Unpublished Zsasz story from 2000 to be released in 2020

[kevink31593]

So, back in 2000, DC pulled a Zsasz story that was intended for Gotham Knights #12, and replaced it with a fill in story. I remember when this happened, I was active on DC’s official message boards at the time.

Here is a link confirming this story. You’ll want to scroll all the way down to see Brian Bolland’s awesome unused cover art. (The story itself was written by Devin Grayson, with art by Roger Robinson.)

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...evealed-122/2/

In the newest solicitations just released today, I noticed something and thought it deserves its own thread.

https://www.cbr.com/dc-comics-solici...december-2019/

BATMAN: ARKHAM: VICTOR ZSASZ TP

written by ALAN GRANT, DOUG MOENCH, KELLEY PUCKETT, DEVIN GRAYSON, JOHN LAYMAN, and others
art by NORM BREYFOGLE, DUSTIN NGUYEN, JIM BALENT, ROGER ROBINSON, CLIFF CHIANG, and others
cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
No remorse, no mercy...just ruthless death: Victor Zsasz has long been one of Batman’s most formidable enemies, and now his most infamous stories have been collected! This volume includes Zsasz’s debut story arc and much more, including a never before published story by writer Devin Grayson and artist Roger Robinson! Collects Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4, Batman: Streets of Gotham #10-11, a story from Batman Chronicles #3, Batman: Batgirl #1, Detective Comics #815-816, a story from Detective Comics (2011) #18, Rogues Gallery #1, and an unpublished story intended for Batman: Gotham Knights #12!
ON SALE 02.05.20
$19.99 US | 264 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9897-5

I am glad this story will finally be released! I already own most of the other material in this trade, but I’ll be picking this up anyway when it’s out. I hope they include Brian Bolland’s original unused cover art!

[Arnoldoaad]

So, back in 2000, DC pulled a Zsasz story that was intended for Gotham Knights #12, and replaced it with a fill in story. I remember when this happened, I was active on DC’s official message boards at the time.

Here is a link confirming this story. You’ll want to scroll all the way down to see Brian Bolland’s awesome unused cover art.

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...evealed-122/2/

In the newest solicitations just released today, I noticed something and thought it deserves its own thread.

https://www.cbr.com/dc-comics-solici...december-2019/



I am glad this story will finally be released! I will own most of the other material in this trade, but I’ll be picking this up anyway when it’s out.

interesting
do you know why was it not published then?

[kevink31593]

interesting
do you know why was it not published then?

The first link I posted above has a quote from Bob Schreck, who was the Batman editor at the time. Apparently, they decided it was too gory to release. DC still used the comics code on many of their books back then.

This unpublished Zsasz story was supposed to be part of the "This Issue: Batman Dies!" event in December 2000 (covers dated Feb 2001). That month, each of the Bat books was supposed to feature the death of Batman in some way. It was just for fun and not a serious event. Here’s some more info on it.

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/this-...es/4045-58330/

[Arnoldoaad]

The first link I posted above has a quote from Bob Schreck, who was the Batman editor at the time. Apparently, they decided it was too gory to release. DC still used the comics code on many of their books back then.

This unpublished Zsasz story was supposed to be part of the "This Issue: Batman Dies!" event in December 2000 (covers dated Feb 2001). That month, each of the Bat books was supposed to feature the death of Batman in some way. It was just for fun and not a serious event. Here’s some more info on it.

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/this-...es/4045-58330/

I think I remember hearing about this before
thanks for sharing

[Starro]

I've always been very curious to read this story ever since it was pulled at the last minute, and while I'm glad it's finally getting published, I wish they'd include it in the upcoming collection of Devin K. Grayson's first year on Batman: Gotham Knights.

[kevink31593]

I've always been very curious to read this story ever since it was pulled at the last minute, and while I'm glad it's finally getting published, I wish they'd include it in the upcoming collection of Devin K. Grayson's first year on Batman: Gotham Knights.

Yeah agreed. The Arkham: Zsasz book is an appropriate home for the story, but it would have been nice for it to also be included with the Gotham Knights trade.

[millernumber1]

So, back in 2000, DC pulled a Zsasz story that was intended for Gotham Knights #12, and replaced it with a fill in story. I remember when this happened, I was active on DC’s official message boards at the time.

Here is a link confirming this story. You’ll want to scroll all the way down to see Brian Bolland’s awesome unused cover art. (The story itself was written by Devin Grayson, with art by Roger Robinson.)

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...evealed-122/2/

In the newest solicitations just released today, I noticed something and thought it deserves its own thread.

https://www.cbr.com/dc-comics-solici...december-2019/



I am glad this story will finally be released! I already own most of the other material in this trade, but I’ll be picking this up anyway when it’s out. I hope they include Brian Bolland’s original unused cover art!

Oh, wow, that's super cool news! Didn't even notice. Love Grayson's writing.

[kevink31593]

This post is 19.5 years in the making! I have been waiting that long to see this story. The "Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz" collection has been out for a few months now (since February), but I wasn't able to order this until last week. I just received my copy in the mail today!

The unpublished story from Gotham Knights #12 is titled "Draining". It is credited in the "Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz" collection as "'Draining', Unpublished (2000), Writer: Devin Grayson, Penciller: Roger Robinson, Inker: John Floyd, Letterer: Bill Oakley, Cover By: Brian Bolland. That is the exact same create team (exact combo of writer, penciller, inker, letterer, and cover artist) that had done the previous issues #8-11, except for colorist. Notice how I didn't list the colorist?

That is because this story is printed in black and white! I'm interpreting this has proof of how far along the story was in production, before it was pulled at the last minute and replaced with an inventory story. All that was left to be done was the coloring. (Pamela Rambo was the regular colorist who had been working on Gotham Knights. Pamela Rambo didn't miss a month of work, because she was credited as the colorist of the inventory story that was printed as a fill in for Gotham Knights #12, with writer Jen Van Meter (Greg Rucka's wife), penciller Koi Turnbull, inker John Lowe, and letterer Sean M. Konot).

I really respect DC for printing the story in black and white, as it was preserved in time from 2000, and not coloring it with 2020 coloring standards. It's also kind of cool that its in black and white, considering Gotham Knights used to actually include an 8 page Batman: Black & White backup story in each issue.

They also included Brian Bolland's intended original cover art for Gotham Knights #12 inside the "Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz" collection!


I haven't actually read it yet, I've just flipped thru to glance without spoiling it. I'm so excited just from finally owning it, that I'm not quite ready to read it yet. I'll post my thoughts about that later.

A sad note due to the timing of this past week, Denny O'Neil was the editor of Gotham Knights #1-11, and the editor of the intended Gotham Knights #12. Denny was retiring at the time, and Bob Schreck took over as editor of Gotham Knights with the fill in #12. RIP Denny.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Should be interesting, I was really hoping when I saw the thread that the art was from Breyfogle, but oh well.

[kevink31593]

Should be interesting, I was really hoping when I saw the thread that the art was from Breyfogle, but oh well.

I would love to see anything new or unreleased by Breyfogle! He passed too young. His Zsasz is my favorite! One of the first comics I ever bought was Batman #493, Knightfall part 3, featuring Zsasz, illustrated by Breyfogle.

Roger Robinson was pretty good though. I remember him from his runs on Azreal and Gotham Knights.