Snyder On Frank Miller, Gotham City, Depression & The "Zero Year" Finale

[Naked Bat]

Same here. It's why I stopped reading Snyder monthly after "Death of the Family". Every single issue is "the most ___ we've done yet!" "Nothing will ever be the same!" "Shake Batman & Gotham to the core!" Just...give it a rest.

I get that he has to promote his books. But instead of "the next arc is the most muscular, the most bombastic thing we've done yet!", why not just say "you know what? In October we've got this 6-issue arc coming. It features ____, which Capullo & I haven't done yet, and I'm really excited for it because of _____."

There's nothing wrong with a Batman story that is just another chapter in a hero's life, you know? Not everything has to be earth-shattering. Sometimes Batman could benefit from helping out in a building fire, or a 22-page Mr. Freeze story.

My thougths exactly.

It looks like he's just taking the Nolan movie's lead.

Maybe. But what works in movies, doesn't in comic books. Especially since he's way past doing a trilogy (if we count each arc as a whole movie).

[Geralt of Rivia]

Ahhh! I hate this torture. I have to know what the six arc story after Zero Year is! Glad to hear it will be "crazy colorful" again as Snyder put it. FCO's colors with Greg's art have been the highlight of Zero Year for me.

Yeah I read this interview just for any info on that. And I walked away empty handed... :/ I still hope the connections with Eternal will be minimal

Same here. It's why I stopped reading Snyder monthly after "Death of the Family". Every single issue is "the most ___ we've done yet!" "Nothing will ever be the same!" "Shake Batman & Gotham to the core!" Just...give it a rest.

I get that he has to promote his books. But instead of "the next arc is the most muscular, the most bombastic thing we've done yet!", why not just say "you know what? In October we've got this 6-issue arc coming. It features ____, which Capullo & I haven't done yet, and I'm really excited for it because of _____."

There's nothing wrong with a Batman story that is just another chapter in a hero's life, you know? Not everything has to be earth-shattering. Sometimes Batman could benefit from helping out in a building fire, or a 22-page Mr. Freeze story.

This is also true, the hyperbole grows tiresome fast.


Still, its a good thing I have enjoyed Zero Year for the most part; after DoTF I kinda feared that the book would go down the drain.

[PyroSikTh]

I can certainly see from this interview in particular why Snyder's Batman title can be long-winded with lots of text. He blabbers on a bit on tangents doesn't he?

I'm still reserved regarding Arkham Manor. It could be really good, it could be dreadful. What Snyder has said instills me with hope a little bit, but I'm still not sure about Wayne Manor being re-possessed.

[Claude]

This is also true, the hyperbole grows tiresome fast.

I think it makes for good writing - a writer psyching himself up into making his stories Big And Important is exactly what the Main Title should be doing - but, I have to admit, it doesn't make for interesting interviews.

[Clark_Kent]

Ehhhh, yeah I guess. But he's the number 1 writer in comics for a reason. In person, he really is that enthusiastic, it's not an act or PR stunt. He truly wants to make every issue of Batman the biggest thing you've ever seen. If that's not your cup of tea I completely understand, but that's what he wants and he believes it

The #1 writer by what standard? Sales? Popularity?

As we should all know by now, sales and poularity don't equal quality. He's a great world builder, true. He always starts out well. But once we're definitively shown that James Jr is a serial killer, or that Bruce has pinpoint tooth breaking accuracy, or that Joker has to tell literally everyone & their 2-headed lion that the King & Jester are meant for each other, the stories simply fall flat. The man has absolutely no idea how to finish a story. Bruce pulling himself out of a jet engine? "WHO?!? WHO I SAY?!?" (Oh, I get it...cause he's an owl & all...). Bruce Wayne telling Joker without a mask on "oh hey, I found your card & I just DARE you not to care who I am!"...c'mon.

Now perhaps Zero Year is different, I don't know - I haven't read it. But he's the #1 writer in comics because he's on BATMAN. Which just happens to be (probably) the most popular hero of the Big 2 publishers at the moment, and has been since at least 2008 when "The Dark Knight" came out.

[Hanson724]

I don't mind Snyder's hyperbole, seems to me all comic book writers/ artists do that ( except Chaykin ), they do need to sell their books. After reading this I'm getting more amd more interested in Arkahm Manor. Also, I CAN'T WAIT for #34 with Scalera on art, I love his work on Dead Body Road and Black Science.

[Dragolord09]

Ehhhh, yeah I guess. But he's the number 1 writer in comics for a reason. In person, he really is that enthusiastic, it's not an act or PR stunt. He truly wants to make every issue of Batman the biggest thing you've ever seen. If that's not your cup of tea I completely understand, but that's what he wants and he believes it

Enthusiasm and quality are two entirely different things. Personally I felt that he was starting to lose his touch with his Court of Owls storyline and has gone up and down with the quality and storyline direction in subsequent arcs, this one included, at very random times.

[AlexanderLuthor]

The #1 writer by what standard? Sales? Popularity?

As we should all know by now, sales and poularity don't equal quality. He's a great world builder, true. He always starts out well. But once we're definitively shown that James Jr is a serial killer, or that Bruce has pinpoint tooth breaking accuracy, or that Joker has to tell literally everyone & their 2-headed lion that the King & Jester are meant for each other, the stories simply fall flat. The man has absolutely no idea how to finish a story. Bruce pulling himself out of a jet engine? "WHO?!? WHO I SAY?!?" (Oh, I get it...cause he's an owl & all...). Bruce Wayne telling Joker without a mask on "oh hey, I found your card & I just DARE you not to care who I am!"...c'mon.

Now perhaps Zero Year is different, I don't know - I haven't read it. But he's the #1 writer in comics because he's on BATMAN. Which just happens to be (probably) the most popular hero of the Big 2 publishers at the moment, and has been since at least 2008 when "The Dark Knight" came out.

Would you rather I say the hottest writer in comics? Marvel would give their left nut to get him (likely hoping Marts might bring him over eventually), and DC will do whatever they can to keep him. At cons, there are tons of Snyder groupies and his lines for autographs stretch 5 times longer than anyone else's. Just because people on this board are overly negative, it certainly doesn't reflect his popularity with the general buying public. So if you prefer the most popular writer then fine, since "best" is subjective. And it's not like it's all style and no substance - The Wake and American Vampire are two of the most critically acclaimed books in comics (and I will add, that despite your personal preferences, Batman is about the most critically acclaimed straight superhero book on the stands outside of Hawkeye that never ships)

[son of booyah]

Ehhhh, yeah I guess. But he's the number 1 writer in comics for a reason. In person, he really is that enthusiastic, it's not an act or PR stunt. He truly wants to make every issue of Batman the biggest thing you've ever seen. If that's not your cup of tea I completely understand, but that's what he wants and he believes it

He writes what is consistently the best-selling comic in the industry, and many love his stuff - The Wake and American Vampire are also highly rated. I'd say if anyone was #1 it would be Snyder. Who comes close, Fraction?