Donny Cates was offered Batman..........and he turned it down!!

[Nick Miller]

In the recent Word Ballon podcast, Cates told the story of his meeting with Didio and Lee.

His main reason was that he wasn’t finished with Marvel.

He mentions he has a 5 year plan in his pocket.

But the most important news is that he doesn’t think Bats should have a Robin!

Mr Cates, you are dead to me! (Hehe) but seriously, dude what?

[Ansa]

In the recent Word Ballon podcast, Cates told the story of his meeting with Didio and Lee.

His main reason was that he wasn’t finished with Marvel.

He mentions he has a 5 year plan in his pocket.

But the most important news is that he doesn’t think Bats should have a Robin!

Mr Cates, you are dead to me! (Hehe) but seriously, dude what?

I don't get writers who want to get rid of Robin. The persona is only one year younger than Batman, you can't just ignore it.

[Frontier]

This feels like the second or third time in the past few months (or years) that we've found out DC's offered a major writer a chance at Batman and they turned them down. Do they have someone in place to replace King yet?

Cates feels like a Jim Starlin kind of guy (and Starlin wanted to get rid of Robin, which is how we got Jason's death). Granted, Robin has been so inconsistently a part of the Batman books lately. that it would probably wouldn't be too difficult to not do anything with him for a single run.

[Vordan]

I don't get writers who want to get rid of Robin. The persona is only one year younger than Batman, you can't just ignore it.

Because they want to write grimdark Batman staring into the rain thinking about his dead parents as part of their Super Serious Story. Robin takes away from that because he’s a young kid in a bright costume who brings lightheartedness to Batman. Hell even Damian does that!

This feels like the second or third time in the past few months (or years) that we've found out DC's offered a major writer a chance at Batman and they turned them down. Do they have someone in place to replace King yet?

Cates feels like a Jim Starlin kind of guy (and Starlin wanted to get rid of Robin, which is how we got Jason's death). Granted, Robin has been so inconsistently a part of the Batman books lately. that it would probably wouldn't be too difficult to not do anything with him for a single run.

Wilson might be taking over. Someone will be on the book, DC isn’t going to not have Batman on there. And in the WB, Cates and Starlin actually talked and Cates mentions talking to him about Thanos and Batman.

[ZeroBG82]

Because they want to write grimdark Batman staring into the rain thinking about his dead parents as part of their Super Serious Story. Robin takes away from that because he’s a young kid in a bright costume who brings lightheartedness to Batman. Hell even Damian does that!

Wilson might be taking over. Someone will be on the book, DC isn’t going to not have Batman on there. And in the WB, Cates and Starlin actually talked and Cates mentions talking to him about Thanos and Batman.

Considering what Cates has done with Eddie Brock in Venom, I'm not sure your first point necessarily holds water.

[BatmanJones]

He was also asked what his favorite Batman run was and he said it was Tom King's. We have that in common.

[Digifiend]

Wilson might be taking over. Someone will be on the book, DC isn’t going to not have Batman on there. And in the WB, Cates and Starlin actually talked and Cates mentions talking to him about Thanos and Batman.

You think this could be why she left Wonder Woman? Batman is certainly one of the only DC books that's higher profile than WW (Superman and Justice League being the others).

Whoever takes over, it's going to be tough for them, knowing that they weren't even first choice to take over the book.

[Korath]

You think this could be why she left Wonder Woman? Batman is certainly one of the only DC books that's higher profile than WW (Superman and Justice League being the others).

Whoever takes over, it's going to be tough for them, knowing that they weren't even first choice to take over the book.

Which in itself is proof enough of how far the book has fallen (or risen, for some, I guess). Honestly, who would have thought that anyone who could take the gig as the first choice from DC would refuse it, just a few years ago ?

[Celgress]

....Whoever takes over, it's going to be tough for them, knowing that they weren't even first choice to take over the book.

Indeed, I feel sorry for the next writer. They are going to have quite the task.

[Robanker]

To be entirely honest, King has taken so much off the board with his run that much like Spencer over on Amazing Spider-Man, half the next writer's run has to just be putting the pieces back together. Dick, Alfred, Bruce's relationship with just about everyone, the broken pedestal with respect to Thomas, Two-Face, etc.

This isn't specific to Cates (who seems to be a fan), but writing Batman following a run that essentially changes the playing field to this magnitude (for good or ill) isn't super enticing when a lot of the pieces removed are generally the more well-liked pieces. It's like taking over someone's shift after they made either the best or worst dinner ever, but they didn't clean their station. Dick move.

Reminds a lot of McDuffie's time on JLA where he was essentially a ghost writer because editorial had so many mandates, or Gail Simone on Wonder Woman where she had to undo a lot of what had been done to Diana prior.

[skyvolt2000]

Wilson might be taking over. Someone will be on the book, DC isn’t going to not have Batman on there. And in the WB, Cates and Starlin actually talked and Cates mentions talking to him about Thanos and Batman.

I would DREAD the backlash to a woman writing Batman on the flagship Batman book. That is probably why Priest passed as well.

There are too many cooks in the kitchen with Batman and if it's someone entitlement and ESPECIALLY store owners don't care for=no matter how good the book might be-someone would want that writer removed. Sales be danged.

[Vordan]

I would DREAD the backlash to a woman writing Batman on the flagship Batman book. That is probably why Priest passed as well.

There are too many cooks in the kitchen with Batman and if it's someone entitlement and ESPECIALLY store owners don't care for=no matter how good the book might be-someone would want that writer removed. Sales be danged.

I don’t think Priest was offered and I can’t imagine him passing if he was. Iron Man and Batman are the two characters he’s said he’d take in a heartbeat.

And after King I don’t think anyone would get too much abuse as long as they stick to the familiar status quo lol.

[Anthony W]

But the most important news is that he doesn’t think Bats should have a Robin! Mr Cates, you are dead to me! (Hehe) but seriously, dude what?

Congratulations on dodging that bullet.