SDCC ’17: Steve Orlando And Giovanni Timpano To Helm New Shadow / Batman Crossover

 
We’re in the midst of a pretty great Batman / Shadow mini-series. Dynamite Entertainment, along with DC Comics and Conde Nast have announced they’re doing another, flipping the names. This October will see the debut of Shadow / Batman, a six-issue mini-series written by Steve Orlando and illustrated by Giovanni Timpano. It will follow the two heroes as they confront the World’s Greatest Evil. From the looks of it, the book is going to be epic.

Shadow / Batman picks up with the two classic heroes as they discover an ancient evil that has been living inside the world they protect for ages, attached to its very heart. Can they save the world without killing it in the process? Can they do it without killing each other?
Writer Steve Orlando says:

Shadow/Batman continues to be a dream moment for me, working with two of the biggest icons of pulp fiction and pop culture history is and will always be an honor. To dig even deeper into the pasts and motivations of the characters, to craft villains and challenges that force them to redefine themselves and grow as the fascinating, obsessed, passionate people they are, is wonderful. In Batman/Shadow, Batman faced a truth he was afraid to comprehend. In Shadow/Batman, the Shadow is finally faced with a moment he’s avoided his entire life: the moment the Shadow does not know.

Artist Giovanni Timpano adds:
I was working on the finale of the second arc of Eclipse when Dynamite Executive Editor Joseph Rybandt emailed me, asking if I was interested in working again on The Shadow. I have to admit that I was a bit doubtful, because I drew several stories of The Shadow, with several writers, so I was wondering if I would have been able to add something new and different from the previous times. I’m that type of artist who always needs a challenge, who doesn’t like to repeat himself. Then Joe told me that it was not just The Shadow, but The Shadow/Batman. And later, once I read Steve Orlando’s idea for the story, all of my doubts vanished. We all know how important The Shadow was for Batman’s creation back in the day, and Steve have taken this connection between the two characters and transformed it into the very heart of his story. This is not a simple crossover between these two heroes, this is an important piece for both characters’ history. That’s why it was impossible to say no to this project. All this gave me a different incentive to add something new to my take on The Shadow. Basically, this is my third time on The Shadow, and I feel as I’m founding my definitive version of the character.


Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite had this to say about the project:

The commercial success and critical reception for DC’s Batman/Shadow series has been overwhelming – fans and critics alike have had nothing but positive reviews – which has allowed us to immediately create a new series. With the success and popularity of the series, it was thrilling to receive the greenlight from our friends at DC for our new cross-over, and working with their team has been nothing short of a pleasure. I cannot express enough what an honor it is to have the opportunity to publish two of the greatest characters to ever appear in comics, and I can’t wait for fans of both to experience the amazing story we’re going to tell.

Hank Kanalz, DC’s SVP Editorial Strategy & Administration added:
What DC and Dynamite Entertainment started with Batman/Shadow early in 2017 continues to spark interest with fans of these classic characters. Shadow/Batman is a compelling story that not only continues to honor the history of both heroes, but adds to it – which should be the goal for any great crossover comic. We can’t wait for the fans to see what Steve and Giovanni deliver.

Steve Orlando has been on a roll lately with a number of great DC titles, not to mention his creator-owned work. I’ve been a fan of Giovanni Timpano from his work on Eclipse with some absolutely brilliant artwork. This is basically a match made in heaven and I can’t wait to check it out. If the current crossover is any indication, it’s going to be pretty cool.