work on two of DC's longest running titles, but also a little bit of a bummer, because you don't have the man who made the titles famous in all his glory ....


MARCH: I'm new in this industry and I've been given the opportunity to work on these great former series with writer Denny O'Neil, just after the very successful R.I.P. storyline. I think I have no right to complain! However, although Batman is not physically there, his absence is the legit motive of the whole story.

THE PULSE: Who are some of the past Batman and Detective Comics artists whose work informed your opinion of what it takes to bring Gotham City to life?

MARCH: The comic-book I read again and again, and I use as reference of what Gotham City should be is Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. It has a storytelling lesson on every page, and Mazzucchelli's art is simply amazing. My view of Gordon belongs to those issues, for example. BUT the vision of the Batman figure I most like is the Neal Adam's one. These two great artists have a different conception about how to get a realistic style. Adams has a dynamic approach, while Mazzucchelli has a very clean line with no unnecessary detail, but catches every subtle movement or expression. I admire artists with a kind of classical approach of drawing, like those I've mentioned, but also Gene Colan or Klaus Janson (who is a great inker, but also a great artist). And Alex Ross, for sure. Of course I enjoy reading the work of many great Batman artists like Mike Mignola, Tim Sale, Bruce Timm, Paul Pope, Jim Lee and many others, but their drawing styles are so unique that their influence on my own style is limited.

THE PULSE: What are some of the things outside of comic books that are influencing you the most as you determined how to leave your own unique mark on these two issues?

MARCH: Well, I think you can see some of my former Japanese storytelling behind the action scenes. I also think that artists are very influenced by movies. I tend to arrange panels so most of the times they can be read from top to bottom, with very few left to right storytelling, and they have a rectangular shape like a cinema screen. I am not the first one that does this, of course. The Dark Night movie's been a very strong influence on the way I draw some characters that appear on the issues. They said in comic-books you can do with a simple pencil what can't be done in the movies; but now they have special-effects and can make anything seem real -- we must to compete with that somehow, drawing spectacular issues.

Asking to the question, some years ago, when I was working on “slice of life” comics for the Spanish and French indie market, I used to say my main inspiration was the real life I had around, in my city, and the places and people I know. This have changed, because I can't visit Gotham City and say hello to Bruce Wayne, but I think an artist is representing the world as we know it with his drawings.

THE PULSE: What were some of the biggest challenges to translating the vision you had in your mind for each page to the actual sequential form?


MARCH: I am not as good an artist as I'd like to be. Sometimes my head has an abstract image my hand can't concrete on the paper, but it's ok because that means I want to get better. If you talk about storytelling, I always try to do the easiest-to-follow way to tell the story. If your eye can't naturally follow what's happening on the page, that's not a good page. And finally, I try to make the page “look cool”.


THE PULSE: About how long did it take you to render each page? What were some of the biggest elements that added to the degree of difficulty?

MARCH: Good question. I had very few time to finish the two issues, specially the second one. I am the penciller, inker and colorist, so it's a big amount of work to finish 44 pages. I completed the second issue in one month, maybe a month and a week. That means working from Monday to Sunday more than 10 hours a day, and, believe me, I am not exaggerating. My editor told me I could work with a colorist if I wanted, but I decided to make all the artwork myself and keep the control; working very hard to keep my best level on the artwork. It's been a very useful experience and I'm proud of the result. I ended exhausted, but you know, how many times will I have the opportunity to work with Denny O'Neil on Batman and Detective Comics?

THE PULSE: It seems since you started your association with DC, you've had one great opportunity after another. What's next for you after this "Last Days of Gotham" story?

MARCH: I do know I'm very lucky about working on these great projects and being involved on this R.I.P. event that will be an inflection point for the Batman series. I'm afraid I can't talk about my next assignment, but I can tell you I'll keep on working with editor Mike Marts, for the Batman office at DC. Honestly, I think I couldn't choose a better place to stay.












Batman # 684 is due in stores this month.